Baker's Lake, Heritage Park & Air Station Prairie Tuesday 7-7-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

I have been checking Baker's Lake in the last few days as it's one of
the few places that still has mudflats and it does get Avocets &
Pelicans sometimes in the Summer. No Avocets today but there was one
lone White Pelican that flew in. Also plenty of large Herons, Egrets &
Cormorants to look at. But you will need a scope to see the smaller
shorebirds back past the nesting island.

Baker's Lake (7:30-9 am)

WHITE PELICAN (1)
D.C. Cormorant (275-300)
Great Blue Heron (5)
Great Egret (43)
Canada Goose (28)
Wood Duck (5)
Mallard (6)
Killdeer (17)
Spotted Sandpiper (4)
Least Sandpiper (4)
SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER (1)
Herring Gull (1-AD)
Caspian Tern (22-AD & 4 young ones)
Osprey (1 fly-by)
BALD EAGLE (1-AD)
Mourning Dove (1)
Blue Jay (H-1) & Red Wings (5)

Stopped at Younghusband Prairie at the south end of the lake & the
Ospreys are doing well with both adults & two large young ones all on
the nest platform.

Heritage Park in Wheeling

Made a quick stop but saw no interesting birds at all.

Air Station Prairie (11-11:20 am)

The little bit of standing water has already disappeared in the two
small ponds but the Killdeer & Spotted Sandpiper families remain. Only
other interesting bird was one Cedar Waxwing.

So 27 species for the day plus 2 additional roadside birds for a day's
total of 29.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the lone Pelican & Runners-Up will be the
Short Billed Dowitcher & the adult Bald Eagle & the Osprey family.

Al Stokie
In Cook County today