Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from The Illinois List > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Friday, July 3 at 05:35 PM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Tree Sparrow,©David Sibley

3 Jul IBET O'Hare Airport Horned Larks, 6/12 a.m. [Sulli Gibson ] 03 Jul IBET No No Neo - Neotropic Cormorant not there this afternoon ["franmmmk" ] 3 Jul IBET Lowden-Miller 3 July [douglas stotz ] 3 Jul IBET white morph great blue heron? [Donna Hathaway ] 3 Jul Re: IBET 2 Brown Pelicans in Sw. IL (and other good birds) [] 2 Jul IBET Turkey Vulture Nest at Springbrook Prairie, DuPage County [Joe Suchecki ] 2 Jul IBET Braidwood Laughing Gull [Jeff Smith ] 02 Jul IBET Re: Listed Birds and EORs - Black-billed Cuckoo (no sightings) [Eric Secker ] 2 Jul IBET Western Kingbirds/Massac County ["frank bennett" ] 03 Jul IBET 2 Brown Pelicans in Sw. IL (and other good birds) ["ericwalt40" ] 2 Jul IBET ABA Recording Rules (no sightings) [] 2 Jul IBET Northern Mockingbird at West Chicago Prairie [marilyn bell ] 2 Jul IBET Grant Park Grumbling 2 July [douglas stotz ] 02 Jul IBET ID a bird please ["Maureen Zwier" ] 2 Jul IBET swainson's/ceruleans [Beau Schaefer ] 2 Jul IBET - NEOTROPIC CORMORANT AT ALMOND MARSH THUR. AM [Roy Peterson ] 02 Jul IBET Re:Listed Birds and EORs [] 02 Jul IBET Black-crowned Night-Herons at the Merchandise Mart 8:15 this morning ["cyndi_lubecke" ] 02 Jul IBET Montrose, 7/2 a.m. [Robert Hughes ] 2 Jul IBET Iroquois Co. Wednesday Evening ["Craig Taylor" ] 1 Jul Re: IBET Eastern Kingbird mobbing Red-tailed Hawk, Paul Douglas FP, Palatine [] 1 Jul IBET Laughing Gull near Braidwood in Grundy County on Thursday [] 02 Jul IBET Eastern Kingbird mobbing Red-tailed Hawk, Paul Douglas FP, Palatine ["arlenekoziol" ] 02 Jul IBET NECO at Almond Marsh ["Greg Neise" ] 1 Jul IBET Serendipitous problem solving (was Long-billed Curlew "sighting") [] 01 Jul IBET Another? Brown Pelican ["Greg Neise" ] 1 Jul IBET Campton Hills Forest Preserve, St. Charles [Christopher Cudworth ] 1 Jul IBET Braidwood: Laughing Gull Continues + BB Cuckoo [Jed Hertz ] 1 Jul IBET Warbler Fall Migration question (no sightings) [Jeanette Repp ] 01 Jul IBET:Revised Sangamon Co. June birds [Beckie Dyer ] 01 Jul IBET:June Birds-Sangamon Co. [Beckie Dyer ] 1 Jul Re: IBET Sandhill Crane observations [Christopher Cudworth ] 1 Jul IBET RT Humminbird shooting opportunity sought ["robirdman" ] 1 Jul IBET deer grove east/lakewood fp [Beau Schaefer ] 01 Jul IBET Sandhill Crane observations ["semel AT att.net" ] 30 Jun IBET Neotropic Cormorant still present at Almond Marsh 6/30 pm [Josh Engel ] 30 Jun IBET Swainson's Hawk [] 30 Jun IBET Braidwood: Laughing Gull [Jed Hertz ] 30 Jun IBET No sightings:if you make a mistake you don't need to post an apology ["q4birds" ] 30 Jun IBET No sightings:if you make a mistake you don't need to post an apology ["q4birds" ] 30 Jun IBET No sightings:if you make a mistake you don't need to post an apology ["q4birds" ] 30 Jun IBET Listed Birds and EORs (no sightings) [Matthew Winks ] 30 Jun IBET Listed Birds and EORs [Matthew Winks ] 29 Jun IBET Chuck-will's-widow in Henderson County [Jim Mountjoy ] 29 Jun IBET Young Ring-billed Gull, Ladybug - Photos [Steve Spitzer ] 29 Jun IBET Carolina Wren: Fabyan Forest Preserve [Christopher Cudworth ] 29 Jun IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT - Back at Almond Marsh ["Greg Neise" ] 29 Jun IBET Fraker Farm Miscellany; Woodford Co; 06/29/09 ["prairieoakvetcenter" ] 29 Jun IBET Re: Alder and Indigo Buntings....Why It Was Probably NOT an Alder ["brewstermoseley AT ymail.com" ] 29 Jun NEOTROPIC REFOUND AT ROLLINS FW: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT LAKE COUNTY P.M. YES! ["Jeff Skrentny" ] 29 Jun IBET Tree swallows killed by sparrows ["mumsferd" ] 29 Jun Re: IBET Braidwood: Osprey + Blue Grosbeak + Forster's Tern [Jed Hertz ] 29 Jun IBET Northwestern Woods FP TV, re: Ralph Herbst family [] 29 Jun IBET Alder Flycatcher + 6 or 7 Indigo Buntings ["brewstermoseley AT ymail.com" ] 29 Jun IBET -no sightings Colorado birding [Bernard Wiltshire ] 29 Jun IBET Braidwood: Osprey + Blue Grosbeak + Forster's Tern [Jed Hertz ] 29 Jun IBET No Sightings: Book recommendation and question on tern [Anna Tendero ] 29 Jun IBET Neotropic / Double-crested Cormorant Identification ["Greg Neise" ] 29 Jun IBET grant woods north AM [Beau Schaefer ] 29 Jun IBET Greene Valley FP: Summer Tanager ["mmadsen48" ] 29 Jun IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT AM- NO [Beau Schaefer ] 29 Jun IBET Spring Bluff Swamp Virginia Rail - 6/28 [Kanae Hirabayashi ] 29 Jun IBET Singing Mourning Warbler at Montrose 6/29 [Kanae Hirabayashi ] 29 Jun IBET Woodford Co. Black-billed Cuckoo [Matthew Winks ] 29 Jun IBET female house sparrow with red head? ["sparmet" ] 29 Jun IBET Montrose Laughing Gull, 6/29 a.m. [Robert Hughes ] 28 Jun IBET The Thompson Lake kaleidoscope... and more [Jim Mountjoy ] 29 Jun IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT LAKE COUNTY P.M. YES! [] 28 Jun IBET Ralph Herbst [] 28 Jun FW: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT - LAKE COUNTY-yes! ["Jim Solum " ] 28 Jun IBET middlefork savanna ["Yellowstart5" ] 28 Jun IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT - LAKE COUNTY ["Greg Neise" ] 28 Jun IBET Thompson Lake [Kevin Richmond ] 28 Jun IBET 6/28 - Crabtree Nature Center (Cook County) [Jeff Bilsky ] 28 Jun IBET more memories of Ralph ["Michael L. P. Retter" ] 28 Jun IBET Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (6-28-09) [Walter Marcisz ] Subject: IBET O'Hare Airport Horned Larks, 6/12 a.m. From: Sulli Gibson <sulli.gibson AT comcast.net> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 22:35:33 +0000 (UTC) 12 June 2009 On the morning of 12 June, 2009 I observed 4 HORNED LARKS from the American Airlines plane (I just returned from the trip this morning). They were feeding in a grassy area near the runways. I recall that Amar Ayyash said that he was monitoring the last nesting population in Cook County, which was somewhere in the southern portion of the county. There are probably some nesting near O'Hare International Airport as well. Sulli Gibson Northfield, Illinois [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET No No Neo - Neotropic Cormorant not there this afternoon From: "franmmmk" <franmmmk AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:06:59 -0000 The gate to Almond Marsh (Lake Co) was closed this afternoon and I suspect will be closed tomorrow as well (July 4th). I parked outside and walked in anyway, and looked for the Neo from 1 to 2:30 pm. No luck, although I did see 3 Common Moorhen on the north side edge, near Rte 120 and some Green-winged Teal. I then went to Rollins and had strike two on Neo. I will be back at Almond early in the morning tomorrow; I knew this was somewhat of a long shot in the mid-afternoon, but was trying to save myself from a 430 am wakeup. I'm leaving at 5 am from Evanston tomorrow and should be there by 6, and will have my scope if anyone wants to try with me. Happy 4th everyone! Fran Evanston, Cook Co. Subject: IBET Lowden-Miller 3 July From: douglas stotz <dfstotz AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 15:22:44 -0500 I went out to Lowden-Miller State Forest in Ogle Co. today. I hiked a big loop starting from Parking lot 1. I spent about 3 hours there. Although it was pretty birdy, I didn't have any rare specialty birds that often summer at Lowden-Miller. Highlights were a BROAD-WINGED HAWK, PILEATED WOODPECKER, 4 ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS, BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, 20 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS (including a pair feeding young in a nest), 2 PINE WARBLERS, KENTUCKY WARBLER, and 6 HOODED WARBLERS. Good counts of common species included 17 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, 17 EASTERN WOOD-PEWEES, 47 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, 16 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, 34 VEERIES, 23 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 18 EASTERN TOWHEES, 38 CHIPPING SPARROWS, 13 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, 27 OVENBIRDS 10 SCARLET TANAGERS, and 26 RED-EYED VIREOS, Southwest of Rochelle around ponds in the "warehouse district" there were big numbers of swallows, mainly TREE (220) and BANK (55). I also had 16 DICKCISSELS and 2 VESPER, 5 SAVANNAH and 2 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS. Doug Stotz -- Douglas Stotz Conservation Ecologist/Ornithologist Environmental and Conservation Programs Field Museum of Natural History 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. Chicago, IL 60605 Phone: (312)-665-7438 Fax: (312)-665-7433 e-mail: dstotz AT fieldmuseum.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET white morph great blue heron? From: Donna Hathaway <djhathaway1 AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 15:20:23 -0500 I walk daily along the west branch of the DuPage River where it runs by my condo property, and daily I see a GREAT BLUE HERON. The other day at the same time it flushed a white one looking identical flew up from the same location. But Stokes says they are only found in southern Florida. So, unless someone wants to disagree, I guess it was just coincidental that a GREAT EGRET was nearby. In this same location yesterday afternoon I came upon not one but two soft shelled turtles, each about the size of a dinner plate! They were maybe 20 feet apart, both were in soft dirt; I was wondering if they were laying eggs since they were so still and allowed me to come right up to them. Marilyn Bell responded to my excited call, and when we moved away to observe we were amazed to see how fast they moved, and that is when we realized they were soft shelled, seeing their backs move as they hustled over rocks and into the river. We also wonder if these are rare, never having seen them in our lives before. Donna Hathaway Warrenville, DuPage [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: IBET 2 Brown Pelicans in Sw. IL (and other good birds) From: MHKIWI AT aol.com Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 15:15:39 EDT In a message dated 7/2/2009 8:55:38 P.M. Central Daylight Time, ericwalters7 AT sbcglobal.net writes: Based on the photos of this bird, it looks like the Atlantic race and its molt isn't as far along as the Mel Price L&D bird. Getting a Brown Pelican in what appears to be a shallow pond is quite amazing as they feed by diving, rather than surface work like the AWPelicans. I saw the Brown flying around once, but didn't know if this is a pond where it could actually dive into. In coastal areas Brown Pelicans will feed on the surface. Several times I have seen a small flock of up to 5 Brown Pelicans at Hilton Head Island swimming on the surface in a loose formation with their heads to the side and twisted back, bill sifting along the water surface so that they can use their pouch as a scoop. The pelicans use this method at low tide in tidal pools amongst the oyster beds which line the channels cutting through salt marshes. Typically they drive the fish ahead of them to the back of the pools away from any outlet to the channel. Michael Hogg Northbrook, IL **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585087x1201462804/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd= JulystepsfooterNO62) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Turkey Vulture Nest at Springbrook Prairie, DuPage County From: Joe Suchecki <issuesman50 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 20:11:15 -0700 (PDT) After seeing a pair of Turkey Vultures roosting near 87th street a couple of times in the last couple of weeks at Springbrook Prairie in Naperviille, I went looking for a possible nest.  I located an old hollow tree and was able to see a single young vulture in the cavity.  The young vulture still was covered with white down with only the growing flight feathers being black.Springbrook has very little wooded habitat and only a few large trees.  I think this vulture nesting location is probably the only large hollow tree on the site.  This is the first nesting record for Turkey  Vulture Springbrook.   Also, I also observed a singing Acadian Flycatcher at Springbrook this evening.  There are now one or two Acadians at Springbrook.     Joe Suchecki Naperville   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Braidwood Laughing Gull From: Jeff Smith <mrqmagoo13 AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 22:12:27 -0500 I went down to Braidwood after work today in search of the Laughing Gull. I started at the field scoping from the car but had no luck. Since the dog needed a walk I decided to park at the boat ramp and walk the levee out to view the field. The added elevation paid off as I easily picked the LAGU out of the mix of Ring-billed Gulls, Caspian Terns, and Canada Geese. The 3 mile walk was worth the effort. Along the way I found Black-billed Cuckoos in both Will and Grundy as well as a couple of Bell's Vireos. We stopped at Midewin and took another walk along Explosives Rd. There were numerous Dickcissels, Henslow's Sparrows, and Eastern Meadowlarks as well as a handful of Grasshopper Sparrows. A Northern Mockingbird continues to call the parking lot home. Jeff Smith Woodridge, DuPage Co. Subject: IBET Re: Listed Birds and EORs - Black-billed Cuckoo (no sightings) From: Eric Secker <esecker AT bcnbirds.org> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:04:55 -0500 I haven't heard a lot of talk about the results from the meeting, but according to the minutes from the ESPB meeting, Black-billed Cuckoo was approved for Threatened Status. All the other changes were accepted as well. This includes the delisting of Bald Eagle, Henslow’s Sparrow, and Sandhill Crane. Mississippi Kite was moved from Endangered to Threatened. Common Moorhen and Loggerhead Shrike were moved from Threatened to Endangered This is a good time for me to also encourage people to enter any sightings of endangered, threatened, or other uncommon breeding birds in BCN eBird: http://ebird.org/bcn There is also a special request out from Maggie Cole (IDNR Regional Resource Manager) for sightings of Black-crowned Night-Herons: http://ebird.org/content/bcn/news/appeal.html Eric Secker Wheaton, DuPage Co. & West Dundee, Kane Co. jespaleum1 AT aol.com wrote: > Thank you, Matthew, for making IBET aware of reporting listed species. The Illinois Natural Heritage Database is the repository for data about all endangered and threatened species in the state. You can read more about the database and how the information is used here: http://www.dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalheritage/inhd.htm > > ? > > With a few exceptions, only breading records are kept for listed birds. Reports are accepted from the birding community. When filling out a report it would be a good idea to explain fully why you believe the birds is breeding and include some information about your birding experience. A downloadable report form in pdf format can be found here: http://www.dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalheritage/applications.htm?? > > ? > > Someone recently asked about the status of listing the Black-billed Cuckoo. You can find more about the listing process and endangered and threatened species here: > > http://www.dnr.state.il.us/espb/index.htm?????????? > > ? > > Sincerely, > > Jeannie Barnes > > Database Manager > > Illinois Natural Heritage Database > > jeannie.barnes AT illinois.gov > > > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ILbirds/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ILbirds/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:ILbirds-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:ILbirds-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ILbirds-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: IBET Western Kingbirds/Massac County From: "frank bennett" <fkbennett AT email.com> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 20:31:35 -0500  I observed three Western Kingbirds in flight this morning at work.  They flew in line about 3 feet apart about 20 feet in the air, all three giving call notes.  The sighting was only 5-10 seconds before they were out of sight, blocked by a building.  The two trailing birds appeared to be young birds.  Frank Bennett New Columbia, IL Massac County -- Be Yourself AT mail.com! Choose From 200+ Email Addresses Get a Free Account at www.mail.com Subject: IBET 2 Brown Pelicans in Sw. IL (and other good birds) From: "ericwalt40" <ericwalters7 AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:31:39 -0000 Passed through the St. Louis region this morning and I had set aside a few hours to try for the Brown Pelican at Mel Price Lock & Dam (ie. L&D 26, adjacent to Riverlands in Alton, IL along the Mississippi River). Since the visitor center was closed, I walked north up the bike path till I was past the dam. Details of this bird's presence since early May can be found here: http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=22107.0. Also present were at least 2 Least Terns feeding in the area by the land northward from the barge. Yet another good species for the summer were 2 first-summer Franklin's Gulls, initially spending time with the gulls on a spit of land immediately north of the dam, then later joining the Terns in feeding, then walking around the spit of land immediately south of the island adjacent to where they were feeding. -------------- Since I found this pelican pretty quickly and since there was another BP report from Bill 'vagrant finder' Rudden yesterday from an area to the south which I had familiarity with, I decided to see if there were actually 2 Brown Pelicans in Sw. IL or just one that was moving around. Details were posted here: http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=23472.0 I actually came down the Monroe County bluff south of where the bird was reported, but decided to go just alittle further south, whereupon I soon found a batch of 76 American White Pelicans and decided to put up my scope on the group. When I took my first look through the scope, there it was, a 2nd Brown Pelican in Sw. IL! Based on the photos of this bird, it looks like the Atlantic race and its molt isn't as far along as the Mel Price L&D bird. Getting a Brown Pelican in what appears to be a shallow pond is quite amazing as they feed by diving, rather than surface work like the AWPelicans. I saw the Brown flying around once, but didn't know if this is a pond where it could actually dive into. This water area was basically about 3 miles south of the Fults Prairie initial location. It was about 1.25 miles south of Bluff and Kaskaskia Rd. intersection, along the RR tracks. This area is just east of the town of Kidd in deep southern Monroe County. Not long after a Bald Eagle flew over causing the herons to react along with a pair of Black-necked Stilts to begin their 'warning' calls. This Stilt pair is no doubt attempting to nest at this location. It was pleasing to hear all the Orchard Orioles and Blue Grosbeaks along Bluff Road heading northward from there. As well, I passed 2 spots where I had Eurasian-collared Doves. That's alot of pelicans for what basically is farmland all around down there. Eric Walters Zion, IL Subject: IBET ABA Recording Rules (no sightings) From: trptjoe AT aol.com Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 21:24:19 EDT While birding today I ran across another birder who knew that I'd seen the Tropical Kingbird approximately three hours after its release from being banded. He suggested that I check the ABA rules to make sure that the bird was, indeed, #350 on my Illinois list. Just to be clear, he suggested this in the nicest way possible. As it turns out, he was recalling the rule as it pertains to nocturnal species (Rule C (ii)). Here is the pertinent section, straight from the American Birding Association website (http://www.aba.org/bigday/rules.pdf): RULE 3:The bird must have been alive, wild, and unrestrained when encountered. A. “Alive” means after hatching. Eggs are not counted as live birds. B. “Wild” means that the bird's occurrence at the time and place of observation is not because it, or its recent ancestors, has ever been transported or otherwise assisted by man. (i) An otherwise wild bird that voluntarily uses or is attracted to a feeder, nest box, tape recorder, ship at sea, or other nonnatural device without being captured is still considered to be wild. Physical contact between an observer and a bird does not automatically preclude a bird from being counted, as there are situations where wild birds have learned to eat from outstretched hands, or have used people as temporary perches. (ii) A species observed far from its normal range may be counted if in the observer's best judgment and knowledge it arrived there unassisted by man. A wild bird following or riding a ship at sea, without being captured, is considered to be traveling unassisted by man. (iii) Birds descendant from escapes or released birds are considered “wild” when they are part of a population which meets the ABA definition of an established introduced population. (iv) A bird that is not wild and which later moves unassisted to a new location or undergoes a natural migration is still not wild. C. “Unrestrained” means not held captive in a cage, trap, mistnet, hand, or by any other means and not under the influence of such captivity. A bird is considered under the influence of captivity after its release until it regains the activities and movements of a bird which has not been captured. (i) A bird is under the influence of captivity during its initial flight away from its release point and during subsequent activity reasonably influenced by the captivity, such as initial perching and preening or early sleeping or roosting near the release point. (ii) A nocturnal species released during daylight which goes to roost near the point of release is considered under the influence of captivity until the next nightfall, when it has left its roost and begun normal nocturnal activities. (iii) A wild bird that is injured, sick, oiled, or otherwise incapacitated, but which retains a reasonable freedom of movement, may be counted. (iv) Banders working on licenced projects under proper permits may count, for their personal lists, the birds that they band, without the restrictions described in (i) and (ii). D. “When observed” means that a bird alive and unrestrained when observed, but which later dies or is collected or captured, may be counted. Despite my initial queasiness after my conversation with the aforementioned birder, there is not a doubt in my mind that, under Rule C (first paragraph) <> Bob, Bill and I have a perfectly acceptable sighting of the bird. There is no question that the kingbird had regained its movements, as the three of us saw the bird at the top of a tree three hours after its release. It was not present at any time before that (that we saw), and we'd been regularly checking that tree. It also left the tree quite quickly. Just to be clear, I welcomed the discussion from my birding colleague. I want a clean list and I could not previously have cited chapter and verse of the ABA rules. I can now! Joe Lill Chicago, Cook County ************** Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000005) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Northern Mockingbird at West Chicago Prairie From: marilyn bell <marbell AT rocketmail.com> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:31:48 -0700 (PDT) I was very surprised this morning (Thurs. 7/3), when monitoring birds at the West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve, to find a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD watching me from a small bare tree.  The bird is in an area which is not easy to reach, or perhaps I should say not easy to describe - and who knows if it will stay.  However, if you're desperate for a DuPage County mockingbird, please e-mail me offline.   The Prairie has been surprisingly birdy this year and I'm wondering if it's all the moisture making it lush and, perhaps, full of good eating?  Some of the birds who've nested, or presumed to have nested, are 3-4 pair BROWN THRASHERs, 2 pair BELL'S VIREOs, at least 5 pair YELLOW-BREASTED CHATs, one pair BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOs, one pair WOOD THRUSH, plus the every-50-feet INDIGO BUNTINGs, plenty of BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERs and, as at Greene Valley, numerous ORCHARD ORIOLEs, not to mention the rest of the usual summer residents in the usual numbers.   The Prairie is all about plants, with parts of it being an Illinois State Nature Preserve, so trails are single file and not very user friendly.  Just letting you know.   Marilyn Bell Warrenville DuPage County   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Grant Park Grumbling 2 July From: douglas stotz <dfstotz AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 14:23:15 -0500 I went out to Northerly Island at lunch time today. Highlights were a female-plumaged YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD with a flock of ca. 25 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at the southwest corner of the island, and a SEDGE WREN on the east side about a third of the way down the island. There were at least 8 singing DICKCISSELS. I saw no females, but assume some are out there. I saw or heard 21 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, a number of which were carrying food, but I didn't track down any nests. There were good numbers of swallows with BARN (71) and ROUGH-WINGED (28) dominating, but I also saw 2 TREE SWALLOWS and a BANK SWALLOW. Dave Willard heard a singing MOURNING WARBLER by Soldier Field on 30 June, and has been hearing an EASTERN PHOEBE at Soldier Field in the early morning (before 6 AM) for the last few weeks. Doug Stotz -- Douglas Stotz Conservation Ecologist/Ornithologist Environmental and Conservation Programs Field Museum of Natural History 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. Chicago, IL 60605 Phone: (312)-665-7438 Fax: (312)-665-7433 e-mail: dstotz AT fieldmuseum.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET ID a bird please From: "Maureen Zwier" <maureen AT zwier.net> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:22:41 -0700 Please take a look at this photo and ID, please. http://www.flickr.com/photos/21286998 AT N02/3682259774/ I think it may be a Piping Plover, winter plumage? Thanks for your time and Happy 4th, Maureen Zwier maureen AT zwier.net www.photosbymaureen.com Subject: IBET swainson's/ceruleans From: Beau Schaefer <beauschaefer AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:08:44 -0500 Thanks to Joe Lill for his post on the SWAINSON'S HAWK. Last time I went I wasn't looking in the right place. This time I was and had great looks at a cruising Swainson's right in front of me on the east side of Chapman Rd. right after the road turns south. It was pretty much in the same spot that Joe reported it from earlier. That's a great-looking bird! Then I went over to Rock Cut State Park in Rockford. It was raucous with bird song. Almost immediately I heard a singing CERULEAN WARBLER and was even able to get my scope on it for a short time and get an awesome look. I also heard a 2nd Cerulean on the blue trail leading away from the White pines parking area. Nice way to start the day! Good Birding! Beau Schaefer round lake beach lake Subject: IBET - NEOTROPIC CORMORANT AT ALMOND MARSH THUR. AM From: Roy Peterson <scrubjay33 AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 09:31:24 -0700 (PDT) The juvenile or 1st year NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was located at Almond Marsh FP early this AM. After some searching it was found perched in a large dead tree across the lake from the parking lot. It was in the top 1/5 of the large tree with the most spread out branches. There are several nesting Great Blue Herons in this tree as well as D-C Cormorants. Compared to the D-C's the NECO's smaller size, slimmer build and long, narrow tail were very evident, although a scope was an absolute neccesity to see the differences. Eventually it flew down to the water and fished for a while alongside a D-C. In the water the size difference was even more pronounced, with the NECO holding it's head much lower due to more curvature in the neck.   From a distance this would be an easy bird to overlook and whomever first spotted it had a sharp and discerning eye.    Roy Peterson, Lake Forest, Eastern Lake County [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Re:Listed Birds and EORs From: jespaleum1 AT aol.com Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:13:42 -0400 Thank you, Matthew, for making IBET aware of reporting listed species. The Illinois Natural Heritage Database is the repository for data about all endangered and threatened species in the state. You can read more about the database and how the information is used here: http://www.dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalheritage/inhd.htm ? With a few exceptions, only breading records are kept for listed birds. Reports are accepted from the birding community. When filling out a report it would be a good idea to explain fully why you believe the birds is breeding and include some information about your birding experience. A downloadable report form in pdf format can be found here: http://www.dnr.state.il.us/conservation/naturalheritage/applications.htm?? ? Someone recently asked about the status of listing the Black-billed Cuckoo. You can find more about the listing process and endangered and threatened species here: http://www.dnr.state.il.us/espb/index.htm?????????? ? Sincerely, Jeannie Barnes Database Manager Illinois Natural Heritage Database jeannie.barnes AT illinois.gov [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Black-crowned Night-Herons at the Merchandise Mart 8:15 this morning From: "cyndi_lubecke" <clubecemail AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:50:21 -0000 About a week ago I saw an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron flying from the south along the Chicago river into a small opening in the river wall in front of the Merchandise Mart. As I turned east and walked along the south side of the river, it flew from spot to spot and appeared to be foraging. At one point it may have caught a fish, although being without binnoculars, I wasn't able to tell for sure. The last I saw of it, from a perch on the railing in front of Marina City, it flew east along the river where I turned off to go to my office. This morning, I saw two adults in the old wooden piers at the northeast corner of the Franklin St. bridge in front of the Merchandise Mart where there are a lot of carp in the water. Suddenly they flew east and one appeared to be chasing the other off, which it did successfully and then returned to the piers. The other flew east and I never saw it again. A few minutes later, the remaining bird flew into the same opening in the river wall and stayed there. The opening is in front of the fourth flag from the right down at the river's edge. Both sightings were between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Good birding. - Cyndi Lubecke, Prospect Heights Subject: IBET Montrose, 7/2 a.m. From: Robert Hughes <rhughes.enteract AT rcn.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:05:44 -0500 This morning I had a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a Bobolink at Montrose. Also, adult Chimney Swifts have started their pre-basic molt and are showing gaps on the trailing edge of their wings. Robert D. Hughes Chicago, Illinois Subject: IBET Iroquois Co. Wednesday Evening From: "Craig Taylor" <tnemec1 AT ameritech.net> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 00:19:03 -0500 I was in Champaign on business Wednesday, pulling out of town at 5:30 PM Gas was $2.56 at Market St exit on I-57. Since I was going to miss dinner with my wife, I decided to be really late and bird Iroquois County to try to fill in a few holes in my Iroquois list. I ended the evening a little after 9PM at the Iroquois County State Wildlife Area, garnering a total of 41 species. Highlight was 18 Whip-poor-will at ICSWA. And I am confident that I undercounted! Another highlight was a Western Meadowlark singing near the corner of 3300N & 2280E. List follows signature. Craig A. Taylor La Grange, Illinois Cook County "Behold the birds of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Matt. 6 : 26 Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 4 Ring-necked Pheasant 1 Mourning Dove 11 Whip-poor-will 18 Chimney Swift 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Red-headed Woodpecker 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Blue Jay 2 Eastern Bluebird 2 Wood Thrush 3 American Robin 53 Gray Catbird 5 Brown Thrasher 1 European Starling 45 White-breasted Nuthatch 3 House Wren 5 Barn Swallow 12 House Sparrow 15 American Goldfinch 6 House Finch 2 Common Yellowthroat 8 Song Sparrow 6 Chipping Sparrow 6 Field Sparrow 4 Eastern Towhee 4 Summer Tanager 1 Scarlet Tanager 1 Dickcissel 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Northern Cardinal 5 Indigo Bunting 3 Red-winged Blackbird 36 Eastern Meadowlark 4 Western Meadowlark 1 Common Grackle 34 Brown-headed Cowbird 7 Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.375 / Virus Database: 270.13.1/2212 - Release Date: 07/01/09 05:53:00 Subject: Re: IBET Eastern Kingbird mobbing Red-tailed Hawk, Paul Douglas FP, Palatine From: bgsloan2 AT yahoo.com Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 20:17:41 -0700 (PDT)   I've also watched an Eastern Kingbird ride the back of a Red-tailed Hawk, pecking away. I never saw the red crown of the kingbird, though. That's pretty cool!! And one time I watched a Ruby-throated Hummingbird chase a Red-tailed Hawk. The hummingbird would fly about 20 feet up above the Red-tail, and then dive-bomb the hawk. It was like watching a lumbering bomber being buzzed by a more agile fighter plane. :-) Bernie Sloan --- On Wed, 7/1/09, arlenekoziol wrote: From: arlenekoziol Subject: IBET Eastern Kingbird mobbing Red-tailed Hawk, Paul Douglas FP, Palatine To: ILbirds AT yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 10:43 PM It is a common sight to see hawks and other large birds being mobbed by Red-winged Blackbirds. This summer I have seen four Red-tailed Hawks that forage at Paul Douglas FP in Palatine, face a constant barrage of RW Blackbirds. Wednesday I was photographing a perched Eastern Kingbird and I heard the familiar screams of a Red-tail about 100 feet above me. He was being attacked from above by a fearless Eastern Kingbird.The Kingbird rode on the Red-tail's back, all the time pecking his head. The Red-tail executed various aerial maneuvers to rid the Kingbird, but the Kingbird persisted in attacking it. Of special note is the Kingbird's raised red crown patch. I had mentioned the red crown patch to my friend Joan Bruchman, who in turn related the observation to Dave Willard of the Field Museum. Dave said the concealed red patch is rarely seen. According to John Terres "Audubon Encyclopedia of North American Birds", the Eastern Kingbird has even been known to attack a low-flying aircraft flying over it's territory. The aggressive Eastern Kingbird lives up to it's name Tyrannus tyrannus. which means tyrant, king or despot. Below is a link to my photos http://web.me. com/arlenekoziol then click on E. Kingbird vs RT Hawk Arlene Koziol Arlington Hts. IL. Cook County arlenekoziol AT mac.com Subject: IBET Laughing Gull near Braidwood in Grundy County on Thursday From: BFisher928 AT aol.com Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 22:47:46 EDT Thanks to Jed Hertz for posting about this gull, then giving us helpful details on the location which helped us find it. Kankakee Rd is the western boundary of Braidwood Lake and forms the county line between Will and Grundy Counties. Many gulls can be seen flying over the lake from the access /boat ramp at the southwest corner, but Jed tipped us off to the fact that large numbers of these gulls roost in a field just west of Kankakee (County Line) Rd and north of Grundy County Rd S 5000. That's where we saw the Laughing Gull today at approx. 2PM. Also of interest, at least 50 Caspian Terns were present in the field and flying to and from the lake, and the flying terns frequently were carrying minnows. Did they nest nearby? It also looks like shorebirds are starting to return. We stopped at what we call Peacock Marsh (the NW corner of Veterans Parkway and Remington Rds in Bolingbrook, just east of the Peacock Engineering warehouse on Remington Rd). Both yellowlegs (in breeding plumage) were present, as was a lone S-b Dowitcher and 2 Wilson's Phalaropes. Several Green-winged Teal were present, including females. Regards Bob Fisher Downers Grove DuPage County **************It's raining cats and dogs -- Come to PawNation, a place where pets rule! (http://www.pawnation.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000008) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Eastern Kingbird mobbing Red-tailed Hawk, Paul Douglas FP, Palatine From: "arlenekoziol" <arlenekoziol AT mac.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:43:36 -0000 It is a common sight to see hawks and other large birds being mobbed by Red-winged Blackbirds. This summer I have seen four Red-tailed Hawks that forage at Paul Douglas FP in Palatine, face a constant barrage of RW Blackbirds. Wednesday I was photographing a perched Eastern Kingbird and I heard the familiar screams of a Red-tail about 100 feet above me. He was being attacked from above by a fearless Eastern Kingbird.The Kingbird rode on the Red-tail's back, all the time pecking his head. The Red-tail executed various aerial maneuvers to rid the Kingbird, but the Kingbird persisted in attacking it. Of special note is the Kingbird's raised red crown patch. I had mentioned the red crown patch to my friend Joan Bruchman, who in turn related the observation to Dave Willard of the Field Museum. Dave said the concealed red patch is rarely seen. According to John Terres "Audubon Encyclopedia of North American Birds", the Eastern Kingbird has even been known to attack a low-flying aircraft flying over it's territory. The aggressive Eastern Kingbird lives up to it's name Tyrannus tyrannus. which means tyrant, king or despot. Below is a link to my photos http://web.me.com/arlenekoziol then click on E. Kingbird vs RT Hawk Arlene Koziol Arlington Hts. IL. Cook County arlenekoziol AT mac.com Subject: IBET NECO at Almond Marsh From: "Greg Neise" <gregneise AT ilbirds.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:20:16 -0000 Demitri Lafkas had the NEOTROPIC CORMORANT fly in to Almond Marsh at 5:45 PM this evening, and Matt Cvetas reported it still present at 7:10 PM. -greg neise Berwyn, IL http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=23370.0 Subject: IBET Serendipitous problem solving (was Long-billed Curlew "sighting") From: bgsloan2 AT yahoo.com Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 14:57:24 -0700 (PDT) A fine example of learning from others' mistakes. Last week Jeff Bilsky reported hearing a Long-billed Curlew at Crabtree. Turns out the calls of juvenile Red-tailed Hawks sound like the calls of Long-billed Curlews, and Jeff was hearing young Red-tails. But Jeff's mistaken ID was not in vain. The last couple of days I've been hearing some really odd bird calls. I was thinking they might be juvenile Red-tails because there's usually a cranky adult Red-tail screaming at me when I walk towards the sounds. But I couldn't find recordings of juvenile Red-tails anywhere to confirm this. Then I remembered Jeff's postings. So I went to BNA Online and listened to Long-billed Curlew recordngs. The calls I've been hearing sounded exactly like what BNA refers to as the "curloo" call of the Long-billed Curlew. So, even though Jeff misidentified the Long-billed Curlew calls, it helped me solve a bird ID mystery...I've hearing juvenile Red-tailed Hawks calling. Sometimes when you're wrong you can help someone else get the right answer to a different question. :-) Bernie Sloan Champaign County, IL Monroe County, IN Subject: IBET Another? Brown Pelican From: "Greg Neise" <gregneise AT ilbirds.com> Date: Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:28:37 -0000 Bill Rudden has posted pictures of a BROWN PELICAN that he took today near Fults Hill Prairie, in Monroe County. This is about 90 miles south of Alton. http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=23472.0 Cheers, -greg neise Berwyn, IL Subject: IBET Campton Hills Forest Preserve, St. Charles From: Christopher Cudworth <cudworthfix AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 15:27:07 -0500 I think that's what it is still called. On Campton Hills Road 1 mile west of Peck. Took a stroll to listen for breeding birds but hit the "quiet" zone fwhen low ceiling clouds dampened the bird activity at 6:30 a.m. When it picked back up (sort of) the following species were found: GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER (5) DOWNY WOODPECKER (3) RED BELLIED WOODPECKER (2...Nest hole along trail) WOOD PEWEE (3) INDIGO BUNTING (9) ORCHARD ORIOLE (2) ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK (2) BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE (2) BLUE GRAY GNATCATCHER (3) FIELD SPARROW (4) BLUE JAY (5) CROW (1) ROBIN (2) WILLOW FLYCATCHER (2) EASTERN BLUEBIRD (5) TREE SWALLOW (4) BARN SWALLOW (2) YELLOWTHROAT (4) COWBIRD (4) HOUSE FINCH (3) CEDAR WAXWING (5) SONG SPARROW (7) RED WINGED BLACKBIRD (LOOKOUT! 5) MOURNING DOVE (4) HOUSE SPARROW (2) GRACKLE (2) WOOD DUCK (1) Lots of mosquitoes and no ticks (I think) in 40 minute walk out to spot where Blue Grosbeaks bred last year. No sign of them this time. Christopher Cudworth Batavia, Kane County [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Braidwood: Laughing Gull Continues + BB Cuckoo From: Jed Hertz <jhh_60910 AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 11:13:09 -0700 (PDT) Hi all,   Wed 01-July-09: Braidwood (Cooling) Lake: 0510-1100H (1 W + 3.5 D)_OC/Cld_61-67_NNW 0-15_E Cottontail_Coyote.   I found the again Laughing Gull soaring in the thermals ~ 1/2 mi east of the Kankakee Boat Ramp at 0945H this morning (this was after checking the  ~200 RibiGu + ~60 CasTer in the soy bean field in Grundy Co).    Also of note: BB Cuckoo and Bald Eagle (3 - 1st time I've had three or more here since 3-12-09).    I recorded the following 74 species this morning:   Anatidae 2   ¨ ¨ 32 Canada Goose ¨ .   ¨ ¨ 1 Wood Duck ¨   Phasianidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Ring-necked Pheasant ¨ 1f Pelecanidae 1   ¨ ¨ 134 American White Pelican ¨ 110 together in thermal at 0925H. Phalacrocoracidae 1   ¨ ¨ 34 Double-crested Cormorant ¨   Ardeidae 3   ¨ ¨ 44 Great Blue Heron ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Great Egret ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Green Heron ¨   Cathartidae 1   ¨ ¨ 13 Turkey Vulture ¨ 1st one sighted at 0515H soaring. Accipitridae 2   ¨ ¨ 3 Bald Eagle ¨ 1st yr + 2nd + subadult (1st and 2nd yr sighted together at 1005H)   ¨ ¨ 5 Red-tailed Hawk ¨ 1 imm Charadriidae 1   ¨ ¨ 32 Killdeer ¨   Scolopacidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Spotted Sandpiper ¨   Laridae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Laughing Gull ¨ 0945H east of Kankakee Ramp 1/2 mi soaring.   ¨ ¨ 252 Ring-billed Gull ¨ 2 juv; photo   ¨ ¨ 1 Herring Gull ¨ ad; Gundy Co soy bean field Sternidae 1   ¨ ¨ 72 Caspian Tern ¨ Mostly Grundy Co soy bean field at 0800H. Columbidae 1   ¨ ¨ 11 Mourning Dove ¨   Coccyzidae 2   ¨ ¨ 1 Black-billed Cuckoo ¨ Center St.; recorded.   ¨ ¨ 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo ¨   Caprimulgidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Common Nighthawk ¨ High School Cerylidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Belted Kingfisher ¨   Picidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Red-headed Woodpecker ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Downy Woodpecker ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Northern Flicker ¨   Tyrannidae 4   ¨ ¨ 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Willow Flycatcher ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Great Crested Flycatcher ¨     ¨ ¨ 5 Eastern Kingbird ¨   Vireonidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 White-eyed Vireo ¨ 1/2 mi east of Kankakee Ramp; recorded.    ¨ ¨ 2 Bell's Vireo ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Warbling Vireo ¨   Corvidae 2   ¨ ¨ 1 Blue Jay ¨     ¨ ¨ 8 American Crow ¨   Alaudidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Horned Lark ¨   Hirundinidae 4   ¨ ¨ 7 Tree Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 9 Northern Rough-winged Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 13 Bank Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Barn Swallow ¨   Paridae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Black-capped Chickadee ¨   Sittidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 White-breasted Nuthatch ¨   Troglodytidae 2   ¨ ¨ 4 House Wren ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Sedge Wren ¨ Center St. Sylviidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ¨   Turdidae 3   ¨ ¨ 3 Eastern Bluebird ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Wood Thrush ¨     ¨ ¨ 22 American Robin ¨   Mimidae 2   ¨ ¨ 10 Gray Catbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Brown Thrasher ¨   Sturnidae 1   ¨ ¨ 52 European Starling ¨   Bombycillidae 1   ¨ ¨ 18 Cedar Waxwing ¨   Parulidae 3   ¨ ¨ 5 Yellow Warbler ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Common Yellowthroat ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Yellow-breasted Chat ¨   Emberizidae 7   ¨ ¨ 6 Eastern Towhee ¨     ¨ ¨ 17 Chipping Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 8 Field Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Vesper Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Savannah Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Grasshopper Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 10 Song Sparrow ¨   Cardinalidae 4   ¨ ¨ 6 Northern Cardinal ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak ¨     ¨ ¨ 7 Indigo Bunting ¨     ¨ ¨ 10 Dickcissel ¨   Icteridae 6   ¨ ¨ 84 Red-winged Blackbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Meadowlark ¨     ¨ ¨ 36 Common Grackle ¨     ¨ ¨ 11 Brown-headed Cowbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Orchard Oriole ¨ f + 5 male (incl 1st yr male )   ¨ ¨ 7 Baltimore Oriole ¨ 3f Fringillidae 2   ¨ ¨ 5 House Finch ¨     ¨ ¨ 16 American Goldfinch ¨   Passeridae 1   ¨ ¨ 4 House Sparrow ¨   Jed Hertz Kankakee, IL (Kankakee Co - 60 mi South of Chicago) Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhertz/ Give "ebird" a try: http://ebird.org/content/ebird [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Warbler Fall Migration question (no sightings) From: Jeanette Repp <jzlrepp AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 11:15:52 -0500 The outside curtains on the church windows have worked 100% this spring! No migration fatalities, and they used to be a regular occurrence. (Before my time there.) Just took them down for the summer. When will the fall warbler migration start and end, so I know when to put them up, again? Thanks, Jeanette Schaumburg, Cook [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET:Revised Sangamon Co. June birds From: Beckie Dyer <dyer AT museum.state.il.us> Date: Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:04:44 -0500 Dear IBET'ers, A revised listing of June 2009 birds in Sangamon Co. Birds in Sangamon County -- June 2009 Common Loon -- June 15 - non-breeding plumage Pied-billed Grebe -- June 30 - non-breeding plumage -- fall migrant? Cattle Egret -- June 1 Bald Eagle -- June 1 -- 30 w/ one fledged young June 30 at Lake Springfield Ruddy Duck -- June 14 -- adult male Laughing Gull -- June 21 -adult Franklin's Gull -- June 10 - 12 -- 2^nd yr. bird Caspian Tern -- June 2 (4), 7 (6), 8 (6), 10 (1), 12(2), 13(5), 18 (2), 20 (2), 21(7), 22 (2), 23 (5), 25(5), 26 (7), 28 (1) Common Tern -- June 11 (3) Black Tern -- June 5 (16), 9 (5), 11 (1), 17 (3), 19 (4) Semipalmated Plover -- June 13 Willet -- June 19 -- earliest fall migrant Least Sandpiper -- June 17 -- fall migrant Semipalmated Sandpiper -- June 12 (2) White-rumped Sandpiper -- June 17 (3) Sanderling -- June 6 -- non-breeding plumage Pectoral Sandpiper -- June 14 Olive-sided Flycatcher -- June 12 -- latest ever Yellow-bellied Flycatcher -- June 12 Alder Flycatcher -- June 6 Magnolia Warbler -- June 4 - female Am. Redstart -- June 6 -- female Mourning Warbler -- June 1 -- two females Wilson's Warbler -- June 4 - male Canada Warbler -- June 6 - female H. David Bohlen Illinois State Museum Springfield, IL bohlen AT museum.state.il.us -- Beckie Dyer Museum Technician Illinois State Museum Research & Collections Center 1011 East Ash Street Springfield, Illinois 62703-3500 Phone: 217-782-7475 Fax: 217-785-2857 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET:June Birds-Sangamon Co. From: Beckie Dyer <dyer AT museum.state.il.us> Date: Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:44:47 -0500 Dear IBET'ers, *Birds in Sangamon County -- June 2009* Common Loon -- June 15 (non-breeding plumage) Cattle Egret -- June 1 Bald Eagle -- June 1 -- Ruddy Duck -- June 14 -- adult male Laughing Gull -- June 21 - adult Franklin's Gull -- June 10 - 12 -- 2^nd yr. Caspian Tern -- June 2 (4), 7 (6), 8 (6), 10 (1), 12(2), 13(5), 18 (2), 20 (2), 21(7) Common Tern -- June 11 (3) Black Tern -- June 5 (16), 9 (5), 11 (1), 17 (3), 19 (4) Semipalmated Plover -- June 13 Willet -- June 19 -- earliest fall migrant Least Sandpiper -- June 17 -- fall migrant Semipalmated Sandpiper -- June 12 (2) White-rumped Sandpiper -- June 17 (3) Sanderling -- June 6 -- non-breeding plumage Pectoral Sandpiper -- June 14 Olive-sided Flycatcher -- June 12 -- latest ever Yellow-bellied Flycatcher -- June 12 Alder Flycatcher -- June 6 Magnolia Warbler -- June 4 - female Am. Redstart -- June 6 -- female Mourning Warbler -- June 1 -- two females Wilson's Warbler -- June 4 - male Canada Warbler -- June 6 - female H. David Bohlen Illinois State Museum Springfield, IL bohlen AT museum.state.il.us -- Beckie Dyer Museum Technician Illinois State Museum Research & Collections Center 1011 East Ash Street Springfield, Illinois 62703-3500 Phone: 217-782-7475 Fax: 217-785-2857 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: IBET Sandhill Crane observations From: Christopher Cudworth <cudworthfix AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 08:18:03 -0500 A note of irony: I receive my IBET posts through Gmail and one of the advertisements was for crane hunting. An alternate universe? Christopher Cudworth Batavia, Kane County On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:13 PM, semel AT att.net wrote: > > > A cooperative project with the International Crane Foundation, the Illinois > Department of Natural Resources, and the Illinois Natural History Survey, we > have been placing radio transmitters on young Sandhill cranes (colts) to > better understand survival, movements and ecology of the rapidly expanding > population of this species in northern Illinois. To date, we have tagged > over 30 young in McHenry and Lake Counties. They now are of age (six weeks) > to attach permanent leg bands, including colored bands that will allow > observers throughout their migration route to identify individuals from a > distance. The cranes will have on their right leg three GREEN bands with a > series of white letters ("AAA" "BBB" "ABA" etc). The letters are read from > top to bottom. On the left leg will also be three bands, including at least > one silver (USFWS) and two other colors, either RED, WHITE, or GREEN (with > no visible lettering). A bird could be reported as Left WWS, Right Green > AAA. Again the sequences are read from top to bottom. As always the photos > submitted through IBET are always phenomenal, and these would be most > helpful if you have the opportunity to take a photo. Your help in reporting > the location of any observed birds would be most appreciated, and help > increase the data collected for this study. We know where all living birds > currently are, but once they become flighted, we most certainly will start > to lose track as they expand beyond the range of our receivers. Sightings in > the coming years will be of greatest interest to us, but I wanted to alert > the birding community now as these larger birds are spending more time in > open agricultural fields and will certainly soon be spotted and questions > raised. Thank you in advance for your assistance in this study. You may > forward any information to: > > Brad.Semel AT illinois.gov > > Brad Semel > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET RT Humminbird shooting opportunity sought From: "robirdman" <robirdman AT theearlybirder.com> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 07:07:30 -0500 I am trying to find someone who has dependable, regularly-visiting Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, that would allow me to spend time setting up and photographing them. I have much better shots of hummers from Arizona than our local ones here and would like to try to get comparable shots. If I allowed to set up and shoot with the ultra hi-speed equipment and am successful in the situation, I would be glad to provide prints for the person making it possible. Some examples of what to be expected may be seen at: My shot on current cover of NW magazine: http://com-sub.info/nationalwildlife/magazine?page=44&umc=3308>se=google&abtest=3>kw=National%20wildlife%20magazine&mtrack=magazine-csist&redirect=no&gclid=CJnFs_e2tJsCFSXyDAodBD6BRA Other examples on my web site galleries: Broad Billed: http://theearlybirder.com/hummers/bb-hmbd/index.htm Magnificent http://theearlybirder.com/hummers/mag-humbd/index.htm Blue Throated http://theearlybirder.com/hummers/bt-humbd/index.htm I would love to obtain similar shots with the Ruby Throated, but haven't had a dependable enough situation to spend the time required. If you can offer help, please email me at robirdman AT theearlybirder.com Thanks, Rob Curtis Chicago [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET deer grove east/lakewood fp From: Beau Schaefer <beauschaefer AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 06:03:19 -0500 I went out to Deer Grove East yesterday to see if I could find a cerulean warbler. No dice. I did have a few good birds, though: 2 hooded warblers 2 american redstart 2 marsh wren 2 sedge wren 1 henslow's sparrow I then ventured over to Lakewood FP to see if I could refind the dickcissels I found at the birding blitz. I was more than a little dismayed to find that the dickcissel area had been MOWED. I still can't understand this. There were still 3 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS singing there, however. The good news was that I found 7 DICKCISSELS just northeast of Bonner Rd along with 1 VESPER SPARROW, 4 HORNED LARK, and 10 SAVANNAH SPARROW, I also found a fluddle with 5 KILLDEER and 3 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. As I was out there walking around the mowed field, however, a tractor was out there mowing more. I doubt if the mayweed field where the dickcissels were found is still there today. It's pretty sad that our Forest Preserve district feels it necessary to mow down all the grassland bird habitat. Good Birding! Beau Schaefer round lake beach lake co Subject: IBET Sandhill Crane observations From: "semel AT att.net" <semel@att.net> Date: Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:13:07 -0000 A cooperative project with the International Crane Foundation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Illinois Natural History Survey, we have been placing radio transmitters on young Sandhill cranes (colts) to better understand survival, movements and ecology of the rapidly expanding population of this species in northern Illinois. To date, we have tagged over 30 young in McHenry and Lake Counties. They now are of age (six weeks) to attach permanent leg bands, including colored bands that will allow observers throughout their migration route to identify individuals from a distance. The cranes will have on their right leg three GREEN bands with a series of white letters ("AAA" "BBB" "ABA" etc). The letters are read from top to bottom. On the left leg will also be three bands, including at least one silver (USFWS) and two other colors, either RED, WHITE, or GREEN (with no visible lettering). A bird could be reported as Left WWS, Right Green AAA. Again the sequences are read from top to bottom. As always the photos submitted through IBET are always phenomenal, and these would be most helpful if you have the opportunity to take a photo. Your help in reporting the location of any observed birds would be most appreciated, and help increase the data collected for this study. We know where all living birds currently are, but once they become flighted, we most certainly will start to lose track as they expand beyond the range of our receivers. Sightings in the coming years will be of greatest interest to us, but I wanted to alert the birding community now as these larger birds are spending more time in open agricultural fields and will certainly soon be spotted and questions raised. Thank you in advance for your assistance in this study. You may forward any information to: Brad.Semel AT illinois.gov Brad Semel Subject: IBET Neotropic Cormorant still present at Almond Marsh 6/30 pm From: Josh Engel <jengel5230 AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:48:26 -0700 (PDT) The Neotropic Cormorant flew in at precisely 6:50 this evening (30 June, 2009) at Almond Marsh. We watched it from the parking lot. At first sight, it was obviously smaller than the Double-cresteds we had been watching flying around. It appeared to be molting inner primaries, making it particularly distinctive in flight (although some of the Double-cresteds were also molting flight feathers). It landed in the tree holding the largest number of cormorants and herons. Great find, Greg, Karen, and Jeff. Good birding, Josh Engel Evanston, Cook Co and Cape Town, South Africa jengel5230 AT yahoo.com oxypogon.blogspot.com Tour leader, Tropical Birding www.tropicalbirding.com Subject: IBET Swainson's Hawk From: trptjoe AT aol.com Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:45:02 EDT Mark Agnor needed one for his state list so we went out to Burlington where we found one in the same location as last year. From Peplow & Chapman (south of Burlington, Kane County) go east on Chapman. After the road bends to the right pull over in the little gravel pullout. If you're lucky one will be flying around. We weren't that fortunate, but we scanned the trees to the north of the road and found one Swainson's perched, overlooking the field. We found it with binocs but a scope was necessary for a good look, as the bird was AT 1/4 mile away. Joe Lill Chicago, Cook County ************** Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000005) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Braidwood: Laughing Gull From: Jed Hertz <jhh_60910 AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:25:15 -0700 (PDT) Hi all,   Tue 30-June-09: Braidwood (Cooling) Lake: 0530-1040H (1/4 W + 3.5 D)_OC/ClD_63-69_NW 0-15_E Cottontail (2)_Wt Deer.   As I was scanning a flock of Ring-billed Gull and Caspian Tern I came across a molting adult LAUGHING GULL in a corn field (Grundy Co) NW of the Kankakee Boat Ramp.  Interestingly, I had the same species here last year from 6/29/08 - 7/1/08.   Other birds of Note: Osprey and Bald Eagle (1st yr).   I tallied 67 species this morning as follows:   Anatidae 2   ¨ ¨ 24 Canada Goose ¨    ¨ ¨ 2 Mallard ¨   Phasianidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Ring-necked Pheasant ¨   Pelecanidae 1   ¨ ¨ 84 American White Pelican ¨   Phalacrocoracidae 1   ¨ ¨ 92 Double-crested Cormorant ¨ 3 imm Ardeidae 3   ¨ ¨ 36 Great Blue Heron ¨     ¨ ¨ 12 Great Egret ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Green Heron ¨   Cathartidae 1   ¨ ¨ 5 Turkey Vulture ¨   Accipitridae 4   ¨ ¨ 1 Osprey ¨ 1030H Kankakee Boat Ramp; photo   ¨ ¨ 1 Bald Eagle ¨ 1st yr; 1040H kankakee Boat Ramp.   ¨ ¨ 1 Cooper's Hawk ¨ imm   ¨ ¨ 5 Red-tailed Hawk ¨   Charadriidae 1   ¨ ¨ 26 Killdeer ¨   Scolopacidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Spotted Sandpiper ¨   Laridae 2   ¨ ¨ 1 Laughing Gull ¨ molting adult in field with RibiGu + CasTer; photos   ¨ ¨ 224 Ring-billed Gull ¨ Mostly Grundy Co field w/CasTen Sternidae 1   ¨ ¨ 81 Caspian Tern ¨   Columbidae 1   ¨ ¨ 14 Mourning Dove ¨   Coccyzidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo ¨   Trochilidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird ¨ w/food Cerylidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Belted Kingfisher ¨ f Picidae 2   ¨ ¨ 2 Downy Woodpecker ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Northern Flicker ¨   Tyrannidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Great Crested Flycatcher ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Eastern Kingbird ¨   Vireonidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 White-eyed Vireo ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Bell's Vireo ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Warbling Vireo ¨ "meeezh" Corvidae 2   ¨ ¨ 1 Blue Jay ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 American Crow ¨   Alaudidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Horned Lark ¨   Hirundinidae 5   ¨ ¨ 1 Purple Martin ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Tree Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 8 Northern Rough-winged Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Bank Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 9 Barn Swallow ¨   Troglodytidae 2   ¨ ¨ 5 House Wren ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Sedge Wren ¨   Sylviidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ¨   Turdidae 2   ¨ ¨ 3 Eastern Bluebird ¨     ¨ ¨ 23 American Robin ¨   Mimidae 2   ¨ ¨ 5 Gray Catbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Brown Thrasher ¨   Sturnidae 1   ¨ ¨ 16 European Starling ¨   Bombycillidae 1   ¨ ¨ 22 Cedar Waxwing ¨   Parulidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Yellow Warbler ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Common Yellowthroat ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Yellow-breasted Chat ¨   Emberizidae 5   ¨ ¨ 1 Eastern Towhee ¨     ¨ ¨ 21 Chipping Sparrow ¨ 1 juvenile   ¨ ¨ 6 Field Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Vesper Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Song Sparrow ¨   Cardinalidae 3   ¨ ¨ 4 Northern Cardinal ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Indigo Bunting ¨     ¨ ¨ 8 Dickcissel ¨   Icteridae 6   ¨ ¨ 82 Red-winged Blackbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Meadowlark ¨     ¨ ¨ 14 Common Grackle ¨     ¨ ¨ 13 Brown-headed Cowbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Orchard Oriole ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Baltimore Oriole ¨ 2f; w/food Fringillidae 2   ¨ ¨ 2 House Finch ¨     ¨ ¨ 9 American Goldfinch ¨   Passeridae 1   ¨ ¨ 5 House Sparrow ¨   Jed Hertz Kankakee, IL (Kankakee Co - 60 mi South of Chicago) Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhertz/ Give "ebird" a try: http://ebird.org/content/ebird [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET No sightings:if you make a mistake you don't need to post an apology From: "q4birds" <q4birds AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:56:28 -0000 Hi all, I've been wanting to mention this for a while and Matt's post just reminded me, it's not directed to him, but to all of us. Mistakes happen and if you forget: to sign your name to give your address to capitalize something misspell a word You don't need to apologize!! YOu don't need to correct it Just try to remember for next time the only time I would encourage a repeat post is, if you forgot directions or gave incorrect directions to a birding location. Now get out there and look for birds! Sue Friscia listowner Subject: IBET No sightings:if you make a mistake you don't need to post an apology From: "q4birds" <q4birds AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:54:56 -0000 Hi all, I've been wanting to mention this for a while and Matt's post just reminded me, it's not directed to him, but to all of us. Mistakes happen and if you forget: to sign your name to give your address to capitalize something misspell a word You don't need to apologize!! YOu don't need to correct it Just try to remember for next time the only time I would encourage a repeat post is, if you forgot directions or gave incorrect directions to a birding location. Now get out there and look for birds! Sue Friscia listowner Subject: IBET No sightings:if you make a mistake you don't need to post an apology From: "q4birds" <q4birds AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:56:04 -0000 Hi all, I've been wanting to mention this for a while and Matt's post just reminded me, it's not directed to him, but to all of us. Mistakes happen and if you forget: to sign your name to give your address to capitalize something misspell a word You don't need to apologize!! YOu don't need to correct it Just try to remember for next time the only time I would encourage a repeat post is, if you forgot directions or gave incorrect directions to a birding location. Now get out there and look for birds! Sue Friscia listowner Subject: IBET Listed Birds and EORs (no sightings) From: Matthew Winks <fluidfive AT hotmail.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:18:39 -0500 Sorry for the double post. I forgot to include (no sightings) in the subject line. And somehow my email put a huge amount of dead space before you get to any text. Hi all, Recently I asked Angelo Capparella if he was submitting EORs for Listed Birds and he did not know what they were. Angelo usually knows everything when it comes to these types of things. So it occurred to me that many biologists and birders are probably unaware of this process. EOR stands for Element of Occurrence Record and is used for Endangered and Threatened Species. I learned about EORs a couple years ago when an IDNR Natural Heritage Biologist asked me to fill them out for breeding Loggerhead Shrike and Henslow's Sparrows on the Mackinaw Bluffs Corridor. I'm not exactly sure how it is used, but I believe the State of Illinois keeps a database of EORs for Listed Birds. An INHS Biologist also informed me that it is good idea to fill out EORs for suspected breeding E&T species. State agencies are required to check the database before altering habitats. And that it is sometimes the only "tool" they have when trying to stop destructive or invasive things from happening to a site. I was unable to locate a web page for filling out EORs, but I thought some members of the IBET community would be interested in this. If you actively bird during the breeding season or are in the field and find E&T Listed Birds, I imagine IDNR and INHS biologists would like to get that data in the database. I'm hoping that one of the state's professional biologists or ornithologists on IBET could enlighten us on the importance of EORs, the database, and how they are used. Most importantly, does the state want and/or encourage records from the birding community? Respectfully, Matthew Winks _________________________________________________________________ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd_062009 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Listed Birds and EORs From: Matthew Winks <fluidfive AT hotmail.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:08:29 -0500 Hi all, Recently I asked Angelo Capparella if he was submitting EORs for Listed Birds and he did not know what they were. Angelo usually knows everything when it comes to these types of things. So it occurred to me that many biologists and birders are probably unaware of this process. EOR stands for Element of Occurrence Record and is used for Endangered and Threatened Species. I learned about EORs a couple years ago when an IDNR Natural Heritage Biologist asked me to fill them out for breeding Loggerhead Shrike and Henslow's Sparrows on the Mackinaw Bluffs Corridor. I'm not exactly sure how it is used, but I believe the State of Illinois keeps a database of EORs for Listed Birds. An INHS Biologist also informed me that it is good idea to fill out EORs for suspected breeding E&T species. State agencies are required to check the database before altering habitats. And that it is sometimes the only "tool" they have when trying to stop destructive or invasive things from happening to a site. I was unable to locate a web page for filling out EORs, but I thought some members of the IBET community would be interested in this. If you actively bird during the breeding season or are in the field and find E&T Listed Birds, I imagine IDNR and INHS biologists would like to get that data in the database. I'm hoping that one of the state's professional biologists or ornithologists on IBET could enlighten us on the importance of EORs, the database, and how they are used. Most importantly, does the state want and/or encourage records from the birding community? Respectfully, Matthew Winks _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Get 25 GB of free online storage. http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_SD_25GB_062009 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ILbirds/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ILbirds/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:ILbirds-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:ILbirds-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ILbirds-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: IBET Chuck-will's-widow in Henderson County From: Jim Mountjoy <jmountjo AT knox.edu> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:44:57 -0500 What to do with your evenings while your wife is away - Part 2 This evening I headed over to Henderson County to try to add a few nocturnal species to my Henderson County list. A brief stop at Jink's Hollow soon produced the hoped for EASTERN SCREECH-OWL, in fact, two were soon whistling at me. Then I went to Big River State Forest and just took the first right turn into the forested area. I soon heard WHIP-POOR-WIILS calling, so stopped and took a little stroll with Fergus while listening to the sounds of the lovely moonlit evening. It wasn't until I was back in my car and thinking about driving on that the CHUCK-WILL"S-WIDOW started calling. I hopped out of the car quickly and listened for a bit, then drove up a little closer and it was still calling. This location was along 2450 N (signs for Pine View Ranch at corner) about 0.6 miles from the main north-south road along the river (1350 E, I believe). The Chuck was calling from the east edge of a large clearing on the north side of the road. Nice to know this species can still be found in Central Illinois, as it doesn't seem to have been found at Sand Ridge State Forest this year, as far as I know. Never did find the Common Nighthawk I was hoping for, but once again, I am not complaining! Jim Mountjoy Galesburg IL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Young Ring-billed Gull, Ladybug - Photos From: Steve Spitzer <steven0703 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:03:56 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders, I walked from Montrose to Belmont Harbors around noon today, Swallows, Starlings, Robins and House Sparrows were the main birds.  I did see ahd photograph the first young Ring-billed Gull I have seen this year, Also seen were a number of ladybugs on a greas plant.  To see one of them right up close as well as the gull, click on the link. http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=23437.0 Thanks, Steve Spitzer Chicago, Cook [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Carolina Wren: Fabyan Forest Preserve From: Christopher Cudworth <cudworthfix AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:51:06 -0500 While out for a gentle walk at Fabyan Forest Preserve (Geneva) in celebration of our 24th wedding anniversary, my wife Linda and I heard a CAROLINA WREN singing near the northernmost house on the property. They have redirected the trails in the preserve to create a more parklike, rather than parking-lot like environment. Nice job, county. Also heard or seen on our walk: Eastern Bluebirds (west side, hunting insects under the oaks) Robin Blue Gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Kingbird Crow Red winged blackbird Barn Swallow Indigo Bunting Chipping sparrow Christopher Cudworth Batavia/Kane Country [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT - Back at Almond Marsh From: "Greg Neise" <gregneise AT ilbirds.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:30:04 -0000 6:30 PM Bruce Heimer just called me to say that he and a couple of other birders were watching the Neotropic Cormorant at Almond Marsh. -greg neise Berwyn, IL Subject: IBET Fraker Farm Miscellany; Woodford Co; 06/29/09 From: "prairieoakvetcenter" <frakerpovc AT aol.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:59:11 -0000 Greetings, everyone -- I went out on The Farm today from about 6:30 am until 9:15 am. My, my, the place is a tad bushy. I have not had a chance to mow any paths yet this year. Our kids will need little flags on their heads if they go out in this stuff. I do not know what I almost stepped on over by the barns and the old homestead, other than it could explosively growl-hiss at me and it was invisible. Both "Tucher" and I jumped up and away from this mammalian land mine and then looked at each other like "what the hell was THAT?!?" I think we must have scared a raccoon, but it is a mystery -- one I am thankful took place during a diurnal walk because if it had been nighttime, my wife would never find my heart arrested corpse in that tall grass. The day had several highlights. One was very simple -- I had the following 10 birds at once in a single mulberry tree that was not fruiting down by Denman Creek: Northern Cardinal male Common Yellowthroat male Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 male and 2 females Scarlet Tanager female Baltimore Oriole male Eastern Kingbird Field Sparrow Song Sparrow The Lead Plant is beginning to flower up on the remnant by the North Oak Timber. Lead Plant (which is a fantastic conservative prairie shrub) has a great flower -- it is a spike of purple with gold "dustings": http://www.critsite.com/_ccLib/image/plants/DETA-100076.jpg After my hike, I discovered that the battery on our New Holland Tractor was dead. So I grabbed "Cloverfield", the walk-behind DR mower, and mowed those paths I cannot do with the tractor. Then I grabbed my hoe, and took on the few Teasel plants trying to make their mark on our 9 acre prairie right by the house. During this, I heard one of the resident Kestrels feeding a juvenile bird -- they fledged at least one bird this year, which is a huge relief. Several years ago, I put a bluebird box on the north side of our house by our entry room. Not surprisingly, it has been a House Sparrow factory. But this year, we actually have Bluebirds using it -- the pair has been in and out all day. I put three new photos up on the photobucket site -- one of some lightning over The Farm from the weekend, one of the North Oak Timber, and one of a puffed up Cedar Waxwing from this morning: http://s545.photobucket.com/albums/hh399/frakerpovc/ Totals are below; Matt Fraker Woodford Co; 06/29/09 Location: Fraker Farm Observation date: 6/29/09 Number of species: 49 Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 2 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern) 3 American Kestrel 2 Rock Pigeon 1 Mourning Dove 6 Red-headed Woodpecker 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 6 Downy Woodpecker 4 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 4 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 3 Eastern Kingbird 3 Warbling Vireo 2 Blue Jay 9 American Crow 2 Tree Swallow 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5 Black-capped Chickadee 6 Tufted Titmouse 3 White-breasted Nuthatch 4 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 16 Sedge Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Eastern Bluebird 10 Wood Thrush 2 American Robin 7 Gray Catbird 7 Brown Thrasher 1 European Starling 2 Cedar Waxwing 8 Common Yellowthroat 6 Scarlet Tanager 2 Eastern Towhee 5 Field Sparrow 20 Song Sparrow 3 Northern Cardinal 5 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 6 Indigo Bunting 10 Dickcissel 1 Red-winged Blackbird 33 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Orchard Oriole 1 Baltimore Oriole 2 American Goldfinch 7 Subject: IBET Re: Alder and Indigo Buntings....Why It Was Probably NOT an Alder From: "brewstermoseley AT ymail.com" <brewstermt@gmail.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:18:21 -0000 My 1980 Peterson's says of all the eastern Empids, only the Alder has a "whit" call. Well, my 1995 Peterson CD-ROM says something quite different: the Alder says "kep" or "pep." Yes it's a bit embarrassing, but maybe this will serve as a note of caution for anyone who uses an older Peterson's. Brewster Moseley Lakemoor, IL Lake County Subject: NEOTROPIC REFOUND AT ROLLINS FW: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT LAKE COUNTY P.M. YES! From: "Jeff Skrentny" <jrrs AT jeffersoninc.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:57:56 -0500 Pete Moxon just called and described what sounds to me like the Neotropic Cormorant at Rollins Savannah. The bird was viewed from the oak savannah, is in the middle of the main pond area and was near another DC Cormorant on the east side of the pond LOW in the snags that are in the middle there. If you go to Rollins, you know the snags. He said he missed seeing it the first time from the observation area, but when he looked again low, he found it right on top of a dead stump that he couldn't see from the north vantage point. Sounded like the right bird, smaller than a DC, thin narrow bill, white on the bottom of the bill where it connects with the face, dark chocolate brown color on head, neck and chest along with other marks that others have already mentioned. -jrrs Jeff Skrentny Cook County, IL Posting for Pete Moxon from DuPage currently birding in Lake County IL _____ From: ILbirds AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:ILbirds AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of djohnsoda AT comcast.net Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2009 10:57 PM To: ILbirds IBET Subject: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT LAKE COUNTY P.M. YES! 28 June 2009 Fellow Ibeters, The Neotropic Cormorant was back at Almond Marsh this eveing, Sunday. Thanks Greg, Karen and Jeff for getting a difficult ID down and taking great photos! Eric Walters should have some great identifiable photos, too. I arrived at Almond Marsh around 5:30 p.m. this evening after seeing the posts on IBET and the Illinois Birder's Forum. I immediately noticed a good suspect off Rte 120 though the light was poor. I parked my car off Almond Road just south of Rte 120 by the closed gate--not blocking the gate. Then I scoped the small cormorant which was with about 20 other cormorants, unfortunately it took about 20 minutes before I could for sure--see the white border line at the base of the gular pouch near the base of the bill in the face. Clearly the cormorant was slim, smaller, smaller faced, smaller billed than the Double-crested Cormorants and definitely not as "thick necked" The tail proportionately is longer and thinner tailed to me than the other D-c Cormorants, but this can be tricky based on angle etc. However, after long looks this cormorant is not an adult bird, being very brownish overall with some blackish and teal sheen to it. It really lacks the whiter tones ventrally of the imm. D-c Cormorants except for some lighter color in the undertail coverts. It is overall a sleeker, slimmer, smaller cormorant with a very small body, head and thin neck. The eye color was also a greenish blue to me. Eric, Aaron, and Ethan Gyllenhaal, Dave Kennedy, Jim Solum, Jeff Sunberg and Eric Walters where about in the eveing watching and photographing the cormorant. As Eric stated and others, very early morning is good as well as evening when the cormorants--if they leave--will come back to roost. This bird could be around for weeks, afterall it is a rookery and cormorants are breeding here. The gates into the Almond Marsh are open during the weekdays. A Scope is necessary for identification of this bird or very high power binoculars and good lighting as the bird is about 100 yards off from the shore line--for the most park. (someone did light off what seemed like a 1/4 stick of dynamite in Wildwood, which got up all the cormorants into flight--once in the evening--but they came right back to roost! We're nearing the 4th of July!...) Almond Marsh is E of Rte 45, south of Rte 120 and N of Casey Road, off Almond Road, parking is available during the weekdays overlooking the rookery and marsh to the North. Good Birding! And thanks again Greg Neise, Karen Mansfield, and Jeff Skrentny for sharing this great bird ID and observation with others! I hope Eric Walters got some great photos, too! David B. Johnson NE IL djohnsoda AT comcast. net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Tree swallows killed by sparrows From: "mumsferd" <mumsferd AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:44:28 -0000 I'm sad to report that the baby tree swallows in my bluebird house were pecked to death and shoved out of the house by a male house sparrow who then sat atop the house and chattered. I thought the swallows had fledged until I saw the pecked and dead ones beneath the house. I saw the sparrow entering the house and pulling out what I thought were feathers but thought he was just trying to move in. I wished I had known because maybe I could have saved some of the babies. The shame is that the swallows would have probably left the nest this week by the look of them. Marcia Lonergan Lake Forest Lake County Subject: Re: IBET Braidwood: Osprey + Blue Grosbeak + Forster's Tern From: Jed Hertz <jhh_60910 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:22:54 -0700 (PDT) OK, so I brought one of the Rufous Hummers back from Seattle, no big deal - they're sort-of cute don't you think. ;-)   Oops! Jed Hertz Kankakee, IL (Kankakee Co - 60 mi South of Chicago) Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhertz/ Give "ebird" a try: http://ebird.org/content/ebird --- On Mon, 6/29/09, Jed Hertz wrote: From: Jed Hertz Subject: IBET Braidwood: Osprey + Blue Grosbeak + Forster's Tern To: "IBET" Date: Monday, June 29, 2009, 3:44 PM Hi all,   Monday 29-June-09: Braidwood (Cooling) Lake: 0445-1045H (3/4 W + 4 D)_Sun_63-77_ WNW 5-25_Wt Deer.   I started at Mt Olivet Cemetery early, made a few stops on my way to the Kankakee Boat Ramp where I found sunny, but windy condition the rest of the morning.  I found 69 species including: a singing immature male Blue Grosbeak, fishing Osprey, and two Forster's Tern.   BTW: Excelon has purchased properties near the tritium leak per home owner - see boarded-up house along Smiley Rd.    Here's the list:   Anatidae 2   ¨ ¨ 31 Canada Goose ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Wood Duck ¨   Phasianidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Ring-necked Pheasant ¨   Pelecanidae 1   ¨ ¨ 116 American White Pelican ¨ 35 perched along plant shoreline + 81 in flight Phalacrocoracidae 1   ¨ ¨ 122 Double-crested Cormorant ¨ Coming in from north between ~0600-0700H; one with white patches on upper wing and tail(?) Ardeidae 3   ¨ ¨ 46 Great Blue Heron ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Great Egret ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Green Heron ¨   Cathartidae 1   ¨ ¨ 9 Turkey Vulture ¨   Accipitridae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Osprey ¨ 0915H swooped down to catch fish east of Kankakee Ramp.   ¨ ¨ 1 Bald Eagle ¨ ad; 0550H SE   ¨ ¨ 4 Red-tailed Hawk ¨ 3 AT 0520H on towers Falconidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 American Kestrel ¨ female at 1000H ->NW Charadriidae 1   ¨ ¨ 10 Killdeer ¨ Grundy Co field mostly. Laridae 2   ¨ ¨ 212 Ring-billed Gull ¨ Grundy Co field mostly   ¨ ¨ 2 Herring Gull ¨ ad + 1st cycle Sternidae 2   ¨ ¨ 11 Caspian Tern ¨ 10 ad in alternate + molting ad   ¨ ¨ 2 Forster's Tern ¨ ad in alternate plumage Columbidae 1   ¨ ¨ 6 Mourning Dove ¨   Coccyzidae 1   ¨ ¨ 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo ¨   Caprimulgidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Common Nighthawk ¨ HS Trochilidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Rufous Hummingbird ¨   Cerylidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Belted Kingfisher ¨   Picidae 3   ¨ ¨ 2 Red-headed Woodpecker ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Downy Woodpecker ¨ 2 imm   ¨ ¨ 1 Northern Flicker ¨   Tyrannidae 3   ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Great Crested Flycatcher ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Kingbird ¨   Vireonidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 White-eyed Vireo ¨ Kankakee Boat Ramp entrance Rd.   ¨ ¨ 1 Bell's Vireo ¨ Smiley Rd   ¨ ¨ 6 Warbling Vireo ¨   Corvidae 2   ¨ ¨ 1 Blue Jay ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 American Crow ¨   Alaudidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Horned Lark ¨   Hirundinidae 5   ¨ ¨ 1 Purple Martin ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Tree Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Northern Rough-winged Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Bank Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 5 Barn Swallow ¨ 0555H Troglodytidae 1   ¨ ¨ 4 House Wren ¨   Sylviidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ¨ Mt Olivet Cemetery Turdidae 2   ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Bluebird ¨     ¨ ¨ 24 American Robin ¨   Mimidae 2   ¨ ¨ 9 Gray Catbird ¨ feeding fledgling mulberries   ¨ ¨ 1 Brown Thrasher ¨   Sturnidae 1   ¨ ¨ 54 European Starling ¨   Bombycillidae 1   ¨ ¨ 13 Cedar Waxwing ¨   Parulidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Yellow Warbler ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Common Yellowthroat ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Yellow-breasted Chat ¨   Emberizidae 5   ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Towhee ¨     ¨ ¨ 23 Chipping Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Field Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Grasshopper Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 8 Song Sparrow ¨   Cardinalidae 4   ¨ ¨ 3 Northern Cardinal ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Blue Grosbeak ¨ imm male; sighted singing along Center Rd; photo   ¨ ¨ 7 Indigo Bunting ¨ 1f   ¨ ¨ 8 Dickcissel ¨   Icteridae 6   ¨ ¨ 62 Red-winged Blackbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Meadowlark ¨     ¨ ¨ 12 Common Grackle ¨     ¨ ¨ 9 Brown-headed Cowbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Orchard Oriole ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Baltimore Oriole ¨   Fringillidae 2   ¨ ¨ 4 House Finch ¨ together   ¨ ¨ 11 American Goldfinch ¨   Passeridae 1   ¨ ¨ 4 House Sparrow ¨   Jed Hertz Kankakee, IL (Kankakee Co - 60 mi South of Chicago) Photos: http://www.flickr. com/photos/ jhertz/ Give "ebird" a try: http://ebird. org/content/ ebird [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Northwestern Woods FP TV, re: Ralph Herbst family From: casresearch AT comcast.net Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:12:28 +0000 (UTC) I took a bike ride to Northwestern Woods Forest Preserve in Des Plaines (Campground Road south of Miner/Northwest Highway) this afternoon to relax, and to see how high the water levels were along the river. The north end of Campground Road, much of Northwestern Woods, and the Riverwalk Bike Trail are still under quite a bit of water, and unless we get a long dry spell, looks like many areas unpassable for awhile. I did see a TURKEY VULTURE fly in from the east, low over the railroad tracks, and over the field near the NW Woods parking lot.    It was good to see a group of 8 AMERICAN CROWS along Campground Road, as crows are still sparce in southern Des Plaines.    Among other species present in the area were a singing INDIGO BUNTING, ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS (nest under Miner St. bridge) and chickadees.    No thrush heard. NOTE: If any of you would like to send a card or note to the family of Ralph Herbst, you can contact either Jeffrey Sanders, Ed O'Brien, Eleonora Diliscia or myself for his son Matt's address.   (I don't want to post it on-line for safety reasons.    I did send it on to those who already posted about him.) Thanks, Alan Alan Anderson, casresearch AT comcast.net , Des Plaines, Cook Co. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Alder Flycatcher + 6 or 7 Indigo Buntings From: "brewstermoseley AT ymail.com" <brewstermt@gmail.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:06:17 -0000 Cuba Marsh (Lake County Forest Preserve) in Lake Zurich (Cuba Road near Ela). Pretty sure it was an Alder. Are there any other Empids that say "whit"? Also several Red-eyed Vireos, Scarlet Tanager, Rough-winged swallows, and many others. Anyone know a good source for a Leitz case (besides eBay)? Brewster Moseley Lakemoor Lake County Subject: IBET -no sightings Colorado birding From: Bernard Wiltshire <warrior4prayer2002 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:45:31 -0700 (PDT) Hello everyone,        My wife and I are planning a trip to Colorado in July. I won't be birding the entire time, but I will be able to do some looking. I do not have a definite itinerary, but I think we will be around Colorado Springs, Estes Park, and perhaps around the Sand Dunes national park area as well. If y'all could give me some suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!                                                               Bernie Wiltshire                                                             Heyworth IL                                                             Mclean CO. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Braidwood: Osprey + Blue Grosbeak + Forster's Tern From: Jed Hertz <jhh_60910 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:44:20 -0700 (PDT) Hi all,   Monday 29-June-09: Braidwood (Cooling) Lake: 0445-1045H (3/4 W + 4 D)_Sun_63-77_WNW 5-25_Wt Deer.   I started at Mt Olivet Cemetery early, made a few stops on my way to the Kankakee Boat Ramp where I found sunny, but windy condition the rest of the morning.  I found 69 species including: a singing immature male Blue Grosbeak, fishing Osprey, and two Forster's Tern.   BTW: Excelon has purchased properties near the tritium leak per home owner - see boarded-up house along Smiley Rd.    Here's the list:   Anatidae 2   ¨ ¨ 31 Canada Goose ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Wood Duck ¨   Phasianidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Ring-necked Pheasant ¨   Pelecanidae 1   ¨ ¨ 116 American White Pelican ¨ 35 perched along plant shoreline + 81 in flight Phalacrocoracidae 1   ¨ ¨ 122 Double-crested Cormorant ¨ Coming in from north between ~0600-0700H; one with white patches on upper wing and tail(?) Ardeidae 3   ¨ ¨ 46 Great Blue Heron ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Great Egret ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Green Heron ¨   Cathartidae 1   ¨ ¨ 9 Turkey Vulture ¨   Accipitridae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Osprey ¨ 0915H swooped down to catch fish east of Kankakee Ramp.   ¨ ¨ 1 Bald Eagle ¨ ad; 0550H SE   ¨ ¨ 4 Red-tailed Hawk ¨ 3 AT 0520H on towers Falconidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 American Kestrel ¨ female at 1000H ->NW Charadriidae 1   ¨ ¨ 10 Killdeer ¨ Grundy Co field mostly. Laridae 2   ¨ ¨ 212 Ring-billed Gull ¨ Grundy Co field mostly   ¨ ¨ 2 Herring Gull ¨ ad + 1st cycle Sternidae 2   ¨ ¨ 11 Caspian Tern ¨ 10 ad in alternate + molting ad   ¨ ¨ 2 Forster's Tern ¨ ad in alternate plumage Columbidae 1   ¨ ¨ 6 Mourning Dove ¨   Coccyzidae 1   ¨ ¨ 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo ¨   Caprimulgidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Common Nighthawk ¨ HS Trochilidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Rufous Hummingbird ¨   Cerylidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Belted Kingfisher ¨   Picidae 3   ¨ ¨ 2 Red-headed Woodpecker ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Downy Woodpecker ¨ 2 imm   ¨ ¨ 1 Northern Flicker ¨   Tyrannidae 3   ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Great Crested Flycatcher ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Kingbird ¨   Vireonidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 White-eyed Vireo ¨ Kankakee Boat Ramp entrance Rd.   ¨ ¨ 1 Bell's Vireo ¨ Smiley Rd   ¨ ¨ 6 Warbling Vireo ¨   Corvidae 2   ¨ ¨ 1 Blue Jay ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 American Crow ¨   Alaudidae 1   ¨ ¨ 2 Horned Lark ¨   Hirundinidae 5   ¨ ¨ 1 Purple Martin ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Tree Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Northern Rough-winged Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Bank Swallow ¨     ¨ ¨ 5 Barn Swallow ¨ 0555H Troglodytidae 1   ¨ ¨ 4 House Wren ¨   Sylviidae 1   ¨ ¨ 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ¨ Mt Olivet Cemetery Turdidae 2   ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Bluebird ¨     ¨ ¨ 24 American Robin ¨   Mimidae 2   ¨ ¨ 9 Gray Catbird ¨ feeding fledgling mulberries   ¨ ¨ 1 Brown Thrasher ¨   Sturnidae 1   ¨ ¨ 54 European Starling ¨   Bombycillidae 1   ¨ ¨ 13 Cedar Waxwing ¨   Parulidae 3   ¨ ¨ 1 Yellow Warbler ¨     ¨ ¨ 6 Common Yellowthroat ¨     ¨ ¨ 4 Yellow-breasted Chat ¨   Emberizidae 5   ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Towhee ¨     ¨ ¨ 23 Chipping Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Field Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Grasshopper Sparrow ¨     ¨ ¨ 8 Song Sparrow ¨   Cardinalidae 4   ¨ ¨ 3 Northern Cardinal ¨     ¨ ¨ 1 Blue Grosbeak ¨ imm male; sighted singing along Center Rd; photo   ¨ ¨ 7 Indigo Bunting ¨ 1f   ¨ ¨ 8 Dickcissel ¨   Icteridae 6   ¨ ¨ 62 Red-winged Blackbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Eastern Meadowlark ¨     ¨ ¨ 12 Common Grackle ¨     ¨ ¨ 9 Brown-headed Cowbird ¨     ¨ ¨ 3 Orchard Oriole ¨     ¨ ¨ 2 Baltimore Oriole ¨   Fringillidae 2   ¨ ¨ 4 House Finch ¨ together   ¨ ¨ 11 American Goldfinch ¨   Passeridae 1   ¨ ¨ 4 House Sparrow ¨   Jed Hertz Kankakee, IL (Kankakee Co - 60 mi South of Chicago) Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhertz/ Give "ebird" a try: http://ebird.org/content/ebird [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET No Sightings: Book recommendation and question on tern From: Anna Tendero <annleebird AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:26:20 -0500 Dear fellow I-Birders, I recently read a great book entitled "Wesley the Owl" by Stacy O'Brien. It is about a young biologist who takes in an unreleasable barn owl and her adventures taking care of him for over 15 years. I highly recommend it! Also, I was at the Botanic Gardens the other day and saw a tern. Since I'm a fairly new birder I'm not sure if it is a Common Tern or a Caspian Tern. I'm leaning more toward Caspian based on the brightness of the beak. Any thoughts? Good birding, Anna [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Neotropic / Double-crested Cormorant Identification From: "Greg Neise" <gregneise AT ilbirds.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:22:08 -0000 Hi all, I started a little thread about ID'ing these two species, and attached a handy little PDF guide at IBF: http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=23414.0 Cheers, -greg neise Berwyn, IL Subject: IBET grant woods north AM From: Beau Schaefer <beauschaefer AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:13:31 -0500 In between looking for the Neotropic this morning, I did a little walk through Grant Woods. It was pretty quiet seeing as it was 6:30 am. Birds of note: 1 BROWN THRASHER 5 FIELD SPARROW 3 EASTERN TOWHEE 3 ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 2 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER 2 OVENBIRD Good Birding! Beau Schaefer round lake beach lake Subject: IBET Greene Valley FP: Summer Tanager From: "mmadsen48" <mmadsen48 AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:38:47 -0000 A calling SUMMER TANAGER was the biggest highlight of my monitoring route at Greene Valley Forest Preserve (DuPage Co.) this morning. This is the first time I have had this species at Greene Valley during the breeding season. It was located in the woods on the north side of 79th street. Two LEAST FLYCATCHERS continue to be calling on territory. One is by the footbridge over the river and the other is southeast of the intersection of 75th street & Greene Road. Other notable birds this morning were GREAT HORNED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, and multiple ORCHARD ORIOLES. The shorebird habitat at the 83rd street fluddle is excellent right now. There were 92 KILLDEER and 3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS there this morning. Seven GREAT EGRETS were present (most I have seen at this location) and 2 CASPIAN TERNS were lounging there as well. Dozens of swallows were swirling around the fluddle (TREE, BANK, BARN, and ROUGH-WINGED). Mike Madsen mmadsen48 AT comcast.net Woodridge, IL (DuPage County) Subject: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT AM- NO From: Beau Schaefer <beauschaefer AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:21:58 -0500 I went to Almond Marsh and Rollins this morning between 5:40 and 8:45am. The only cormorants I saw at Almond were DC Cormorants sitting on nests or juveniles sitting on branches right next to the nest. I had good looks at them with the sun at my back. I did not see any cormorants at all at Rollins this morning, though I only viewed the main pond from the observation deck. Thanks to everyone who posted and updated yesterday with the quick info, though! Good Birding! Beau Schaefer round lake beach lake co Subject: IBET Spring Bluff Swamp Virginia Rail - 6/28 From: Kanae Hirabayashi <kanahira AT rcn.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:10:07 -0400 (EDT) Seeing only adult Virginia Rail last few times of my visits to Spring Bluff swamp, I saw an immature Virginia Rail feeding on the edge of the marsh in the distance around 8:00am yesterday, 6/28. Others were 5 Green Herons, a pair of Sandhill Crane. Spring Bluff swamp is located east of the railroad on the way to North Point Marina. Kanae Hirabayashi Chicago, IL, USA kanahira AT rcn.com Subject: IBET Singing Mourning Warbler at Montrose 6/29 From: Kanae Hirabayashi <kanahira AT rcn.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:52:56 -0400 (EDT) There was a LATE singing Mourning Warbler at the clump of Montrose this morning aroud 7:00am. Others: Baltimore Oriole, Warbling Vireo (with a young), Comm.Yellowthroat, and E.Kingbird. Jarvis B.S. had Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher - all nester there. Also, not nester Black-cr. Night-heron, Wood Ducks and Mallard. Kanae Hirabayashi Chicago, IL, USA kanahira AT rcn.com Subject: IBET Woodford Co. Black-billed Cuckoo From: Matthew Winks <fluidfive AT hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:31:37 -0500 Hi all, Sunday morning (6/28) Angelo Capparella and I canoed the Mackinaw River from I-39 to Sparks Bridge. Some notables included a Yellow-throated Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, 5 Northern Parula, 2 American Restarts, and a Yellow-throated Warbler at the take out. Of course the best birds can come at some of the most awkward times. While pulling the canoe up the muddy bank, we heard an unusual cu-cu, cu-cu, cu-cu, cu-cu with two syllable phrases. I'm wearing shorts and surrounded by poison ivy and nettles. Neither of us have our binoculars on us. I rush to zip my pant leg bottoms back on just so move around. We're fairly sure we are hearing a Black-billed Cuckoo, but want to get a confirmation. We both snag our binoculars and Angelo grabs his iPod and plays the BBCU track. The bird quickly flies in and starts calling right over us. We were able to get good looks at the bird as it moved around the area calling incessantly. Would anybody know if Black-billed Cuckoo has officially been added to the state list as threatened? Matthew Winks El Paso, IL _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Get 25 GB of free online storage. http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_SD_25GB_062009 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ILbirds/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ILbirds/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:ILbirds-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:ILbirds-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ILbirds-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: IBET female house sparrow with red head? From: "sparmet" <sparmet AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:19:28 -0000 On Sunday, I was at Wolcott and Belle Plaine (regular residential area in Chicago) and saw what appeared to be a stunned house sparrow sitting on the sidewalk. I approached to move the bird to a less exposed area, and noticed that it had a red head. It was NOT a house finch or purple finch- it looked like a regular old female house sparrow, except the head was bright red- cardinal red. I have never see this pattern on a house sparrow before. Is it some kind of hybrid? Sharon Parmet Cook County, Chicago Subject: IBET Montrose Laughing Gull, 6/29 a.m. From: Robert Hughes <rhughes.enteract AT rcn.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:33:39 -0500 An adult Laughing Gull was at the east end of Montrose Beach this morning. Otherwise nothing out of the ordinary. Robert D. Hughes Chicago, Illinois The Montrose Primer: http://theorniphile.info/montrose.html Subject: IBET The Thompson Lake kaleidoscope... and more From: Jim Mountjoy <jmountjo AT knox.edu> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:44:48 -0500 It seems to me that Thompson Lake has become a bit like a kaleidoscope - you take, a look and you don't know what you are going to see exactly. It will be interesting and beautiful, but the next time you look the tube has been twisted, and you get something quite different from what you saw before. Yesterday I was at Thompson Lake at mid-day. An oppressively hot and humid mid-day, with a glaring sun that wasn't quite at my back yet. So, despite the many pelicans, egrets, etc., I basically struck out on terns (other than Caspian, and a couple of distant roosting Sterna terns) and the other goodies that have been reported. This evening, spurred by reports of kittiwake, Neotropical Cormorant, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, etc., I decided to make a repeat visit under kinder conditions. (My wife left town for a few days today, so no need to be home for dinner...) I managed to strike out on the kittiwake, cormorant and whistling ducks, but I still had a great evening! Viewing the lake from the check station provided interesting views of the apparently large and mixed breeding colony of BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS, CATTLE EGRETS & GREAT EGRETS, as well as the first few BLACK-NECKED STILTS. Driving south along the highway not too far beyond the check station, I was fortunate that there were no cars in sight so I was able to stop to look at a COMMON TERN flying near the road. In the south end of the lake, I found an AMERICAN AVOCET on a small island (actually submerged a bit), and a flock of 6 flying shorebirds looked like probable Sanderlings, but were too far out to confirm. Eventually I managed to locate a few BLACK TERNS flying around, and a single LEAST TERN at some distance. An adult LITTLE BLUE HERON in flight and a pair of MUTE SWANS were somewhat unusual for the lake. About 8:15 I decided to try again for Henslow's Sparrows in the Rice Lake area, having failed to find any on the drive down. In the calmer evening conditions I readily found 4 HENSLOW'S along the southern section of Pollitt Road, off of Hwy. 24. With a bit of light remaining, I decided to take a peek at the OSPREY nest at the Bell's Landing area of Banner Marsh. However, as I pulled up I was distracted by a KING RAIL that was calling loudly and repeatedly from the marsh in front of me, not to mention a singing MARSH WREN. (The Osprey was on the nest, and some extra movement suggested at least a couple of young seem to be in the nest too.) So, despite missing some goodies, I ended up with 5 year listers for the day, despite it being late June and only heading out at 4 pm, as well as a few new Fulton County birds and other interesting sightings. Can't complain about that! Jim Mountjoy Galesburg IL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT LAKE COUNTY P.M. YES! From: djohnsoda AT comcast.net Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:56:34 +0000 (UTC) 28 June 2009 Fellow Ibeters, The Neotropic Cormorant was back at Almond Marsh this eveing, Sunday.  Thanks Greg, Karen and Jeff for getting a difficult ID down and taking great photos!  Eric Walters should have some great identifiable photos, too. I arrived at Almond Marsh around 5:30 p.m. this evening after seeing the posts on IBET and the Illinois Birder's Forum.   I immediately noticed a good suspect off Rte 120 though the light was poor.   I parked my car off Almond Road just south of Rte 120 by the closed gate--not blocking the gate.  Then I scoped the small cormorant which was with about 20 other cormorants, unfortunately it took about 20 minutes before I could for sure--see the white border line at the base of the gular pouch near the base of the bill in the face.  Clearly the cormorant was slim, smaller, smaller faced, smaller billed than the Double-crested Cormorants and definitely not as "thick necked"  The tail proportionately is longer and thinner tailed to me than the other D-c Cormorants, but this can be tricky based on angle etc.  However, after long looks this cormorant is not an adult bird, being very brownish overall with some blackish and teal sheen to it.  It really lacks the whiter tones ventrally of the imm. D-c Cormorants except for some lighter color in the undertail coverts.  It is overall a sleeker, slimmer, smaller cormorant with a very small body, head and thin neck.  The eye color was also a greenish blue to me. Eric, Aaron, and Ethan Gyllenhaal, Dave Kennedy, Jim Solum, Jeff Sunberg and Eric Walters where about in the eveing watching and photographing the cormorant. As Eric stated and others, very early morning is good as well as evening when the cormorants--if they leave--will come back to roost.  This bird could be around for weeks, afterall it is a rookery and cormorants are breeding here. The gates into the Almond Marsh are open during the weekdays.  A Scope is necessary for identification of this bird or very high power binoculars and good lighting as the bird is about 100 yards off from the shore line--for the most park.  (someone did light off what seemed like a 1/4 stick of dynamite in Wildwood, which got up all the cormorants into flight--once in the evening--but they came right back to roost!  We're nearing the 4th of July!...) Almond Marsh is E of Rte 45, south of Rte 120 and N of Casey Road, off Almond Road, parking is available during the weekdays overlooking the rookery and marsh to the North. Good Birding! And thanks again Greg Neise, Karen Mansfield, and Jeff Skrentny for sharing this great bird ID and observation with others!   I hope Eric Walters got some great photos, too! David B. Johnson NE IL djohnsoda AT comcast.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET Ralph Herbst From: meloybirds AT aol.com Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:53:55 EDT I have been out of town and just heard the sad news. Ralph was great birder and a good friend. The last time I birded with him was at Douglas Park (thank you Alan Anderson for getting him there). His mobility was not good, but he was eager to bird. I asked him what we might expect to see and he said "a Scoter trifecta". I pointed out that the Douglas Park lagoon was not likely to produce this result and he responded with"you gotta to dream". We only missed the trifecta by three, but it was a great day of birding. Ralph's sense of humor was still intact despite his health problems. I miss you Ralph, Alex Meloy Evanston, Cook County **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221323006x1201367222/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jun eExcfooterNO62) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: FW: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT - LAKE COUNTY-yes! From: "Jim Solum " <Solum11 AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:50:34 +0000 Dave Johnson just called, its back! 6:45pm at Almond Marsh! -----Original Message----- From: Greg Neise Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2009 2:19 PM To: ILbirds AT yahoogroups.com Subject: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT - LAKE COUNTY Pictures and details of the NEOTROPIC CORMORANT that Jeff Skrentny, Karen Mansfield and I found at Almond Marsh, and then relocated at Rollins Savanna are at IBF: http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=23370.0 Cheers, -greg neise Berwyn, IL ------------------------------------ Yahoo! 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Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: IBET middlefork savanna From: "Yellowstart5" <yellowstart5 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:16:29 -0000 hello- sunday morning after an uneventful bird survey at prairie wolf slough, bonnie duman, rena cohen and i had the following birds at middlefork-- sedge wren red-headed woodpecker bobolink orchard oriole. jeffrey sanders--glenview-no. cook Subject: IBET NEOTROPIC CORMORANT - LAKE COUNTY From: "Greg Neise" <gregneise AT ilbirds.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:19:15 -0000 Pictures and details of the NEOTROPIC CORMORANT that Jeff Skrentny, Karen Mansfield and I found at Almond Marsh, and then relocated at Rollins Savanna are at IBF: http://www.ilbirds.com/index.php?topic=23370.0 Cheers, -greg neise Berwyn, IL Subject: IBET Thompson Lake From: Kevin Richmond <theeggman AT comcast.net> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:55:14 -0500 I checked Thompson Lake (in Fulton Co.) three separate times over the course of this morning and found something different each time. Almost the first bird of the day when I arrived there early was a one- year old BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE that was flying around just east of the check station parking lot. This was not a species that I was expecting to encounter when I left the house today. The bird eventually worked its way over toward (and landed on) the north end of those "spits" of land that are way out in the lake to the north of Pump House Road. It was interesting to observe how it appeared to fly against the wind with much less effort than the Ring-billed Gulls - or at least that was my impression. Those "spits" appeared to be under water today, but the birds were still standing on them anyway. Once the Kittiwake landed over there, I was not able to differentiate it from the other adjacent gulls and terns because of the distance involved. When I checked back there later, four BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS were standing on the south end of those "spits" - looking northeast from Pump House Road. I was initially able to pick them out by their distinctive shape, but I also got to see one fly for a short distance - at which point I was able to see its distinctive wing pattern. After a few minutes, all four birds disappeared behind a line of American White Pelicans. When I checked back there again still later, I did not see either the Kittiwake or the Whistling-Ducks - but they could easily have been "way out there". I did spot two distant "sterna" terns standing on those spits at that time, but they were too far away to identify and the "heat waves" were getting bad by that time. Other birds seen in the Thompson Lake/Emiquon area today include - American White Pelican - 500 Black-necked Stilt - 20 Caspian Tern - 10 Black Tern - 25 The birds at Thompson Lake are generally distant and if you do like looking at birds from a distance, then "it" is not for you. Morning is actually not the best time for viewing (at least on a sunny day) because you are facing east. Quite a few heron nests are visible way over on the far shore across from the check station parking lot. They look like Cattle Egret nests to me, but I am not sure. There have been quite a few CATTLE EGRETS and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS flying around "over there" recently. As an aside, I mention that it does not appear that there will be any shorebird habitat at any of the traditional local spots (Chautauqua, Rice Lake, Sanganois, etc.) that are "tied" directly to the Illinois River any time soon (before August) - or at least that is my impression of the current situation. Kevin Richmond Morton, Illinois Subject: IBET 6/28 - Crabtree Nature Center (Cook County) From: Jeff Bilsky <jbilsky AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:48:25 -0500 Birded Crabtree Nature Center again this morning - in addition to the birds I reported yesterday, today I added a single, male, BALTIMORE ORIOLE and several FIELD SPARROWS singing on the Phantom Prairie Trail Loop. Good Birding - I'm back to Utah tonight. -- Jeff Bilsky Salt Lake City jbilsky AT gmail.com www.endlesswilderness.com twitter.com/Bilsky [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: IBET more memories of Ralph From: "Michael L. P. Retter" <mlretter AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:20:23 -0700 (PDT) I was a 16-yr.-old whipper-snapper when I first met Ralph at an IOS field trip to Carlyle Lake in March of 1997. I had just gotten my first speeding ticket for going 70 in a 55 while passing with my 93-yr-old great grandmother in the passenger's seat. Over the next few years I would bird quite a bit with him and Ed O'Brien, who has since become one of my closest friends; we both have Ralph to thank for that. What a relief it was to bird with people who were as whacky as I was. How many of us were confronted by Ralph's urban legend about chocolate milk getting colder when you shook it? Then there was the time he told me he photographically documented a jaeger in Bloomington...then I received a photo of a tombstone with the word 'JAEGER' on it. Whenever he called to set up a weekend's birding he'd always say "Hello, this is Towanda!" in reference both to the McLean Co. town and Kathy Bates' battle cry in Fried Green Tomatoes. My favorite memory of Ralph was on the Bloomington-Normal CBC in 2001. We pulled up to the State Farm Corporate South ponds to look for ducks (this is a rather small impoundment) and I turned around to see Ralph throwing bread into the lake. I laughed and told him, "You know, I've never seen that work around here; downstate gulls are afraid of things being thrown at them, and besides, we'd be lucky to see just one distant Ring-bill here." There was not a gull in sight. Within five minutes, 3 Ring-bills appeared from on high, circling down with purpose to gobble up the bread Ralph had thrown out. I still can't really believe it. I regret that I wasn't able to see Ralph in the last few years of his life, but I'll always remember the great times we had when he was at his fullest, as I'm sure he'd prefer. Michael L. P. Retter --------------------------------- W. Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN mlretter AT yahoo.com home: 765.838.3152 cell: 309.824.7317 http://xenospiza.com/ Tour Leader, Tropical Birding http://www.tropicalbirding.com/ ----------------------------------- Subject: IBET Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (6-28-09) From: Walter Marcisz <wmarcisz AT att.net> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:24:17 -0700 (PDT) 3 GADWALL were still at the MWRDGC Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (400 E. 130th St., Chicago) on Sunday morning (6-28-09).   Shorebirds present there included 48 KILLDEER, 19 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, and 1 (apparent fall migrant) LEAST SANDPIPER.   Walter Marcisz Chicago, Cook Co. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]