The Chukar Chase (No Sighting)

[Jarod Hitchings]

Perhaps the "no sighting" tag is a bit of a spoiler alert.

My wife and I carved out a couple hours of daylight towards our "birdwatch" ever county in Illinois goal. Decided on Ford County and Chukar roadside sighting outside of Melvin, Illinois. The Black Duck in Edgar County was tempting but as I said twilight was fast approaching so the chukar chase was on. I have 290 species on my life-list with the 3 year anniversary of my serious "birding" approaching I would like to hit 300 species in 3 years.

Outside of Heyworth, Illinois in the empty field before the Centennial Park was a family of Tundra Swans, adults and immature. The young  with grey plummage with pinkish bills, and the spot of yellow on the lores of the adults gets me to smile. That subtle tell from the Trumpeter makes me feel as if I have really found something with the smaller "whistling swan".

Made it to Ford County on the lookout through the grass covered road sides but no luck on the partridge. Not that we didn't give it an adequate "old college try". Just wasn't happening for us. Starlings were numerous along with a fancy Pigeon or two. Rough-Winged Hawk hovering over the fields to remind us that winter is here.

With Ford County shaped like an upside down capital "T" it wouldn't take much effort to check off near-by Iroquois County from our county list. Darkness was fast approaching so a quick trip over the county line to Thawville, Illinois was in order. 

Then as we were getting ready to turn around thinking that dusk would be a bust we saw the most beautiful straw colored bird fly to the grass covered ditch by the fallow field. It was so large that we needed a minute to process, she said "hawk...owl?" and I replied "Short-eared owl". Only the 3rd one I have ever seen. What a sight that moth-like flight. Now it definitely was too dark to try Kanakee County, another time for sure but on our ebird county map it looks like an isolated island of gray.

On the way home we visited about how different the regions of our state truly are. All unique in its own way, makes us feel more connected to the Land of Lincoln by traveling to every corner tracking the avifauna. Familiar yet different these experiences and the birds never disappoint. Always something to observe.

Jarod Hitchings 

Sangamon County