Twitch: Rufous Hummingbird

Oak Park, IL

Saturday 17 December 2022 45 °F

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23:

Upon arriving back in Chicago, I had my mom take a slight (as in literal two-block!) detour on our way back home from O’Hare Airport. There had been a Rufous Hummingbird, a would-be Illinois lifer, hanging around a private Oak Park residence’s hummingbird feeders for the past week. Thankfully, it had been reported to have stuck to at least earlier this morning so I had hopes for the last lifer.

We started with a number of a more common birds including MOURNING DOVE:

And HOUSE FINCH:

And then, after about a ten-minute wait, the beautifully RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD made a stunning appearance at the hummingbird feeder! An awesome Illinois lifer just five minutes away from my house, and the rarest bird I have ever seen in Oak Park by far. Of course, this species takes the cake as the bird-of-the-day.

It was gorging on the sugar water to make sure it has enough sustenance to continue its southeasterly journey to the Gulf Coast.

Stay tuned — probably won’t be doing much till Christmas break (which, as of this posting, has just started!) but am hoping to make it up to the Sax-Zim Bog for some Hawk & Great Gray Owls, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Bohemian Waxwings, and others over break!

Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1142 Species

Posted by skwclar 00:06 Archived in USA