Montrose, Lake Opeka & Axehead Lake Sunday 4-5-26

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

Started the day at Montrose with Bob Erickson wanting to see the
Burrowing Owl & I wanted a Vesper Sparrow. The Owl was seen before 7
am & then no one could find it for over 3 hours although it was seen
again in the early afternoon by some lucky birders. As for a Vesper
Sparrow Bob & others did see one but twice I hurried over & still
missed it. I did see 2 common "year birds". Then after lunch I went to
two small local lakes to count Loons & ducks.

Montrose (7:10-11 am)

Horned Grebe (3, harbor)
D.C. Cormorant (25 fly-bys)
TRUMPETER SWAN (2 fly-bys, identified by photos)
Canada Goose (6)
Mallard (6)
Greater Scaup (6, harbor)
LONG TAILED DUCK (1-F, harbor)
Goldeneye (2-F)
Red Breasted Merganser (10-12)
Killdeer (2, dunes)
Ring Billed (25) & Herring (2) Gulls
Caspian Tern (2 fly-bys)
Rock Pigeon (2)
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker (1)
Red Bellied Woodpecker (1)
Downy Woodpecker (1-F)
Eastern Phoebe (2)
Tree Swallow (2)
Crow (2)
Chickadee (3)
WINTER WREN (1)
Ruby Crowned (1) & Golden Crowned (5) Kinglets
Hermit Thrush (8) & Robin (16)
BROWN THRASHER (1) (FOY)
Starling (10)
PALM WARBLER (1) (FOY)
Cardinal (5-6)
Field Sparrow (1)
Song (7), FOX (5) & Swamp (2) Sparrows
White Throated Sparrow (1)
Junco (~15)
Red Wings (12) & Grackles (8)
House Sparrow (18)

Lake Opeka (1:10-1:40 pm)

Common Loon (5, including 1 in Winter plumage)
RED THROATED LOON (1)
P.B Grebe (1)
Canada Goose (16) & Mallard (26)
Lesser Scaup (36) & Redhead (2-M & 1-F)
Bufflehead (3), Goldeneye (2-F) & Red Breasted Merganser (24)
Ruddy Duck (4)
Coots (7)
Ring Billed (28) & Herring (2) Gulls

Axehead Lake (1:50-2:10 pm)

Common Loon (8)
Pied Billed (3) & Horned (2) Grebes
Mallard (4), Lesser Scaup (8) & Red Breasted Merganser (37)
Red Tailed Hawk 1 fly-by)

So 48 species at my 3 locations plus one roadside Cooper's Hawk for a
total of 49 species.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Opeka Red Throated Loon & Runners-Up will
be the Long Tailed Duck, the Winter Wren & the 2 new "year birds", the
Thrasher & the Palm Warbler.

Al Stokie
In Cook County today