Waukegan Beach, Illinois Beach North Unit & Techny North Friday 7-24-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Started at Waukegan Beach but can only view from the base of the pier
as I can't travel on the sandy beach. But I heard from Bob E, Nat C &
Dan M as to what birds were seen toward Greenwood.

Waukegan Beach (6-7:30 am)

D.C. Cormorant (1, by the pier)
Canada Goose (64)
Spotted Sandpiper (4, on the pier)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (1)
Sanderling (14)
RUDDY TURNSTONE (2, on the pier)
Ring Billed (~400) & Herring (~60) Gulls
Caspian Tern (2)
Mourning Dove (2)
Bank (2), Cliff (2) & Barn (12) Swallows
Robin (1), Starling (1) & Red Wings (4)
Toward Greenwood the others saw one Piping Plover & 4 Semipalmated Plovers.

Illinois Beach North Unit (8-9:40 am)

Yesterday others had an Avocet, a Stilt Sandpiper & a Dowitcher at the
lakefront beach but none were present today.

LEAST BITTERN (1 flying at Sand Pond)
Kestrel (1, lakefront)
Killdeer (4)
Least (3) & Semipalmated (2) Sandpipers
Pectoral Sandpiper (1)
Ring Billed & Herring Gulls (no counts)
Mourning Dove (2)
Kingfisher (1-M)
YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO (H-1)
Willow Flycatcher (H-1)
Purple Martin (10)
Barn Swallow (8)
House Wren & Sedge Wren (Heard one each)
Common Yellowthroat (2)
Cardinal (1-M)
BLUE GROSBEAK (H-1)
Indigo Bunting (1)
Dickcissel 2)
Song Sparrow (2)
Red Wings (4)

Techny North (12:10-1:20 pm)

Arrived at the same time as birder Madhu N & here's what we saw:

D.C. Cormorant (2)
Great Blue Heron (1)
Canada Goose (7)
Mallard (9-AD & 27 ducklings)
Killdeer (34)
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (1)
Lesser Yellowlegs (4)
Solitary (5) & Spotted (10) Sandpipers
Least (19) & Semipalmated (13) Sandpipers
Pectoral Sandpiper (2)
Rough Winged & Barn Swallows (no counts)
Red Wings (2)
(Madhu also saw a Kestrel & a Chimney Swift while I was looking elsewhere.)

So 39 species at my 3 locations including my 2nd day in a row with 10
shorebird species.
Also 2 roadside additions for a day's total of 41.
Bird-Of-The-Day to the well seen fly-by Least Bittern & Runners-Up to
the Semipalmated Plover & the Ruddy Turnstones & the "heard only"
Cuckoo & the Blue Grosbeak.

Al Stokie
Mostly in Lake County today with one stop in Cook County