Category Archives: Summer Bird Reports

June 1 – August 31, inclusive

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, July 27, 2014

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (click to see the larger version)

Al Stokie found an adult Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose Beach this morning, July 27. Al first saw the bird near the fence at the west end of the protected area. He said the bird flew off after a few minutes and I thought I wouldn’t get to see it but it magically reappeared in front of us while we were standing at the base of the fishhook pier. This was about 7:20. A Killdeer spooked the bird and it flew off to the west and wasn’t seen again. This is the first Buff-breasted Sandpiper I’ve heard of not only for Illinois but the upper Midwest. There were also Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, Sanderlings, and Semipalmated Plovers on the beach.

The Return of the Green Gunk

Shorebirds and Algae

Shorebirds and Algae (click to see the larger version)

Green gunk has returned to Montrose Beach. Green gunk is just algae that has washed up and accumulated on the beach. Shorebirds love to feed in this stuff. This morning, July 26, there were ~30 Sanderlings, ~6 Semipalmated Sandpipers, a fresh juvenile Least Sandpiper, 4 Semipalmated Plovers, plus the local Killdeer and Spotted Sandpipers feeding in the gunk inside the protected area at he east end of the beach.

Stilt Sandpiper, July 12, 2014

Stilt Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper (click to see the larger version)

I had an adult Stilt Sandpiper at Montrose Beach this morning. The bird was in the small fluddle between the west end of the protected area and the plastic boardwalk. It flew off when I first saw it but came back after a few minutes. Stilt Sandpipers are fairly rare at Montrose, and we don’t often see them on the beach.

Other than the Stilt San I saw nothing else of note and I had to leave early because of the rain. A cold front will move through northern Illinois early next week and there could be shorebirds moving ahead of it; Montrose Beach might be worth checking later today and tomorrow.

Common Tern, July 3, 2014

Common Tern

Common Tern (click to see the larger version)

An immature Common Tern was at Montrose Beach on July 2 and 3. The bird is probably in its second calendar year and can be identified as a Common Tern by the dark feathering on the leading edge of the inner wing (the so-called carpal bar) and the dark red base to the bill. Common Terns are very unusual at Montrose at this time of the year.

Juvenile Herring Gull, July 3, 2014

Juvenile Herring Gull

Herring Gull (click to see the larger version)

I had a juvenile Herring Gull at Montrose Beach today. This is the first juvenile Herring Gull I’ve seen this year. They usually start appearing in mid July so this is a little early. The bird’s primaries weren’t fully grown, giving it a chopped off look at the rear.

Willets and Forster’s Terns, July 1, 2014

Willets

Willets (click to see the larger version)

Larry Krutulis found 3 Willets inside the protected area at Montrose Beach earlier today, and they were still there late this afternoon. I also had 2 subadult Forster’s Terns inside the protected area. The Willets and the Least Sandpipers Larry also had are almost certainly early southbound migrants. Both species are among the first shorebirds we see in the summer.