Big Year in Review- February

Since the beginning of the new year, it had become obvious that this winter would be one for the record books, in multiple ways. The weather was so brutal and cold, that much of Lake Michigan was completely frozen over, forcing waterfowl of all varieties to find open water anywhere they could possibly do so. This was a perilous situation, as many ducks did not make it through the winter, but it was also a dream come true of sorts for birders away from the lake. The lake freezing over meant that the likelihood of finding waterfowl species that are hard to find away from the lake, increased greatly. Open bodies of water around the state were beginning to see an influx of White-Winged Scoters. Based on this, I thought it could only be a matter of time before they hit the Fox River. And on February 2nd, Andrew Aldrich proved me right.

I received a text from Andrew saying that FIVE White-Winged Scoters were presently at Island Park in Geneva, including one adult male. Adult males are a special treat, since they are hardly ever seen compared to females and immatures. I raced down to Island Park, and walked down the island to where another birder was watching what I assumed were the scoters. There they were! This was only the second time I had seen this species in Kane County, although it would certainly not be the last. Yet another hard to find duck species in the books!

Adult Male White-Winged Scoter

February 3rd began another theme for February, owls. While I was driving around in Sugar Grove trying to re-locate the Snowy Owl, just to see it again, I received a call from my mom. I pulled over to the side of the road, and listened to the message she left. As soon as I heard, I was on my way back towards home! You see, in this big year challenge, I had decided to NOT COUNT heard-only birds (birds only heard, not seen). That meant I must have visual confirmation of every species I counted. Since owls are largely nocturnal, they sometimes are hard to come by, so I thanked my lucky stars for my next bird on my list that mom, being the owl fanatic she is, had just so happened to find this beauty!!

Ace In The Hole- Eastern Screech Owl

This wonderful little creature, an Eastern Screech Owl, would be named "Ace". I chose Ace because it became my "ace in the hole". (Get it? I know, pretty bad.) If it weren't for this little one, I would probably not have had Eastern Screech Owl on my year list. It goes to show you, no matter how prepared you are for a task, sometimes it takes a bit of luck as well! And there was no shortage of luck that day!

The next day, February 4th, was the day I designated as my day to look for Barred and Long-Eared Owls. I no longer enjoy this part of the year, mostly because of ethics regarding finding owls. It is paramount not to flush the birds, because they need their rest, and they choose their roosting locations for safety. If you flush the bird, you risk exposing it to predators or crows, which like to harass owls. I do not enjoy seeking out these species because more often than not, I end up flushing the birds without meaning to. It's a hazard of seeking out these species, as it is far more likely that they see you coming before you find them, and they take off.

That morning, I went walking through a thick grove of trees in a wooded part of Kane County, trying to find Long-Eared Owls that had been seen there recently. I would stop after every several steps, and scan each and every individual tree I had a clear vantage of as thoroughly as possible, in an attempt to find the roosting owls long before there was any need for them to be on edge. Mid-way through the grove, a noise started coming from a tree about 40-50 feet ahead of me. There was a bird climbing branches, and I knew that could only mean one thing. I put up my binoculars in time to catch more than enough of a glimpse for the identification of a single Long-Eared Owl, and seconds later the bird took off further into the grove. After these looks, just enough to satisfy me, I turned around and left so I didn't risk stressing the bird any further. I completely despise looking for Long-Eared Owls, because I know that 9 times out of 10, I wouldn't find the birds before flushing them. Every time that happens, I feel terrible.

My next stop was a few miles north of where I was, and so I went there, ready to spend whatever time it took to find a Barred Owl. I had done it before, many times in fact, but it was beginning to get harder and harder to do. The owls there used to have a very predictable pattern, and it was with this pattern that I would successfully find the birds at least 5 out of every 10 times I would look for them. But their pattern became disrupted, and unpredictable, meaning I was in for a long day. It had already been a long walk into the woods, but I kept going, following a path they used to frequent. Finally, I looked up far ahead of myself, maybe a good 150 feet or more, and saw a large bird flying. I kept my eyes on the bird until it perched again in a tree and I walked in that direction, never once averting my gaze. When I made it to a good enough vantage point, I put my binoculars up and spied what I had come for, a Barred Owl! I watched as it sat there for the next five minutes or so at a distance of about 75 feet, and left when it flew over the hill behind it.

When I was once again close to home, I had agreed to meet up with a friend who was interested in seeing Ace, the Eastern Screech Owl. I took him to the spot, and while there we had a conversation, which briefly mentioned Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers being seen around Illinois in mid-winter. Unfortunately, Ace never popped out, but I had found out later that my friend had checked one last time on his way out, and gotten a glimpse of the seemingly shy little fellow. When I got back home, my mom was home on her lunch break. I walked in the door and she asked me about a woodpecker that was sitting in one of the maples near our bird feeders. Size looked pretty good for a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, but ultimately, I spied a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker with my binoculars! This was a first for the yard, and another year bird down! A successful, and yet admittedly bittersweet day finally came to an end.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

The evening of February 7th was another search for another owl species. Two Short-Eared Owls had been found at the Aurora Airport in Sugar Grove, and knowing this species, they would likely not be found a moment before sunset. So, my mom (the owl fanatic) and I drove on down to the airport, arriving at just about the perfect time. It wasn't long before I had my binoculars on a beautiful Short-Eared Owl flying low over the northern part of the airport. We drove down Wheeler Road, which borders the northern part of the Aurora Airport, and we watched in amazement  as the owl flew back and forth over the roadway just ahead of us. At one point in time, a car was coming in the opposite lane of traffic, and the owl was coming towards us right at the windshield level of the other car, directly ahead of them! I often wonder what other people think when they get to see something like that...

The owl was apparently on its way to the other owl, as just after that encounter we witnessed the interaction between the two, as they fought over a rodent the second one had just caught. The original captor of the rodent was the victor, and devoured the spoils of the battle as it sat on the chain link fencing bordering the airport grounds. Not long after, the owl took off again, and before we knew it, it was too dark to continue watching. We went home, completely satisfied.

Short-Eared Owl

The last significant find of February, occurred on the 15th. I was up in Lake County waiting for a state rarity, a Slaty-Backed Gull, to return to the Lake County Fairgrounds (if it was still around). It showed up and put on quite a show for a little while after a fairly long wait. While there, Andrew Aldrich and Joshua Little showed up, and Andrew asked me if I had heard about the Long-Tailed Duck in Batavia. Obviously I hadn't, as that question had caught me completely off-guard, and as soon as I found out where exactly the duck was supposed to be, I was gone. Marion Miller had reported the bird, so I texted her asking if there was anything being seen in the county, trying to verify what Andrew had told me. Her response was hilarious. "Are you serious?!!" And that was when we found out that I hadn't received her text telling me of the Long-Tailed Duck.

In Batavia, I arrived at the river walk near Wilson Street, where the duck had been sighted. I along with other birders began searching for it. A male Red-Breasted Merganser was also hanging around, and as I had said in the previous post, Red-Breasted Mergansers are not the easiest ducks to find in Kane County. The Long-Tailed Duck was nowhere to be seen, but I kept scanning, and eventually a small duck appeared, and just as quickly dove out of sight again. I stayed focused on the spot, and the duck re-emerged and was back underwater again in seconds. But I had my confirmation, it was indeed the Long-Tailed Duck! She did not like to stay above water for very long, which is why it took so long for me to find her, and to show her to other people.

Long-Tailed Duck

Long-Tailed Duck, another species I thought could NOT possibly occur in the county this year, and yet one was found. Yes, it was becoming abundantly clear, 2014 was going to be one for the record books. I found 15 new species in the month of February, bringing my year total up to 71 through the first two months of the year. I knew things were going to pick up and fast as soon as March rolled around. Spring was coming, and with that comes migration. My top five for the month were as follows.

1- Eastern Screech Owl

2- Long-Tailed Duck

3- Long-Eared Owl

4- Short-Eared Owl

5- Tundra Swan

Brendon Lake

Big Year In Review- January

Hello again everybody, it has been a while! I guess I was too carried away with my big year attempt and forgot to keep up with the blogging. Oops! My sincerest apologies! Anyways, with the year coming to a close, I thought it would be best to sum it all up, one month at a time. I will be making twelve posts, one for each month of the year, over the coming weeks in order to catch everybody up on how my big year has gone. As I write this, it is not quite over yet, but the finish line is definitely in sight. This has been one crazy ride, in an attempt to see as many species of bird as possible in Kane County in one year. So here now, without further ado, my recap for the month of January!

After the first day of the year was an almost complete bust, with bad weather such as driving snow and high winds, the second day was a must for my birding. I was able to get an early 11 species on the first day by feeder watching from my dining room window and also nabbed my first Northern Cardinal of the year by glancing out the window while helping my mom with some warehouse work at her job. But there was one bird that I just had to go find, a long-staying Townsend's Solitaire at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin. This bird, a local rarity, had been found originally November 6th, 2013, and everyone was hoping that it would stick into the new year. I got down to Jon Duerr Forest Preserve at around 8am to find out for myself if it had stuck around. Below is a photo I took of the bird on November 6th, 2013. The first time I ever saw it.

Townsend's Solitaire

I followed the trolley tracks back into the old quarry area, where it was nearly devoid of birds. Some snow was still falling, just enough to irritate me as it fell into my eyes, so looking up was a bit of a challenge. I came to where a trail crossed over the tracks, and stopped to look around. There was still no sign of the Solitaire, so I decided to follow the trail into the quarry. As soon as I did so, I heard a distinct chip note, and I knew what it was. It was not the Solitaire, but a Yellow-Rumped Warbler that was apparently trying to overwinter here during one of the harshest winters I've ever been through! My first good bird in the books, I kept on going. I made it to the back of the quarry with still no sign of the Solitaire. I turned around, and soon heard a loud, clear and beautiful whistle more lyrical than any bluebird. It was the Solitaire, and I had to follow that hauntingly beautiful call ringing out through the silence to see it! I made it back to the intersection of the trail and trolley tracks, and had a bird fly over me. The gold wing bars flashed brilliantly in the gray sky, in stark contrast to the rest of the bird's body. It perched high in the top of the tallest tree around, and I quietly celebrated my Townsend's Solitaire success!

The rest of the day I added the likes of Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Rough-Legged Hawk, Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur and Cooper's Hawk among others. In two days I had a modest total of 29 species for my young county year list. A good start! The next solid day of birding I would have would be the 9th of January, when I had to run to St. Charles to try to find the Mute Swans that had been there for a while.

I arrived at the river a little after noon, parking at Mount Saint Mary Park, and walking up along the river. It wasn't long before I found two of the three Mute Swans sitting on the ice. Not long after, they started to actively feed alongside the ice in the part of the river that was still open. I kept walking north towards the dam, looking for Bufflehead, but no luck. However, I was even more fortunate as a male Redhead was feeding with the Common Goldeneye. I wasn't expecting to find one until March. There was also an American Coot swimming around in the river and three Song Sparrows bouncing around the walkway. From there, I decided it was time to head north up to South Elgin.

The dam was pretty quiet, with nothing really happening. I stumbled across a female Hooded Merganser below the dam in the rapids, which was the only highlight. Another duck species in the books! I decided I might as well walk around Seba Park for a bit, since it was right across the street just down-river. As soon as I pulled into a parking space, I noticed a shape in a tree that I immediately thought dove, but then corrected myself. I was beginning to get excited about what it could be, and by putting binoculars on it I confirmed my hunch, MERLIN!! This was one bird I thought I would miss for sure, so this chance finding was perhaps one of the most pleasant surprises of my big year! It sat there for a long time, completely unfazed by my presence. I moved on before it did, and returned to the spot later to find it had left.

Merlin

The 11th was another memorable day of birding, particularly when I got word of a Harlequin Duck found that morning at Walton Island in Elgin by Tim Balassie, who I believe was leading a walk for Kane County Audubon. I headed down there as soon as I could, and started scanning around the island immediately after arriving. My mom, who was accompanying me, asked me about a duck she had seen with the Mallards hanging out just a few feet away from us. It wasn't the Harlequin Duck, but a male Red-Breasted Merganser! Of the three merganser species, Red-Breasted is the hardest to find in Kane County, and yet here was a beautiful male sitting with the Mallards and preening, just feet from where we stood! Another good bird, and another duck, in the books! Trekking on, just after crossing over the bridge at the south end of the island to check the west side of the island, a blur flew past me from behind! I tracked it until it perched on a large rock along the riverbank. It was a Peregrine Falcon, and no doubt one of the birds that spends time sitting on the Elgin Tower Building! I started to put some other birders on it, as they hadn't a clue it had arrived. Here I was less than two weeks into the year, and I had already completed the falcon and merganser tri-fectas!

Peregrine Falcon

Not long after that excitement, a rattling Belted Kingfisher flew by from up-river! I was talking to Andrew A. and Bill K. as they searched for the Harlequin as well, and I pointed out the Peregrine to them too. They in turn, pointed me in the direction of a Pied-Billed Grebe that was sticking close to the west bank of the river, tucked away. Another good bird for January! Finally the Harlequin Duck, a young male, made an appearance! At one point in time, it swam directly in front of the Peregrine who was drying off from its bath at the time. Another tough bird, one rarely seen in Kane County, and I could proudly say I got to see it! If you're starting to notice a theme emerging, you'd be correct if you said this was going to be a big year for waterfowl in the county of Kane.

Harlequin Duck and Peregrine Falcon

Also big in Illinois in the winter of 2013-2014 were Snowy Owls. In what was a record-setting irruption of these visitors from the Arctic, Illinois saw incredible numbers and concentrations of Snowy Owls, sometimes as many as eight in one place, or at least less than two square miles. Kane County was no exception, with sporadic one-day wonders popping up in locations such as a Jewel-Osco in St. Charles and a Wal-Mart in Huntley. However, a bird was spotted at the Aurora Airport in Sugar Grove, and this bird stayed a while. There ended up being photographic evidence of two in the area. I had been searching to see just one of them for my big year attempt for most of the first two weeks. Finally, on January 12th, I would get to see it!

My mom and I were driving around trying to spot it, when we came across Andrew A. and Scott C. on Scott Road, east of Dauberman. We exchanged pleasantries and phone numbers in case either of us came up with something. I fully expected them to find it, both of those birders really find some amazing things! A few minutes later, while scanning the fence row directly in the center of the two corn fields (about a half-mile away from the roadside I was standing on) I noticed a gray blob sitting immediately to the right of one of the fence posts. Sure enough, there she was, a smudgy-looking probable young female! I called Scott and Andrew and a few minutes later they were able to get scope views of the bird as well. It was great to see my first Kane County Snowy Owl ever that past December, and even better to have one two years in a row! Here is a photo that demonstrates how difficult it was to spot the owl.

Snowy Speck

The rest of the month was much slower in terms of adding new birds. I would add just five more after the 12th to bring my final total for the month of January to 56. Not a bad start to be sure, and it left me with plenty to look forward to in February! My top ten birds of the month of January are as follows.

1. Harlequin Duck

2. Townsend's Solitaire

3. Snowy Owl

4. Merlin

5. Peregrine Falcon

6. Red-Breasted Merganser

7. Northern Shrike

8. Mute Swan

9. Redhead

10. Pied-Billed Grebe

Brendon Lake

Big Year Update- April So Far

Spring in northern Illinois. Is there even a word in the english language that can describe what happens in northern Illinois in April? Absolutely! The word is unpredictable! As an example, our high temperature this past Saturday, was 78 degrees. Two days later, our lows were in the mid-20's and we were dealing with over an inch of snow accumulation! But unpredictability has its upsides as well, as we never know what goodies are in store for us. Birders and birdwatchers keep a keen eye on the weather. Warming temperatures mean that migration is quickly coming. Now is the time where many radars and wind maps are looked at and scrutinized by people who wish to maximize their time outdoors, searching for the birds that brighten up the landscape throughout the Spring and Summer. Southerly winds overnight, will usually mean more birds the next day, and more diversity. But it is that diversity, that we can only guess about. Nobody knows for certain what that next southerly flow will bring! Unpredictable is the word. But there is another...

Exciting.

April has brought mostly expected species to Kane County. But, there have been some notably early arrivals per my observations. Below is how April 1st-15th broke down for me. You can see the date of the outing, and what the outing produced in terms of new year birds.

April 2nd

Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Winter Wren

Brown Thrasher

April 4th

Bonaparte's Gull

April 5th

Ross's Goose
Western Meadowlark
Eastern Towhee
White-Throated Sparrow
American Golden-Plover (a little early, but there it was)

April 7th

Ring-Necked Pheasant

April 10th

Chipping Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Great Egret

Osprey

April 11th

Northern Rough-Winged Swallow

April 12th

Purple Martin
Savannah Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow

April 13th

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Swamp Sparrow

All in all, a total of 21 new birds in a span of 15 days. Not too shabby. But, by far and away, my favorite day of birding so far this month, was today (the 16th).

Tuesday night I was game-planning for what would hopefully be a productive morning of birding. I knew that I had to go for something hard, rather than something easy. Seeing as I completely dipped on the Louisiana Waterthrush Scott C. had found on the 13th, I had to give it another try. So the plan was to hit Gunnar-Anderson and Fabyan in the a.m. It was at this time, I found out fellow Kane County birder, Marion M., was planning on birding tomorrow morning as well. We both planned on checking different areas for Louisiana Waterthrush, and would give each other a call should one of us be successful.

Wednesday morning was very cool, with moderate winds out of the south. Not too bad of a morning for birding if you had layers (thankfully I did). As I approached the Gunnar-Anderson ravine, a pair of Wood Ducks flew into the tree right above me, and two Chipping Sparrows chased each other on the open lawn. Oh yeah, this was going to be good. And just before entering the woods, a low-flying Osprey gave me a great look at it. I love this day already!

The ravine was surprisingly quiet overall, with not even a Yellow-Rumped Warbler heard or seen. But as usual, the ever-present Winter Wren was a delight. Not much else was going on, so it was time to head out. As I headed back to the parking lot, I saw that the Chipping Sparrows had added a couple of friends to their little group. They turned out to be another Chipping Sparrow, a Song Sparrow, and my first of year Field Sparrow! So it was productive after all! And now, onwards to Fabyan!

Fabyan Forest Preserve would be a good hike to get back to where I needed to be. But along the way, Hermit Thrushes kept me company, as did Black-Capped Chickadees. As I got closer and closer to the creek I heard and saw more and more. Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers were all over, along with a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, many Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, and another Winter Wren. A Yellow-Rumped Warbler sat just above the creek, and three Eastern Phoebes flew up and down the creek corridor. Still no Louisiana Waterthrush. I headed to the west end of the creek, and saw something in the water. Two Hermit Thrushes were splashing about in the creek, and another bird flew and headed for cover. This bird however, was not very good at hiding, as it kept bobbing its backside up and down, it had to be it!

And it was! The Louisiana Waterthrush! Even more special because it was not only a year bird, but a lifer, my first ever of this species!!

Louisiana Waterthrush

I enjoyed the bird for 10-15 minutes, and gave Marion a ring, feeling triumphant. There was no answer at first, but she called back soon enough and we planned to meet at the parking lot so I could take them to it. I took one more look, and headed back up the trail. Fifteen minutes later we were on our way back to the creek. I led the way at a rather brisk pace, in order to get them to it before it disappeared. We made good time back to the spot, and were on the way back to it, until Marion called out that she had something else...

"I think I have a Kentucky (Warbler)."

(Slow, and excited turnabout.)

"What?"

"I think I see a Kentucky Warbler"

"Where?"

As I struggled to get on the bird, the anticipation of possibly another lifer began to get to me. I scrambled, frantically scanning with my binoculars. Then, a flash of brilliant yellow...

"I think it's actually a Hooded Warbler." I said with absolutely no disappointment whatsoever because either bird would be a great find and a lifer. And after photographing it, and talking it over, the chinstrap sealed the deal, a male Hooded Warbler!

Hooded Warbler

April 16th, and my warbler list for the year consists of Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Hooded Warbler. Two of those three are outstanding, especially before even getting a Palm Warbler!! But in all the excitement of having a Hooded (which sat in exactly the same spot on the forest floor for the next 10 minutes), Marion and I had forgotten to look for the Louisiana Waterthrush. Thankfully, Rich M. was all over it, as when the thought occurred to me, he called out "Louisiana".

We joined him, and Rich and Marion were able to enjoy good looks. Congratulations to Rich for the lifer too! We later lost track of the Hooded, but as we watched the Louisiana Waterthrush, it magically reappeared downstream. For a brief time, we had both warblers in the same binocular view! Both warblers were vocal at times, and the Hooded Warbler was actively hawking over the creek. Great way to get two lifers!! Another Winter Wren just added to the pure bliss I was feeling.

This concludes the first half of April for me, as I end the 16th sitting at 131 for the year, an increase by 24 since the 1st of April! I will be out of state for a little while, but that just means that I'll be writing about new places elsewhere! Stay tuned, we're just getting started...

March Recap- Triple Digits and a Rarity

Winter, the season of silent woodlands, snow drifts as high as your car, and the season that refuses to relent...

Until recently, that is.

In the first two months of the year, unreasonably cold temperatures brought the Great Lakes to near record levels of ice cover. This meant struggles for the waterfowl that call Lake Michigan home in the wintertime. For those of us who bird inland, it meant wonderful opportunities. While many ducks struggled for survival remaining on what very little water remained open on Lake Michigan, rarities that are normally never seen away from the lake wandered to places further inland, including our very own Fox River. The river held a Harlequin Duck in January, believed to be only the second one ever found in Kane County! Then, two Long-Tailed Ducks were found in separate locations along the river, as were White-Winged Scoters. It was for this reason I found this harshest of winters even the slightest bit tolerable.

But March has come on strong. Temperatures have begun to rise, the long-staying snow that covered the ground has nearly disappeared altogether. And, perhaps best of all, a yearly occurrence is now underway, migration! The wintertime is great for wandering rarities and certain specialties, but nothing beats a time when on any morning you could wake up and go out to find something completely new every day, even in spots you return to over and over again. Through January and February, I had tallied a total of 71 different species of birds seen in Kane County, which is respectable. But March, was even better!

Going into the year, I had done my homework on what could be found in Kane County and when. I knew that if I were to be successful in reaching my goal, I would have to set specific time-frames to focus on specific things, and adjust according to how slowly or quickly migration was occurring. Coming into this month, I was anxious just thinking about what would begin late in the month, and set a goal for myself, to have seen 100 species by the end of March. Today, I am happy to say, I cleared my goal with 107! Here's the breakdown, according to the days I spent out in the field.

3/1
Red-Winged Blackbird

3/9
Gadwall

3/10
Turkey Vulture
Greater White-Fronted Goose
Common Grackle
Snow Goose

Killdeer

3/14
Ring-Necked Duck
Ruddy Duck
Double-Crested Cormorant
Sandhill Crane

3/15
Barrow's Goldeneye- This was easily the find of the month. Late on an afternoon in which I had come up empty on all of my targets, we pulled over at a riverside park in West Dundee to scan a group of Common Goldeneye to see if there was something else in its midst. Trying to be somewhat optimistic, I said to myself confidently, "come on, Barrow's", like a gambler about to most likely throw a losing roll at craps. However, when I put my binoculars up to my eyes, a bold purple head with a large white crescent stood out from the crowd of green heads with white circles. A male Barrow's Goldeneye! Barrow's Goldeneyes are ducks of the western United States, related to common winter visitors to our area, Common Goldeneyes. I had first laid eyes on this species in Wyoming! The find caused quite a stir, and many people from near and far came out to West Dundee, just to see this bird. It brought smiles to countless people's faces, and for that I am truly happy!

3/16
Horned Grebe
Northern Shoveler
Canvasback
Greater Scaup

3/17
American Woodcock (Timberdoodle)

3/18
Fox Sparrow
Wild Turkey- A random find while taking my dog to the vet.

3/19
Wood Duck

3/21
Tree Swallow
Eastern Phoebe
Green-Winged Teal

3/23
Rusty Blackbird

Wilson's Snipe

3/28
Common Loon

Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Blue-Winged Teal
American Wigeon

3/29
Greater Yellowlegs

Hermit Thrush
Trumpeter Swan

3/30
American White Pelican

3/31
Carolina Wren
Pectoral Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs

Most notably of the species mentioned above, Blue-Winged Teal and American Wigeon were the final expected duck species that I could find for the year, bringing me up to 24 different kinds of ducks! Unless Mottled Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Surf Scoter or Black Scoter show up in Kane, I am done with ducks for the year! Ross's Goose eluded me this month, leaving me one shy of the goose clean sweep, but Trumpeter Swan completed my swan trifecta!

Next month, migration begins to kick it into high gear! Shorebirds are now on the move, as are sparrows and warblers, which are categories that make up a large bulk of the species that can be found in Illinois. In April, I will also be spending about a week's time outside of Illinois. I will try to be better about posting to this blog as well, trying to keep the updates weekly instead of monthly! I am really excited for April, and hope to be at about 160+ by the end of the month! We shall see... Thanks for reading!

Brendon Lake

Catching Up- February Recap and March Targets

The second month of my big year attempt has come and gone. January provided me with 56 species, including rarities for my area such as Townsend's Solitaire, Snowy Owl and Harlequin Duck. February is remarkably similar to January in what can be found bird-wise, so it acts as extra time to find winter specialties and year-round residents, rather than new migrants. February provided me with only 15 new species for the year, but quality seemed to be good when compared to the quantity. Have a look.

1. White-Winged Scoter             2/2
2. Lesser Scaup                          2/3
3. Eastern Screech-Owl              2/3
4. Long-Eared Owl                     2/4
5. Barred Owl                             2/4
6. Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker        2/4
7. Short-Eared Owl                     2/7
8. Bufflehead                               2/11
9. Northern Flicker                      2/11
10. Purple Finch                          2/12
11. Long-Tailed Duck                 2/15
12. Northern Pintail                     2/22
13. Cackling Goose                     2/22
14. Eurasian Collared-Dove         2/22
15. Tundra Swan                         2/23

Four species of owls in a month is great! Especially since all were seen, not just heard. White-Winged Scoter is unusual on the Fox River in Kane, but this year an abnormal amount of ice developing on Lake Michigan has led to inland strays, including 7 White-Winged Scoters, the Harlequin Duck in January, and the gem of a find in Long-Tailed Duck, which only had two records (this and one other) reported to eBird in the county!! However, another Long-Tailed Duck was discovered less than a week later, so now there are three county records reported to eBird!

Looking ahead, I have added one more species this month, Red-Winged Blackbird, bringing my county year list total to 72 species! In March we begin to see new migrants headed north such as dabbling ducks, Killdeer, American Woodcock, Turkey Vulture, some more diving ducks, geese, Sandhill Cranes, and even Double-Crested Cormorants, Great Egret, and Horned Grebe. With these and more, 50 more species would be tough to do, but is completely possible. We shall see what March, then April, has in store!

Brendon Lake

(White) Winging It In Kane County

It has been a crazy and hectic time recently, and this is the first blog post I have been able to do in a while. So, with that said, I'd like to quickly update where I am at with my Kane County big year list. When last I wrote, I had just found species #57 for the year earlier this month, being White-Winged Scoter. Since then, I have added ten more species. Below is the list in order of finding. Each species listed had been seen, not just heard.

58- Lesser Scaup
59- Eastern Screech Owl
60- Long-Eared Owl
61- Barred Owl
62- Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
63- Short-Eared Owl
64- Bufflehead
65- Northern Flicker
66- Purple Finch
67- Long-Tailed Duck (extremely difficult in Kane County)

The best bird on the above list is most certainly the most recent one, a female Long-Tailed Duck, found by a fellow Kane County birder, Marion Miller. It has been an unbelievable year for waterfowl in Kane so far, I hope it keeps up!

Anyways, on to a story from today (February 19th). I had one target bird for the day, a pair of Sandhill Cranes had been reported the last couple of days in northern Kane County, so I went up that way to look for them. Unfortunately, they did not show for me, so no #68 in Kane just yet. After that, I had no specific targets, but I thought since it was gorgeous outside (first time I've said that this year) and because I need gulls, I should try for gulls. Gulls were absolutely the least abundant species type on the Fox River today. Starting in Carpentersville, the top of the dam was still frozen solid, and I really didn't expect anything different. A couple of Bald Eagles were the highlight here. Next up, the Dundee area.

For the most part, the Dundee area of the Fox was also frozen solid, but a sliver of shoreline on the east side remained open. It was here that I found a lovely pair of adult Mute Swans, as they glided past and up-river. Nothing else was notable here, so it was off to South Elgin.

South Elgin Dam is my favorite stopover on the Fox River for gulls and waterfowl. Gull highlights here in the past include my lifer Iceland Gull and a Bonaparte's Gull. My waterfowl highlights here included my lifer White-Winged Scoter last spring and the Canvasbacks which show up annually, starting in mid-February. This year has been a brutal winter, and so thawing hasn't happened yet. The last couple of days however, have been above freezing. That being said, the top of the dam, where everything likes to congregate, was still frozen, but getting softer. Another two days and there would have been a considerable opening in the ice, but alas, we are destined for cold weather by early next week. No waterfowl or gulls were present other than the typical Common Goldeneye and Mallards.

After this, I wanted to see if maybe the Island Park area in Geneva still had a little magic left over, even after hosting as many as 7(!) White-Winged Scoters in the past two weeks or so. A Greater Scaup or a Ring-Necked Duck couldn't possibly be too much to ask for right? Wrong, but it was nice to see two White-Winged Scoters almost immediately after walking down to where they had been hanging out. I enjoyed some relatively close views, and then kept going south. When I came to the pedestrian bridge that went under the railroad tracks, I had another White-Winged Scoter fly past headed north. I watched it land, and then my attention was drawn to a mess of feathers on the snow and trail ahead. I discovered that a Mallard had been the unfortunate victim of an unknown predator. No tracks in the snow left me to wonder what might have gotten it. Those who wish not to see this, scroll down quickly to the next group of words.

Deceased Mallard

After taking the above photo, I noticed that the Scoter that had flown past was now booking south on the current of the river. I realized it would pass directly underneath the pedestrian bridge, so I briskly walked back to the bridge so I could photograph it as it went by. But, it did not go by, it stopped. Pulling a u-turn, seemingly skating on top of the water, all progress ceased as it paddled only enough to stay in place against the current. I was not far away at this time. The bird began diving, but it was all happening in the shadows. There was one patch of the river where the sunlight was making it through a gap in the bridge enough to illuminate an area about 10 feet long by 30 feet wide. I could not believe my luck, as the Scoter swam into the sunlit portion, which was at most 25 feet away at any time from where I was. By far, it was the best looks I'd ever had at a Scoter. This bird was a poser!

White-Winged Scoter

White-Winged Scoter

The Scoter then began diving again, and it was even better this time. I was above the bird on a bridge, and so I had an amazing vantage point that actually allowed me to see the bird while it was completely submerged!! The feet of the bird were brought out to each of its sides, paddling vigorously as it motored about underwater effortlessly, all the while working the bottom with its bill in much the same fashion as a Mallard does on the surface. What was most unexpected, was the way that the bird stood out underwater. Obviously, the bright white wing patches would stick out, but the whole bird actually had a faint whitish glow to it while it was underwater. I watched as the bird resurfaced time and time again, each time I knew exactly where it would come up before it did so. What an experience! And the photos weren't too bad either! Here are some photos showing the bird underwater, including a black and white photo.

White-Winged Scoter Underwater

White-Winged Scoter Underwater Black and White

Another thing I noticed was when a train would pass by on the railroad bridge above us. Every time it seemed the bird was underwater when a train passed by, and every time I watched as all of the sudden the bird took off as quickly as a torpedo underwater, headed north. It would resurface about 30 feet away from where it was previously, but it always made its way back in close. All of this happened in about a half an hour of observation time, and the memories will last me for the rest of my life!! I left the bird in peace, quietly celebrating my experience and asking myself over and over. "Did that really happen for me?!" Unbelievable, and I also managed a great photo of a Common Goldeneye. That's also hard to do.

Common Goldeneye Banking

I wrapped up my birding excursion in Batavia, where in 45 minutes of searching, I could not re-locate the female Long-Tailed Duck. All in all, great weather, great birds and great photos, add up to a satisfying day!

Common Goldeneye Drake

Brendon Lake

Snowy Week In Illinois (Part 2)

Even after great success at finding Snowy Owls on Wednesday, Sunday was probably going to be about finding them again. The winter blues had struck our household hard, and so I needed to find a way to cheer my mom up. What better way to do that than to watch Snowy Owls, which she loves? So, it was off to a new location this time, one that was a little further. It was however, worth every second!

We ended up arriving in the location shortly after 10 a.m. We continued along a road slowly, scanning near and far for lumps sitting on top of the snow. Not too long after getting to the area, a car was coming up behind us. We pulled over, completely expecting it to blow past us as cars normally do on these journeys. But this car stopped next to us, as if they wanted to talk. It was a friend of ours, Tina! She was out to look for the same thing we were, and so we decided that we would lead the way, and tell her if we found one.

Well, that took all of a couple of minutes! Continuing down the road slowly, a large bump emerged in a corn field atop a pile of snow. No doubt, Snowy Owl #1! We stopped just long enough to take a look, and snap some photos, then kept moving on our way as Tina stayed a bit longer to enjoy it.

Snowy Owl #1

Coming up to the end of the road, we stopped at the stop sign, wondering if we should take a right or a left. Something at the top of a tall pine answered that question for us! Snowy Owl #2 was waiting for us up ahead, and boy was she beautiful!

Snowy Owl #2

From there, we continued along to the next crossroad, and then jumped over to the crossroad for a little bit. Coming up on a stand of trees, we could see a driveway up ahead, and instinctively, I turned to see the house. I saw that and more as we cleared the trees!

Snowy Owl #3

That was just incredible, like opening a present on Christmas! The next crossroad had a corn crib visible along it, and so I used my binoculars to check the rooftop from afar. Yep, there it was! Owl #4 was there, so we went that way to get a photo.

Snowy Owl #4

Another pass around where we had already been confirmed that owls 1, 2 and 3, were still at least very close to where we originally saw them. Then it was on to a new section that we hadn't checked. Coming up to an intersection, we saw a couple of vehicles pulled over on the left, and so we went to see what they saw. It was Snowy Owl #5!

Snowy Owl #5

From here, we went back to see if we could find our friend Tina, who had apparently gotten a bit lost in an area to the west of us. Try as we might, all we found were the Snowies we had already seen, so we decided to just continue our search for more. I spotted some cars, the same ones from before, lined along a road to our right, and quickly spotted why they were there sitting on a fence post. Snowy Owl #6, which was the most active one up until that point!

Snowy Owl #6

The other cars turned around and left, but we were also joined by Tina, who managed to find her way back to the area. In all of their excitement, the photographers forgot to do something a birder/birdwatcher should never forget to do, and that is check the other side of the road. Right across the road from Snowy #6 was Snowy #7!

Snowy Owl #7

From here, we didn't know where to go. We had checked most of the area, and came up with seven Snowy Owls! But as we back-tracked, right behind those photographers again, a large bird flushed from a tree on the roadside. The photographers missed it again, as Snowy #8 gave a spectacular flight show while it tried and failed to re-perch in the tree. It later settled on landing on a nearby farm structure.

Snowy Owl #8

Snowy Owl #8

And so, we had seen 8 Snowy Owls in a little more than 2 hours time! It was after this encounter, that I received a text from a fellow birder about 5 White-Winged Scoters that had shown up on the Fox River, which is in Kane County. My big year in Kane had been struggling for the past two weeks, so we booked it all the way in to Geneva, and got them! That was species #57 for my big year! Here is a photo of the lone adult male present.

White-Winged Scoter Adult Male

A female Common Merganser allowed for better shots up at the dam, as it swam past.

Female Common Merganser

And that concluded what was a great day of birding and photography! It also concluded what was a VERY Snowy week in Illinois indeed!

Brendon Lake

Snowy Week In Illinois (Part 1)

Winter doesn't seem to want to even loosen its tight grip on Illinois ever so slightly. Snowfall after snowfall, and temperatures that never exceed 20 degrees, or feels like temperatures below zero, day in and day out. Finally, a small break this week, and I decided, I HAD to get out! There would be a few opportunities between snowfalls, during cold weather. I can deal with the cold much better than slick roads. So, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, I was out and about. This week would be very eventful, and full of thrills, and I still had no idea as of Monday morning.

It was early in the week when I decided to shoot a message over to a good friend and fellow photographer, Chris M. I had helped a few people see their first ever Snowy Owl this winter, taking full advantage of the huge irruption that the U.S. is currently in the midst of. Chris however, was the one friend that I had promised I would help, and I still hadn't gotten him to his first Snowy. I knew of a location not far from my house, where multiple owls had been seen within the past two weeks, and had a few other locations to check as well if it didn't work out. All that was required was a little bit of travel and time on Chris's part, and I was glad he was able to do so.

Wednesday morning he stopped by my house, and I loaded up all of my gear into his vehicle, and we headed towards our destination for the day. If all went according to plan, Chris and I would get to see at least one Snowy Owl. We made good time, all the while discussing the behaviors of the animals we most loved to photograph, and catching up on some personal stories. When we arrived in the general area, we pulled over near a farm and began to scan the surrounding corn fields. It wasn't long after we saw the farmer pull out of his driveway and come pull up behind us. He knew exactly what we were looking for, and was more than obliging and helpful with his assistance. He told us that earlier in the morning he had seen one, then went to where he saw it. He was going to come find us and lead us to the spot if he was able to re-locate it. We pressed on, searching for others in the area.

It had been maybe 15-20 minutes at the most, before he came up behind us again on another road, and told us he had found the owl. We decided to follow him in the car to the spot, and so he led us down the road, when ahead of us, a large white bird flushed up from a tall snow pile on the roadside as the farmer passed by. Game on!!

The bird did not fly too far away, and Chris was ecstatic to have his first Snowy Owl under his belt. We took the time to photograph it, and talking to the farmer found out that it was definitely not the bird he was talking about. So, he gave us rough directions to where the other one was, and went on his way. We were unable to follow his directions (to our knowledge) and so ended up just cruising the area I had mapped out. Here is the first Snowy of the day from Wednesday.

Snowy Owl #1, Wednesday

Cruising along, we come across a road that was a little ways east of where we thought we should be, but we decided to head up the road anyways, and just stop so I could scan the fields around us with my binoculars. I started with the fencerow on the left, and didn't have to look any further, there was Snowy #2, a ways out but still there nonetheless!

Snowy Owl #2, Wednesday (dead center)

As I continued to watch this owl, something else caught my attention in the sky. Two large birds were flying by, and were a good surprise in late January, a pair of Sandhill Cranes! Chris and I decided to go back towards the first owl to see if it had moved much, as it was very active. As we turned off of the road we were on to head back, Chris and I almost simultaneously spotted a rounded shape peering over a hill at us, Snowy #3 in all of her snowman head-like glory! Photos eluded us due to lighting. We continued on, and went back to the spot of the first owl, and almost immediately spotted an owl on the left. But something was amiss here... This one looks to be heavily marked, like a young female. Wasn't the first one a lightly marked young male type? You bet! Owl #4 was confirmed when a Red-Tailed Hawk flushed owl #1 up from the opposite side of the road! The owl flew to the back end of the field owl #4 was in, and is barely visible in this photo of the two.

Snowy #4 (bottom left) and Snowy #1 (top right)

Chris and I had now seen four Snowy Owls! We went back to the farmer's house to let him know of the find, and also to enjoy the Eurasian Collared-Doves he had in his front yard again. He was stunned and ecstatic to hear of a 4th in the area, as he and his friends had known of only three for weeks. We continued to speak of this and many other wildlife phenomena and occurrences (this guy really enjoyed his PBS nature programs). Always great to get to speak with the people who have been in these areas for so long!

We decided to take one more loop around, to try for a 5th owl, and thought we were successful when we found a young female waaaaaay out in a corn field. But alas, this one was most likely the same one peering over the hill at us earlier. Still cool to see!

Snowy Owl #3

I was very happy to help a friend find his first(s), and I always love to see a Snowy or two!

Friday afternoon was designated for finding a new year bird for my Kane County big year, which I desperately needed after nearly two weeks without finding anything new. Time spent at Tyler Creek was altogether very quiet and non-productive. A stop over at the Carpenter Dam in Carpentersville was also nothing new, but presented me with good photo-opps with a Bald Eagle and a Brown Creeper.

Bald Eagle

Brown Creeper

Part two will be up tomorrow, telling all there is to know about Superb Owl Sunday! (Yes, I did that pun too!)

Brendon Lake

Owl Be Back!

The woods surrounding me had been silent for most of the time. The only things seen and heard up to this point were a Yellow-Rumped Warbler, a Northern Cardinal, a Dark-Eyed Junco and a flyover Cooper's Hawk. The howling winds just outside of the woods could not seem to touch me inside the stiff barricade of trees surrounding me in every direction. This was a welcome change from being out in the open. Black-Capped Chickadees sounded off in every direction, an American Goldfinch landed above my head and sang a very pretty little melody before taking off. A Hairy Woodpecker then made its presence known as it flew by, and American Robins flew over occasionally, making me wish that I could believe once again as I used to, that Spring came with the arrival of the Robin. Finally, in a tree, some movement. Directly above me some quick movements capture my attention! False alarm, a pair of Mourning Doves watched me as I made my way through a narrow path. Once again some excitement, as a ball of feathers sitting in a pine gives me hope of a Northern Saw-Whet Owl! Alas, with a better angle, it is only the puffed-up breast of yet another Mourning Dove. Darn! Lots going on in this patch, but one thing still missing. No Long-Eared Owls to be found. Over an hour of searching, and nothing to show for it.

Disappointed with that turnout, it was time to move on, and I, along with my partner in crime, my mom, made way to a new spot for us. This place, Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve, where a birding friend of mine had recent success of finding a Red-Headed Woodpecker, something I really wanted to get out of the way early on. It did not take long before stumbling upon a woodpecker, with a lot of red on it! However, it was a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, but one of the reddest ones I have ever seen!

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

The search continues, and Dark-Eyed Juncos were scattering throughout the woods, vocal yet invisible. Going down the path further, another Red-Bellied Woodpecker showed up, but further still, a mysterious knocking. I scanned the trees in the area of the origin of the sound, and quickly found a black and white and red surprise, success! Red-Headed Woodpecker, one of my favorites! I had bagged a Northern Harrier for species #54 this past Friday, so this woodpecker was species #55!

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Red-Headed Woodpecker

We watched it for a while, then turned to leave. Going down the path a familiar high-pitched call came from the treetops ahead. Not long after, a flock of Cedar Waxwings flushed up and took off overhead (#56)! I had heard them several times before this year, but decided not to count them as I had only heard them, and not seen them. Feels good to finally get that one over with!

We finally made it back to the truck, and my mom this time had a request of a place she would like to visit. So, we headed in the direction of Fabyan Forest Preserve, where I hoped that the Japanese Garden pines would attract my first Red-Breasted Nuthatch or Golden-Crowned Kinglet for the year. When we arrived, there was no hope already for any water birds. A very small strip of water was still unfrozen, but only a female Common Merganser could be found in this stretch of water (besides the Mallards and Canada Geese that are always present). The Japanese Gardens were not empty, but the Brown Creepers that were seemingly everywhere, were nothing new to me this year. A Red-Tailed Hawk decided to stop over and hunt here for a while, and gave great looks while doing so. Then I heard it, the potential of another year bird. A Northern Flicker was calling from the woods. I gave chase!

Scanning everywhere for the suddenly silent Flicker, I came up with nothing. This was very possibly due to the still present Red-Tailed Hawk. Keeping my eyes to the trees, I spied something that stopped me in my tracks! I whispered over to my mom "come here, but be quiet and don't make any sudden moves". She does just this, and follows my gaze and directions to find it herself.

Great-Horned Owl

The owl was not flighty as they usually are, but I didn't want to take any chances. I made no noise, and moved slowly as I searched for a better angle to photograph it from. Here, I think I found one.

Great-Horned Owl

However, it turns out that this was a SECOND Great-Horned Owl that I spied from this different angle. So I made my way back over to the previous angle to snag one more shot of the first owl, which was probably the female judging by the size.

Great-Horned Owl

Not the owl I was looking for, but then again, I wasn't looking for an owl! This is where it sank in. "Darn, let that Flicker go too." Not a big deal, I'm sure I'll find one before too long.

At sunset, we ended up at the far north end of Nelson Lake, scouting out the potential for Short-Eared Owls. None showed, but I just might be back to check again. And that was that, another day in the books. With no luck today whatsoever with the owls I wanted, I know one thing for sure (please excuse this terrible pun), owl be back, soon!

Brendon Lake

Kane County Big Year- 56 species
Illinois- 56 Species