Waukegan Beach, Illinois Beach Hawk Watch & Rollins Savannah Saturday 9-25-21

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

It's pretty late & I am just getting around to this report. I usually
only go birding for half a day but today I was out from 6:30 a.m.
until 4:15 p.m. So I will limit this report to just highlights so I
can finish it up quicker.

Waukegan Beach (6:30-8:30 a.m.)

Covered the beach with Bob E & later we were joined by Bill & Annette
M. Much later Nancy T was with me for a Gull search.

Ducks seen were Mallards, 1 Green Winged Real & 1-F Gadwall. Also saw
2 Great Blues & finally saw a SORA on the reeds. Shorebirds were 4
Killdeer, a "heard only" Greater Yellowlegs, & 3 Sanderlings. In with
all the Ring Billed & Herring Gulls was a molting FRANKLIN'S GULL a
little ahead of schedule. On the beach were Myrtles & Palm Warblers &
a Northern Waterthrush. Sparrows were Savannah, Song, Swamp & 1
Lincoln's Sparrow. Early in the visit Bob picked out a hunting
NORTHERN HARRIER.

Among the birds in the small park by the beach were 2 Red Breasted
Nuthatches. Warblers were Tennessee, Magnolia, Blackpolls, Myrtles
(lots) & Palms. Many White Throated Sparrows were here too.

From 10:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. I was with the Hawk Watch group at
Illinois Beach. Saw Turkey Vultures, an Osprey, Sharp Shinned &
Cooper's Hawks, Red Tailed Hawks & 2 Peregrines.
Non-Raptors seen were a grasshopper eating Sandhill Crane, fly-by
Great Blues & a Kingfisher. The official counters saw more raptors
than on my list though.

Rollins Savannah (2:10-4:15 p.m.)

I had heard that a Godwit was here & after my time at the Hawk Watch I
went here hoping it was still present. It was but it was a heck of a
walk to see it as I had to bushwhack while carrying my scope.
Birds seen here included Cormorants, Trumpeter Swans (down to 6 from
the previous 7, one young one gone), Ducks were Mallards, Green & Blue
Winged Teal, Pintail, Wigeons, Gadwalls & Shovelers.
Shorebirds were Killdeer (3), Semipalmated Plovers, HUDSONIAN GODWIT,
Least Sandpipers & we heard a Snipe. Also heard some Sandhill Cranes.

Bird-Of-The-Day to the big Hudsonian Godwit & Runner-Up to the Franklin's Gull.

Al Stokie
All day in Lake County