Tag Archives: Swainson’s Thrush

Piping Plover and Swainson’s Thrush, July 23, 2017

Piping Plover

Piping Plover (click to see the larger version)

A banded juvenile Piping Plover has been hanging around Montrose Beach for a few days. This morning I saw it in the fluddle on the public beach (fluddles are pools of water that form after heavy rains and are attractive to migrating shorebirds). As of this post, the source location of this bird has not been determined. Several banded Piping Plovers that have appeared on the Illinois Lake Michigan lakefront in the past have been traced to the population from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan. Perhaps that is where this bird is from. After the plover, my next best bird was an early Swainson’s Thrush, a portent of things to come in a few weeks. Link to my eBird checklist for the day below.

eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38277722

May 11, 2016

Eastern Whip-poor-will

Eastern Whip-poor-will (click to see the larger version)

I was at Montrose from 6 to 8 this morning and it was impressive. I don’t know if this constituted a fallout but there were a lot of birds around. I almost didn’t go out because of the thick fog (.25 mile visibility), but I was curious if the fog had downed any birds. The warblers weren’t the best I’ve ever seen but still good (I ended up with 22 species), but the tanagers, grosbeaks, and thrushes were
excellent. There was definitely turnover compared to the last few days. Here’s a rundown of what I saw (not a complete list; for a complete list follow the eBird link below):

Common Nighthawk – 1 perched on the outer branches of a Honey Locust (!)
Black-billed Cuckoo – 1
Great Crested Flycatcher – ~6
Least Flycatcher – ~10
Eastern Kingbird – ~15, some in groups of 4 and 5
White-eyed Vireo – 1
Yellow-throated Vireo – 1
Philadelphia Vireo – 1
Red-eyed Vireo – ~5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – ~12
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – ~12
Eastern Bluebird – 1
Wood Thrush – 1
Veery – ~6
Swainson’s Thrush – ~40
Gray-cheeked Thrush – 3
Gray Catbird – ~50, they seemed to be everywhere
Blue-winged Warbler – 1
Golden-winged Warbler – 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – 3
Nashville Warbler – 2
Tennessee Warbler – ~5
Northern Parula – 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler – ~5
Cape May Warbler – ~5
Magnolia Warbler – ~15
Yellow-rumped Warbler – ~15
Black-and-white Warbler – 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler – 1 male
Black-throated Green Warbler – 2
Bay-breasted Warbler – 1
Palm Warbler – ~25
Canada Warbler – 1
Common Yellowthroat – ~40
Wilson’s Warbler – 1
Ovenbird – 2
Northern Waterthrush – ~6
American Redstart – ~8
Scarlet Tanager – ~12, some in groups of 3 and 4
Savannah Sparrow – ~20
Swamp Sparrow – ~40
Lincoln’s Sparrow – 2
White-crowned Sparrow – ~40
White-throated Sparrow – ~25
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – ~12
Indigo Bunting – ~8
Bobolink – 1
Orchard Oriole – 1 immature male
Baltimore Oriole – ~12
Pine Siskin – 1

eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29565588

June 1, 2014

I spent a couple of hours at Montrose this morning, trying to ring a few more drops out of migration. For June 1 it wasn’t half bad. Here’s some of what I saw:

Semipalmated Sandpiper – 4 on the beach
Semipalmated Plover – 1 on the beach
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 1 male in the Magic Hedge (Nesting? Seems late for a migrant.)
Black-billed Cuckoo – 1
Alder Flycatcher – 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee – 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 1
Swainson’s Thrush – 2
Red-eyed Vireo – 3
Blackpoll Warbler – 2, 1 male and 1 female
Tennessee Warbler – 1
Magnolia Warbler – 2
American Redstart – ~5
Mourning Warbler – 1
Bobolink – 1 male
Dickcissel – 1 female

It ain’t over until you know who sings.

May 30, 2014

There was a fair amount of activity at Montrose this morning, May 30. I didn’t stay long but I did see or hear Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Alder, Least, and Great Crested Flycatchers, Swainson’s Thrush, Veery, multiple Mourning, Canada, and Wilson’s Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and a late male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Olive-sided Flycatcher, August 30, 2013

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Olive-sided Flycatcher (click to see the larger version)

I walked around Montrose for a little while this morning. I didn’t see any unusual shorebirds (a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was seen on 8/29) but there was activity around the water feature and Magic Hedge. Best was an Olive-sided Flycatcher that moved between the water feature and adjacent Honey Locusts. I also had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a couple Swainson’s Thrushes feeding on mulberries in the Magic Hedge, Tennessee Warbler, and American Redstart.

May 29, 2013 – Still Going

Montrose was fairly birdy this morning, especially for Empidonax flycatchers, American Redstarts, and Common Yellowthroats. Here’s some of what I saw in about an hour and a half:

Lesser Scaup – 1 male in Lake Michigan just off the beach
Horned Grebe – 1 in full breeding plumage just off the beach
Semipalmated Sandpiper – ~50
Pectoral Sandpiper – 1
Semipalmated Plover – 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 1 seen and heard giving the “rain crow” call
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 1
Olive-sided Flycatcher – 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee – ~5
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – 6
Least Flycatcher – 3
Willow Flycatcher – 3
Willow/Alder Flycatcher – ~4
Philadelphia Vireo – 1
Blue Jay – ~40 migrating west
Swainson’s Thrush – 3
Veery – 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 1
Cape May Warbler – 1
Magnolia Warbler – ~4
Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler – 1 female
Canada Warbler – 3
Wilson’s Warbler – ~6
Ovenbird – 1
Common Yellowthroat – ~15
American Redstart – ~15
Lincoln’s Sparrow – 2
White-throated Sparrow – 1
Orchard Oriole – 1