Skokie Lagoons, Buffalo Creek F.P. & Axehead Lake Monday 4-20-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Started at Skokie Lagoons from Willow Road. Didn't find anything
really special but eventually the bird numbers increased. Had no
Warblers at all for 3/4 of my loop walk & then had 15 Warblers in the
last part of the walk but all were Yellow Rumps, no variety. Also had
a flock of 15-20 Rusty Blackbirds appear out of nowhere & just as
suddenly they all left. Both Osprey were at the nest site.

Skokie Lagoons (8:30-11:30 am)

D.C. Cormorant (4)
Great Blue Heron (2)
Canada Goose (14)
Wood Duck (1-M)
Mallard (7)
Ruddy Duck (9)
Osprey (2)
SHARP SHINNED HAWK (1, giving long close looks)
Herring Gull (2-AD)
Mourning Dove (2)
Red Bellied (4) & Downy (2) Woodpeckers
Flicker (10)
Tree (10), Rough Winged (3) & Barn (1) Swallows
Blue Jay (4)
Chickadee (3) & Red Breasted Nuthatch (1)
Brown Creeper (1)
House Wren (1, sang a little)
Ruby Crowned Kinglet (9)
Hermit Thrush (2)
Robin (25)
Starling (2)
Yellow Rumped Myrtle Warbler (~15)
Cardinal (3)
Tree Sparrow (1)
FOX SPARROW (1)
Song Sparrow (4)
Swamp Sparrow (5)
White Throated Sparrow (8)
Red Wings (14), Grackles (6) & Cowbirds (3)
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS (15-20, all in one flock)

Got a call from David Johnson saying yesterday's Prairie Warbler was
still at Buffalo Creek F.P. but I figured I'd never find it by myself
so I decided to pass on that guy. But Bob Erickson went & he said he'd
help me find it if possible. So when I arrived both Bob & Beau S had
just seen it along Shaffer Rd. It had flown into the trees but the
others stayed until the Prairie Warbler came back out giving excellent
looks.I never would have seen it without help from Bob & Beau.

Final stop was at Axehead Lake where the last Loon has finally left
but the Carolina Wren was singing by a flooded backwater & 3 P.B.
Grebes, 4 Ruddy Ducks & 2 Bufflehead were in the lake.

So 42 species for the day & Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Prairie
Warbler & Runners-Up will be the big flock of Rusty Blackbirds & the
Red Breasted Nuthatch which I seldom see at Skokie Lagoons.

Al Stokie
Mostly in Cook County with one short visit to Lake County