White-winged Scoters
Montrose was hopping this morning with passerines, dominant among them Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers and Swamp Sparrows. Also, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Hermit Thrushes, White-throated and Savannah Sparrows, American Pipit, Cliff Swallow, and a male Scarlet Tanager. Non-passerine highlights include Great Egret, Green Heron, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Snipe, and Virginia Rail.
South winds in spring are the ticket.
Virginia Rail (click to see the larger version)
Karen spotted a very cooperative Virginia Rail walking around inside the small satellite hedge this afternoon, April 25. Virginia Rails always remind me of kiwis, though rails and kiwis aren’t closely related.
Photo by Kanae Hirabayashi (click to see the larger version).
On May 30, 1994, Chicago birder Kanae Hirabayashi found a Black Rail at Montrose. The bird put on quite a show for the dozens of people who saw it, walking around in the open and giving mouth watering looks. This bird was a lifer for many birders, including myself, and I haven’t seen one since. On a side note, all of the rails that have been recorded in Illinois have been seen at Montrose.
Pine Siskins
The Common Gallinule was still at Montrose today. This morning it was on the beach inside the protected area at the base of the fishhook pier. It had previously been inside the boat harbor. Other birds seen at Montrose this a.m. include about 20 flyby Common Loons, 10 Snow Buntings, 8 or so Pine Siskins, and a Purple Finch. I’ve included a photo of some of the Pine Siskins.
Common Gallinule
Local birder Steve Spitzer found a Common Gallinule inside Montrose Harbor today. I relocated the bird late in the afternoon. Common Gallinule is extremely rare at Montrose, with perhaps 2 previous records. It was also a new Montrose bird for me, number 327. This species was known as Common Moorhen until very recently.
For a complete list of the birds seen at Montrose, see the Montrose List.