The May crescendo of migrants
Illinois
Friday 14 May 2021
65 °F
So this weekend I am in Indiana with my friends Kim and Susie, but before posting about that, I have to catch up on all of the great birds I’ve been seeing recently back in Illinois the last few weeks. This post will cover birds sighted from May 3 — May 7 mainly on bird walks I have been leading, apart from one major chase.
The big twitch of the week was a mid-day excursion to LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve to pursue a reported Broad-billed Hummingbird found by birder Nathan Goldberg.
By the time I arrived, about thirty birders had already amassed and as we kept searching, the number of birders doubled. Finally, I saw a brilliant emerald-green hummingbird perched in the back of a bush, got a few people on it, and within a matter of seconds, BOOM it was gone!
Five minutes later, another birder discovered it perched a little deeper into the woods. BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD! An incredible Illinois lifer and only the third ever seen in the state. This is a Mexican bird that only ranges into far southeastern Arizona in the US so to have one in the Midwest is a mega-rare event. Awesome!!!!
Interestingly enough I realized I had never added Broad-billed Hummingbird to my life list from when I had them years ago in Arizona, so that bumped my life list up to 1126 species!!
It was quite the spectacle. 
There were a few other migrants around at LaBagh as well. Here is a SWAINSON’S THRUSH:
And of course the warblers never fail to amaze. PALM WARBLER:
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER:
PINE:
BLACK-THROATED GREEN:
CHESTNUT-SIDED:
Male BLACKBURNIAN was a star that I showed my mom:
BLUE-WINGED:
Another Palm Warbler:
A late GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET was fun to see see see. Get it? Lol
This BROAD-WINGED HAWK was a life bird for a number of birders on my neighborhood Oak Park Bird Walk:
A nice bright YELLOW-THROATED VIREO:
BALTIMORE ORIOLES:
Male NASHVILLE WARBLER:
GOLDEN-WINGED is always a star of any migration show:
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, the more-expected kinglet species for May:
COOPER’S HAWK:
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS have been common as can be, per usual:
A bird walk at Miller Meadow was quite enjoyable. SONG SPARROW:
EASTERN MEADOWLARK:
Male AMERICAN GOLDFINCH:
The stars of the show for the bird walk were a pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS that were using a natural cavity for a nest. Always awesome to see!
So it’s been pretty good so far, but I am admittedly waiting for the next few days in May for the peak of songbird migration. Stay tuned!
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1126 Species
Wowowow on the broad-billed hummer! We had one in Idaho years ago, I may have seen it but couldn’t confirm and it wasn’t seen again.
by Poo