Illinois Beach South Unit Thursday 6-1-23

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Today I went with Andy Stewart to the South Unit of Illinois Beach to
see what birds are staying & to see if any migrants are still going
through. The only certain migrants were a Yellow Bellied Flycatcher, 2
Willow/Alder (Trail's) Flycatchers & on the beach a Ruddy Turnstone.
Other than that all birds seen were either Summer or year round
residents. Here's my list:

Illinois Beach South Unit (7:15-11:15 a.m.)

Great Blue Heron (1, entrance road ponds)
Green Heron (1 fly-by)
Canada Goose (4)
Wood Duck (2)
Mallard (6)
BALD EAGLE (1 young one flying by)
Killdeer (2)
Spotted Sandpiper (H-1)
RUDDY TURNSTONE (1)
Ring Billed (~45) & Herring (4 fly-bys) Gulls
Mourning Dove (4)
Red Headed Woodpecker (2)
Downy Woodpecker (1)
Flicker (3)
Eastern Pewee (4)
YELLOW BELLIED FLYCATCHER (1)
Willow/Alder (Trails) Flycatchers (2)
Eastern Phoebe (1)
Great Crested Flycatcher (4)
Eastern Kingbird (1)
Tree, Bank, Rough Winged & Barn Swallows (no counts)
Blue Jay (2)
Crow (2)
Chickadee (1)
W.B. Nuthatch (H-1)
House Wren (8)
Eastern Bluebird (2-M)
Robin (10-12)
Gray Catbird (4)
Brown Thrasher (2)
Starling (3)
Warbling Vireo (6)
Red Eyed Vireo (4)
Yellow Warbler (2)
Common Yellowthroat (4)
YELLOW BREASTED CHAT (1, singing)
Cardinal (3)
Eastern Towhee (H-2)
Song Sparrow (4)
Red Wings (10)
Eastern Meadowlark (1)
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (2-M & 1-F)
Grackle (4)
Cowbird (6)
Baltimore Oriole (2)
ORCHARD ORIOLE (1)
House Finch (2)
Goldfinch (6)
EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (2-AD)
House Sparrow (6)

If I did that right I should show 54 species.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Yellow Bellied Flycatcher & Runners-Up
will be the Chat, the Ruddy Turnstone & the Brewer's Blackbirds.
Fancy Pants Bird Of The Day will be the 2 European Goldfinches.
The Chat was found in an area which is loaded with Ticks. I put on
spray but still had about 10 Ticks to remove & Andy did not put on
spray & was rewarded by having to remove 35-40 Ticks.
I suggest you find another Chat to chase!

Al Stokie
In N.E. Lake County today