Pouncing Coyote

Pouncing Coyote
Coyote pouncing on prey at Fermilab, in Batavia Illinois.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Wild Kane County- Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve

Spring is a wonderful time to be out in nature. It is a season of dramatic changes in weather, plantlife, and wildlife. Birds are one of the more significant areas that are noticed during the springtime because of migration, when birds return north to their breeding grounds from their wintering grounds as far away as South America. Needless to say, it is during this time that birders, birdwatchers, and wildlife photographers focus their attention on parks and forest preserves around the country in search of some of the rarest and most beautiful of the migrants we see annually, or even just on rare occasion such as vagrants. Migration brings anything, and the best thing those who hope to witness the marvel of migration can do, is find a good place to be to watch as migration unfolds. I hope in this piece, people will discover one of the premiere destinations for witnessing the wonders of migration in Kane County, and possibly even northern Illinois. May I present, Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin!

Baltimore Oriole

Jon Duerr Forest Preserve, formerly known as Black Hawk Forest Preserve, lies along Illinois Route 31 east of McLean Boulevard in South Elgin. It was re-named in 2004, after the retired executive director of the Kane County Forest Preserve District (and avid birder) Jon Duerr, in order to recognize his efforts with and contributions to the Forest Preserve District during his service time. Jon Duerr Forest Preserve contains a large area of mature woodlands, lush woodland edge habitat, some riverfront territory and an old quarry reclaimed by shrubs and underbrush making for excellent sparrow habitat. For birdlife, eBird.org has 192 species of bird recorded at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve alone. The diversity of habitat makes it an ideal place for a wide variety of birds, and naturally a few rarities have occurred such as Townsend's Solitaire, Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper and King Eider. Jon Duerr Forest Preserve is also a wonderful place to view White-Tailed Deer which roam about the entire preserve, and insect lovers may also enjoy a stroll through this preserve as well, enjoying the diversity of butterflies and dragonflies. However, as a bird enthusiast, this blog is mostly about the birds, so let's take a look around, shall we?

Veery, a type of thrush.

For clarification, there are three parking lots at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve, and they are the upper lot, which is closest to the train trolley tracks. The middle lot, which as its name may suggest is in between the upper lot and the lower lot. Finally, there's the lower lot, which is closest to the river. We'll start as I normally do upon a typical visit to Jon Duerr Forest Preserve, and go to the quarry area from the upper lot. To make it to the quarry area, it is necessary to follow the train trolley tracks back. The train trolleys are occasionally in operation, so always be cautious, there's easily enough room on either side to step away from the tracks. Going back along the tracks, there are woods along both sides initially, but as you head further to the east along the tracks, the woods give way to the quarry, a scrubby area with bushes and trees that often have fruit on them, but mostly in the winter (junipers). It was because of these junipers that a Townsend's Solitaire decided to set up shop at this preserve for the winter of 2013-2014. During any time of the year, this area provides good habitat for sparrows, but especially in the spring. It can be productive for songbirds such as Brown Thrashers, Indigo Buntings, and sometimes warblers, including possibly Yellow-Breasted Chat.

Townsend's Solitaire, rare to our area.

As you continue east along the tracks, you'll come to an intersection with a footpath, which to the north extends back into the quarry, and to the south goes into the woods. This is the back end of the trail that goes east from the middle lot. Heading into the woods along this trail, songbirds really take over as these woods are the habitat of choice for various thrushes, warblers and other songbirds. Be sure to keep a watchful eye for Black-Billed Cuckoos flying around the canopy too.

Palm Warbler

Upon reaching the middle lot, heading towards the lower lot will bring you to the riverfront. Here various types of waterfowl have been seen over the years, including the best of the best, a rare King Eider! The King Eider was a great reminder to keep checking water wherever you go, you never know what could be on it on any given day. During warm, dry summers, the river can be a little shallow in this stretch, revealing sandbars and suitable habitat for shorebirds. Typical species seen include Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers, but others such as Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs may be found here too. A rare Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper (which is very similar to the Pectoral Sandpiper) was once spotted here.

Solitary Sandpiper

The trail closest to the river eventually converges with another bike trail. Taking a right will bring you to a bridge that leads across the river to the nearby Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve. Taking a left will take you further along the river. The brush and bushes along the river here host many species of warblers on any given spring morning, leading to good diversity, and occasional flyovers such as Broad-Winged, Cooper's and Red-Tailed Hawks, or even Bald Eagles and Osprey do occur. Keeping a sharp eye to the sky from time to time can be fruitful!

Singing Connecticut Warbler

Heading back towards the parking lots, you can see the bike trail extends beyond the parking lots. This path leads to open grassy fields bordered by short bushes, shrubs, and some pine trees. These grassy fields are rampant with Field Sparrows, and also provide friendly habitat for Eastern Bluebirds and the occasional Clay-Colored Sparrow. The pines that border the grassy fields also run along the road into the preserve from Route 31. These pines are good for both Golden and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, and occasionally Pine Warbler.

Pine Warbler
Any and every area within Jon Duerr Forest Preserve is typically birdy on a spring day, during migration. Unusual warblers have shown up, such as Kentucky, Worm-Eating, Cerulean, Yellow-Throated, Prothonotary, and both Connecticut and Mourning Warblers. In one day of birding in May of 2014, I saw and heard five different Connecticut Warblers! The different habitats within the preserve lead to excellent diversity, and really make it difficult to decide on any area not to cover during any visit. A walk around the entirety of Jon Duerr Forest Preserve can be lengthy and tiring, but it also can be well worth the effort given. Any day during migration at Jon Duerr Forest Preserve, is a good day! It is one of a few places in Kane County that can truly be considered a "can't miss" birding location. Do what you can to get out and explore this wonderful preserve for yourself!

Brendon Lake

Friday, February 20, 2015

Wild Kane County- Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve

In eastern Kane County, along the west bank of the Fox River, the town of Geneva holds a secret. It's a hidden treasure of sorts, and a very well-kept secret. That is, until now. Wildlife enthusiasts everywhere take note, a wonderland has been right in front of everyone for a long time. Something so small, and so simple has so much to offer. I suppose by now everyone should really know, big things come in small packages. Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve, is one you should know.

Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve lies behind the Kane County government center in Geneva, along the west bank of the Fox River. It is just upstream from Fabyan Forest Preserve, and downstream from Island Park. It is a very modest forest preserve, and first impressions upon arrival to this 20-acre preserve are relatively underwhelming. What catches your eye immediately here is a picnic shelter and a wide-open grassy area used as a soccer practice field. But pay more attention, and you shall discover all this wonderful little spot has to offer.

Lincoln's Sparrow at Gunnar Anderson FP
The Fox River is a migration path for many species of birds, and often these birds wind up spending the day at one of the many parks and preserves along the Fox, fueling up for the next leg of their migration north in the spring, and back south in the fall. Gunnar Anderson's shoreline along the river is wooded with scrubby areas, and plenty of undergrowth. This makes it great habitat for sparrows, warblers, thrushes and songbirds of all sorts. Not to mention this section of the river hosted White-Winged Scoters in the winter of 2013-2014, so it is worthwhile to check for waterfowl. But the best is yet to come!

Winter Wren at Gunnar Anderson FP
The trail along the shoreline will bring you to an inlet at the southern end of the preserve, and the trail will turn west along a small creek. This is the treasure of the preserve, known as "the ravine". The ravine continues west along the creek, and many songbirds consider this area to be their own version of paradise. The creek is prime habitat for Winter Wrens, who like to skulk about the tree roots jutting from the banks. Other birds I've personally seen in the ravine include Gray-Cheeked Thrush, Canada Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo, Least Flycatcher, Pine Siskin and Northern Waterthrush. Just about any warbler species is very possible to find here, it is wonderful wooded habitat full of undergrowth, leaf litter, and has the creek as a source of running water. The trail continues west along the ravine for a while, or when it forks and shows the option to go back north, you can head back to the parking lot by going north.

Least Flycatcher in the Ravine
Talking statistically about Gunnar Anderson, I personally have recorded 98 species of bird at this forest preserve alone! Ebird.org has Gunnar Anderson at 139 species recorded among all observers. That is very good diversity for such a small preserve. The bonus is that Gunnar Anderson is far from physically demanding or challenging when it comes to accessibility and walking around. The only time it may be challenging is in the winter after a big snowfall.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher along the GA Fox River Shoreline
Perhaps the moment that put Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve on the map so to speak, was when local birders and brothers Chris and Mark Bowman crossed paths with Illinois' second record of Fork-Tailed Flycatcher among the many Eastern Kingbirds hawking insects over the river there on May 12th, 2014. Fork-Tailed Flycatchers are native to South America, making them not only a state rarity, but a rarity for the country as a whole! Many birders from all over the state made it to Gunnar Anderson that day for the rarity, and I would hope they also took the time to appreciate the rest of the preserve.


Fork-Tailed Flycatcher (top) with Eastern Kingbirds
This preserve is one that doesn't look like much at first, but it holds plenty of beauty within for those who are willing to look. Maybe on a nice spring day, you will remember this article and think of Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve, which is in my opinion, a can't miss birding opportunity in the peaks of spring and fall migrations. Take a walk, and you just may be surprised at what you find. 

Brendon Lake

Saturday, January 31, 2015

No Laughing Matter- Elgin Harlequin Duck Rescue

As is always the case on a Saturday morning, I had hoped that my plans for the day would lead to an eventful time out birding around the Fox River Valley. This was especially true because of the impending snowstorm headed our way, predicted to begin Saturday night with 12-18 inches of snow possible. My starting point for the day was Walton Island in Elgin, where a young male Harlequin Duck was continuing and progressing every day towards adult plumage. An adult male Harlequin Duck is quite the stunning sight, and after seeing photos of him taken Friday, I decided it would be nice to see him once again. I had no idea what was in store.

My mom and I arrived and once I stepped out of the car, I saw two birders standing near what had to be the Harlequin Duck. Such a rare visitor to the area has attracted much attention from those who hope to see something unusual, so it was no surprise there were onlookers already. I looked through my binoculars at the bird from a distance, noticing unusual behavior. It would barely stay above water for ten seconds at a time, and its body would rarely rise above the surface of the water. My first thought was possibly that it could have been bathing.

We walked up to the couple, who were watching the duck. I said hello and we began talking about the odd behavior. Larry, the gentleman I was speaking with, told me the bird was caught on fishing line, and the line was pulling it down. Immediately I was concerned about the bird, and it didn't help that it had been like that for at least 30-45 minutes at the time. It was obviously in trouble. Larry had mentioned that he believed someone had made a call, but he wasn't entirely sure. I started sending texts and making calls to people I thought could help, and two of them sent me the number of the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors.

I called the number and explained the situation. It seemed to me by the response of the person I was talking to that indeed a call had been made. I was told to contact the Elgin Animal Control department, so I took down the number and did so. The Animal Control calls were handled by Elgin Police apparently, so I explained the situation to them, and was told they had no one they could send over right away because of a couple emergency calls. Of course it was understandable. The woman I spoke with asked if I could stay with the bird until help was available, and I said yes. I told her what I was wearing so the responding officer knew who to look for.

At that time, it was a waiting game, and more people were showing up to view the Harlequin Duck, completely unaware of its distress before arriving. Immediately more and more people became concerned, and several started discussing possible ideas for rescue in the meantime. They started thinking of people they knew who had kayaks, canoes, or even rafts that could be used to reach the bird, which was about 15 feet offshore in the middle of the river channel. Larry headed home to retrieve waders as a possible option, but no one was certain just how deep the channel was.

I received another phone call from the CBCM, and was told they had someone willing to transport the bird to Willowbrook Wildlife Center once it had been brought ashore. I updated them that the bird was still in trouble and still actively fighting to stay alive. It was hard to watch. Eventually, an Elgin police officer showed up, and we explained what was going on. He told us he was unsure what he could really do for the bird, and talks continued on how we could reach the bird and safely cut it free. The officer asked me to allow him to make some more calls. I was thankful for the fact that he took the situation as seriously as he did.

Eventually, the Elgin fire department responded, and came out with some long rods with hooks at the end for snagging the line. They were still too short to reach, so they regrouped to think of the best plan of action. The bird at this point, had been fighting for its life for at least an estimated two hours. Every minute that went by, concern would grow immensely. A second fire engine arrived, and a member of the fire department donned a wetsuit to go in and retrieve the bird.

Tethered to a safety line held by other firefighters on the shore, the fireman waded out towards the duck, with a rod in hand to snag the line. Fortunately, the water really wasn't very deep, only coming up to about the fireman's waist. When he was within reach, he extended the hook out into the river and began dragging it along the bottom in an attempt to snag the line and free it from where it was caught up. Success! The fireman was able to bring the line within his reach, and slowly and carefully pulled the duck toward him. It was not long before the bird was in hand! But the line was still attached, even as the fireman waded carefully back to shore.

Carefully pulling the Harlequin Duck in closer.

With the duck in hand, the fireman wades back to shore.

At that point, it was all too apparent just how much of a toll this had taken on the duck. It seemed as if the duck was taking full advantage of the fact that it no longer had to fight a strong current while struggling to free itself, as the bird was nearly motionless after being brought up. However, it was awake and alert, just obviously exhausted. The line was cut, and the bird was no longer hung up, but still had plenty of fishing line wrapped around its wing. Eric Secker began cutting the line away with care, as the bird rested in a shoe box on his lap. It took a while, but eventually it began to perk up.

The Harlequin Duck is cut free from the line, and obviously exhausted.

The camera-shy Harlequin Duck rests in a shoe box in the hands of Eric Secker.

At that time, a volunteer with Willowbrook was en route with a canoe, and about an hour away, as I had told him in our previous conversation that he should be headed our way in case the authorities could not or would not do anything. I gave him a call, letting him know it would no longer be required, and that the bird was resting comfortably and on his way to Willowbrook with Eric. It was a relief, a great relief!

I thanked the firemen and the police officer that responded for not only their seriousness about rescuing this bird, but also for going above and beyond what is necessary to be of service! This bird had become somewhat of a local celebrity, and it was that status that saved the bird's life. A huge thank you goes to Eric Secker for all of his help with this rescue, from the supplied phone number to the transport of the rescuee! I had taken video of the bird while it was in distress, something I normally will not do, to keep and possibly serve as a reminder why it is so important to keep our water bodies as free of fishing line as is possible. Watching this bird from time to time for the past two months, it really was hard to see it in so much pain and peril.

Currently, what I know of the Harlequin Duck, is that it is going to be examined for possible injury and for any remaining fishing line. The duck had a pre-existing right foot injury, but had been getting along just fine without intervention for the time it had spent there in Elgin. If all goes well, the bird will be released back into the wild once again at Walton Island, where it has spent so much time already. Eric Secker told me that the transport went well, and the bird was as active and spunky as ever upon arrival at Willowbrook. The prognosis looks good for our fine feathered friend!

Brendon Lake

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Fox River Birding 1/17- Hits, Misses and Stars

Ah, today, a wonderful day to get out and go birding. A much needed distraction from a busy week. My plan, to see if I could re-locate the Trumpeter Swans seen recently in Yorkville, and head north along the Fox River from there. My mom and I jumped in the car, both hoping to have a good day in the field to relieve some stress built up over the past seven days, and we were off.

First up was the Yorkville Dam, just to the east of Route 47, where a male Red-Breasted Merganser had been seen. I needed one for my still young year list, and also for Kendall County. It was not long before I saw a couple new county birds, the aforementioned Red-Breasted Merganser and a female Bufflehead. The Bufflehead was amusing, as I had never seen one standing on ice before, only swimming. Also present a fly-by Red-Tailed Hawk and a Great Blue Heron. And after that nice stopover, it was off to the other side of Route 47 to find the swans. A gentleman at the dam had said that five of the six swans had been seen in flight, so it was unlikely they were still around.

When we stepped out of the car after finding a spot to pull over, the remaining Trumpeter Swan was sitting just down the hill on the ice. It was great to listen as it vocalized numerous times. The trumpet of a Trumpeter Swan is such an appealing sound to me. Also seen in this stretch of the river were another Great Blue Heron, a Bald Eagle, three Redheads (two males and a female) and an American Coot among the more expected birds. I snapped many photos of the Trumpeter Swan, as who can resist such a beautiful bird? The surroundings however, were less than picture perfect. Also, the Trumpeter Swan is pulling your leg, it's not missing one of its own, it's just tucked away and hidden from view.

Trumpeter Swan
So after a very successful first stop, we headed north to the Montgomery Dam. Not much there, but a flyover Bald Eagle, a fly-by Cooper's Hawk and two Great Blue Herons provided a little entertainment. Next up on the schedule was lunch, followed by Geneva. Again, all was quiet. So the question became: "What to do next?" Go to the St. Charles Dam, or skip it for South Elgin? We decided to stop at the St. Charles Dam, if only to briefly check the ice above for gulls. This was a disappointment, as there were none to be found.

After turning back onto Route 64 to cross back over the river to 31, we were held up by a van that blocked our lane of traffic as they unloaded something at the Hotel Baker. While waiting for an opportunity to get out from behind the van, we noticed some very expensive movie-type cameras walking around. Wondering why, we quickly found out. Donnie Wahlburg and Jenny McCarthy were standing outside the Hotel Baker (no photos because I'm not a paparazzo), waiting for their ride. That was the closest I had ever been to celebrities. That was the most unusual part of the day by far!

Heading north, a stop at the South Elgin Dam had literally nothing doing. I decided our next stop would be Walton Island to see if I could find the Redhead reported by Josh Little and Andrew Aldrich yesterday. Immediately upon arriving, I came upon familiar faces (Gordon and Scott B.) who confirmed that the ever-present Harlequin Duck was still just that. However, no one had apparently even looked for the Redhead, so I decided to do a thorough check of the island. I found the Harlequin Duck again in a hurry. Even with an apparent right foot injury or deformity, this duck is still flourishing here! On the other side of the island, the female Redhead was still hanging around!

Harlequin Duck Preening

Redhead and Mallard

It was at this time that I received a text from Scott Cohrs, asking frankly: "Is your Barrow's back???" I had no idea what he was talking about, until he told me John Heneghan had found an adult male Barrow's Goldeneye on the Fox River very near where I had found one last March (John has a photo). We headed up there as soon as we could, and ran into John and Tricia. The bird had flown since he had spotted it, and wasn't being seen at the time. And despite over an hour and a half of searching, I and several others could not re-find the bird. HOWEVER, just because it wasn't being seen, doesn't mean the bird is gone. And despite the miss, there were several highlights. Tricia was certain she had seen a Red-Shouldered Hawk earlier, and when I checked behind Otto Engineering, I was able to confirm that suspicion when a beautiful adult flew past me and landed in a tree.

Adult Red-Shouldered Hawk
It was a very bittersweet find, as this was one bird that had eluded me in my Kane County big year attempt last year, and now on the 17th of January, I already had it checked off! A Red-Shouldered Hawk always puts a smile on my face! Other nice finds were a male Wood Duck visible on the Fox north of John Hill Park on Lincoln Avenue, two American Black Ducks with what I believe was a likely American Black DuckxMallard hybrid (bill and plumage suggest it), several Hooded Mergansers, and a non-bird highlight, a mink at the Carpentersville Dam! What are the thoughts on the rear bird in the photo below? Mine were hybrid.

American Black Duck and Hybrid?

And thus, a largely successful day of birding was in the books. It will be interesting to see if the Barrow's can be re-located tomorrow morning. I sure hope so, congratulations go to John Heneghan for an excellent find!

Brendon Lake