Wood Dale Reservoir, Lake Opeka, Axehead Lake & Techny North Thursday 3-28-24

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Started the dale at the Wood Dale Reservoir Complex with Luis M for
our weekly visit. Had about 35 species at this location, although
nothing special.

Reservoir Only

D.C. Cormorant (2)
Great Blue Heron (1)
Canada Goose (22)
Mallard (5)
Shoveler (5)
Hooded Merganser (1-M & 4-F)
Red Breasted Merganser (9)
BALD EAGLE (1-AD)
Killdeer (4)
WILSON'S SNIPE (1)
Ring Billed (5) & Herring (3) Gulls

Middle Pond

Great Blue Heron (1)
Canada Goose (2) & Mallard (4)
Wood Duck (2)
Red Breasted Merganser (26)
Ring Billed Gull (2)

Itasca Wetlands

Canada Goose (2) & Mallard (10)
Killdeer (6)
Ring Billed (1) & Herring (1) Gulls

Land Birds

Had 21 species of land birds with the most interesting being a FOY
Field Sparrow, one Fox Sparrow. Tree Swallows & a White Breasted
Nuthatch which I don't usually see here.

Not much today at the Bensenville Ditch but did see one Great Blue
Heron, one P.B. Grebe, four Cormorants & 4 Red Breasted Mergansers.

Lake Opeka & Axehead Lake

Opeka had 11 Lesser Scaup, 18 Red Breasted Merganser & the continuing
female Common Merganser. Axehead had 5 Lesser Scaup, only 1 male Red
Breasted Merganser & 2 Horned
Grebes.

Techny North (1-2:15 p.m.)

Once I finally figured out where to park & walked over to the hotel lot I saw:

Great Blue Heron (1)
Mallard (28), Shoveler (5) & Gadwall (1-PR)
Black Duck (2 plus the Hybrid)
PINTAIL (1-F) & Green Winged Teal (8)
Common Merganser (1-M & 2-F)
Turkey Vulture (1) & Red Tailed Hawk (1)
Killdeer (7), Ring Billed Gull (2) & Crow (2)
I did not find the Snipe & Lesser Yellowlegs seen yesterday.

So a good day total of 44 species. And 11 species of ducks.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be my FOY Field Sparrow & Runners-Up will be the
adult Bald Eagle, the Wilson's Snipe & the female Pintail.

Al Stokie
In DuPage & Cook Co's today