Let’s see….
Foggy, raining, and cold after our first two gorgeous spring days of 2018 here in Illinois??
It can only mean one thing—
I must be leading a bird walk for Smith’s Longspurs!!! Believe me—rain dances ain’t got nothing on my Longspur walks…
In all actuality, we could not have had three more perfect days to set this walk up — two days of the first hard south winds of the year to allow major migratory movement and then a wicked cold front to jam that in its tracks and keep everything on the ground.
We had birds everywhere, finishing this part of the day with the same great Longspur looks with which we began it.
We counted at least 186 Smith’s Longspurs, had an American Bittern fly-by, and enjoyed a potpourri of other birds. I’ll attach our lists below.
After a quick re-fuel, I took a few of our crew to the ParkLands Foundation’s Merwin Nature Preserve for Woodpecker-palooza (at least 39 birds and six of our seven species, only missing the Pileateds that are there), a Great Horned Owl, and bunches of other fun things. That list will also be below
Thanks everyone for turning out and making for such a fun morning!!
By Matthew Fraker