Montrose Madness: 2021 Edition!

Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, IL

Monday 10 May 2021 80 °F

Still catching up on migration posts...on May 2 I (and about two hundred other birders!) made the pilgrimage to Montrose Point since strong southwesterly winds were forecast the night before, hopefully bringing the long-awaited big push of migrants.

I started on the beach and immediately found my first PIPING PLOVERS of the year, more specifically, Monty and Rose who are now here for their third summer. I think this might be Monty.

A few RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS flew by — always nice to get May diving ducks in Chicago:

A NORTHERN HARRIER winged its way along the lakefront:

The flight of BLUE JAYS throughout the morning was pretty impressive. I counted almost 400!

And migrant passerines were evident in strong numbers. Here is a male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK:

GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER:

LEAST FLYCATCHER:

SAVANNAH SPARROW:

LINCOLN’S SPARROW — note warm colors and fine streaks:

My first INDIGO BUNTING of the season was a welcome sight!

As was another colorful summer bird — male SCARLET TANAGER:

Here’s a quick lesson on thrush ID with my photos from Montrose. VEERY, a nice warm-toned bird from the back with extremely faint spotting on the breast:

SWAINSON’S THRUSH, note the duller back than the Veery and a thick eye ring:

WOOD THRUSH — almost reddish back and thick spots on the breast:

GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH — most similar to the Swainson’s but lacking the eye ring:

Back to Sparrows. Here’s a SWAMP. Note the rufous back.

And a CHIPPING with the almost-red cap:

FIELD — white eyering and cute pink bill:

PINE SISKINS are always a welcome sight:

And the warblers didn’t disappoint. I had 16 species which was quite good for May 2, a date when I would usually expect around 10 species. YELLOW-RUMPED:

OVENBIRD:

MAGNOLIA:

YELLOW:

NASHVILLE:

Favorite warbler of the morning was this GOLDEN-WINGED:

First RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD of the year:

The celebrity bird of the morning was this roosting EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL which attracted about 80 onlookers at one point, unfortunately spooking the bird. Luckily it came back for more photos and hopefully wasn’t disturbed too much after that.

I came back fo the car with 83 species for the morning so I set out to see if I could get a few more and I upped my count with the lingering LESSER SCAUP in the harbor: