White-winged Scoters
Sage Thrasher (click to see a larger version)
The Sage Thrasher has been at Montrose for two weeks now. I saw it this morning, November 12, near the small stand of cedars at the east end of the point. We’ll see how long it hangs around. There were also a couple Short-eared Owls at Montrose this morning.
Short-eared Owl. Photo by Kanae Hirabayashi.
Two Short-eared Owls were at Montrose yesterday morning. Both birds flushed from the dunes at the east end of the beach. Short-eared Owls are regular mid and late fall visitors to Montrose, and they occur most often after the passage of a cold front with accompanying westerly winds. When they flush from the dunes they often end up out over Lake Michigan where they are often set upon by marauding gulls. The photo at right was taken by Chicago birder and Montrose regular Kanae Hirabayashi.
A Short-eared Owl, my first of the season, was at Montrose this morning. The bird flew in from the north over the beach and ended up in the meadow, where I last saw it. I also had Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, and Horned Lark this a.m. There seemed to be good numbers of birds around. I wish I could have stayed longer. It was a beautiful, crisp October morning.