100 Birds

I got up at 4:00 a.m. and birded dawn to dusk with two friends. I saw exactly 100 species of birds — they each saw a couple fewer. It was a cloudless, bright day in the 80’s, with a lot of mosquitoes. The highlights were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Grasshopper Sparrow, Black-bellied Plover and Clay-colored Sparrow. the lowlight was the small number of warblers.  And we didn’t see many individuals of the species we did see. We kept expecting to see a wave, but we never did. The woods were dead. At times we just stood still, amazed at how still things were. It was hard to believe it was May 14. When we did see birds in the woods, they were hard to see because the leaves were so far along.

We started at Du Page County Airport, then went to Pratt’s Wayne Woods, Crabtree, Baker’s Lake, Ryerson, Wolf Prairie Slough, Waukegan Beach, and Moraine Hills State Park. We brought food and coolers full of pop so we only stopped once, at Burger King in Waukegan around 2:00. I got home at 9:30 p.m.

Here’s what we saw. I got this list from my old birding software, so it’s not in order and some birds are listed twice if we saw them at two different places.

Along the Road

  • American Crow — Streamwood – Schaumburg and Sutton Roads
  • Yellow-headed Blackbird — Wildwood – Route 120 near intersection with Route 45 – On reeds in large marsh on north side of road
  • European Starling — Route 59 near Stearns Road

At Crabtree

  • Wood Duck — Sleeping on fallen log along swamp along entrance path
  • Ring-necked Duck — Sleeping near mudflat on island in Crabtree lake
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo — In trees in woods along path between pine grove and Sulky Pond.  It sat motionless for several minutes, then flitted about as though catching bugs
  • Double-crested Cormorant — Standing on mudflat on island in Crabtree Lake
  • Great Egret — On logs and branches on back side of Sulky Pond
  • Turkey Vulture — Soaring over Crabtree Lake
  • Eastern Kingbird — In dead tree on far shore of Crabtree Lake
  • Yellow-throated Vireo — In willow tree at edge of woods along Sulky Pond
  • Eastern Bluebird — Flew to oak in meadow by visitor’s center
  • White-breasted Nuthatch — In tree near feeder by visitor’s center
  • Chipping Sparrow — In oak in meadow by hawk cages
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler — In woods near Crabtree Lake
  • Black-and-white Warbler — On outer branch in oak in meadow between Sulky Pond and visitor’s center
  • Scarlet Tanager — In woods along entrance path
  • Bobolink — Singing in tree along entrance road

At Baker’s Lake

  • Ruddy Duck — Swimming in lake
  • Herring Gull — Standing on mudflat
  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher — Calling in oaks in grove on bluff
  • House Sparrow — On lawn across road from lake
  • Field Sparrow — High in oak in grove on bluff
  • Black-throated Green Warbler — In oaks in grove on bluff

At Waukegan Beach and Harbor

  • Mallard — Swimming in Lake Michigan
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird — Flew past near creek by concession stand
  • Spotted Sandpiper — Flew out of puddles in dunes
  • Sanderling — On beach near water line
  • Black-bellied Plover — Standing on beach by breakwater.  They were flushed by walkers and flew in large circle out over Lake Michigan and landed on beach by harbor channel – Later they flew past us heading north and landed near flock of gulls and terns.
  • Killdeer — On beach with Black-bellied Plovers
  • Ring-billed Gull — Huge flock around harbor
  • Herring Gull — Standing on beach
  • Caspian Tern — Standing on beach with gulls
  • Common Tern — Standing on shore with gulls
  • Forster’s Tern — Standing on beach with gulls and other terns.
  • Double-crested Cormorant — Flying south over Lake Michigan
  • Black-crowned Night-Heron — Flew out of trees along swampy area on dunes
  • American Robin — In trees on dunes back from beach
  • Black-capped Chickadee — Gathering nesting material in trees back from beach
  • Bank Swallow — Flying south along beach, calling
  • Barn Swallow — Flying over dunes
  • Lincoln’s Sparrow — In brush on dunes back from beach
  • Clay-colored Sparrow — Flushed out of grass on dunes near creek by concession stand and landed in small tree.  It perched motionless for a few moments, then flew down into grass.  We could see it jumping around from a low perch as though it were catching bugs
  • Common Yellowthroat — In brush on dunes near concession stand
  • Scarlet Tanager — In trees on dunes back from beach
  • Red-winged Blackbird — In tree along fence line back from beach

At Ryerson

  • Red-bellied Woodpecker — On ground in woods along path near visitor’s center
  • Chimney Swift — Flew over field next to farm
  • Solitary Sandpiper — Wading in puddle at edge of large field near backwater of river
  • Eastern Phoebe — In tree by Ryerson Cabin
  • Great Crested Flycatcher — Perched motionless on low branch in woods along swampy area
  • Red-eyed Vireo — Singing in woods along path near visitor’s center
  • American Robin — All over in woods
  • House Wren — Singing in woods along river
  • Barn Swallow — Over field next to farm
  • White-crowned Sparrow — In brush along path next to cow pasture
  • Savannah Sparrow — In field next to farm
  • Grasshopper Sparrow — Singing in field next to farm
  • Palm Warbler — In woods along river
  • American Redstart — In woods along river
  • Northern Waterthrush — Standing on tree branch in woods along river – sang once
  • Indigo Bunting — Singing in open woods near visitor’s center
  • Baltimore Oriole — In trees along cow pasture

Pratt’s Wayne Woods

  • Wood Duck — Flying over large field
  • Tree Swallow — Sitting on box in large field
  • Blue-winged Teal — In flooded grassy field north of railroad tracks
  • Northern Flicker — In woods near Brewster Lake
  • American Coot — Swimming in Brewster Lake
  • Lesser Yellowlegs — In flooded grassy field north of railroad tracks
  • Green Heron — Flew past us from Brewster Lake toward Beaver Slough
  • Least Flycatcher — Singing in brush along equestrian field
  • Eastern Phoebe — Sitting at top of dead tree by bridge on Horsetail Pond
  • Warbling Vireo — Singing in brush between marsh and Beaver Slough
  • Cedar Waxwing — In tree on path between Beaver Slough and Horsetail Lake
  • Swainson’s Thrush — High in trees along Horsetail Pond
  • Gray Catbird — Singing in brush between Beaver Slough and marsh
  • Brown Thrasher — On path at edge of equestrian field
  • Black-capped Chickadee — In bush at edge of equestrian field
  • Tree Swallow — Flying over equestrian field
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet — In brush along equestrian field
  • Swamp Sparrow — In marsh near Horsetail Pond
  • Tennessee Warbler — In tree above parking lot near Brewster Lake
  • Nashville Warbler — In brush along edge of equestrian field
  • Yellow Warbler — In brush at edge of equestrian field
  • Palm Warbler — In brush along equestrian field
  • Bay-breasted Warbler — In brush and trees along equestrian field
  • American Redstart — In brush along equestrian field
  • Wilson’s Warbler — Landed briefly in small tree along Beaver Slough
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak — Singing at edge of woods along Horsetail Pond

On Illinois Prairie Path by Du Page County Airport

  • Downy Woodpecker — In grove at edge of Du Page County Airport
  • Rock Dove — In dirt field by runway at Du Page County Airport
  • Mourning Dove — Sitting on wire along Powis Road
  • Spotted Sandpiper — On mud at edge of pond on golf course
  • Killdeer — Flew into Du Page County Airport
  • Red-tailed Hawk — Flew over head, screaming, and landed on tower in Du Page County Airport
  • Blue Jay — Flying over Du Page County Airport
  • American Robin — In grove along Powis Road
  • House Wren —- Singing in grove along Powis Road
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow — Landing on path near runway of Du Page County Airport
  • Barn Swallow — Dipping into and landing next to puddles in field at end of Du Page County Airport
  • Horned Lark — Flying and walking around field near runways at Du Page County Airport
  • American Goldfinch —- Flew over path by Du Page County Airport
  • Song Sparrow — Singing on fence along golf course
  • White-crowned Sparrow — On path along Du Page County Airport
  • Savannah Sparrow — Sitting on fence along golf course
  • Northern Cardinal — In tree along Powis Road
  • Baltimore Oriole —- Singing in trees along Powis Road
  • Red-winged Blackbird — In field at end of Du Page County Airport
  • Eastern Meadowlark — Singing on box along runway of Du Page County Airport
  • Western Meadowlark — Singing on fence along Du Page County Airport
  • Common Grackle — Flew over path by Du Page County Airport
  • Brown-headed Cowbird — Sitting on fence along Du Page County Airport

At Moraine Hill State Park

  • Mute Swan — One swimming in marsh, one sitting on nest
  • Canada Goose — Swimming in big marsh
  • Red-headed Woodpecker — Flying over swamp along river
  • Downy Woodpecker — In woods near shelter
  • Belted Kingfisher — Flying over slough along river
  • Common Moorhen — In large marsh
  • American Coot—In large marsh
  • Pied-billed Grebe — In square slough
  • Great Blue Heron — Flying over river
  • Black-crowned Night-Heron — Immatures on logs in square slough
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee — Singing in tall dead tree in woods near shelter
  • Yellow-throated Vireo — Singing in swamp along river
  • Warbling Vireo — Singing in trees along river
  • Gray Catbird — In brush along marsh by shelter
  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher — In woods along square slough
  • Purple Martin — On martin house by McHenry Dam
  • Barn Swallow — Flying above large field near marsh
  • American Goldfinch — In large field around marsh
  • Field Sparrow — In small trees in field along marsh
  • Blackpoll Warbler — In small tree along river
  • American Redstart — In row of brush between marsh and pines
  • Baltimore Oriole — Singing in trees along river
  • Yellow-headed Blackbird—Singing in large marsh
  • Rock Dove — Flew over row of trees between marsh and pines
  • Mallard — Flew past platform
  • Blue-winged Teal — Flying past platform
  • Yellow Warbler — Building nest in brush in front of platform
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