Pileated Woodpeckers and Northern Goshawk at Moraine View State Park

Last year, I would have said that in McLean County, IL, your chances of seeing a Pileated Woodpecker are not much better than your chances of seeing an Ivory-billed, but perhaps this is not true anymore. Until recently, the only sightings I had heard of were all at Funks Grove, but several of my friends had looked for Pileated there and come up short. Angela Funk reported a sighting at Funks Grove last year, and the bird was also thought to be heard on Spring bird count. Finding a Pileated at Funks seems to be a matter of luck.

In the Summer of 2011, I was talking to Mary at the visitor's center at Moraine View State Park, and she showed me a photo of a Pileated Woodpecker that a visitor had taken in April--a Pileated in McLean County located somewhere other than Funks! I checked out the area where the bird had been seen, but to no avail. Then in December, Angelo Capparella and Given Harper heard a Pileated calling from 800 Rd. on the South edge of Moraine during a raptor survey. The bird was calling near Area 7 of the park. Les Allen needed this bird for his 2011 McLean County Big Year, and I needed Pileated as a state bird so we went looking for it in December, but came up short the first time. The next time, we went with Angelo on December 31st. We had not been out of the car but for a few minutes when we heard the bird calling and then saw a pair of them land in the trees in front of us and then fly across the trail, not far from the Area 7 parking space. Unfortunately, the light was bad, and I was too amazed to take a photo. I posted a map to the location below.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=40.399406,-88.72402&ll=40.399406,-88.72402

I wanted to relocate these birds this year, hoping to document them with a photo, but I was delayed in January by pheasant and squirrel season. On February 19, however, I was able to return and relocated the Pileated pair. I started out hiking the trail that ran Northeast of the small Area 7 parking area. I got lost on the trail and did not see or hear either of the birds. When I finally made my way back to the car, I head them calling West of the parking area. There is a trail that runs West of the parking area, but I did not know this and started out bushwacking, until I eventually ended up on the trail. This made sense. When we had seen the birds in December, they had flown in from the West and then headed Northeast. By following their calls, I finally caught up with the pair and photographed one of them as it was heading back to the East. The photo I took is at the top of this post. A couple of days later, Matt Fraker, went to find them and added Pileated to his McLean County list. He found them hiking the trail running Northeast. As Fraker said, these birds seem much more reliable than the ones at Funks Grove. So if you need Pileated Woodpecker in McLean County, Moraine View State Park might be your best shot. I recommend hiking all directions from Area 7 until you find them. These birds move around a lot. They have quite a range, but they are in those woods.

I also had Tufted Titmouse and Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers during my hike. I missed Northern Flicker, but I had that bird at Moraine View earlier this year. Of course it was a little early for Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, but if you go in April, you might be able to see five out of the six woodpeckers that we have in McLean County. I have never seen a Red-headed Woodpecker there, and the habitat does not seem right for it there. Also, you have a good chance of seeing Barred Owl in Area 7, and Les and Angelo had Great Horned there as well.

Before I headed home, I drove into the park, and to the East of 900 Rd., I saw this Northern Goshawk, which was ABA #278, IL #226, and McLean County #211 for me.





Written and published on March 10, 2012

Greenwood Cemetery and Shabonna Lake State Park

Inspired by John Longhenry's reports and photos of White-winged Crossbills and a Merlin on Illinois Birder's Forum, Les Allen and I left at 6:00 a.m. to drive to Greenwood Cemetery in Rockford, IL on February 18. We arrived before 9:00 to the loud call of Pine Siskins, but we did not see any crossbills.



Within minutes of our arrival, at least three Red-breasted Nuthatches were calling, "yank, yank," and feeding on the trees. Below are some shots of both a female and a male Red-breasted Nuthatch that were at the cemetery.





Not long after we had arrived, John Longhenry himself showed up. As we were talking, he spotted a crossbill at the top of a tree. Then three of them landed in a tree in front of us, but some clouds had rolled in and the light was poor. These birds did not stay in the tree for long. After they flew away, John mentioned that the numbers had been thinning, and we thought this might have been all that was left of the flock.





About an hour later, we had our light back when a small raptor flew over our heads and landed in a tree nearby. We followed, and I photographed what we all thought was the Merlin at the time. When I was later examining my photos at home, I realized I had photographed a Sharp-shinned Hawk rather than a Merlin.







We never did see the Merlin, but at the time we enjoyed thinking we had. Of course, after I realized our error, I was still happy to have taken photos of a raptor I had never before photographed. Before John left, he showed us the grave markers that the crossbills had been drinking from after feeding. The water in the markers was almost gone so I added some water I had brought with me to both of them.

Not long after John had left, Les and I heard crossbills chattering, and Les saw White-winged Crossbills feeding on the cones on the ground underneath one of the hemlocks. There were at least eleven crossbills, and a few of the Pine Siskins were feeding on the ground with them. This continued for about 30 minutes, while we watched.







After the crossbills had fed for over 20 minutes, they flew over to the grave markers, which were now holding fresh water, and drank by turning their heads sideways and lowering them to the water.







After drinking, they returned to feeding on the cones.



Some of them had one last drink before flying away.



Les and I celebrated our awesome looks at White-winged Crossbills and what we thought to have been a Merlin by eating lunch at Beefaroo's. Then we headed South on I-39 for Shabonna Lake State Park, hoping to find a Common Redpoll and some waterfowl. We missed the exit on the interstate, which probably set us back 30 to 40 minutes. I told Les that this probably happened so that we could see a bird that we would not have seen if we had arrived at Shabonna Lake earlier. Once we did arrive, we noticed a nice variety of waterfowl on the lake including eight Tundra Swans.





Notice the characteristic yellow lores on this adult.





The juvenile Tundra Swans have darker heads and napes.



While Les was watching the swans and I was taking pictures, we met Daniel Leifheit, who was also photographing them. Daniel told Les about a Northern Shrike he had seen on the Tomahawk Trail just a few hundred yards from where we were watching the swans. As we had both tried and failed to locate the Northern Shrike that Matthew Winks and Ted Hartzler had seen in Woodford County, we decided to try to get a look at this bird. We walked down the trail past the area where Daniel had seen the shrike, but we did not see it. On the way back, however, we did see the bird on top of a tree beside the trail. At first it was backlit, but then it flew to the tree behind us, and we were able to look at the bird in great light. Les pointed out the fine streaking and the blood stain on the bird's belly, most likely from its recent prey.





If we had not missed the exit on the interstate, we would not have run into Daniel and would not have found out about the Northern Shrike. Although we thought we had made a mistake, it worked out to our benefit. I thank God for demonstrating his purpose and kindness even through this little bird. Les and I had an enjoyable trip, and I added two lifers to my list--White-winged Crossbill and Northern Shrike. Below is a complete list of the birds we saw at Shabonna Lake State Park.

Greater White-fronted Goose 6
Cackling Goose 100
Canada Goose 300
Tundra Swan 8
American Wigeon 3
Mallard 35
Canvasback 8
Redhead 5
Lesser Scaup 15
Common Goldeneye 7
Common Merganser 6
Ruddy Duck 3
American Coot X
Northern Shrike 1
Red-winged Blackbird 8

Written and published on March 7, 2012

Of Snow Geese and a Snowy Owl

Late Saturday afternoon, February 11, I checked the pond by Heartland Community College on Raab Rd. and found eight Canvasbacks. This prompted me to check White Oak Park and the Martin Luther King Dr. Gravel Pit for Waterfowl the following day. Les Allen joined me, and we began at White Oak, where there were around 300 Cackling Geese mixed in with the Canada Geese. The light was great so I took some pictures.







Also present was one Ross's Goose and at least two Greater White-fronted Geese. Notice the similarity in size between the Cackling Goose and Ross's Goose shown below.



On February 12, I checked the Constitution Trail behind Colleen Hoose Elementary School in Normal, hoping to see the Merlins that Given Harper saw earlier this year. I did not see the Merlins, but I photographed this Northern Cardinal.



On February 14, I was on my way to stop by my wife's office before going home, but I was side-tracked by a Belted Kingfisher on a power line beside Veteran's Pkwy in Bloomington. There is a small creek between the Bridgestone Tire building and Veteran's and this bird above it. This seemed to me such an odd place to see a kingfisher.



While I was checking out the kingfisher, I also saw this Red-tailed Hawk.



The next day, late in the afternoon, I decided to take one of the boys at the ranch with me to look for the Snowy Owl Tim Lindenbaum had found near Lexington. On the way there, however, I thought I saw Snow Geese at the Gridley Wastewater Treatment Ponds from the Road. When I drove in to check, there were indeed approximately 700 Snow Geese, with at least one Ross's Goose. There were probably more, but I was only able to pick one out of the flock.



Not long after I had pulled in, a worker drove by, and flushed over half of the flock. These birds flew overhead for several minutes, while the others continued to stand on the frozen pond.





The worker, who was very friendly and did not mind that I was there, approached me and asked me to leave so that he could lock the gate as he usually does in the evening. Unfortunately, as I drove out, the rest of the geese took off.



We continued through Lexington and were able to locate the Snowy Owl, very close to where it had been most recently reported.







On February 16, I returned to Lexington. The Snowy was way out in the field. After I set the scope on it, Matt Fraker pulled up and took a look at the bird through the scope. On the way home, I drove around Evergreen Lake, and saw a Barred Owl by the dam. Then I stopped by Comlara Park and saw a small flock of Common Goldeneyes take flight.



The following day, I returned to Lexington again after work, hoping to see the Snowy Owl up close in better light. When I arrived, a friendly couple was watching the bird in almost the exact spot it had been the previous night, but perhaps a little closer to the road. Unfortunately, I cannot remember their names though they told me several times. I should have written this post sooner. I set up the scope so that we could all get better looks. Not long after this couple left, Sherrie Snyder and Mary Jo Adams arrived. We watched the the Snowy in the field until it flew up to the nearest telephone pole at around 5:20 p.m., just before dusk, which seemed to be its habit based on the other reports I had read. Part of the fun of seeing this bird was running into other birders and sharing the experience with them.





Written and published on March 6, 2012

Bad Photos of Good Raptors and Other Winter Birds

This post is just a report of some of the birds I have seen and photographed over the past month in McLean, Woodford, and Livingston Counties, including some cool raptors, waterfowl, etc.

Winter is a great time to visit the feeders at Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove, IL. Sugar Grove is one of the most reliable spots in the state to see Eurasian Tree Sparrows, which can be seen at the feeders there year round. These birds are always exciting to see since parts of Illinois and Missouri are the only places you can see them in the wild in North America. Like their relatives the English House Sparrows, they were brought to the United States from Europe, but they have not spread as quickly. Here are a couple of shots of these birds at Sugar Grove on January 14.





Other birds of interest at the feeders at Sugar Grove were Common Grackles and Brown-headed Cowbirds. These two species are not easily found in central Illinois in the middle of winter, but a few of them seem to hang around the feeders at Sugar Grove.

On January 16, I saw this Rough-legged Hawk near El Paso in Woodford County. Unfortunately, this skittish bird took off after I took this shot, and I could not relocate it.



Earlier this Winter, Deanna Frautschi had graciously invited me to see the Great Horned Owl that hangs out in her backyard. Deanna, who lives in South Bloomington, has turned her yard into a mini nature preserve. Not only does she have well tended feeders. She has also planted enumerable trees and other plants, including a large number of pines to provide food and habitat for the birds. On January 21st, I visited her yard with Les Allen. Although we did not find the Great Horned Owl, we did see a Pine Siskin and the Chipping Sparrow shown below. Although Chipping Sparrow is common in Illinois in the Spring, they are rare in the Winter.



Also present in her yard was a small flock of Cedar Waxwings, probably drawn to her berries, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, and a large flock of American Robins, and a European Starling. Below are pictures of a waxwing, a junco, a robin, and a starling from her yard.









After I took Les home, I stopped by Given Harper's yard in Normal to see the Eastern Screech-owl, which roosts in the Screech-owl box he made. Given has also been gracious to allow me to visit his yard to see this fascinating bird. Notice the blood remaining at the base of this predator's bill.



The next day, I saw this Northern Harrier near Lake Bloomington on my way to a weekend appointment with a client's family at work.







This flock of Wild Turkeys was in a field North of the lake.



On my way home that evening, I saw the adult male Snowy Owl I had seen on January 11 and 12 East of Gridley in a field South of Highway 24. The owl was in the exact same field pretty close to the spot I had first seen it on January 11.



On January 23, I checked El Paso Sewage Treatment Center in Woodford County for waterfowl. I saw a Lesser Scaup with two Ring-necked Ducks. Below is a shot of the Ring-necked Duck and a shot with both the Ring-necked and the Lesser Scaup for comparison.





Here are a couple of shots I took of Red-tailed Hawks on I-39 on January 24.





Later that morning I saw this Rough-legged Hawk South of Highway 24 very close to where I had seen the Snowy Owl.



I returned to the same spot later in the day and saw this Northern Harrier.







Then I saw this Red-tailed Hawk in Livingston County.



I continued my search for raptors that evening, but only saw more Red-tailed Hawks, a couple of guys ice skating at the South end of Evergreen Lake, and a beautiful sunset.





On January 26, I got a text from Matthew Winks, who had found over 20 Tundra Swans at Evergreen Lake. I had never seen Tundra Swans, so as soon as I got off work, I headed toward Evergreen, hoping to see them. Earlier that day I had seen this Rough-legged Hawk in Livingston County with a client. After the initial shots, I actually drove up to this bird, which was perched on a short pole by the road. I got about five yards from it, but my camera was not set up correctly and I ended up photographing the bird's tail as it flew away.





On the way to see the Tundra Swans, I saw a few Ring-necked Pheasants in the fog.



When I arrived at Evergreen Lake next to the water pump station, it was very foggy, but I could see Tundra Swans out on the frozen lake from behind the pump house. I set the scope on them, and eventually the fog cleared up enough that I could take some pictures. Not long after I had arrived, Mary Jo Adams showed up to see these beautiful birds. She had run into Dale Birkenholz and Les Allen, who had told her about the swans. She was in a hurry and did not stay long, but it was nice to meet her. I had read her posts on the Central Illinois Birders' Forum.





My wife Carrie loves swans so I called her to see if she would be able to meet me to see these Tundra Swans. She said she would come as soon as she got off of work so I decided to stay there to keep my eyes on the birds in case they moved. While I was waiting for her, I photographed one of two Song Sparrows in the tall grass by the pump station driveway. There was also at least one American Tree Sparrow in the same area.



Just before Carrie pulled up, the swans walked off the ice into the water and started to swim further out into the lake. However, they did not go far, and she was able to get good looks through the scope when she arrived.



It was not long until the swans left the water and returned to the same spot on the ice. This was a great way to start the weekend with my wife. This was the first time either of us had seen a Tundra Swan and we were seeing them together--all 22 of them. I counted 15 adult and 7 juvenile birds.





The next day, I saw this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk on Airport Rd. in Bloomington, IL.



On January 31, I photographed this American Kestrel sitting on a fence beside I-39 on the way to work.



Later that day, I checked El Paso Sewage Treatment Center, hoping to see Snow Geese because I had read a report by Rich Laramore, who had seen Snow Geese further South. He said in his report that they were moving North a few weeks early apparently due to the unseasonably warm weather we were having. Thanks to Rich for the heads up! As I drove down the road beside the sewage lagoons, I saw 46 Snow Geese and 1 Ross's Goose standing up on the hill between the road and the ponds. They were beautiful, and the light was perfect. Notice the one Ross's Goose on the far left. It is smaller, and its bill is short and stubby compared to the other birds. Also, it does not have a noticeable gap between the top and bottom of its bill like the other birds do.



There were both adult and juvenile light and dark morph birds (also called white and blue morph). The adult light morph birds are all white, while the juveniles are have white heads dark backs and mostly white bellies. The adult dark morph birds have white heads and necks and dark bodies, while the juvenile dark morph birds have dark heads with just a little bit of white spotting around the eyes.





Below is a picture of an adult dark morph Snow Goose with a juvenile dark morph Snow Goose.



And this shot has an adult light morph, an adult dark morph, and a juvenile light morph.



Below are a few more photos. Notice the variation in size among these birds. There was on small light morph Snow Goose that I first mistook to be a Ross's Goose, but it had the Snow Goose bill. I also noticed that at least a third of these birds were dark morphs. I thought the percentage of dark morphs in the flock seemed unusually high based on what I had noticed in the past.









It's always entertaining to see goose getting goosed by another goose!



I was taking these pictures from my car along the road, but eventually these birds grew weary of my presence so they took off and circled around a bit before they landed in one of the lagoons.







The same evening, I saw this American Kestrel in Woodford County



When I checked Evergreen Lake on the way home, I found this Bald Eagle flying over the water pump station along with several gulls. The light was poor so I could not tell for sure whether they were Herring Gulls or Ring-billeds.



On February 2, Les Allen met me in El Paso when I got off of work, and we went to the location South of Secor where Matthew Winks and Ted Hartzler have seen a Northern Shrike. I had been there several times already looking for this bird. I thought I had seen it just briefly once on a power line, but it flew off shortly after I got my binoculars on it, and I could not be 100% sure. I hoped I would have better success with Les, but we were unable to locate the shrike.
We did, however, find 2-3 Northern Mockingbirds.



Just a few days later, I picked up Les to try again. Before I picked him up, I saw this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk feeding on something by the on ramp to the I55 S in Normal.



Les and I stopped by Evergreen Lake on our way to the shrike location, and saw two Herring Gulls with several Ring-billeds at the South end.





When we got to the shrike location, we could not find the shrike, but we saw a gorgeous Barred Owl along the creek by 800 N Rd, which made our efforts worth while. It was just staring at us as I photographed it from the car.





Eventually the owl flew a little further away from the road where it was better hidden by the trees along the creek. This is almost a "Where's Waldo?" picture. Notice how the barring on this bird makes it blend in so well with the trees. This owl's amazing disguise reminds me that it was designed by an intelligent being--the Creator and Architect of the universe. Glory to God!



On February 6, I saw this very dark Eastern Red-tailed Hawk along Highway 116 in Livingston County.





The next day, I saw this Rough-legged Hawk in Woodford County near El Paso Sewage Treatment Center. It flew back and forth between McLean and Woodford Counties.



This Red-tailed Hawk I photographed the following day is in just the right position to compare with the Rough-legged Hawk above.



On February 9, I found four Canvasbacks at El Paso Sewage Treatment Center.





The same day, I checked the shrike location and found a small flock of Cedar Waxwings, but no shrike.



Written and published on February 14, 2012