Tag Archives: Gulls

Black-legged Kittiwake, November 24, 2023

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Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake flying by Montrose Point (click to see the larger version)

Black-legged Kittiwakes are rare but regular visitors to Lake Michigan, mainly in November. On November 24, a crisply marked juvenile flew north over Lake Michigan past Montrose Point. This is the second Black-legged Kittiwake seen at Montrose this fall, the first occurring on November 4.

If you’re at Montrose, or any other place along the Chicago lakefront this November and December, pay attention to the gulls that are flying by. Most will be Herring and Ring-billed, but you may get lucky and see a Black-legged Kittiwake. Almost all of the kittiwakes we see are juveniles, and juveniles have a distinctive appearance, like someone took a black magic marker and drew a neat “M” pattern on their wings. Try a Google image search for “juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake” to see examples of this plumage.

Winding Down, May 30, 2023

Dunlin

Dunlin (click to see the larger version)

We usually get a nice spillover of migrants into early June, but this year activity has dropped sharply since the peak day on May 19. Migrants are in a hurry to get to their breeding grounds, so they probably took advantage of the favorable weather we’ve been experiencing and continued moving north without stopping. We should get one last push of flycatchers, cuckoos, Red-eyed Vireos, and later warblers sometime in the next week. Spring shorebird migration also continues into June, and a rare gull or tern could show up, so don’t forget to check the beach.

California Gull, April 26 and 27, 2023

California Gull

California Gull at Montrose Beach (click to see the larger version)

A first cycle California Gull was at Montrose Beach on April 26 and 27. This is about the fifth California Gull record for Montrose. It’s almost warbler time and the last group of birds we’re thinking about is gulls, but we’ve been seeing large numbers of Herring Gulls along the lakefront, so something more unusual was bound to turn up. California Gulls can be tricky to identify, especially the messy immature birds, but the body size, head shape, and bill shape and pattern of this bird stood out among the numerous Herring amd Ring-billed Gulls.

Songbirds on the Fishing Pier

Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrasher on the fishing pier (click to see the larger version)

This doesn’t look like typical Brown Thrasher habitat. During spring and fall, songbirds will sometimes land on the fishing pier at Montrose early in the morning after a night of migration over Lake Michigan. They don’t stay long and continue on to the more protected Dunes or Bird Sanctuary after a few minutes. Lingering on the pier can be dangerous for a small bird – Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and gulls like an easy breakfast and won’t hesitate to hunt them.

Ross’s Gull – MEGA Rarity (but not at Montrose)

Ross's Gull

Ross’s Gull at Chicago’s Park 566 (click to see the larger version)

Few birds spark feelings of ecstacy the way Ross’s Gull does, so when one showed up at Park 566 on the south side of Chicago on March 11, 2023, it generated a lot of excitement in the birding community. Hordes of eager birders descended on Park 566 and Rainbow Beach to see what may be the rarity of the decade in Chicago. The Ross’s obliged and put on a show worthy of its status as one of the most sought after of North American birds. This is the fourth record of Ross’s Gull for Illinois, and the first record of an immature for the state. Many excellent photos are at the Park 566 eBird Hotspot.

Ross’s Gulls at Montrose Point

Montrose has two confirmed Ross’s Gull sightings, the first from November 1978 and the second from March 2011. The 1978 record is the same bird first seen at Gillson Park along Lake Michigan in Wilmette, Illinois. This individual made its way south to Chicago, where it was observed at North Avenue Beach and again at Montrose. The 2011 record is of a well-photographed adult sitting on the fishing pier.

Glaucous Gull and Long-tailed Duck, February 10, 2023

Glaucous Gull

Glaucous Gull (click to see the larger version)

Now that February is here we’re starting to think about spring and migration, but it’s still winter and we’re still getting winter birds. I can’t think of two more wintry birds in Chicago than Glaucous Gull and Long-tailed Duck. Both were at Montrose on February 10. This is the first Glaucous Gull I’ve seen at Montrose all winter. Not to be outdone, a tame adult male Long-tailed Duck graced the inside of the fishing pier. The Glaucous Gull flew off shortly after I photographed it, but the Long-tailed was still there when I left. More photos are at my eBird checklist for the morning, URL below.

eBird Checklist
February 10, 2023