Chicago Botanic Garden Wednesday 12-6-23

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Thought I'd continue my search for Winter Finches at the Botanic
Garden today. Finally found a few but did not find Redpolls or
Crossbills. Maybe next time! And once again I did not find the Limpkin
even though it was seen on Monday. But I did better with land birds
than I did last time.

Chicago Botanic Garden (7:30-noon, a long visit)

Great Blue Heron (3)
Canada Goose (33)
Mallard (59)
Black Duck (1)
Goldeneye (7-F)
Hooded Merganser (1-M)
(Like last week this male Hooded Merg is staying close to one of the
female Goldeneye)
Red Breasted Merganser (9)
Red Tailed Hawk (1)
Herring Gull (2-AD)
Red Bellied Woodpecker (H-1)
Blue Jay (4)
Crow (3 fly-bys)
Chickadee (7)
Robin (~30)
CEDAR WAXWING (~20)
Starlings (250-300, way too many)
Cardinal (2-M)
Tree Sparrow (8)
WHITE THROATED SPARROW (2, with one of them singing)
Junco (only 2)
House Finch (a pair & then 6 more)
PURPLE FINCH (2-F)
Goldfinch (groups of 14, 16 & 8, all eating Birch seeds)
PINE SISKIN (1, with the group of 16 Goldfinch)
House Sparrow (4)

That's 25 species at the Garden & I added 2 more roadside species for
a total of 27.
Bird-Of-The-Day to the 2 female Purple Finches & Runner-Up to the Pine Siskin.
Had 5 species of ducks & 4 species of finches.

Al Stokie
Local in Cook County today