Norgard Road, Okefer Road & Darrell Road Fluddles Thursday 4-16-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

A little traveling music as Jackie Gleason used to say. Today I went
with David Johnson 1st to a fluddle by a McHenry County school to look
for a Hudsonian Godwit seen there yesterday. But we had no luck as it
was not there today.

Next to a fluddle near Woodstock off Rt 120. There we had some ducks
but only 1 Lesser Yellowlegs for shorebirds. Saw Blue Winged Teal
(18), Shoveler (5), Mallard (3), Lesser Scaup (16), Ring Necked Duck
(6) & Bufflehead (3). Also one P.B. Grebe.

Then to a fluddle off Norgard Road where David counted 32 American
Golden Plovers but all were in Winter plumage. Also Killdeer (5),
Lesser 47) & Greater (5) Yellowlegs & Pectoral Sandpiper (8). Ducks
were Mallard (13), Gadwall (20), Shoveler (8), Wigeon (3), Blue Winged
(10) & Green Winged (6) Teal. Also heard but did not see a Sandhill
Crane.

Next to a fluddle on Okefer Road where we missed the 2 Long Billed
Dowitchers seen earlier but did see 4 Killdeer & 2 Lesser Yellowlegs
plus a few Horned Larks. Highlights were the Gulls which were 335 Ring
Billed & 8 BONAPARTE'S.

Lastly to the Darrell Road Marsh back in Lake County. Here Phil S
showed us where to look for the BLACK NECKED STILT & it turned out
there were now 2 of them. Also a LONG BILLED DOWITCHER, 76 Lesser & 15
Greater Yellowlegs & 5 Killdeer. Also one Trumpeter Swan, 12 Canada
Geese, Wood Duck (2), Mallard (5), Wigeon (3), Shoveler (10), Green
Winged (6) & Blue Winged (63) Teal.

So only 29 species for the day but a few were special. Bird-Of-The-Day
will be the Black Necked Stilts & Runners-Up will be the Bonaparte's
Gulls & the Golden Plovers even if they were in Winter plumage.

Al Stokie
In McHenry & Lake Co's today finding some targets & missing other targets