Illinois Beach North Unit Hawk Watch Tuesday 10-21-25

[Al Stokie]

Hello Bird People,

After a quick stop at the lakeside deck at the south unit of Illinois
Beach where I saw very little, I headed north to the north unit of
Illinois Beach to join up with the hawk watchers. It was a nice bunch
of people & they had a really good Danish Krincle coffee cake which I
wasn't sure I was supposed to eat but I ate 2 slices anyway. We had to
share it with a very persistent Yellow Jacket who also liked the
coffee cake.

Illinois Beach Hawk Watch (9:05 am-12:05 pm)

I believe they had 99 raptors today before the rains came & most were
Turkey Vultures, Sharp Shinned Hawks & Red Tails. Also saw Cooper's
Hawks, two Bald Eagles, a Peregrine & a Merlin.
Flying by were Canada Geese & Sandhill Cranes & an army of Eastern
Bluebirds kept flying back & forth in front of the count area.

So not a very exciting day but the strong winds did blow in hawks to look at.
Bird-Of-The-Day will be the Bald Eagles & Runners-Up will be the
Peregrine, the Cranes &
all those Bluebirds.

There will be strong NW winds on Wednesday & Thursday so get to a hawk
watch place if possible.

License Plate Of The Day was from Rhode Island seen on the way home
along Delanny Rd.

Al Stokie
In northern Lake County today