Ruff: Putnam (North) – A female Ruff or Reeve was in scope view of Bob and Karen Fisher at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin & Hopper Lakes in Putnam County on May 14th.
Western Tanager: Cook (North) – A Western Tanager was photographed by Jennifer McHenry Green on 11-May-2017 at a feeder in Lemont, Cook County.
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks: Madison (South) – As of May 9th, four Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks continued at the Watershed Nature Center in Edwardsville, Madison County. These ducks have been present since late April.
Anhinga: Knox (Central) – Mike Baum reported an Anhinga, migrating over his in Oak Run, Knox County, on April 25th. What a yard bird!
Neotropic Comorant: Fulton (Central) – On April 23rd, Andy Gilbert photographed a Neotropic Cormorant at the visitor’s center of Emiquon Preserve.
IL SBC Pioneer, Vernon Kleen, by Carolyn Schlueter
The Illinois Spring Bird Count is here at last. For those, like myself, that look forward to this day every year, getting ready for the count can be a bit hectic. I like to think of it as preparing for that comprehensive final you might have at the end of the semester in school. With a running species list of around 350 species tabulated over the last 45 years, anything would seem possible during the count. That being said, that running list has taken many years of hard work to put together, which brings me to how the count began in the first place.
In 1959, the soon to be organizer of the Breeding Bird Survey, Chandler Robbins organized the first Spring Bird Count in Maryland. At the time 23 counties were counted in Maryland. Because these counts take lots of work Chandler could not do it alone. Mentored by Chandler at the time was a young man named Vern Kleen who had been birding since the age of seven. While compiling data for Chandler Vern learned the value of scientific data. He went on to earn a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Maryland in 1965 and then attended Southern Illinois University where he earned a M.A. in Zoology. Vern was also a multistate editor for Bird Notes for six states. Realizing how confusing it can be to try and make something out of data when there are many different projects going on using different methods Vern understood the need for consistency and connectivity among data. So when asked by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, whom he later worked for as State Ornithologist out of Springfield, to organize a statewide bird count, he realized that it would require all counties working together was what it would take to have a data set that could be used to benefit birds. With the help of Illinois Audubon Society Vern was able to recruit 650 volunteers in 62 counties and coordinate the very first SBC on Saturday, 6 May 1972. From there Vern grew the count so most, if not all, counties were counted during consecutive years. Vern continued to organize the count for over 30 years before transitioning the count to the Illinois Natural History Survey where Mike Ward and I currently coordinate.
While going out and counting birds that you hear or see is always a good time, the real purpose behind the count is to use the data to monitor birds and benefit them. Because we have over four decades of SBC data to work with we can use the data to look at population trends of birds. Are species increasing or decreasing in number, and if so, why? We can also use the data to determine range movement and distribution of birds. For instance, if an exotic species enters the state we can look at the data to see how quickly the bird colonizes throughout the state. Or if bird ranges are shifting due to changes in climate over time we would expect to see shifts in the distribution of species. We can also use SBC data to document rare or vagrant species. When you have over 1,000 volunteers out on the same day you have a much greater likelihood of documenting these occurrences. Finally, we can use the data to contribute to conservation management decisions.
We are always looking for new volunteers for the count and in a testament as to how much volunteers enjoy the count, we still have volunteers that have been around since the very beginning. Vern himself continues to contribute as a county compiler for Union county. This popular count allows birders and nature lovers alike to go out for one day and simply bird, albeit with a few stipulations. For those interested in the count, this event occurs every spring on the Saturday that falls between the 4th and 10th of May. The censuses are conducted in all 102 counties in Illinois, however in any given year a few counties are not censused. Each county has a compiler responsible for recruiting volunteers and assigning volunteers to areas to count within their county. This is especially important to avoid double coverage of an area. While the count is a fun bird-a-thon volunteers need to keep in mind that we do want to be comprehensive and cover as much of the county and its habitat types as possible. Counting common birds such as robins and blackbirds might get boring, but we can’t overlook them simply because there are an abundance of them. Volunteers record all birds seen or heard, along with the number of hours they spend “owling” (pre-dawn hours), the number of hours spent looking for birds during the day, the number of miles driven in a car, and the number of miles walked. Compilers also tabulate all data collected within their county and send it to the state compiler.
Each year SBC reports are published in the Meadowlark, a journal of the Illinois Ornithological Society. Members from IOS along with Illinois Audubon Society are a large portion of the SBC volunteer group. Please see the SBC Web site for more information and contact Tara Beveroth, if you would like to volunteer.
The Grant applications are in! This year we received 9 applications in all.
Grant awards will be announced the first week of May. Some funds have already been received but more contributions are needed so more of the grants can be funded. Any organization or individual may fund all or part of a Grant. Donations can be for any amount. Donors/sponsors will be recognized on the IOS web site.
Funding for the 2017 IOS grants can be provided via PayPal (using either PayPal account or credit card):
With much appreciation for our enthusiastic field trip leader and “Southern Specialty Steward,” Keith McMullen, seventeen participants enjoyed this year’s journey through southern Illinois. During the two days, we were fortunate to view 109 species of birds.
Saturday’s weather did not seem promising for singing birds, as it was drizzling or raining lightly most of the day, and a chilly breeze continued to complicate birding. Driving on Pleasant Hill Road, the group stopped for two Blue Grosbeaks and Keith found an early male Bobolink singing at the top of a fir tree. We continued to Pomona-Cave Creek, where we saw our first of two Worm-eating Warblers, plus Kentucky, Yellow-throated, Yellow, Pine, Tennessee and Cerulean Warblers; also Northern Parula, American Redstart, Lousiana Waterthrush, and a Summer Tanager. We stopped twice on Pomona-Back Way, and at each stop saw and or/heard at least three Cerulean Warblers, a positive sign for this species, plus Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and a second Worm-eating Warbler.
Lesser Yellowlegs by Alan Seelye-James
At Oakwood Bottoms, some group members saw as many as 8 Little Blue Herons. It’s undergoing restoration work now so it doesn’t look so great, but improvement will follow. On the road to LaRue-Pine Hills Campground, we added “Hooded Warbler” to our warbler tally, when Keith heard a singing male from the car window. Keith’s ability to “bird by car,” either seeing or hearing winged creatures, is unmatched!
At a fluddle in Jackson County, we stopped to watch Gadwalls, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, and saw the following shorebirds: Least, Pectoral, Solitary and Stilt Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, both Yellowlegs, Dunlin, and, Dan Williams found an alternate-plumaged (gorgeous) Black-bellied Plover.
Keith made a stop at the beach at Crab Orchard NWR to look for terns-we saw a total of about 26 Forster’s Terns, each occupying a round orange buoy when not foraging-and we were treated to the sight of an adult Laughing Gull. There were probably several thousand Tree Swallows hunting low over the water, an incredible spectacle.
We enjoyed a great meal at 17th Street Barbeque in Marion, and then headed to Fern Clyffe State Park, where only a couple participants heard two Chucks calling briefly, and we didn’t hear any Whips, or see Barred or Screech Owls-although it had stopped raining, clouds and chilly temperatures probably deterred the usual night chorus.
Prairie Warbler by Alan Seelye-James
Sunday brought much better birding conditions, with sunshine and temperatures climbing to the mid-seventies by the end of our trip at Heron Pond. We started at Fort Massac, though, and added Northern Waterthrush to our warbler tally, enjoyed seeing Prothonotary Warblers, and two male Scarlet Tanagers. It is always a beautiful, and easy, place to bird.
On Shawnee College Road, Keith checked a pond for Black-necked Stilts and found a more unusual bird: a White-faced Ibis! At a nearby stop, a protective Prairie Warbler flew out towards the group several times, a neat experience! We saw several Yellow-bellied Chats here as well. At Heron Pond, we ended the trip with a group photo and a Nashville Warbler. We had a great experience, thanks to a leader who runs trips simply out of his love of birds, and wanting participants to see as many birds as possible. Keith is a treasure! Thanks, Keith, for all of your time, energy, and passion!
With spring rapidly accelerating, now is the ideal time for a little spring migration review. But rather than focusing solely on identification, let’s look over some of what we know about migration itself, specifically its timing, its interaction with weather, and how to predict it. Being able to predict migration—of course within a margin of error—can amplify everything that makes spring migration exciting. Indeed, merely by visiting a few websites, you have the godlike power of knowing when to expect arrivals, influxes, and fallouts, and when the best time to get out there may be.
To get you started, here are five simple steps to help you become your own migration-forecasting guru:
Step #1 – Know what the atmosphere’s doing
For this, I use Intellicast’s Mixed Surface Analysis, which provides two handy pieces of information: 1) Where the frontal boundaries (fronts) and centers of air masses are, and 2) Where precipitation is happening. The atmosphere is composed of air masses, which can be rising, falling, warm and wet, cold and dry, and anything in between. These characteristics interact to make them behave either as low pressure systems or high pressure systems. Here’s the key thing to remember: low pressure systems rotate counterclockwise, while high pressure systems rotate clockwise. This means that when there’s a big “H” on the map, a high pressure center, the air is moving clockwise around it. The opposite is true for the big “L’s” on the map, low pressure centers around which air moves counterclockwise. This allows you to predict where winds will be favorable or unfavorable for migration before you’ve even checked the winds.
Mixed Surface Analysis
Having the fronts depicted brings another benefit: many migrants move ahead of or just behind fronts—if they’re going the right direction. Migrants seem to have a particular affinity for cold fronts, which tend to move faster. But if a front—and the precipitation it carries—is moving the opposite direction of migrants, they can cause migratory fallouts. Either way, keeping an eye on fronts can help you spot those critical moments when your favorite migrant traps will be the busiest with birds.
Step #2 – Focus on the winds
After you’ve ‘read’ the surface analysis map, take a look at a earth map only depicting wind. This is mostly to check your interpretation of the surface analysis map. Are the winds going the direction you predicted? The wind map should make it especially clear where conditions are favorable for migration: anywhere with southerly (from the south) winds has potential to facilitate spring movement. Tailwinds—southerly in the spring and northerly in the fall—are the name of the game, though don’t be surprised when there are exceptions! If you’re interested in forecasting migration further ahead of time than the night before, this Intellicast wind forecast is extremely useful.
Global Wind Map
Step #3 – Check the radar
Now that you know where to expect migration, and why you’re expecting that migration, is there any migration? NEXRAD radar is exactly what you need to answer this question (Check out a map of the contiguous US or any of the 3-letter stations codes on the National Center for Atmospheric Research real-time weather data map). NEXRAD stations record images from numerous locations around the country, picking up anything made of water in the atmosphere. Most of the time, this just means clouds and storms systems. But because living things are also comprised largely of water, this means that in large enough numbers they show up on radar too. During the spring and fall, this is exactly what happens with birds, which show up as blue and/or green donut shaped forms on the radar. As the blue gets brighter and then goes green through the night, migration is getting heavier. Massive, mostly green orbs on the radar means extremely heavy migration, or, in other words, that you should probably go birding tomorrow morning.
Nexrad Radar Showing Bird Migration Step #4 – Check eBird and BirdCast for what to expect
While radar tells us that migration is happening, it doesn’t tell us what’s migrating. For this, I use eBird frequency charts to predict which species are arriving and influxing based on what time of year it is. Scrolling through these charts can give you a good idea of which species will be most abundant tomorrow morning, and which species might just be arriving. Even better, these charts are a handy reminder of those species that you might have forgotten to look for. BirdCast, another Cornell Lab of Ornithology project, provides succinct, regional migration forecasts to enrich what you learn from eBird charts. If there’s anywhere online to visit for condensed migration information, BirdCast is the place.
Step #5 – Get out there!
Now that you know how to read a surface analysis map, how to interpret winds, how to track migration using radar, and how to keep track of which species are moving, you have the power to predict migration. You can predict when it’s happening, explain the weather behind why it’s happening, and even name which species should be part of the mix. All that’s left now, of course, is to go apply it in the field!
Henry Griffin (left); Matthew Cvetas and Josh Engel (right)
On March 25, 2017, Chicago Audubon held its Biennial Environmental Awards Banquet to honor those who have made contributions to conservation, the protection of migratory birds and other wildlife, and have helped to conserve, preserve, and enhance the varied habitats and open spaces of the greater Chicago region.
Recipients included several IOS and Illinois Young Birders (ILYB) members. Congratulations to all!
Young Environmentalist: Henry Griffin – Oak Park Bird Walks
Service to Chicago Area Birders: Matthew Cvetas and Josh Engel – Leading/advising ILYB
Protector of the Environment — Avocation: Bob Fisher – Bird Conservation Network (BCN) and bird monitor
Protector of the Environment — Group: Steve and Jill Flexman – Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards
Anhinga: Massac (South) – On April 15th, Keith Mcmullen reported seeing an ANHINGA over Ft. Massac State Park in Massac County.
Pine Grosbeak: Winnebago (North) – A PINE GROSBEAK was seen at the feeder of Vonnie and Martin Kehoe on April 13th in Rockton, Winnebago County.
Mountain Bluebird: DuPage (North) – A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was discovered at Fermilab in DuPage County on April 7th by Jason Frey, flitting around on tree tops, south of AE Sea, between the yellow gate and shrubby area to the west.
Swallow-tailed Kite: Massac (South) – On April 8th, Keith Mcmullen reported seeing a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE just east of Metropolis in Massac County.
I had the pleasure of leading an Illinois Ornithological Society field trip for Smith’s Longspurs in McLean County this morning (April 8, 2017). We did manage a flock of seven and another flock of 28 birds — even in flight good enough looks for multiple lifers in the group — always a great feeling.
There is either a psychotic Western Meadowlark here that covered an immense amount of ground never leaving us, or this location has two to three males on territory (I think at least two).
After the trip wrapped-up, I roamed randomly looking for more longspurs and fluddles in Woodford County. I found another group of 15-20 Smith’s and a late Lapland back at the spot on 1500E between 2100 N and 2000N. Pictures of both species from this location are below.
My fluddle surveys included Pectorals, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and a group of almost 90 American Golden-Plover at one location that also had a searingly bright Brewer’s Blackbird.
It’s been awhile since I went AWOL birding in central Illinois. I imagine we are just getting started…
Twenty-one observers gathered at the Gale Street Restaurant parking lot at 8am on April 1st to have coffee, muffins, and bagels before setting off to explore several of the nearly 200 lakes in Lake and McHenry Counties in search of loons and other waterbirds.
Field Trip Participants
Several close-in observations of Common Loons were had at Diamond Lakes Mundelein Park District boat launch; while several loons were heard calling early, most of the day the loons were quiet (at all locations). The best observation, however, was the adult Bald Eagle perched in a tree across the lake.
We, then headed out to our first stop: Long Lake. The first large group of loons were 28 loons on this stretched out lake, and here we observed lingering Common Mergansers and a nice alternate-plumaged Horned Grebe.
On Pistakee Lake and Bay we observed at total of 52 loons and several nice groups of Ruddy Ducks. Three migrant Bonaparte’s Gulls were seen along with several arrival Tree Swallows. On this huge lake we saw our first pelicans (44) many of which were on an island in McHenry County.
At our traditional Sandbar Bar & Grille spot, we witnessed an amazing spectacle of kettling American White Pelicans with over 600 pelicans riding thermals overhead in multiple groups of 100-200 birds each. Loons were also quite common with 19 seen off the Sandbar.
Later, we observed more ducks including good numbers of Redhead, Canvasbacks, Ring-necked Ducks and Lesser Scaup.
Returning to the Gale Street Restaurant, 10 birders stayed to have a wonderful lunch at the Gale Street Restaurant. A total of 104 Common Loons were encountered on this trip, another successful Loonapaloonza!
Jennifer Hoffman, Mixed Media Artist and Designer, shares her poem, Homage to a Reluctant Mentor.
He was:
The mist and the fog on North Pond, while herons stood motionless at the waters edge.
The wing beats from the flocks of geese and ducks arriving over the platform.
The birdsong of warblers in the trees that were yet to be known by name.
The vibrant yellow of the Prothonotary Warbler perched by the lily pool.
The electric sunrise over Montrose, as a short-eared owl glided over the meadow.
The calm wind on the lake coming from the West on Fishhook Pier.
The unrelenting crashing of waves at Foster Beach while counting American Pipits (16).
The Sycamore Trees that protected Eastern Kingbirds fledglings and their nest.
The details in thousands of Cormorants and Red-breasted Mergansers migrating along Lake Michigan’s blue horizon.
The terns, gulls and Parasitic Jaeger drawn to the wake of a pelagic vessel.
The “magic ears” that knew the tiny specks flying high above at Loyola were Lapland Longspurs.
The long awaited Snow Goose sighting – finding the diamond in the rough of waterfowl at Lake Renwick.
The anticipated broadcast of the Trumpeter Swan at Widewaters.
The patient sunset awaiting the Sandhill Crane’s evening return to Jasper-Pulaski;
The feathers and the dance of something so ancient, yet so familiar.
Constellations in the night, waiting for the return call of the owls.
The reflection of trees on the glassy waters of the Kankakee lit by moonlight,
searching for nocturnal silhouettes: Barred, Eastern Screech and Great Horned.
So many birds that were never seen before, only to be seen and heard because of him.
