Tag Archives: Flycatchers

Abbondanza!, May 19, 2019

Least Bittern

Least Bittern (click to see the larger version)

Montrose was on fire with birds on May 19, hands down the best day of the spring. I ended up with 107 species for the day, 103 in the morning and 4 more on a return visit in the afternoon and evening, my second best daily total ever there (over 130 species were reported to eBird for the day, which is about as well as we do). The Magic Hedge lived up to its name and was bursting with warblers, thrushes, vireos, and flycatchers. One of the highlights was a slightly out of place male Least Bittern in the peripheral plantings. We live for days like this. We suffer through Midwestern winters for experiences like this. My highlights include

Piping Plover (2)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (first cycle bird)
Least Bittern
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Philadelphia Vireo (4)
Clay-colored Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
Yellow-breasted Chat
24 species of warblers including Mourning, Connecticut, Black-throated Blue, and Hooded, plus gobs of Bay-breasted, Magnolias, and Blackpolls

eBird Checklist (morning visit)
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56488818

eBird Checklist (p.m. visit)
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56512714

Piping Plover, October 18

Piping Plover

Piping Plover (click to see the larger version)

A very late Piping Plover was at Montrose Beach on October 18. The bird has been present for a couple of days and represents the latest record of this species for Montrose.

While the Piping Plover was the best bird it wasn’t the only goodie. I tallied 59 species in about 3 hours of birding, highlighted by Short-eared Owl, the continuing Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a female Black-throated Blue Warbler. Link to my eBird checklist below.

eBird Checklist
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49271735

October 13, 2018 – Brrr

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Eastern Wood-Pewee (click to see the larger version)

It was so cold at Montrose this morning, October 13, Lake Michigan was steaming. This is a common sight in winter but rare at this time of the year, caused by a large difference in temperature between the water and air (about 30 degrees today early in the morning). Birding was productive, with lots of expected mid fall migrants like Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Hermit Thrushes, plus a few late warblers and other passerines. Many insect-eating passerines were feeding on the ground or close to it because of the cold. I ended up with 56 species in about 4 hours. Best birds were Semipalmated Sandpiper, Merlin, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and Nelson’s Sparrow. Link to my eBird checklist for the day below.

eBird Checklist
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49165548

June 4, 2017 – Down to a Trickle

I spent about 3 hours at Montrose this morning, June 4. I ended up with 52 species, including 10 warblers, which I consider decent considering the date. Migration is down to a trickle but at least there were still migrants. My highlights include

Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 1
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – 2
Alder Flycatcher – 2
Willow Flycatcher – 2
Great Crested Flycatcher – 2
Northern Waterthrush – 1
American Redstart – 2
Magnolia Warbler – 1
Northern Parula – 1
Blackburnian Warbler – 1
Blackpoll Warbler – 1
Canada Warbler – 1
Wilson’s Warbler – 3
Dickcissel – 2

eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37373416

Say’s Phoebe, May 16, 2016

Says' Phoebe

Say’s Phoebe. Photo by Ron Blazek (click to see the larger version)

A Say’s Phoebe was at Montrose this morning, May 16. The bird was found in the southeastern corner of the Dunes and worked its way to the western panne where it was last seen. This is the second record of Say’s Phoebe from Montrose, the first coming from May 11, 2001. Say’s Phoebe is casual in Illinois (3 to 7 accepted records in the last 10 years).

June 12, 2014

I went over to Montrose late this afternoon to see what was around. Three Semipalmated Sandpipers were inside the protected area at the east end of the beach. On land I heard a Dickcissel calling from the trees inside the forbidden area and I saw a Great Crested Flycatcher in the Magic Clump. The biggest surprise was a male Yellow-rumped Warbler in the peripheral plantings. On my way back I stopped at the Golf Course Pond and had 5 Black-crowned Night-Herons.