Whalon Lake & Rock Run Rookery in Will County Tuesday 12-30-25

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

I have been staying pretty close to home lately so today I thought I'd
go farther afield to Will County. Started at Whalon Lake & then to
Rock Run Rookery. I birded Whalon mostly from the car but at Rock Run
I took the pathway to get a better view but the wind chill was so bad
I had to give up before I wanted to.

Whalon Lake (9:35-10:25 am)

Mute Swan (1)
Canada Goose (350-400)
Mallard (1-PR flew in)
Goldeneye (8-9)
Hooded Merganser (26)
Common Merganser (~70)
Red Breasted Merganser (1-M)
Sharp Shinned Hawk (1, by the entrance)
Bald Eagle (2-3)
Ringed Billed (6) & Herring (8) Gulls
Crow (1 fly-by)

Rock Run Rookery (11 am-12:15 pm)

Great Blue Heron (3)
(Could not find the Egrets that have reported from here before)
Canada Goose (45-50)
Mallard (~50)
Lesser Scaup (4)
Redhead (15)
Ring Necked Duck (12)
Goldeneye (~75)
Hooded Merganser (~30)
Common Merganser (55)
Bald Eagle (2)
Ring Billed Gull (~75)
Herring Gull (10)
GLAUCOUS GULL (1, 1st year)
Crow (2)
Robin (1)
Starling (15-18)

So 19 species at the two locations plus 3 roadside species for a day's
total of 22 species.
Bird-Of-The-Day to the young Glaucous Gull & Runners-Up to the Mute Swan & the
Sharp Shinned Hawk.

Al Stokie
In Will County today shivering in the cold