Twitch: Lesser Goldfinch
Cook County, IL
Sunday 13 March 2022
37 °F
TUESDAY, MARCH 8:
During my five-day stay in Chicago over spring break, I was able to bird once — Parker and I made a bee-line for Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in Palos to chase a continuing Lesser Goldfinch which was a first record ever for Illinois!
There were plenty of songbirds around, including AMERICAN TREE SPARROW:
And a number of AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES:
But despite our (and over a dozen other birders’) efforts, we were unable to locate the Lesser after over an hour of searching. So, Parker and I continued on to a few more reliable Palos birding spots — Saganashkee Slough held a MUTE SWAN:
As well as a fair amount of diving ducks very far out — picture here are RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, RING-NECKED DUCKS, GREATER SCAUP, and Greater/Lesser Scaup:
COMMON MERGANSERS:
Next stop was the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center where in Long John Slough behind the center I had HOODED MERGANSERS along with more Ring-necked Ducks:
And right in the corner of the slough, I heard quite a ruckus, and despite twigs obscuring my view, I figured out that it was the pair of TRUMPETER SWANS mating! 
We left Palos and had one more stop before calling it quits: Miller Meadow Forest Preserve. Here I checked the fluddles for Wilson’s Snipe but came up empty, instead finding the more ubiquitous CANADA GEESE and MALLARDS, along with my first-of-the-year KILLDEER! I’m sure had I waded into the marshy north meadow I would’ve flushed a few Snipe, but I didn’t have that kind of time.
Nobody had the Lesser Goldfinch for the rest of the day, but annoyingly, others did find it the next day. So bird-of-the-day goes to the Trumpeter Swans, by far the most quality species found today.
I’m back to New York now but probably will not be doing much birding until warbler season starts in late April due to an incredibly busy performance schedule.
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1128 Species
