Montrose, Lincoln Park Zoo, Lake Opeka & Axehead Lake Thursday 3-26-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Started at Montrose but only saw expected birds. Still, the water
birds were ok. Fran M saw a Vesper Sparrow here but I missed that & I
could not find yesterday's Western Meadowlark. Then to the Zoo to look
for the Waterthrush but the Children's Zoo was blocked off for a kids
program so I had to wait until 11 am to get in. After lunch I checked
my 2 local lakes but saw nothing that hasn't been there lately.

Montrose Point (7:15-9:30 am)

RED THROATED LOON (1, flying south over the lake)
D.C. Cormorant (1, harbor & more flying by)
Horned Grebe (3 in the harbor & 4 more in the lake)
Canada Goose (12), Mallard (6) & Blue Winged Teal (1-PR)
Greater Scaup (8), Goldeneye (3-F) & Red Breasted Merganser (8)
LONG TAILED DUCK (1-M & 2-F)
Ring Billed (30) & Herring (5) Gulls
Flicker (2) & Downy Woodpecker (1)
Tree Swallow (5, dunes)
Eastern Phoebe (1)
Crow (2), Chickadee (2) & Golden Crowned Kinglet (4)
Robin (22) & Starling (10)
Cardinal (2)
FOX (2), Song (5) & Swamp (1) Sparrows
Junco (12)
Red Wings (6) & Grackles (8)
House Finch (1, singing)
House Sparrow (15)

Lincoln Park Zoo (10:15-11:30 am)

Black Crowned Night Heron (4 have returned early)
YELLOW BELLIED SAPSUCKER (1) (FOY)
Red Bellied Woodpecker (H-1) & Flicker (1)
Eastern Phoebe (1)
Red Breasted Nuthatch (1)
Golden Crowned Kinglet (6)
Robins (10)
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (1, in the Black Bear exhibit) (FOY)
Cardinal (H-1)
Fox Sparrow (1)
Junco (6)
Red Wings (4) & Grackles (8)
House Finch (H-1)
House Sparrow (10)

Lake Opeka (1:10-1:35 pm, in light rain)

COMMON LOON (4) & Horned Grebe (1)
Canada Goose (15), Mallard (8) & Gadwall (1-M)
Lesser Scaup (2), Red Breasted Merganser (2)
RUDDY DUCK (2)
Ring Billed (75) & Herring (8) Gulls

Axehead Lake (2-2:20 pm)

Pied Billed (2) & Horned (2) Grebes
Mallard (5), Lesser Scaup (44), Hooded (1) & Red Breasted (47) Mergansers
Herring Gull (1)

So 42 species for the day at my 4 locations.
Bird-Of-The-Day to the Louisiana Waterthrush & Runners-Up to the Long
Tailed Ducks, the Common Loons, the Red Throated Loon & the Yellow
Bellied Sapsucker.

Al Stokie
On Cook County today