Waukegan Beach, Illinois Beach North & South Units & Techny North Monday 5-29-23

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Spent today with Bob Erickson once again trying for Yellow Bellied &
Alder Flycatchers & Connecticut Warbler. Finally saw both Flycatchers
but again missed the warbler although Andy Stewart did see one today.

Waukegan Beach (6:15-6:45 a.m.)

Shorebirds were Semipalmated Plover (1), Spotted (1) & Semipalmated
(1) Sandpiper & Dunlin (2). Heard only were Brown Thrasher & Eastern
Meadowlark.

Illinois Beach North Unit Long Loop Trail (7:15-9:30 a.m.)

Flycatchers here were Willow, Least & Great Crested plus Eastern Pewee
but not the 2 I wanted. Warblers were Ovenbird & Mourning (both heard)
plus Yellow, Redstart & Canada seen. Had 4 Sandhill Cranes flying by &
the best bird was a singing, well seen Yellow Throated Vireo.

Illinois Beach South Unit (10-11:30 a.m.)

Ran into Joel Greenberg & his group who were mainly looking at Spring
prairie plants but had heard one Alder Flycatcher. On the way there
Bob picked out 1 YELLOW BELLIED FLYCATCHER which gave us good looks.
The ALDER FLYCATCHER was not so easy. We heard it ok but seeing it
while calling was another story. Finally we heard it call & then it
flew into another tree where it refused to call again but as we had
just heard it that was good enough for me.

Other Flycatchers were Eastern Pewee, Least & Great Crested & an
Eastern Kingbird. Also had an Eastern Bluebird & a couple of Eastern
Towhees. As usual we heard several Field Sparrows & lots of House
Wrens.

Techny North (1-1:30 p.m.)

By myself here & the only shorebirds were Killdeer (6), Semipalmated
Plover (1) & Spotted Sandpiper (4). Lots of baby Canada Geese &
Mallards, 2 Warbling Vireos & 1 Eastern Kingbird. Also heard a
Savannah Sparrow & an Eastern Meadowlark.

Had 55 species for the day & Bird-Of-The-Day will be a tie between the
Alder & Yellow Bellied Flycatchers. Runner-Up to the Yellow Throated
Vireo.

Wildflower Of The Day to the Lupine & Runners-Up to the Fringed &
Hoary Puccoon although the Hairy Puccoon is not blooming yet.

Al Stokie
Mostly in Lake County today with 1 short visit in Cook County