Chicago Botanic Garden & Techny North Wednesday 7-8-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Went to see if there were any mudflats at the Botanic Garden & was
surprised at how big the mudflats were. And there were 5 species of
shorebirds as well. Another highlight was a singing Dickcissel in the
main prairie which doesn't happen often at this location.

Chicago Botanic Garden (7:45-10:30 am)

D.C. Cormorant (6, in the Northern Lake)
Great Blue Heron (2)
Great Egret (2)
Green Heron (1)
Canada Goose (83)
Blue Winged Teal (1, a faded male)
Killdeer (14)
Lesser Yellowlegs (1)
Solitary Sandpiper (2)
Spotted Sandpiper (2)
Least Sandpiper (10-12)
Herring Gull (1-AD)
Caspian Tern (11-AD & 2-IM)
Mourning Dove (5)
Kingfisher (1-M & 1-F, together)
Flicker (1)
Purple Martin (29, with most at the 2 Martin boxes on the west side)
Tree (2) Cliff (4) & Barn (10) Swallows
Blue Jay (1) & Chickadee (1)
Robin (16) & Starling (2)
Warbling Vireo (H-2) & Common Yellowthroat (3)
Cardinal (1-M)
DICKSISSEL (1, singing in the prairie)
Song Sparrow (4)
Red Wings (12), Grackles (6) & Cowbirds (2)
House Finch (1) & Goldfinch (4)
House Sparrow (12)

Techny North (11:15-noon)

Great Egret (1)
Turkey Vulture (1)
Mallard (2-AD with 6 small young)
Killdeer (16)
Spotted (5) & Least (~20) Sandpipers
Pectoral Sandpiper (1)
SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER (1)
Caspian Tern (4-AD & 1-IM)
Robin (2) & Warbling Vireo (H-2)
Red Wings (4) & Grackle 1)
Eastern Meadowlark (1)
House Sparrow (3)

So 40 species at my two locations plus roadside Crows for a day's total of 41.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Botanic Garden Dickcissel & Runner-Up the
S.B. Dowitcher.

Al Stokie
Local in Cook County today