Orland Grassland (South Half) Saturday 6-27-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Another day, another Grassland to check out. Walked the bike trail
from the S.W. corner of the place up to where the old gravel road runs
level with 171st street, walked that old gravel road all the way over
to La Grange Road & back on the bike path to my starting point. Like
yesterday I found Henslow's Sparrows but unlike yesterday I only saw
one while hearing the others. I had a CHAT near 104th & 171st streets
& I looked for a Bell's Vireo which two birders told me they had seen
along La Grange Road but did not see or hear it. But I did hear one
half way down 171st st so either it had moved or there were two.

Orland Grasslands (8-11:15 am)

Great Egret (1)
Turkey Vulture (1)
Killdeer (Heard one)
Mourning Dove (2)
Chimney Swift (1)
Flicker (1)
Eastern Pewee (1)
Eastern Kingbird (2)
Blue Jay (2)
House Wren (H-1)
Tree Swallow (6-8)
Robin (12)
Catbird (2)
Starling (5)
Warbling Vireo (H-2)
BELL'S VIREO (1)
Common Yellowthroat (10-12)
YELLOW BREASTED CHAT (1, nice looks for a change)
Cardinal (5)
Indigo Bunting (2)
Dickcissel (~10)
Field Sparrow (5)
HENSLOW'S SPARROW (5, but only 1 seen)
Song Sparrow (2)
Bobolink (1 or 2)
Eastern Meadowlark (1)
Red Wings (15-20)
Grackles (8-10)
Cowbird (1-M)
Goldfinch (6-8)
House Sparrow (6)

So 31 species at Orland Grasslands plus 2 roadside additions for a
day's total of 33.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the very cooperative Chat & Runner-Up will be
the Bell's Vireo which I only barely saw & the one Henslow's Sparrow
that I did see.

Al Stokie
In S.W. Cook County today

[M.Bernat]

Al, 

I bet you heard the Henslow’s and the bobolink(s) while on old 175th St., now called Old Farm Road, as you traveled parallel to Henslow’s Ridge and through the edge of Bobolink Hill. They ain’t called that for nothin’.

There used to be a landmark of a few out-of-place trees along Old Farm Road named the Chat Room, where a chat was once observed. 

You did ok with grassland specialists on your approx. 3 mile hike (179th to 175th to 96th Ave. (LaGrange Rd.) to 179th to 104th Ave.) having found 4 of the 8 grassland specialist species that BCN studied for a report on the grassland birds of Cook County, based on the BCN survey.

I wrote the draft so naming them are easier for me than naming Snow White’s 7 buddies:

Bobolink

Dickcissel

Eastern Meadowlark

Grasshopper Sp.

Henslow’s Sp.

Savannah Sp. 

Sedge Wren

Vesper Sp. 

They need big grasslands so they can nest far from edges. Orland Grassland and Poplar Creek, your destination yesterday, are big.  

Mary Bernat

South Cook 

Orland Grassland Volunteer

BCN independent member and monitor at Sagawau ELC

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