Calumet Area with Jonathan
Chicago, IL
Tuesday 12 March 2019
47 °F
Today my friend Jonathan and his mom Margie birded with me around the southeast side of Chicago!
We checked Harborside Int’l Golf Course, and seeing as it was closed, birded a sliver of Lake Calumet from Doty Ave. These are COMMON MERGANSERS, a pleasant sight for me since they are scarce in NYC:
MUTE SWANS on the far shore:
Then, we drove to Turning Basin #3 of the Calumet River where some more uncommon gull species have been seen recently. Here is a RED-BREASTED flying with several COMMON MERGANSERS:
This GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, an uncommon find for the area, was probably our rarest gull today:
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER:
Our next stop was Calumet Park which was the most productive stop for waterfowl today. Here are some uncommon WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS:
LESSER SCAUP:
HOODED MERGANSER:
COMMON GOLDENEYE:
LESSER SCAUP, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, & WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS:
Our last stop, Steelworkers Park, was slow so we went out for Mexican for lunch. Thanks for a fun day of birding you guys!
Bird-of-the-day to the Great Black-backed Gulls (4 we saw in total!) and runner-up to the White-winged Scoters — a solid day!
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 970 Species
