Illinois Life Birds

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. "Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is His work." Psalms 111:2

Off to Illinois for the holidays and, of course, my birding camera comes with me...

Life Bird: American Tree Sparrow. Photographed at Three Oaks Recreation Area on December 22, 2018. American Tree Sparrow perched in winter at Three Oaks Park in Crystal Lake, Illinois. McHenry County. Spizelloides arborea, also known as the winter sparrow, migrate into southern Canada and the United States to spend the winter.

On Friday evening driving from O’hare airport in Chicago to my dad’s house in the suburbs, I spotted many gulls and pigeons over the busy interstates. Turning into my father’s subdivision in Crystal Lake, I spotted a couple of Mourning Doves on a rooftop and a flyoever of about 30 geese. Over the next few days I would see hundreds upon hundreds of Canada Geese. All through the day, but highest numbers before sunset, the calls of the geese sounded all through the air. At times it sounded like an invasion!

When I awoke Saturday morning, I could hear the sounds of Robins. Looking outside, there were hundreds of them! In the trees, chasing each other, on the ground, everywhere! A comical group of mixed age individuals congregated around the outlet of the neighbor’s sump pump pipe, leaping in alarm each time the waters gushed forth, then returning to lap up the water. Juncos, sparrows and finches mobbed the feeders in the neighbor’s backyard. And a few cameos were made by woodpeckers and a White-breasted Nuthatch (but I was hoping for a Red-breasted lifer!).
 
But the next three mornings: nothing. I sat for over an hour watching the feeders on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and not a single visitor. Of the hundreds of Robins just hours earlier, now there were none. It is baffling to me how there could be so many birds one day, and zero the next.

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Life Bird: Black-capped Chickadee. Peter Exner Wildlife Preserve. Saturday, December 22, 2018.

​After the Robin counting, I snuck away first to the Peter Exner Wildlife Preserve near my brother’s house. It wasn’t overloaded with birds or other critters, but over the course of a 2 mile walk I did manage to photograph two life birds I had been looking for: Black-capped Chickadee and Red-breasted Nuthatch. The Chickadees were easy, flitting just about everywhere. On a path through some trees I first heard a nuthatch and was able to draw him in with playback. 

Life Bird: Red-breasted Nuthatch. Photographed at Peter Exner Wildlife Preserve. Saturday, December 22, 2018.

​Leaving Exner, I drove over to the lakes created in the old rock quarry. The Three Oaks Recreation area has turned out to be a beautiful spot for summertime fun and decent place for birding. There are paths, docks, gazebos and a good bit of unfrozen water. I was able to get a few more lifer’s here today and when I went back on Monday.

​The first was the American Tree Sparrow. The second was a bit harder to discern. Far across the water floated some black and white ducks. The distance and the glare of the bright sun made things hard to see. But zooming in the photo and using process of elimination, I narrowed it down to a group of Common Mergansers. This was backed by recent listings from other birders in the area as well.  

Life Birds: a poor shot of Common Mergansers on the other side of the lake at Three Oaks Recreation Area.

Life Bird photo: Herring Gull. Three Oaks Recreation Area.