Surfing at Montrose – No Sharks, Yes Wetsuits

Surfer at Montrose

Surfer at Montrose Beach (click to see the larger version)

The focus of this blog is nature at Montrose Point in Chicago, with an emphasis on birds and birding. I write about other areas of interest from time to time, but this is the first post I’ve written about surfing, one of the lesser known and lesser done activities at Montrose. Most surfing happens in fall when storms churn up lake Michigan and produce waves large enough to ride. These waves are never huge, like California or Hawaii, but they are big enough to support a person on a surfboard for a short distance. On November 19, 2021, two intrepid surfers were enjoying the waves at Montrose Beach. The air temperature was in the low 30s. Small consolation was the 50 degree water temperature, definitely requiring a wetsuit. At least they didn’t have to worry about sharks.

Black Vulture, November 13 and 14, 2021 – MEGA

Black Vulture

Black Vulture, November 14, 2021 (click to see the larger version)

A Black Vulture was seen at Montrose on Saturday, November 13. The bird worked its way up the lakefront from the Jarvis Sanctuary at Addison, stopping briefly near the harbor before ending up at Foster Avenue. On Sunday, November 14, it visited the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, roosting obligingly on a light pole for the many birders who came to look for it. This is just the second Black Vulture record for Montrose.

Black Vultures are common throughout the southern United States and range south into Central and South America. The closest they normally come to Chicago is west central Indiana, though they frequently occur outside of their regular range as vagrants, sometimes dramatically so.

Postscript: The bird was captured by wildlife rehabbers on November 14 because it wasn’t healthy.

Previous Montrose Black Vulture Records

  • April 9, 2019

Franklin’s Gulls (and a bonus Black Scoter), November 12, 2021

Black Scoter

Black Scoter (click to see the larger version)

An impressive flight of Franklin’s Gulls took place at Montrose on November 12. Multiple flocks were flying fast down the lakefront, totaling about 150 birds. Some were flying over Lake Michigan, but most were passing right over the Point. Large numbers of Franklin’s aren’t unexpected in mid November and considering the powerful fall storm that moved through northern Illinois. I also had a Black Scoter inside the fishing pier.

Doesn’t November rock?

eBird Checklist
November 12, 2021

Weather and Birding Forecast, November 12 – 14, 2021

A strong cold front will move through Chicago over the weekend of November 12 – 14. Daily high temperatures will be in the low 40s and winds will be westerly, at least for Saturday and Sunday, and in the 10 to 15 mile per hour range. This is an excellent setup for a late fall push of birds. These conditions often produce Short-eared Owls and Franklin’s Gulls, and we could see a few hawks migrating down Lake Michigan, especially Northern Harriers. Sandhill Cranes also move on these conditions, though we rarely see large numbers of them at Montrose. There’s always the possibility of something extraordinary showing up – it is November after all.

An Outside to Inside Approach to Birding Montrose

Graphic of Montrose Point

Graphic of Montrose Point (click to see the larger version)

You may wonder what the best way to bird Montrose is, especially if you’ve never been there before. Many of the experienced birders take an outside to inside approach. By this I mean starting at the outside areas like the beach and Dunes and working inwards to the interior areas. The reason for this is that lighting is better early in the morning in the more open areas. The interior areas are darker early in the morning and it sometimes takes a while for the birds to warm up and become active. Also, any shorebirds that were resting on the beach overnight may get flushed by early morning beachgoers, so checking the beach first thing can pay off. After birding the beach and Dunes I like to walk the peripheral areas at the east end of the Point. Again, these areas are more open and have better lighting early in the morning, and you can still scan Lake Michigan for waterbirds or look for landbirds coming in off the lake. When I’m done birding the periphery I start checking the interior, including the Magic Hedge and Butterfly Garden. By mid morning the lighting has improved and birds are more visible and active in these areas.

You’re free to bird Montrose however you like, but if you start at the beach and Dunes and check the interior areas later in the morning you’ll optimize your time there.

November Cometh

Snow Buntings

Snow Buntings at Montrose Dunes, fall 2020. (click to see the larger version)

November is one of the most exciting months of the year at Montrose. The list of rarities found there in November is long and distinguished. As examples, an Ancient Murrelet, just the fourth record for Illinois, made an appearance in 2019, and in 2020 the fourth state record Cassin’s Sparrow delighted birders. General birding can be good too. Here are a few November birding tips:

  • Check the beach and Dunes for Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings. The buntings favor the more open areas of the Dunes, and the longspurs are usually flying over. Both will sometimes feed out in the open on the beach or even in the algae that washes up on the beach.
  • On days with brisk west winds, Short-eared Owls are a good bet in the Dunes. They usually kick up out of the denser vegetation and fly out over Lake Michigan.
  • With a little effort and luck, Northern Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls can be found in the peripheral plantings. Look for whitewash and listen for scolding, excited Black-capped Chickadees.
  • The fishing pier is an excellent place to scan Lake Michigan for loons, grebes, and waterfowl, either resting on the surface or in flight. Overcast days with light winds offer the best viewing conditions.
  • Northern Shrikes like the Dunes and more open areas of the Point. Look for them perched in the tops of trees or flying through, flashing their white wing and tail spots.
  • Black-legged Kittiwakes sometimes turn up, especially on days with northeast winds. They aren’t a sure bet but if you’re at Montrose on a day with easterly winds, pay attention to the gulls flying by. This applies for jaegers too.

See the Montrose Glossary page for descriptions of the locations mentioned above.