Illinois Beach State Park North Unit Friday 6-13-25

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Today I went with Bob Erickson & covered 2 sections of the north unit
of Illinois Beach Park. The 1st section was the long loop trail that
goes all the way to North Point Marina & the 2nd section was the area
from Sand Pond to Lake Michigan & the Hawk Watch area.

Illinois Beach State Park North Unit (6:15-10:30 am)

D.C. Cormorant (2 fly-bys)
Great Blue Heron (2 fly-bys)
Great Egret (1)
Green Heron (1)
Mallard (2)
Hooded Merganser (1-"F")
Mourning Dove (3)
Red Tailed Hawk (2, together)
Virginia Rail (H-1)
Sandhill Crane (2-3)
Killdeer (1)
Ring Billed Gull (26)
Herring Gull (15)
Red Headed Woodpecker (1)
Red Bellied Woodpecker (3)
Flicker (1)
OLIVE SIDED FLYCATCHER (1, a little late)
Eastern Pewee (3-4)
Willow Flycatcher (3)
Eastern Kingbird (1)
Blue Jay (3)
Chickadee (H-1)
W.B. Nuthatch (H-1)
House Wren (4)
B.G. Gnatcatcher (1)
Tree (2), Bank (1) & Barn (10) Swallows
Eastern Bluebird (1-M)
Robin (14)
Catbird (3)
Brown Thrasher (2)
Cedar Waxwing (2)
Warbling (3) & Red Eyed (1) Vireos
Yellow Warbler (5)
Common Yellowthroat (6)
YELLOW BREASTED CHAT (1)
Cardinal (H-2)
Dickcissel (1, singing)
Eastern Towhee (4)
Field Sparrow (2)
Song Sparrow (4)
Eastern Meadowlark (1 or 2)
Red Wings (10), Grackles (4) & Cowbirds (2)
ORCHARD ORIOLE (1-F)
Baltimore Oriole (2)
Goldfinch (6)

So if I did that right I had 50 species at Illinois Beach plus 1
roadside addition for a total of 51.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Olive Sided Flycatcher & Runners-Up will
be the Chat, the female Orchard Oriole & the "heard only" Virginia
Rail.

Al Stokie
On Lake County today