4 Bald Eagles at Beck Lake, 1 at Big Bend Lake, Monday afternoon

[Alan Anderson]

Sometimes timing is everything while birding. Before doing some shopping this afternoon, I took a walk at Big Bend Lake in Des Plaines (Bender Road) and then checked out Beck Lake farther north. 

There were a lot of birds feeding on the path along the walk to the river and in the valley towards the flood plain area, and then I noticed a group of Ring-billed Gulls chasing an immature Bald Eagle over the lake. It was either or second or third year bird  ( white belly). Later it flew along the north end of the lake ( and possibly then to Beck?). A group of Red-breasted Mergansers ( just over 50) were spread out in a line in the lake. Two Belted Kingfishers were heard and or seen - one over the river and one NW corner of the lake. A White-throated Sparrow gave its full song a few times in the woods. Among the many mallards in the backwater was a leucistic one ( white and brown). (19 species at this preserve). 

Upon entering the road into Beck Lake, I noticed a number of robins taking 'baths' in a water filled pothole in the road! I pulled over and then found many more robins, and a group of Cedar Waxwings and other birds feasting on berries in trees along the west side of road. 

Upon reaching the lot west of the lake, I noticed two ( immature) Bald Eagles sitting on the ice, and soon after another immature ( this time a first winter bird) flew over them and spooked one. 

A few minutes later a full adult flew in from the north!  And later one of the immatures caught a fish and carried it to a tree to the north. 

When I finally decided to leave, the adult was again flying south over the lake and two others were perched in trees to the north ( one kind of hard to pick out blending into the branches, and one in bare top of a tree north of the lake. 

Thirty plus years ago I'd see a lot of eagles along the Mississippi when I was leading bus trips to the Savanna Army Depot ( now Lost Mound). Now amazingly you can see eagles year round along the Fox and Des Plaines River and elsewhere! Amazing turnaround!

Alan Anderson 

Des Plaines, Cook County

casre...@comcast.net

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: do-not...@ebird.org
Date: January 8, 2024 at 11:08:50 PM CST
To: casre...@comcast.net
Subject: eBird Report - Beck Lake Forest Preserve, Jan 8, 2024

Beck Lake Forest Preserve, Cook, Illinois, US
Jan 8, 2024 1:35 PM - 1:55 PM
Protocol: Transect
0.5 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Stopped side of road for robins and waxwings. Then observed at lake.
11 species

Canada Goose  85
Ring-billed Gull  5
Herring Gull  1
Bald Eagle  4     First two immature eagles were observed sitting on the ice, and one immature flying over the open water, then two in air together, later third flew to north trees. Two were second or third year bird and one first year. Later an adult flew over ice at 1:40pm.  An Immature caught and carried away a fish, and later and when I left 2 immatures were perched in trees north of pier at 1:43
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
European Starling  2
American Robin  45     A number were observed'bathing' in a pothole filled with water in the entrance road ( between the parking area for dog walk area and the lake ), with many feeding on berries just west of the road
Cedar Waxwing  15     Feeding on the same berries the robins were
American Tree Sparrow  2
Dark-eyed Junco  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S158459019

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)