May The Fourth Be With You

It was a rough April to be a Midwest resident. An unrelenting cold front showed up about halfway through the month and simply would not go away. You may recall that Andrew and I were quite unsuccessful in dodging the poor weather even on our trip to southern Illinois at the end of the month. Forecasts began promising warmer weather to come. And then it kept getting pushed back. Each additional day of unseasonably cool breezes seemed to be another nail in the coffin of a Winter that wouldn't give up and a Summer that would never come. While everyone experienced the temperatures in the same way, the lack of neotropical migrants just felt like salt in the wound for the birding world.

And it is for that very reason that I imagine birders all over the region met the shift in weather with a heartier greeting than our non-birding friends, because for us it meant far more than comfortable temperatures. There's a flip side to an extended time of waiting for birds to show up, because in the mean time they're all bottling up to the south. Then, when a new weather system hits, places to the north - particularly lakefront locations like Chicago - get absolutely loaded up with birds.

Such was the case with Monday, May 4.

I was already planning on hitting Montrose early this morning, assuming the birds would be piling up pretty soon. Right before I went to bed Sunday night, photos of a Snowy Plover in the protected area of the beach showed up on Facebook. Needless to say there were no changes to my plans as my anticipation for the morning grew.

I arrived before daybreak, expecting to find a large group of locals down at the beach looking for the rarity. Having just driven almost an hour to get there, I was shocked to have the place to myself for the moment. This Pectoral Sandpiper and a nice looking Dunlin were among the first shorebirds I saw.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Dunlin

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

I turned around to see Fran Morel and a couple other birders heading my way, and as I walked back towards them, a little plump shape just outside the protected beach caught my eye. Binoculars up. "Here it is!"

There was no guarantee this bird was going to stick around, so I was thrilled to have relocated it. I got the word out by 5:45am, and for the rest of the day birders showed up to see this little rarity.

Snowy Plover

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

I found this size comparison with Least Sandpipers and a Pectoral to be intriguing.

Least Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Snowy Plover

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

And here's a pair of its relatives:

Semipalmated Plover

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

The day was off to a fantastic start. I then checked out the dunes and the hedge where there were already eleven species of warblers around, including this Blue-winged and a handful of Ovenbirds.

Blue-winged Warbler

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Ovenbird

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Thrushes were all over the place, too. Catharus thrushes can provide some identification challenges at times, especially in Spring when they arrive at the same time that the cobwebs are having to get cleared out all over again for everything from warbler calls to Empidonax ID issues, all gloriously relevant again. So, let's start simple. The easiest member of the Catharus family to identify is the Veery. Even this poor picture shows the uniform reddish coloration on the back. Underneath the bird is all white with the most subtle spotting of any of the thrushes. They're a treat to look at and a true delight to hear!

Veery

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

That then leaves the messier business of Hermit, Swainson's and Gray-cheeked. These are all much more similar in appearance, but field marks aren't the only thing to take into consideration when it comes to separating these three species. A quick lesson in status and distribution goes a long way towards clearing things up. The picture below is a screenshot of the frequency bar charts for northeast Illinois. A couple things are worth pointing out. First, if you see a Catharus before April, it is a Hermit Thrush. No ifs, ands, or buts, it's a Hermit.

Also, there is actually only a tight little window in which all three of these species are likely to be found on the same day, and it occurs right at the beginning of May. It could happen a little earlier; it could happen a little later. But for the most part, it just doesn't. Hermits arrive earlier and are on their way out by the time Swainson's and Gray-cheeked are hitting their peak migration numbers. This is really important to keep in mind when it comes to any discussion of an ID with a Catharus thrush - and any bird, for that matter. Birding is so much more than parsing certain field marks. Birds, just like you and me, are creatures of habit. They follow patterns every season. Understanding the patterns of individual species allows you to be better prepared to make the correct identification when you encounter them in the field. There are always anomalies, of course, but there's a reason they're called anomalies in the first place. If a bird flags in eBird, there's likely a very good reason for it. Do you know what it is? If you don't, take that as a learning opportunity AND do your best to document the bird!

OK, back to my blissful morning of birding. It just so happened that I was able to see all three of the above species, completing the Catharus slam for the day. The fact that all three of these can be identified from less than spectacular photos speaks to the fact we maybe don't need to be quite so intimidated by these ID issues  Here's the most distinctive first, the Hermit Thrush: bold and rather extensive spots below, and chocolate brown back interrupted by a notably russet-colored tail, which is the most reliable way to identify this species. Even at this angle, you can see the reddish tail in the photo below.

Hermit Thrush

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Swainson's and Gray-cheeked is where it can get more difficult. There are elements of the facial patterns that distinguish the two species, but even at a more distant look one can notice the overall buffy tones around the face of the Swainson's Thrush. The contrast between the olive-brown back and buffy color of the face and chest is actually quite notable.

Swainson's Thrush

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Compare that, then, to the poorly named Gray-cheeked Thrush. Poorly named because the other two we've been discussing have gray in the cheek as well. But this species stands out because of the way, well, it doesn't stand out. It's the most drab of these three thrushes and strikes me every time as a plain though quite handsome bird. Its overall complexion is darker, and its spotting underneath is heavier than the other species.

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

The differences are admittedly subtle, but with some patience, practice, and experience - and a sense of which species ought to be present at the moment - sorting out the various thrushes gets easier over time.

Once Andrew arrived, we headed back down to the beach where our first buddy list bird of the day was still waiting for us, affording pretty spectacular looks:

Snowy Plover

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Here's a shot of the celebrity with its paparazzi, which includes Jerry Goldner, Jeff Skrentny, and Luis Munoz.

As it turns out, Jerry wasn't photographing the bird at this particular moment. Thanks for the pic Jerry! You can (and should) check out his incredible photography here.

And the birds just kept coming. Andrew spotted a pair of Willets back in the protected area, and a group of Lesser Yellowlegs flew by while we watched them. Love the black and white wings!

Willets

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Lesser Yellowlegs

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

This Caspian Tern was kind enough to put on the brakes and not totally pummel the Dunlin in the photo.

Caspian Tern and Dunlin

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Then the small terns made their passes. Here's a Forster's, with a Caspian in the second photo.

Forster's and Caspian Tern

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

And, more importantly for us, this Common Tern was another buddy list bird for us!

Common Tern

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Things were still busy back at the hedge, too, where the most unexpected bird was a perched Merlin.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Orchard Orioles

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Marsh Wren

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Merlin

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Least Flycatcher

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Brown Thrasher

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

In addition to the general activity, the passerine movement was highlighted by the numbers of sparrows, both the diversity and quantity. It was the highest number of White-throated and Swamps I can ever remember seeing, and Clay-colored was a nice county tick for me.

White-crowned Sparrow

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

 Clay-colored Sparrow

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

I was already up to 87 species just at Montrose alone! We decided to walk the trail along the golf course down to Jarvis, and the birds kept coming.

Lincoln's Sparrow

Marovitz Golf Course, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Palm Warbler

Marovitz Golf Course, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

The first surprise upon arriving at Jarvis was this singing Prothonotary Warbler, a county bird for both of us!

Prothonotary Warbler

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Here's that other member of the thrush family.

Wood Thrush

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

We added seven more species of warbler here altogether, putting me at 18 for the day. Another big surprise came when Andrew somehow picked out a Yellow-breasted Chat from deep within the fenced in area - again a county bird for both of us! It was unfortunately a little too illusive for photos to be a possibility, which are already quite difficult at Jarvis.

Magnolia Warbler

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Black-and-white Warbler

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Cape May Warbler

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Northern Waterthrush

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Northern Parula

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

This was my first chance to photograph the ABA Bird of the Year, too:

Green Heron

Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

On the walk back to Montrose, we had up to five Clay-colored Sparrows together!

Clay-colored Sparrow

Marovitz Golf Course, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

All of this had taken place before noon. I looked at my tally for the morning and I was well over 100 species across a pretty small stretch of lakefront! I had to get back for work and class, but the morning wasn't quite over yet. Near the golf course pond, Andrew picked out a funny looking object sitting stationary a few feet away from a bush. American Bittern!

Bitterns are masters of disguise. Even though this bird was relatively out in the open, look at how difficult it is to locate in this photo (click to enlarge)!

From the other side it was a little easier to pick out. Needless to say this was my best photo op with one yet!

 American Bittern

Montrose Point, Cook Co, IL

May 4, 2015

Bitterns are just ridiculously cool birds. What a way to close out an outstanding morning!

Wheaton College Goes Birding

Wheaton College, an institution over 150 years old, experienced a first this May. I had run into a couple students over the past year who had varying degrees of skill levels and interest in birding. This alone was heartening for me because birding, well, hasn't exactly been known for its appeal to the younger demographic. A lifelong birder myself, this phenomenon was lost on me, but it has hit home more over the past few years.

By the midway point of the Fall semester 2014, it seemed we had enough of a contingent to make a legit bird walk happen. Could Wheaton be looking at the potential of a student group devoted to birding? It seemed too good to be true. Then came the news that sealed the deal - Dr. Ryken, the college's President, is a birder too! Surely this would turn out to be good news.

In the ensuing months, whenever I shared with someone around campus that Dr. Ryken was a birder, the typical well-meaning-but-glazed-over look I get when talking about birding quickly shifted to quizzical facial expressions marked by skepticism. "Wait, he's like, actually into it?" they would usually inquire. "Oh yeah. He definitely knows his stuff." I would respond. I was then patient as they took a moment to process the fact that their President was a birder, usually receiving some rich response like "Huh," or "How about that?" Eventually the pieces would fall into place. I mean, the man has a rather robust skill set and no shortage of credentials, of course he knows how to identify birds, too.

Through a couple conversations with Dr. Ryken, we decided a Spring walk was in order for the growing group of Wheaton birders we knew of. Part of the way through April he sent out an email to several of us. Subject line: "Birds." Body of the email: "Any plans?"

That was all the prompting I needed. I started scoping out a couple local spots and, over the course of a few emails, the group decided on going out the morning of Saturday, May 2. The cold front that had been lingering through the end of April was holding back the initial waves of migrants, so it was unclear what all would be around by the time we got out, but we were undoubtedly going to have an enjoyable morning.

Dr. Ryken and I went out early May 1 to get a sense of whether the planned locations would work or not, checking out McKee Marsh, St. James Farm, and Elsen's Hill. The birds were generally active, though the numbers of migrants left a little to be desired. Still, we felt as though we had a solid enough plan for the next day.

And here's the amazing thing. At 5:30 am, on the Saturday before finals week, a group of ten Wheaties gathered in the lobby of Fischer Hall for Wheaton College's first ever birding field trip. We were off before the sun was up and pulling in to the parking lot of our first stop a few minutes later.

Dunkin Donuts.

You see, near the top of the list of traits shared between the typical college lifestyle and the regular habits of a birder, one finds the intake of copious amounts caffeine and/or sugar in order fuel the duties at hand while assuaging the effects of minimal sleep. Hence Dunkin Donuts.

A little after 6 am, the Thunderbirdz were a tad perkier and took to the trail at McKee Marsh. Logan Treat captured the moment as our troop trekked off into the quickly dissipating wisps of fog, glossy sunrise emerging before us. Eyes peeled. Ears primed. Nothing was going to slip past us.

Thunderbirdz

McKee Marsh, DuPage Co, IL

May 2, 2015

The majority of our group is majoring in one of the sciences, so all of our participants came to the field with a finely tuned observation instincts. And at the end of the day, regardless of skill level, birding can be boiled down to this one thing: simply paying attention. Not surprisingly, our group of ten was pointing out movement and songs and calling out species all throughout the field trip.

The previous morning's Brown Thrashers sang away from similar posts and we eventually got a couple decent looks. An Eastern Towhee posed briefly in a nearby tree for us - always a treat to see out in the open. Tree Swallows in their steely blue-green fluttered actively around nest boxes along the trail, and a couple Eastern Phoebes called almost constantly. Waterfowl on the pond included Canada Geese, Mallards, American Coots, a couple Wood Ducks, a single Pied-billed Grebe and a Blue-winged Teal that poked its head out momentarily.

The place wasn't exactly exploding with bird life, but there was enough activity to hold our attention. We had been hoping to get on a few species of warblers, and our first four of the day came here. Yellow-rumped Warblers proved to be one of the more common birds of the day, and we began with a handful here. A Yellow Warbler was pretty vocal near the overlook, and a Common Yellowthroat gave its distinctive "wickity-wickity-wickity" call from the marsh. The highlight here came in the form of a fancy little male Black-throated Green Warbler that I heard on our way back to the car. With some patience and a little pishing, he eventually came down and provided some nice views.

Black-throated Green Warbler

McKee Marsh, DuPage Co, IL

May 2, 2015

Then it was on to St. James Farm Forest Preserve where Dr. Ryken and I had a couple birds the morning before that we figured would be reliable and pretty easy to relocate. The first was a group of Wood Ducks on the little pond, which everyone got to see through the scope. While taking in these beauties, the surrounding trees had some active Blue-gray Gnatcatchers squeaking and buzzing away alongside a couple Ruby-crowned Kinglets. All four of our woodpecker species for the day were here, too: Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, and Northern Flicker. The nesting Eastern Bluebirds also showed up right on cue and everyone was able to get great scope views of this wonderfully brilliant species. A couple lingering Purple Finches had been a surprise the day before; we still had a lone male hanging around. This was my shot from the previous day.

Purple Finch

St. James Farm Forest Preserve, DuPage Co, IL

May 1, 2015

Then we headed south to Herrick Lake. The Yellow-rumped Warblers were more numerous here and were joined by a couple more Black-throated Greens, a Nashville, and a handful of Palm Warblers, which quickly joined the Yellow-rumps as the most conspicuous warblers of the day. Our first White-breasted Nuthatches called and showed themselves here, too.

We had powered through our first couple locations pretty quickly, so instead of working our way back to campus, the Thunderbirdz decided unanimously to check out a couple more preserves, and off we went to Fullersburg Woods. There were a couple nice additions to our morning's list here, including the 234th bird for my DuPage County life list - Yellow-throated Warbler! True to form, this very vocal male stayed pretty high in the trees, but a handful of us were able to get some decent looks at it.

Yellow-throated Warbler

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, DuPage Co, IL

May 2, 2015

There were both Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers present here, and this Solitary showed nicely for us:

Solitary Sandpiper

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, DuPage Co, IL

May 2, 2015

And here was our most abundant migrant from the morning:

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, DuPage Co, IL

May 2, 2015

Taking a quick break from identifying the avians around us, we gathered up for a group photo. From left to right, here's the make up of the first ever outing of the Thunderbidz: Alex Ockerse, Logan Treat, Ari Kim, Sean Lyon, Anna Chovanes, Phil Ryken, Mark Hansford, Josh Ryken, Seth Humeniuk, Joshua Little.

Thunderbirdz

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, DuPage Co, IL

May 2, 2015

Hidden Lake Forest Preserve had more of the same for us, though a sizable snapping turtle was a really nice cap on the outing. By the end, we had tallied 56 species altogether, enjoyed a morning exploring nature, and perhaps most importantly, set the precedent for future bird outings for Wheaton College! I'll be sad not to get to continue to be a part of it from this point forward, but between the students' skill level and Dr. Ryken's commitment to the existence of the group, I'm trusting the Thunderbirdz will be a fixture in the college's community in the years to come.