Central Illinois: Day 1!
Monday 4 September 2017
75 °F
Two days ago, my friends Isoo, Jake, Eddie, Brett, and I were graciously driven down to the Peoria area by Isoo's dad for a weekend trip in search of shorebirds at Chatauqua National Wildlife Refuge in central Illinois. We visited there today, but the big-ticket location we visited yesterday was El Paso Sewage Ponds, where we had multiple highlights.
Clouded Sulphur Butterflies:
LESSER YELLOWLEGS:
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE:
Head of a Common Snapping Turtle: 
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES, a fairly notable species in central Illinois:
BAIRD'S, SEMIPALMATED, & LEAST SANDPIPERS:
This BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, which allowed us to get twenty-five feet away from it, was the highlight of our day! I haven't seen this species for years!
A great day! Bird-of-the-day for yesterday goes to Buff-breasted Sandpiper, with runner-up to Greater White-fronted Goose. Stay tuned for more from this weekend!
Good birding,
Henry Griffin
World Life List: 931 Species (no recent life birds)
