Late Report From Thursday 3-12-26 Muirhead Springs in Kane County~~

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Couldn't do this report yesterday but better late than never.
Never expected to see so many water birds at one place but it was a
duck bonanza at Muirhead yesterday. Saw 16 species of ducks plus
Trumpeter Swans & Ross's Geese. I was with Lisa Pool for most of my
time at Muirhead. Lisa saw 2 ducks that I missed because she could
walk in off trail & I couldn't but I later walked in from the Bahr
Road side & saw the 2 as well. Here's my list:

Muirhead Springs (8-11:30 am)

TRUMPETER SWAN (2-AD & 3 young)
Canada Goose (9)
ROSS'S GOOSE (4, together)
Mallard (~100)
Green Winged Teal (~50)
Shoveler (10)
Pintail (~15)
Gadwall (8)
Black Duck (1)
Wigeon (8)
Redhead (6)
Canvasback (~55, mostly males)
Ring Necked Duck (~80)
Lesser Scaup (10)
Bufflehead (1 main pond & 5 small north pond)
Hooded Merganser (5)
Common Merganser (1-F)
Red Breasted Merganser (1-M)
Ruddy Duck (1-M)
Coots (4)
NORTHERN HARRIER (1-hunting) (FOY)
Killdeer (8)
Rock Pigeon (18) & Mourning Dove (3)
Robin (18)
Cardinal (H-1)
Song Sparrow (3)
EASTERN MEADOWLARK (8) (FOY)
Red Wing Blackbird (~20)
Grackle (3)
House Finch (1, singing)
House Sparrow (heard a few)

So with 16 species of ducks at just one place meant that I had to try for more.
I had missed Wood Duck, Blue Winged Teal (too early), Greater Scaup
(too far west) & Goldeneye. Let's see if I could find them elsewhere?

Checked Busse Woods on the way home but found few ducks & nothing new.
Then to Lake Opeka where I did find 4 Goldeneye & as there were about
50 Scaup I did pick out 2 Greater Scaup among the many Lesser Scaup.
Now I was up to 18 duck species. Could I find the 2 missing
puddle/dabbling ducks?

The problem is that those 2 species are the last duck species to
arrive & so hard to find this early. I knew from Bob Erickson that
Wood Ducks were at Ryerson so I took the ride to Lake County & did
find a few along the river. Now I am at 19 duck species. But I was
almost out of daylight.

I heard from David Johnson that Blue Winged Teal were at Almond Marsh
but I did not have time to get there so I tried for a closer Blue
Winged Teal that was reported at Rosehill Cemetery earlier in the day.

Got there at 4:30 & learned they close at 5 pm & I didn't know where
the east pond was located? Found a pond but it was in the middle of
the place & only had Mallards. Then I found a pond way to the east & I
knew it was the right pond as a Pied Billed Grebe had been reported
there along with the Teal & the Grebe was still there. Only had 10 min
until closing!

To make an already too long story short I did NOT find the Teal & so
ended the day with 19 duck species. Seems like the Teal could have
waited for me after all my work. But 19 species is a fine one day
total & I'm glad I got that many. Should have gone to Almond March.

So 36 species for the day & Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Ross's Geese &
Runner-Up will be the Trumpeter Swans.

Al Stokie
In Kane, Cook & Lake Co's but coming up a little short