Birthday Birding-Crabtree N.C., Baker's Lake, Techny North, Lk Opeka & Axehead Lk 3-27-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

I would like to thank everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday today. I
should have answered you all individually but I received 4 phone calls
(2 of which sang Happy Birthday to me), 3 text messages, & 42 emails
so I'll have to do a group Thank You instead. I heard from people I go
birding with, people who I only know by email & folks I don't know at
all. Sometimes I wonder if anyone even reads my email reports but it
looks like quite a few of you do.
Therefore I will try & keep up my reports for a while longer although
my walking keeps getting worse & I can no longer cover the ground like
I used to. The future may see fewer reports covering fewer locations
but I will do the best I can as long as I can.

Crabtree Nature Center (8:30-10 am)

Horned Grebe (3)
WHITE PELICAN (50-55)
D.C. Cormorant (5)
Great Blue Heron (20-25)
Canada Goose (~30)
Mallard (8), Shoveler (1-M), Black Duck (2) & Blue Winged Teal (2-PR)
Bufflehead (14), Hooded (1-PR) & Common (10) Mergansers & Ruddy Duck (2)
Sandhill Crane (2)
Ring Billed Gull (3)
Red Bellied Woodpecker (2) & Flicker (2)
Crow (2), Chickadee (1) & W.B. Nuthatch (3)
Eastern Bluebird (1-M)
Robin (10) & Starling (12)
Cardinal (2) & Song Sparrow (2)
Red Wings (6) & Grackles (4)
House Sparrow (4)

Baker's Lake From North Overlook (10:25-10:45 am)

White Pelican (15-20) & D.C. Cormorant (~250)
GREAT EGRET (1) (FOY)
Red Breasted Merganser (only 3)
BALD EAGLE (1-IM)
Ring Billed (2) & Herring (6) Gulls

Techny North (12:15-12:30 pm)

Great Blue Heron (2)
Mallard (8), Shoveler (3) & Green Winged Teal (6)
Red Breasted Merganser (8)
Red Tailed Hawk (1)
Killdeer (2)
Eastern Meadowlark (2, singing, 1st time back)

Lake Opeka (1:25-1:45 pm)

COMMON LOON (7)
Canada Goose (32), Mallard (45), Gadwall (2) & Lesser Scaup (4)
Bufflehead (1-PR), Goldeneye (2), Red Breasted Merganser (4) & Ruddy Duck (2)
Ring Billed (42) & Herring (6) Gulls

Axehead Lake (2-2:25 pm)

COMMON LOON (3) & Horned Grebe (1)
Canada Goose (4) & Mallard (1-PR)
Greater (2-M) & Lesser (32) Scaup
Red Breasted Merganser (72)
Herring Gull (2)
Pigeons & Robins

So 43 species at my 5 locations plus 2 roadside additions for a
birthday total of 45.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be all those Pelicans & Runners-Up to all the
Loons & the Great Egret.
Somewhat surprising was that I had 14 species of ducks today.

Al Stokie
In Cook County today