Chicago Birding Alliance Awards (Saturday) & Montrose Point Sunday 4-19-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

On Saturday I attended the Chicago Birding Alliance Awards Ceremony
where I rec'd an award for (mostly) writing all these reports on IBET.
First time I've ever been recognized for being a "Big Mouth" & telling
everyone about my daily birding adventures every day for the last 13
years or so. It's a very nice award & I'm not sure I deserve it but it
looks great on my dining room shelf so I'm glad I get to keep it.

Later I stopped by Axehead Lake & was surprised to see that one Common
Loon was still there although not much else remains.

Montrose Point Sunday 4-19-26 (7:15-10:30 am)

Birded for portions of the day with Bob Erickson & Scott Lattimer but
was mostly on my own.

D.C. Cormorant (~35 fly-bys)
Canada Goose (6)
Mallard (8)
Red Breasted Merganser (9)
Red Tailed Hawk (1, a young one)
Killdeer (1, on the public beach)
PIPING PLOVER (1, on the Protected Beach)
Ring Billed (~25) & Herring (4) Gulls
Caspian Tern (2)
Rock Pigeon (2)
Mourning Dove (also 2)
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker (2)
Downy Woodpecker (also 2)
Flicker (5)
Purple Martin (2)
Tree (6), Rough Winged (4) & Barn (1) Swallows
Blue Jay (H-1)
Chickadee (2)
Brown Creeper (3)
Winter Wren (1)
HOUSE WREN (1) (FOY)
Golden Crowned (1) & Ruby Crowned (5) Kinglets
Hermit Thrush (6)
Robin (~25)
Brown Thrasher (3)
MOCKINGBIRD (1)
Starling (4)
Yellow Rumped Myrtle Warbler (2)
Cardinal (4)
Eastern Towhee (2-M & 1-F)
CHIPPING SPARROW (3) (FOY)
Field Sparrow (4)
VESPER SPARROW (1) (FOY)
Song Sparrow (6)
Swamp Sparrow (14)
White Throated Sparrow (18)
Junco (4)
Red Wings (10), Grackles (8) & Cowbirds (4)
House Sparrow (11)

So 45 species for the day which I guess is a pretty good total for
only one location.
I saw 7 species of Sparrows & Bob & Scott added Lincoln's & American
Tree Sparrow & another birder had a photo of a Grasshopper Sparrow so
at least 10 species of Sparrows were seen here today. But Warblers
were a disappointment as the only one we saw today was Yellow Rumped
Myrtles.

Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Mockingbird which was the 2nd one I've
seen this year.
Runners-Up will be the Vesper Sparrow, the Chipping Sparrows & the
House Wren which were all new "year birds" for me.

Al Stokie
At Montrose in Cook County today

[Liz Sodic]

Congratulations Al! You deserve any and all awards for your contributions to birding and for all

your generous help to everyone! It’s always great to see you out and about. Thank you for all the knowledge, encouragement, and kindness you bring to this wonderful community.

Best regards,

Mike and Liz Sodic

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[Julie]

I have not met you Mr. Stokie.

BUT!

I do read your adventures everyday!

Thank you.

My opinion.

you are a respected and valued member of the birding community.

You were chosen, because, your peers, your friends and the community have recognized your knowledge, commitment (wow) and your dedication to the birds-

-land/sea(lakes and ponds for us) and the blue skies who grace our area.

We often wonder about “getting what we deserve”.

“What in heavens name did I do to deserve that! 

This was pure love to you!  Love for your commitment to a skill that is not easy, a skill that you have put in the hard work to excel.

And because of the hard work that you do everyday.

And then tell us about it.

Congratulations!

Well done Sir.

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