White-winged Scoters
I walked around Montrose for a little while this morning, December 3. My best find was the continuing female Long-tailed Duck in Lake Michigan near the tower at the southeast corner of the point. I haven’t seen her in a couple of days but I assume this is the same bird.
Other birds seen at Montrose this a.m. include 3 Ruddy Ducks in the lake outside of the harbor, 2 Horned Grebes inside the harbor, and a flyover Pine Siskin.
Long-tailed Duck (click to see the larger version)
I walked around Montrose for a little while this morning, November 26. My best find was a female Long-tailed Duck in Lake Michigan near the tower at the southeast corner of the point. I’m guessing this is the same Long-tailed Duck that was seen at Loyola a couple of days ago.
Other birds seen at Montrose this a.m. include good numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers, both on the water and migrating south, the continuing Ruddy Duck inside the fishing pier, a small loon that was probably a Red-throated, flyover American Pipit and Snow Bunting, and a lingering Fox Sparrow at the Magic Hedge.
I heard and then saw a Common Redpoll at Montrose this morning, November 21 near the south end of the Magic Hedge. This is my first Common Redpoll of the season, but not the first Common Redpoll OF the season at Montrose, since Al Stokie had one back in late October.
In other news, winter ducks have finally (and I guess this is a good thing) arrived at Montrose. I walked out onto the fishing pier and had decent numbers of Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, as well as a few Common Goldeneyes and Buffleheads. Also, a group of Hooded Mergansers, a Redhead, and a Ruddy Duck. I did not see the Red-necked Grebe in the harbor, just Horned Grebes.
Greater White-fronted Goose (click to see the larger version)
The adult Greater White-fronted Goose was still at Montrose this morning, October 16. I first saw it in the lake with Canada Geese south of the restrooms, and I saw it again with Canada Geese on the grass just east of the bait shop as I was driving out.
I also walked around the point for a little while and there seemed to be good numbers of passerines around, especially White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows. Some of the other birds I saw include:
Horned Grebe – 1
Red-tailed Hawk – 1, the continuing juvenile I presume
Black-belled Plover – 2 at the east end of the beach
Sanderling – ~8, all at the west end of the beach
Chimney Swift – ~300 swarming low over the point
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 1 male
Horned Lark – 1 flyover at the beach
Winter Wren – 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – ~6
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 2
American Pipit – 1 flyover
Lapland Longspur – 1 flushed from the beach
Tennessee Warbler – 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – 5
Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
American Tree Sparrow – 1, my FOS
Fox Sparrow – 1
Rusty Blackbird – 4, all in the dunes
Purple Finch – 2, 1 male and 1 female
Pine Siskin – 1
Red-breasted Merganser (click to see the larger version)
A female Red-breasted Merganser appears to be over summering at Montrose. She’s been seen near the fishhook pier and inside the boat harbor, where I saw and photographed her today.
I also saw my first juvenile Northern Rough-winged Swallows of the season today. Northern Rough-winged Swallows nest on the fishhook pier and can often be seen hawking insects over the dunes. They, along with other swallows, like to perch on the yellow rope that cordons off the protected areas of the dunes.
The Curve-billed Thrasher was obviously the big story at Montrose today but there were a few other birds of interest. Late this afternoon I had 6 Semipalmated and 1 White-rumped Sandpiper inside the protected area at the east end of the beach. This might be the latest spring White-rumped I’ve ever seen. Also, the continuing female Red-breasted Merganser was inside the harbor.