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!
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| 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!!
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
