Pine Siskins at Chicago Botanic Garden Monday 11-24-25

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Had some success with my never ending search for Winter Finches today.
Last time I had 2 Redpolls on Spider Island but found none today. But
once again on Spider Island I found 10-12 PINE SISKINS, but in true
Finch fashion they only stayed a few min feeding on some small cones.
Also of note was a Mute Swan on the Northern Lake.

Chicago Botanic Garden (7:45-11:30 am)

Great Blue Heron (only 1)
MUTE SWAN (1)
Canada Goose (~250, almost all were at the far south side of the place)
Mallard (24)
Gadwall (1-M, on the B. Brown Reserve Pond)
Common Goldeneye (1-F)
Hooded Merganser (1-M)
(The Goldeneye & the Hooded Merg always stayed together)
Red Breasted Merganser (19)
Ring Billed (5) & Herring (1) Gulls
Mourning Dove (1)
Red Bellied (2) & Downy (1-M) Woodpeckers
Blue Jay (4)
Crows (also 4)
Chickadee (1)
Red Breasted Nuthatch (3)
Golden Crowned Kinglet (2, together)
Robin (22)
Starling (9)
FOX SPARROW (1, still staying in the Sensory Garden)
White Crowned Sparrow (2)
Junco (14)
House Finch (1-PR)
PINE SISKIN (10-12)
Goldfinch (10)
House Sparrow (6)

So 27 species today at the Botanic Garden plus 2 roadside additions
for a day's total of 29.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Pine Siskins & Runners-Up will be the Mute
Swan & the Fox Sparrow.

License Plate Of The Day will be one from Arkansas seen on the way home.

Al Stokie
Local in Cook County today