Twitch: Long-eared Owl

Chicago, IL

Wednesday 20 January 2021 30 °F

Yesterday, Tian, Pearl, and I ventured out to twitch a LONG-EARED OWL and I’m not even trying to build the suspense with this one — we got it right away!!! Thanks to my friends Isoo and Simon for giving detailed directions (a dropped pin ALWAYS does the trick!). I pulled up, got out of the car with Pearl, walked fifty feet, and boom there it was a pine tree. Back to the car, grabbed Tian, showed her, and away again. We stayed far enough away not to disturb the owl as roosting owls are very sensitive to any kind of disturbance (also why I brought them one at a time, and why I will not disclose the location on here). This was a photographic lifer for me so I was super stoked! The only other times I have seen this species were out in Idaho and every time there I have accidentally flushed them from thick brush and they evaded photos.

Next we headed to Harborside International Golfcourse where I thought I might be able to pick up a few new birds for the year such as Gadwall. Upon arriving, we spotted literally thousands of CANADA GEESE congregating by the entrance road. Tian’s favorite bird so this was awesome for her to see too.

I scoped out Lake Calumet for Gadwall or anything interesting. Some distant MUTE SWANS:

PIED-BILLED GREBE:

A raft of distant “Aythya” genus ducks — mainly unidentifiable Scaups with some REDHEAD and RING-NECKED DUCK mixed in.

COMMON MERGANSER hen:

GREATER SCAUP and COMMON GOLDENEYE:

More Goldeneye:

Didn’t add any new birds for the year at Harborside, but it still was a sweet stop. Flushed a bunch of White-tailed Deer while driving out and spotted this beautiful female BELTED KINGFISHER: