Scissor Tailed Flycatcher at Deer Grove East F.P. Sunday 6-22-25

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

I was planning to visit Deer Grove East just to do another of my June
bird checks but I saw on Discord & Ebird that a young Scissor Tailed
Flycatcher had been seen & photographed there on Saturday. So that
gave me another reason to head there on Sunday.

Arrived at 6:40 a.m. & found Sean M who had been looking but had not
found the Flycatcher. Then Jayne L arrived & she & Sean stayed by the
parking area while I went down the trail that crosses the wet field.
So of course they saw the Flycatcher at the first place & I did not.
Called Bob Erickson to tell him the bird had been seen & we soon
started back on the trail I had been on & soon thereafter Bob found
the Scissor Tailed Flycatcher on the same trail I had been on but a
bit farther along that trail & we both had very good looks. Here's
what else I saw:

Deer Grove East (6:40-9 a.m.)

Green Heron (1)
Canada Goose (2)
Wood Duck (3)
Mallard (4)
Red Headed Woodpecker (3-4)
Flicker (3)
Willow Flycatcher (1)
SCISSOR TAILED FLYCATCHER (1, seemingly a young one)
Blue Jay (2)
Marsh Wren (H-1)
Tree Swallow (10-12)
Eastern Bluebird (1-M)
Robin (12)
Catbird (2)
Starling (~10)
Warbling Vireo (H-1)
Yellow Warbler (2)
Common Yellowthroat (6)
Cardinal (H-1)
Indigo Bunting (H-2)
Song Sparrow (5-6)
Swamp Sparrow (1)
Red Wings (12)
Grackle (4)
Cowbird (2)
Goldfinch (3)

So only 26 species at Deer Grove & 1 roadside addition for a day's total of 27.
With not much competition Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Scissor Tailed
Flycatcher &
Runners-Up will be the Red Headed Woodpeckers & the Eastern Bluebird.
I should mention that the fancy Flycatcher was seen on & off for the
rest of the day.

Al Stokie
On Cook County today