Montrose Dunes & Beach, South Pond & North Pond Monday 6-1-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

I was delayed today due to the early rain but I arrived at Montrose at
about 8 am, then to South Pond & finally North Pond staying in one
small area all morning.

Montrose Beach & Dunes (8-9 am)

Canada Goose (~15 fly-bys)
Mallard (2, on the beach)
Killdeer (2)
Piping Plover (2, including one called Blue Dot)
Spotted Sandpiper (2)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (1)
Dunlin (2, pointed out to me by Plover Monitor Pamela, thank you Pamela)
Ring Billed (18) & Herring (2) Gulls
Caspian Tern (2)
Bank (~25) & Rough Winged (6) Swallows
Robin (1), Red Wings (3), Grackles (6) & House Sparrows (10)

When I returned to my car in the handicapped parking lot one of those
tame Chickadees flew up to me wanting to be fed. When I opened the car
door it managed to fly into the car & I could not catch it or get it
to leave through the open windows. All it wanted to do was escape
through the front window which wasn't working very well as its solid
glass. Took a long time but I finally grabbed it & tossed it out.

South Pond (9:30-10:40 am)

Here I got to see the continuing LEAST BITTERN & the VIRGINIA RAIL
which have been here a couple of days now. The Bittern was totally
oblivious to close by birders & just went about finding food.

North Pond (11-11:20 am)

Walked by here on my way back to my car which was parked by the museum.
Saw 6 Black Crowned Night Herons & one Green Heron for new day birds.

Spent a little time trying to see a Yellow Crowned Night Heron from
the outside of the zoo but only saw lots of Black Crowned Night
Herons.

So I saw only 25 species at my 3 stops plus 2 roadside additions for a
day's total of 27.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Least Bittern which was the most
cooperative one I've ever seen.
Runner-Up to the Virginia Rail & the Blue Dot Piping Plover.

Al Stokie
In Cook County today

[M.Bernat]

Thank you, Al, for making sure that little guy got out of your windshield safely. 

Al’s close encounter yesterday (below) was an example of 1 of the 2 main reasons for window collisions:

• Birds see through windows into open space or vegetation. That includes buildings with plants in the windows and buildings with front and rear windows that line up for a view of the outside. 

The other main cause of window collisions is when birds fly into glass that’s reflecting vegetation that’s either growing behind them as they fly forward or between them and the window. 

Reflection of sky and woodland caused window kills at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center’s lodge a/k/a visitors center before the FPCC installed window netting in response to the advocacy and recommendations of the Bird Conservation Network and one of its members, Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. Take a look at the netting when you’re at Sagawau for their hummingbird festival. 

In case you're wondering, window decals help, too, if spaced closely. People ask me, so I’m sharing here. 

But. Would the Montrose chickadee have followed Al to his car if well-meaning people hadn’t habituated it to lose its natural fear of humans? 

As I’ve said before on IBET, Birds and Blooms encourages really bad ideas for native wildlife. It’s better to help the pros help the habitat that helps native species. 

Mary Bernat

South Cook County

BCN bird monitor at Sagawau ELC 

Orland Grassland volunteer

Eagle nest watcher 

Soon-to-be nighthawk monitor?

MOON monitor

Crane counter