A Year In Review For 2022
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Al Stokie
Jan 25, 2023, 12:04:21 PM1/25/23
to IBET - Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts
Hello Bird People,
Not a very nice day today so perhaps it would be a good time for me to
do sort of a review of my Top Birds of 2022. (Besides, being a serial
talker I am not able to go an entire day without saying something on
IBET.) So here is my list of my best birds of 2022 by month. Maybe by
reading this you will be reminded of the best birds you all saw in
2022.
I will start with the best bird I did NOT see in 2022. This was the
Painted Redstart which I was unable to try for as I had walked too
much earlier in the day & was not able to walk any more.
But you need some misses to make you appreciate the birds you do see
or so I'm told.
January 2022
Best bird was the GREAT TAILED GRACKLE seen by the Pilot gas station
near Monee seen with Mike Madsen & Jeff Smith & which was nice enough
to show up again in 2023. Next best was the TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE seen
at Moraine Hills State Park.
February 2022
Best birds were the many WHITE WINGED CROSSBILLS seen at several
locations as it was an invasion year for that species. Next best was a
SNOWY OWL seen in Chicago at the 31st Street Harbor. This bird took a
long time to find!
March 2022
Best bird was the LESSER GOLDFINCH at Camp Sagawau on 3-6 with many
other birders.
(I never thought I'd see that bird in Illinois!) Next best was the Neo
Trophic Cormorant seen at the Bensenville Ditch even though it took me
two days to verify that's what I had seen.
April 2022
Best bird is a tie between the SNOWY PLOVER seen at Montrose hanging
out with Monty for good measure and the EURASIAN WIGEON at Rollins
Savanna even if it took 3 visits to see it.
Runner-Up to the WHITE FACED IBIS seen at Aux Sables in Kendall Co. On
the same day I saw 2 SMITH'S LONGSPURS in Dekalb County.
May 2022
This will be a three way tie which includes the Illinois Beach North
BLACK RAIL, which I actually saw briefly, the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE at Jim
Steffins feeder in Winthrop Harbor & the young FORK TAILED FLYCATCHER
at Illinois Beach North.
Runner Up to a WHIMBREL at Waukegan & 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS at the
Seeman Road Fluddle in McHenry Co.
June 2022
Best bird to the BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS seen at two places in
Cook County.
Runner Up is a tie between 2 Mississippi River area birds PAINTED
BUNTING & LEAST TERN & a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE seen at Ayers Sand Prairie
out west.
July 2022
Best bird was a MARBLED GODWIT seen on Waukegan Beach & next best bird
was an early FRANKLIN'S GULL at State Line Beach North Point Marina.
August 2022
Best bird is a tie between the LIMPKIN seen at Sanganois in the Mason
Co section & 2 SWALLOW TAILED KITES seen with Andy Sigler & Dave
Johnson in Knox County. Runner Up to the WHITE WINGED DOVE at the
Kaneville Cemetery.
September 2022
Best bird was the early PURPLE SANDPIPER seen on the Fish Hook Pier at Montrose.
Runner Up to a 2nd WHIMBREL seen at State Line Beach with Bob Erickson.
October 2022
Best birds were the EVENING GROSBEAKS seen in Grundy, Will & Kendall
Co's while on an Evening Grosbeak run with Andy Sigler & Craig Taylor.
Runner Up to the Lake Charles
SABINE'S GULL.
November 2022
Best bird to the NORTHERN WHEATEAR seen in a farm field in Jasper
County seen with Andy Sigler, Bruce Heimer & a very few others. Runner
Up is a tie between the PRAIRIE FALCON at the Magic Stump & the
Montrose BARN OWL, seen with Fran Morel.
December 2022
Best bird to the Rock Island BLACK LEGGED KITTIWAKE seen at Lock & Dam
#14 with Andy Sigler & Steve Freed who was the original finder. Runner
Up the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD at the feeder in Oak Park. (Actually seen in
both November & December.)
Top Bird Of 2022 is the NORTHERN WHEATEAR another bird I never thought
I'd see in Illinois.
I had 3 new birds for my Illinois State List which were the Wheatear,
the Lesser Goldfinch & the Bullock's Oriole. I was thrilled to finally
see the Purple Sandpiper in Cook Co which I had been searching for for
over 30 years in spite of seeing them many times in Lake County.
That's it for my highlights. Maybe you have some to share as well.
Al Stokie
Not a very nice day today so perhaps it would be a good time for me to
do sort of a review of my Top Birds of 2022. (Besides, being a serial
talker I am not able to go an entire day without saying something on
IBET.) So here is my list of my best birds of 2022 by month. Maybe by
reading this you will be reminded of the best birds you all saw in
2022.
I will start with the best bird I did NOT see in 2022. This was the
Painted Redstart which I was unable to try for as I had walked too
much earlier in the day & was not able to walk any more.
But you need some misses to make you appreciate the birds you do see
or so I'm told.
January 2022
Best bird was the GREAT TAILED GRACKLE seen by the Pilot gas station
near Monee seen with Mike Madsen & Jeff Smith & which was nice enough
to show up again in 2023. Next best was the TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE seen
at Moraine Hills State Park.
February 2022
Best birds were the many WHITE WINGED CROSSBILLS seen at several
locations as it was an invasion year for that species. Next best was a
SNOWY OWL seen in Chicago at the 31st Street Harbor. This bird took a
long time to find!
March 2022
Best bird was the LESSER GOLDFINCH at Camp Sagawau on 3-6 with many
other birders.
(I never thought I'd see that bird in Illinois!) Next best was the Neo
Trophic Cormorant seen at the Bensenville Ditch even though it took me
two days to verify that's what I had seen.
April 2022
Best bird is a tie between the SNOWY PLOVER seen at Montrose hanging
out with Monty for good measure and the EURASIAN WIGEON at Rollins
Savanna even if it took 3 visits to see it.
Runner-Up to the WHITE FACED IBIS seen at Aux Sables in Kendall Co. On
the same day I saw 2 SMITH'S LONGSPURS in Dekalb County.
May 2022
This will be a three way tie which includes the Illinois Beach North
BLACK RAIL, which I actually saw briefly, the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE at Jim
Steffins feeder in Winthrop Harbor & the young FORK TAILED FLYCATCHER
at Illinois Beach North.
Runner Up to a WHIMBREL at Waukegan & 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS at the
Seeman Road Fluddle in McHenry Co.
June 2022
Best bird to the BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS seen at two places in
Cook County.
Runner Up is a tie between 2 Mississippi River area birds PAINTED
BUNTING & LEAST TERN & a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE seen at Ayers Sand Prairie
out west.
July 2022
Best bird was a MARBLED GODWIT seen on Waukegan Beach & next best bird
was an early FRANKLIN'S GULL at State Line Beach North Point Marina.
August 2022
Best bird is a tie between the LIMPKIN seen at Sanganois in the Mason
Co section & 2 SWALLOW TAILED KITES seen with Andy Sigler & Dave
Johnson in Knox County. Runner Up to the WHITE WINGED DOVE at the
Kaneville Cemetery.
September 2022
Best bird was the early PURPLE SANDPIPER seen on the Fish Hook Pier at Montrose.
Runner Up to a 2nd WHIMBREL seen at State Line Beach with Bob Erickson.
October 2022
Best birds were the EVENING GROSBEAKS seen in Grundy, Will & Kendall
Co's while on an Evening Grosbeak run with Andy Sigler & Craig Taylor.
Runner Up to the Lake Charles
SABINE'S GULL.
November 2022
Best bird to the NORTHERN WHEATEAR seen in a farm field in Jasper
County seen with Andy Sigler, Bruce Heimer & a very few others. Runner
Up is a tie between the PRAIRIE FALCON at the Magic Stump & the
Montrose BARN OWL, seen with Fran Morel.
December 2022
Best bird to the Rock Island BLACK LEGGED KITTIWAKE seen at Lock & Dam
#14 with Andy Sigler & Steve Freed who was the original finder. Runner
Up the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD at the feeder in Oak Park. (Actually seen in
both November & December.)
Top Bird Of 2022 is the NORTHERN WHEATEAR another bird I never thought
I'd see in Illinois.
I had 3 new birds for my Illinois State List which were the Wheatear,
the Lesser Goldfinch & the Bullock's Oriole. I was thrilled to finally
see the Purple Sandpiper in Cook Co which I had been searching for for
over 30 years in spite of seeing them many times in Lake County.
That's it for my highlights. Maybe you have some to share as well.
Al Stokie
Annette McClellan
Jan 26, 2023, 10:20:24 AM1/26/23
to IBET - Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts
Al, that's an amazing list!! And all in Illinois! Congratulations on the Illinois lifers!
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