Henslow's Sparrow and Yellow-breasted Chats at Evergreen Lake on June 16-17

On Thursday, June 16, Les Allen and I went birding at Evergreen Lake. I was hoping to see my first ever Henslow's Sparrow, and Les had recently seen one with Dale Birkenholz, Ed Mockford, Angelo Capparella in a prairie in the White Tail Area on the Southwest side of the lake West of the Mallard Cove trail. Before we hiked in, we stoppe at the bridge of the South side of the lake. There we had a number of birds including Barn, Tree, and Cliff Swallows. Les also saw an Eastern Towhee, and I saw an Eastern Phoebe. Four juvenile Tree Swallows sat on a power line east of the bridge while their mother flew in and out to feed them in turn.



After watching the Swallows, we headed up the trail on the Southwest side toward the prairie where Les had seen the Henslow's. At first it was nice and cool and the birds were very active. It seemed like a promising day. As we continued on the trail it became increasingly hot and windy. By the time we got to the prairie, it was getting sticky, and it was difficult to hear the Henslow's because of the wind. After hiking around the prairie without hearing the Henslow's, Les suggested that we walk through toward the area where he had seen the Henslow's before. While I was watching Dickcissels and Yellowthroats, Les heard the Henslow's Sparrow. He motioned me to come toward him since we had spread out in hope of flushing the bird. I saw a bird fly toward a clump of trees in the prairie close to the trail leading back. I followed the bird, flushing it a couple of times, but was not able to get a look at it.

A little later, we heard a bird chipping near the same clump of trees. I followed the sound until I was startled to see the bird in a small tree about three feet in front of me. I was unable to get my camera or binoculars on the bird because the wind was blowing the branches in front of it. However, I could see the bird well enough from such a close distance to be able to tell that it was a Henslow's Sparrow. I was surprised at how small the bird looked. At first, before I recognized it as a Henslow's, I thought it was a juvenile bird. I told Les it was the Henslow's as he approached behind me, but the bird, agitated by my proximity, flew away before he could get a good look. Unfortunately, we were unable to relocate the bird.

Although I was happy to see the Henslow's for the first time, I was very disappointed that I was unable to snap a shot at such a close distance. I had seen pictures of Henslow's Sparrows and recognized the bird as such, but I always like the assurance of having either an experienced birder's confirmation or a photo in hand to verify what I have seen when I see a new bird. However, my disappointment was alleviated when Les and I encountered a Turkey brood of at least ten with their mother along the trail beside the prairie. I was quite surprised to see a couple of the poults fly into the trees to perch after we flushed them.





On the way back to the car, we also found a pair of Flickers nesting in a dead tree beside the trail that we missed on the way in. I picked off several ticks when we got to the car. By the end of the day, the total number of ticks I picked off of myself was at nine.

I decided to return to the prairie the next day in hopes of getting better looks and perhaps even some pictures of the Henslow's Sparrow. I got up in time to leave my house around 6:00 a.m., hoping to beat the rain, which had been forecasted to begin at around 8:00 a.m. I also thought I might have a better chance of seeing the bird singing if I arrived earlier. When I checked the forecast before leaving, I realized that there would actually be no rain before noon. As I approached the parking lot, I was able to get some shots of this Dickcissel from my car.



On the way back to the prairie, I saw an American Coot on a log in the lake, which is unusual for this time of year. Then a little further down the trail, I saw the nesting male Flicker land on the dead tree and crawl into the nest hole.







I also ran into the Turkey family again on the trail. This time both parents were present with the brood, and the poults again perched in the trees after I flushed them.



When I got to the prairie, it was still pretty cool, but I didn't see many birds popping up to sing for quite a while. Gradually I started to hear and see Meadowlarks, Dickcissels, a Common Yellowthroat, and some Field Sparrows, but no Henslow's Sparrows.



I walked through the prairie trying to flush the bird but could not find it. I was about to give up and leave when I was distracted by some interesting butterflies, which I later discovered to be an American Lady and a pair of Silver-spotted Skippers.



















The butterflies I was watching were near the same small grove of trees where I had seen the Henslow's the previous day. While I was photographing them, I saw a small bird in the grass near the trees. I walked around the trees until I heard the bird chipping again. Then I found it attempting to hide in one of the trees. It continued chipping while I took some pictures. Then it flew to a different tree and continued chipping while I took some more pictures.







Eventually, the Henslow's flew away from the trees and began singing. I followed the voice and saw the little sparrow singing in the grass.





After the bird flew away, I started back toward the car. On the way, I saw a juvenile tree swallow sitting on a fence. Then after getting back into my car, I had to stop to remove a turtle from the road by the bridge at the South side of the lake. I carried it close to the water, and as soon as I picked it up it began to urinate, continuing to do so almost until I set it down.





Earlier while I was looking for the Henslow's, I had been texting Matthew Winks, and he told me where I might locate a Yellow-breasted Chat or an Acadian Flycatcher on the West side of the lake. After leaving the turtle, I drove to this area, but was not able to find anything but Indigo Buntings and four more ticks. So I went to the East side of the lake to hike the Deer Island trail. At the beginning of the trail, a male Baltimore Oriole landed in the tree above me and began singing.





Just before the little bridge, I saw a House Wren. After crossing the bridge, I followed the trail to the right. I came across a pair of Brown Thrashers that seemed to be guarding their nest in some trees close to the water. They became agitated with my presence and the noises I was making and were quite vocal themselves. While I continued making noises, a male Baltimore Oriole and a Yellow Warbler flew in to see what was going on.













In some shrubs just past these trees on the right of the trail, I saw my first Yellow-breasted Chat. I snapped a blurry shot as it flew away. It began singing on the other side of the trail, and I followed it through the brush until I heard two Chats singing and snapped this shot of one of them near the top of a tree.



Dehydrated and exhausted, I headed back to the car happy to get two lifers in two days. Below is my report from the second day.

Lake Evergreen (McLean County), McLean, US-IL
Jun 17, 2011 6:37 AM - 12:03 PM
Protocol: Traveling
15.0 mile(s)
37 species

Canada Goose 13
Mallard 1
Wild Turkey 12
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 4
American Coot 1
Mourning Dove X
Northern Flicker 4
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay 4
Tree Swallow 20
Barn Swallow 3
Cliff Swallow 4
Black-capped Chickadee X
House Wren 3
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Brown Thrasher 3
Yellow Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow-breasted Chat 2
Field Sparrow 6
Henslow's Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Indigo Bunting 3
Dickcissel 6
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 7
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
Orchard Oriole 4
Baltimore Oriole 4
American Goldfinch 7
House Sparrow 1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)

Spring 2011 Shorebirds

As a new birder, who had only been serious about birdwatching for a little less than a year, I had seen few shorebirds when the year began and even fewer in Illinois. One of my birding goals for the year was to see some new shorebird species. Thanks to a tip from Les Allen, I was able to see American Woodcocks for the first time at Ewing Park in early March. Les and I saw more of them together at Ewing and Angler's Pond. Unfortunately, every time I saw them, they were flying away after I had flushed them. I quickly realized that when Woodcocks flush, they usually don't land anywhere nearby, but keep on going. So most of what I saw was orange tail feathers. I also saw Wilson's Snipes fly away on a few occasions in early April, but the looks I got of the Woodcocks were better. On one of the occasions, the Snipe was at Eastview Christian Church. There were flooded fields on both sides of the church drive. I had stopped there on April 2 with Les Allen, Angelo Capparella, Dale Birkenholz, and Ted Hartzler after an on the way to Henline Pit after an Audubon Society bird walk at Ewing Park.

On April 7, I went to Funks Grove, IL hoping to see the Pileated Woodpecker which had been reported by Angela Funk. After a somewhat disappointing day in bad light, I left Sugar Grove Nature Center. On the drive through the woods from the Center, I saw a bird on the road. I was about to keep driving assuming I would flush the bird when I noticed that the bird was walking funny bobbing its head forward and backward before each step. I slowed to a stop and tried to photograph the Woodcock from my car, but it walked off the road into the leaves. I got out of my car and was able to photograph the bird from the road even though it blended in very well with the leaves. The Woodcock even displayed for me briefly.









On April 11, I went back to the fields at Easview Church on the way to work in the morning and was surprised to find Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and a Pectoral Sandpiper. I also got my first good looks of Wilson's Snipes from the car. On the way home, I returned to the fields. Unfortunately the Yellowlegs and Sandpiper were no longer there, but I was able to get some pictures of the Snipes.













One of the birds I hoped to see this year was an American Golden-Plover, which would be another lifer for me if I could find them. With all the rain we had early this Spring, the lakes were too full for Shorebirds. Les Allen advised me to keep my eyes open for flooded fields. On the way to work one morning I found a flock of about twenty American Golden-Plovers in a large flooded corn field just off of N 400 East Road just North of Highway 24. Most of them were in non-breeding or intermediate plumage like the one below. This would prove to be a great location for Shorebirds for weeks to come.



The next day I visited the same location. The Plovers were gone, but there were quite a few Lesser Yellowlegs.









On April 28, I went to Centennial Park with Dale Birkenholz and Les Allen after we had birded at Funks Grove. We saw quite a few species including Green Herons, Palm, Yellow, and Yellow Rumped Warblers, and a Common Moorhen. That evening I returned by myself hoping to get some pictures of the Moorhen. Not only did I get some identification photos of the Moorhen. I also was able to get very close to a couple of Spotted Sandpipers.



















The next day Les and I went back to see the Moorhen again and ran into Matthew Winks. After a nice morning of birding, Les and I left Centennial Park, but we stopped at a flooded field South of Heyworth to look for some Shorebirds before heading home. Les got his scope out and located a couple of Dowitchers, and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. When we got back in the car and started driving past the field, we noticed a large number of Pectoral Sandpipers in the water close to the road, allowing a nice photo op.



















On May 2, I stopped by the flooded field in Flanagan and was surprised to see not only Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, but also Long-billed Dowitchers.





























The next day when I stopped there again, I had a new quarry. There were Pectorals and there were still Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. The Dowitchers were gone, but there were four drab looking larger birds. I photographed them from the car until they flew away. That's when I noticed from their beautiful wing patterns that they were Willets.

























I returned again the next day and got some close up shots of Pectorals. Later the same day I saw a Solitary Sandpiper in the lawn at Salem Ranch where I work.





















On May 7, on a walk with my clients, I photographed this Solitary Sandpiper flying over the ponds at Salem Ranch. Then on May 10, while the boys were having softball practice, I saw a brood of Killdeer chicks near the horse arena.







On the way home the same evening, I stopped at the Gridley Sewage Lagoons and observed a flock of American Golden-Plovers grazing in the grass by the water, mostly in breeding plumage.





















On June 1, I stopped by the field in Flanagan once more and took some shots of these White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Thanks to Matt Fraker for help with identification.

















All in all it was a nice Spring for Shorebirds. White-rumped, Semipalmated, Pectoral Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Golden-Plover, Wilson's Snipe, and American Woodcock were all lifers for me. Willet and Lesser Yellowlegs were State birds and there were several new McLean and Livingston County birds as well. Being a new birder is exciting, but I realize that finding new Shorebirds from here will be increasingly challenging. If you would like to see more of my pictures, click on any of the photos above. This will take you to my Flickr page where you can view more Shorebirds and other birds.

Written and published on July 4, 2011