Montrose Beach & Dunes Thursday 7-2-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Yesterday a Lesser Yellowlegs & several Willets were seen here so I
thought maybe they would still be here but that was not the case. The
only shorebirds I saw were those that breed here which were Piping
Plovers, Killdeer & Spotted Sandpipers. Of course more Willets arrived
in the afternoon after I was long gone.

Interesting weather today as it started out hot with a temp up to 80
at 7 am but then big black clouds arrived at about 7:30, the wind
turned north & the temp dropped from 80 to 68 in a few min. A little
later it cleared & the temp went right back to 80. Never sure what to
expect!

Montrose Beach & Dunes (7-10:30 am)

Great Blue Heron (1 fly-by) (This after Demond had 18 going north earlier)
Mallard (3)
Killdeer (2-AD & 2 young)
PIPING PLOVER (2-AD & after a long wait all 3 babies were seen at the same time)
Spotted Sandpiper (2-AD & 1 young one)
Ring Billed (~65) & Herring (1) Gulls
Caspian Tern (3)
Rock Pigeon (1) & Mourning Dove (1)
Purple Martin (4, beach area)
Tree (2), Rough Winged (6), Bank (4) & Barn (3) Swallows
Robin (2)
Red Wings (6) & Grackles (2)
Goldfinch (2)
House Sparrow (6)
And heard near the parking lot were Chickadee, Warbling Vireo & Cardinal.

So only 23 species at Montrose plus 2 roadside additions for a day's
total of 25.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the 3 baby Piping Plovers Runners-Up will be
the baby Killdeer & baby Spotted Sandpiper. An all babies award day.

Al Stokie
Local in Cook County today