Conservation Guardians of Northwest Illinois
Spring Bird Count
Brrr! The temperature never rose above 50 all day. With the strong wind
and cold, many birds were forced to fly and forage lower. The Mississippi
River was alive with thousands of swallows feeding just inches above
the water as insects were at that level.
It was a difficult, uncomfortable day of birding yet several teams did
well on warblers, a total of 18 species including the prized cerulean
and two stunning prothonotary warblers. Dick Harmet’s bird of
the day was an American redstart. Most teams found wood thrushes but
no other thrush.
Bird counts are great fun and the camaraderie at the post count potluck
and tallying is eagerly anticipated year after year. The delicious food
doesn’t hurt! Thanks to Jane and Jack Yoder who again hosted the potluck this year,
and to all who participated.
May 7, 2011 is the date for the next Spring Bird Count.
Illinois Natural History Survey
Bird count data from 1975 to the present
110th Audubon
Christmas Bird Count
December 2009
For 110 years Christmas Bird Counts, or CBCs as they are known, have been conducted, and new
geographical areas are being included all the time.
Last winter Cape Crozier, Antarctica was added with a total
of five species. This year almost 60,000 observers participated
in 2124 count circles, including Mexico, Colombia, Costa
Rica, the Caribbean and, of course, all of North America.
December 14, the first day each CBC can be held, was a glorious
weather day for us, a rare occurrence. Bright sunshine,
clear roads (!!) and cooperative birds were relatively easy
to spot though the frigid wind made setting up spotting
scopes unpleasant.
Two tundra swans, a species that is unusual for this area
in winter, needed documentation to be counted.
With snow cover making life difficult for birds, many come
to roadsides for grit to aid digestion. Snow buntings at
times travel with flocks of horned larks, and both were
fairly abundant this year.
Slightly larger than most sparrows, buntings are fairly
easy to identify, for they show a lot of white when they
fly and are found in open fields or fly across the road
as you pass.
Two teams were surprised to see fox sparrows, which should
have migrated south, and one winter wren was a nice find.
Where were the bluebirds? Sunning themselves on a warm south-facing
slope no doubt, for only 22 were seen, half as many as last
year.
—Grace Storch