White-winged Scoters
Black-necked Stilts (click to see the larger version)
The 2 Black-necked Stilts seen on May 27, 2016 represent just the second record of this species for Montrose (the first occurring in May 2015). Black-necked Stilts have been moving north for a couple decades and now breed in Illinois, so the recent sightings from Montrose aren’t surprising.
Franklin’s Gulls (click to see the larger version)
I spent a couple hours at Montrose this morning, May 27. Most of the passerines from earlier in the week must have flown north with the south winds, which isn’t surprising. The waterbirding however was much better. Two Black-necked Stilts and 2 immature Franklin’s Gulls were on the beach early in the morning. The stilts were in the fluddle on the beach, working west and feeding along the way. They flew to the east and disappeared after a little while. The Franklin’s Gulls didn’t stay long either. Black-necked Stilt is an accidental species at Montrose, with just one previous record.
The real excitement came when a group of Double-crested Cormorants flew over that contained a noticeably smaller cormorant. We could tell the bird was brownish, so it was probably an immature, and based on size likely a Neotropic, a species unrecorded at Montrose. The bird was too far away and the flock was moving too fast to make out any other plumage features. I’m not going to add it to the list of birds seen at Montrose because of the distance involved but I think it was a Neotropic.
eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29933222
Whimbrel (click to see the larger version)
I had a Whimbrel at Montrose Beach late this afternoon, May 19. The bird was about 200 yards west of the protected area on the north shore of “Lake Montrose”, the large pool of water on the beach. This is prime time for spring Whimbrels on Lake Michigan and Montrose Beach is one of the better places to see them in Illinois.
Willets (click to see the larger version)
I ran over to Montrose this afternoon, May 15, to see if there were any large shorebirds on the beach. I was rewarded with 4 Willets roosting in Lake Montrose*, just outside the protected area. From the coast to the Great Plains with a brief stop at Montrose in between.
*Lake Montrose refers to the pool of water that forms on Montrose Beach after a heavy rain.
White-rumped Sandpiper (click to see the larger version)
A quick walk around Montrose this morning, May 13, yielded a few goodies, including a White-rumped Sandpiper, 2 Short-billed Dowitchers, and a latish Merlin.
I spent a couple hours at Montrose this morning, May 7, from just before
sunrise to about 8 when the cold front passed and the rain and lightning
started. There were good numbers of birds and I ended up with 70 species
on the head. Sparrows were the big story, especially White-crowned,
which probably peaked today. Flycatchers, thrushes, and vireos on the
other hand were scarce and warbler diversity was low. Passerines were
coming in off the lake for about an hour after sunrise. I had several
FOYs. Here are my highlights:
Common Loon – 1 adult in breeding plumage in the lake
Great Egret – 3 flyovers
Northern Harrier – 1 going north low over the lake
Black-bellied Plover – 1 cracking adult male in breeding duds on the beach
American Avocet – 4 on the beach
White-rumped Sandpiper – 1 flying around the beach with a group of Least
Sandpipers
Lesser Yellowlegs – 13, a nice count for Montrose which tends to be
Tringa repellent
Dowitcher sp. – 1 with the yellowlegs
Great Crested Flycatcher – 1 This and an Eastern Kingbird were my only 2
flycatchers
Blue Jay – ~100 flying over and around the Point
Cliff Swallow – 1
Bank Swallow – ~25, moving north and south
Marsh Wren – 1 in the Dunes
Hermit Thrush – 1 This and a Veery were my only Catharus thrushes
American Pipit – ~5, all at the beach
Northern Parula – 1
Clay-colored Sparrow – 1
White-crowned Sparrow – Hundreds
White-throated Sparrow – ~75
Savannah Sparrow – ~30
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 3
Orchard Oriole – 1 adult male
I also had a dead Sora on the fishing pier.