Category Archives: Winter Bird Reports

December 1 – February 28/29, inclusive

December 21, 2016

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier (click to see the larger version)

I spent about an hour and a half at Montrose this morning, December 21. It certainly looked and felt like winter, with a thin layer of ice on Lake Michigan all the way to the horizon. As expected for this time of year, diversity was low. I ended up with 25 species, highlighted by a nice adult male Northern Harrier, the continuing female Rusty Blackbird, and hundreds of Common Mergansers. When I think of an emblematic Lake Michigan winter bird, I think of the Common Merganser, a hardy duck that can survive our brutal winters with just a little open water to find fish to eat. Link to my eBird checklist below.

eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33128914

December 11, 2011

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow (click to see the larger version)

I took advantage of the break in the snowstorm to get some birding in this morning, December 11. I don’t expect to see much at this time of the year, but I did have a few surprises, highlighted by a late Savannah Sparrow near the mouth of the harbor. I also had an immature Northern Harrier in the Dunes, 15 Redheads, 2 American Pipits that probably wish they had flown south, and a Rusty Blackbird. Several American Pipits have been holding on in the native planting area for a few weeks. Link to my eBird checklist below.

eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32965309

Red-breasted Mergansers, Early December, 2016

Red-breasted Mergansers

Red-breasted Mergansers (click to see the larger version)

Red-breasted Mergansers have arrived in force on the southern end of Lake Michigan. Hundreds to thousands of these fish eating ducks have been at Montrose and other Illinois lakefront locations the last few days. Red-breasted Mergansers are one of three common wintering ducks on Lake Michigan, the other two being Common Merganser and Common Goldeneye. Luiz Munoz photographed this swarm of Red-breasted Mergs at Montrose on December 3, 2016.

White-winged Scoter and Iceland Gulls, February 24, 2016

Montrose Waves

Montrose Waves (click to see the larger version)

The high winds and resultant high waves drove many ducks off Lake Michigan and into Montrose Harbor today, February 24. Most were Common Mergansers and Common Goldeneye but I also had one White-winged Scoter. Two adult Iceland Gulls were also in the harbor. Here’s a shot of a wave breaking over the fishing pier.

White-winged Scoters, February 16, 2016

Ice, ice, everywhere

Ice, ice, everywhere (click to see the larger version)

I walked around Montrose for a little bit this morning, February 16. It looked more like winter today than any other day I’ve been out there this winter, with ice on the lake all the way to the horizon, east, north, and south. The ice wasn’t continuous and there were scattered patches of open water here and there. In these patches were Common Goldeneye and Common Mergansers, the typical Lake Michigan winter ducks. Best were 4 White-winged Scoters that flew in and joined the other waterfowl offshore. I haven’t seen many White-winged Scoters this winter and this is the time of the year when they start to appear in numbers. Perhaps the relatively mild winter and lack of extensive ice on the lake have something to do with this. I saw nothing else of note.

Horned Grebe and Ruddy Ducks, February 8, 2016

I walked around Montrose for a bit this morning, February 8, and I can confirm that it still feels like winter. My most unexpected find was a Horned Grebe in the lake on the beach side of the fishing pier. I’m guessing this is an overwintering bird instead of an early migrant because of the date.

I also saw the 2 continuing female type Ruddy Ducks in the lake south of the Magic Hedge. They’re been in the same area for over a week so they must like that spot.

There were also several hundred gulls, mostly Ring-billeds, swarming over the open water at the west end of the harbor. I didn’t spend a lot of time looking through them so I could have missed something unusual. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, some kind of small fish are running in the harbor, which is what’s attracting the gulls.