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Author: Peter Kasper
See the following link information concerning the
Current Status of Access to Fermilab
Year List: Contains the list of birds seen so far this year.
Seasonal List: The list of birds recorded on site at this time of year.
Monday, November 16
It was a very quiet early afternoon of birding at Fermi Lab today, except for the large flocks of
Canada Geese seen throughout the area. There were some
Cackling Geese mixed in these flocks, but not as many as last week. There were good sized flocks of
Mallards on Lake Law and Nepase
Marsh along with several
American Black Ducks on the
Marsh. The only other waterfowl were a pair of
Hooded Mergansers on A.E. Sea and five other males on Main Ring Lake. There were also
American Coots and a
Pied-billed Grebe on Main Ring Lake. The Garden Club was dead and the
only thing of interest in the Sparrow Hedge area were
several
Rusty Blackbirds in a small group of blackbirds.
There was a lone
Eastern Meadowlark at the end of Swenson Road. The only area with lots of activity was the Center Ring Woods, with many chickadees, woodpeckers, and several
White-breasted Nuthatches and
Brown Creepers. Dave Tuesday, November 10
A
Cooper's Hawk greeted me as I entered Fermi late this
afternoon, but for the most part the Lab was very quiet.
In amongst several groups of
Mallards on Dusaf Pond were
an
American Wigeon and a
Northern Pintail. The Big Woods had several common woodpeckers and
Brown Creepers. There was a mixed flock of blackbirds in the trees around Lake Logo containing some
Brewer's Blackbirds and
Rusty Blackbirds. As darkness fell and the geese started to
move, several flocks of
Greater White-fronted Geese were
seen and heard numbering over 100 birds. Finally, a
Great Horned Owl was heard then seen inside the Main Ring while
an
Eastern Screech-Owl responded to calls in the Big Woods. Dave Sunday, November 8
The number of birds throughout the Lab this morning was
way down from the past two weeks, the only exception were
geese. There was another increase in the number of
Canada Geese throughout the Lab, including a higher percentage of
Cackling Geese. Mixed in with the
Canada Geese in the
buffalo fields were well over 50
Greater White-fronted Geese. Waterfowl numbers are still extremely low, with one
pair of
Buffleheads on A.E. Sea and several
Ruddy Ducks on
Dusaf Pond. Seen in the Sparrow Hedge area were
Eastern Bluebirds,
Purple Finches,
Northern Shrike (possibly two),
and two mixed flocks of
White-throated Sparrows and
Fox Sparrows. The Garden Club had only a small number of
sparrows and a
Gray Catbird. The lone
Swamp Sparrow of the
morning was at the edge of Lake Logo. Two
Sharp-shinned Hawks were on the perimeter of the Center Ring Woods and a
Brown Creeper was found in the woods. Finally, a
Cooper's Hawk was near the Big Woods and a
Belted Kingfisher was
along Road A. Dave Sunday, November 1
Another very good morning of birding at Fermi today. There were still good numbers of birds, but not as many as last
week. The mix of birds had also changed, with the number
of sparrows way down from last week. There were still
small numbers of
Fox Sparrows,
Swamp Sparrows,
White-crowned Sparrows,
White-throated Sparrows and one
Field Sparrow (in the Garden Club), while the numbers of
American Tree Sparrows and
Dark-eyed Juncos was noticeably
up from last week. The Sparrow Hedge also had a
Winter Wren and several
Purple Finches. There were also good
numbers of
Cedar Waxwings and
Eastern Bluebirds throughout
the lab, with the call of the bluebirds almost constant in
the Sparrow Hedge area. The Garden Club had two large
flocks of
Eastern Bluebirds, one over thirty and the other
over fifty birds. Waterfowl are starting to increase in
numbers, but are still predominantly
Canada Geese. Other waterfowl seen were
Cackling Geese,
Greater White-fronted Geese (in the Buffalo
Fields),
American Black Ducks,
Northern Shovelers,
Buffleheads,
Ruddy Ducks, and a
Hooded Merganser. Raptors seen were an above average number of
Red-tailed Hawks, a
Turkey Vulture and a pair of
Cooper's Hawks interacting over the Garden Club. As last week the
birds of the day were three Carolina Wrens in the big
woods along with some
Golden-crowned Kinglets and a
Great Horned Owl. Dave Tuesday, October 27
I had excellent birding this morning at Fermi, with
sparrows being evident almost anywhere around the Lab.
Nine spices of sparrows were found, these were
Song Sparrow,
Chipping Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrow,
Field Sparrow,
White-throated Sparrow,
White-crowned Sparrow,
Lincoln's Sparrow,
Fox Sparrow and
Dark-eyed Junco. The
Harris's Sparrow seen on Sunday was missed. Waterfowl numbers and
variety is still low,
Blue-winged Teal,
Ruddy Duck and
Northern Shoveler were the only species of note.
Interesting raptors were a
Cooper's Hawk and a migrating
Bald Eagle. The only late warblers were
Palm Warblers and
Yellow-rumped Warblers seen in several locations. Some other birds of note were
American Woodcock,
Eastern Phoebe,
House Wren,
Eastern Bluebird and
Eastern Towhee all seen in the Sparrow Hedge area. Several
Hermit Thrushs were seen in the Center Ring Woods and several
Eastern Meadowlarks were seen near the Garden Club. The birds of
the day were three Carolina Wrens in the center of the Big Woods feeding off some downed trees and brush, this
appears to be a first for the Lab. Finally, a
Great Horned Owl was also flushed in the Big Woods. Dave Sunday, October 25
Two different groups were birding at Fermi today. First a
class led by Denis found a
Turkey Vulture, an
American Kestrel, a
Bonaparte's Gull, an
Eastern Meadowlark and
several
American Crows. The crow population has been
growing quite rapidly this year, Denis sighted twenty-four
today.
The second group was a DuPage Birding Club field trip.
Their highlight birds were
Merlin,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Hermit Thrush,
Gray Catbird,
Common Yellowthroat, and
Harris's Sparrow.
Sunday, October 18
There were lots of sparrows to sort through this morning.
Unfortunately we didn't manage to find anything unusual
among them, just the usual
White-crowned,
White-throated,
Swamp,
Song,
Chipping, and
Lincoln's as well as the first
Dark-eyed Juncos of the season. The migrating
Canada Geese flocks were smaller than last week, though they did contain
larger numbers of
Cackling Geese. There were several flocks
of
Northern Shovelers but little else in the way of migrant
waterfowl. The only warblers we could find were a handful of
Yellow-rumped and
Palm Warblers. Other birds of note were
Eastern Towhees,
Eastern Phoebes, and the bird of the day, a
Ring-necked Pheasant.
Sunday, October 11
There was little of note found on site this morning. Some early waterfowl are starting to pass through. A small flock
of
Ruddy Ducks were on Lake Law, and a larger flock of
Northern Shovelers were on A.E.Sea. Among the migratory
geese flocks were some
Greater White-fronted Geese. Some late warblers are still passing through; we found a few
Palm and
Yellow-rumped Warblers and a
Tennessee Warbler as well.
There were good numbers of sparrows at the Garden Club, but
nothing unusual among them. The only other birds of note
were a
Wilson's Snipe and a kettle of
Turkey Vultures.
Sunday, October 4
The garden club was once again the most productive location
on site today. There were lots of sparrows to sort through
(
Chipping,
Song,
Field,
Lincoln's,
White-crowned, and
White-throated), but the best bird was a female
Purple Finch. Also present were
Nashville and
Palm Warblers and a
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The sparrow hedge area produced a
few more warblers including
Cape May and
Bay-breasted and
there were a few
Cackling Geese among the growing flocks of
Canada Geese.
Sunday, September 27
The garden club area produced all the better bird sightings
today. These included
Ruby-throated Hummingbird,
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and
Lincoln's Sparrow,
Clay-colored Sparrow. Only a hand-full of warblers were found ..
Black-throated Green,
Magnolia,
Nashville, and
Tennessee.
Sunday, September 20
The best birds seen today were
Mourning Warbler,
Northern Shoveler,
Bay-breasted Warbler,
Ruby-throated Hummingbird,
and
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. However, the most notable aspect
of the day was just how few birds around. This should be the
peak of fall warbler migration, and yet the woods were
eerily quiet.
Sunday, September 13
It was remarkably quiet this morning. Apart from
American Robins,
Blue Jays, and
American Goldfinches there were few
birds to be seen or even heard. We only found a handful of
warblers, but that handful did include one
Blackburnian Warbler. Other birds of note were a
Sharp-shinned Hawk, a
Red-breasted Nuthatch, a female
Purple Finch, and some
Northern Shovelers.
Sunday, September 6
Yet another disappointing day for birds. Apart from a small
flock of warblers in the Big Woods there was very little to
see. There was however, a
Mourning Warbler in among the
Tennessee,
Magnolia,
American Redstarts, and
Blackpoll Warblers that made up that flock. The
Osprey and
Red-headed Woodpeckers were still around today.
Sunday, August 30
It has rained heavily this week and all the mudflats that
had been developing along the shorelines of A.E.Sea, Dusaf pond and Swenson rd. pond, are now gone. I am unable to
recall a worse shorebird year. The grasslands on site have
also become very quiet as the breeding birds have pretty
much all left their territories. A handful of warblers were
found today; a
Canada Warbler, several
American Redstarts,
and a
Chestnut-sided. The best birds of the day were the
Osprey and
Red-headed Woodpeckers Sunday, August 23
Today there were some modest indications that the fall
warbler migration has started.
Tennessee and
Chestnut-sided Warblers were both seen today as were
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and an early
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The water
levels have also dropped sufficiently to produce some
shorebird habitat and this attracted a
Semipalmated Plover and several
Solitary Sandpipers to Swenson rd. pond.
Sunday, August 16
The past month has been very quiet with respect to birds.
The
American Redstarts and
White-eyed Vireo have not been
seen since late July. A young
Red-headed woodpecker was seen
in the Main Ring
Savannah on August 16 and two weeks later
it was seen again begging for food from an adult. It would
appear that the birds seen there back in May did in fact
stay to breed. The
Ospreys have been very reliable
throughout the month and have even been seen working on
their nest.
Grasshopper Sparrows were also fairly reliable
along north Eola rd. but I have not managed to find them in
recent weeks.
Sunday, July 19
Nothing new to report today. The
Ospreys are still hanging
around their nest site. The
White-eyed Vireo and
American Redstarts were both still present at the Ed Center woodlot.
Bell's Vireos can be found at the Sparrow hedge, and both
Grasshopper and
Henslow's Sparrows can be seen in the north
Eola rd. grasslands.
Sunday, July 5
A visit to the Ed Center woodlot again this morning produced
two
American Redstarts; a male and a female. This means that
it is likely that they at least attempted to nest there.
Wednesday, July 1
This morning I was surprised to find three
Ospreys near the
nest site ... two adults and an immature. It seems that the
young bird fledged some time ago and was probably the bird
we have recently been seeing near the nest. Weeks ago I
thought I saw a chick in the nest on several occasions, but
could never get a good enough look to be sure. Now it
appears that it was the chick I had been seeing.
Monday, June 29
The
Whip-poor-will was heard again last night!
Sunday, June 28
We started birding in the sparrow hedge area this morning
and though we eventually found a
Bell's Vireo, there was
little else to report ... one
Sedge Wren and several
Yellow Warblers with young. We the went looking for the
White-eyed Vireo. We had no luck with the vireo, but did get a
Ruby-throated Hummingbird and heard what I thought might
have been a redstart. Unfortunately, it stopped calling
before we could locate it. We then went in search of the
Ospreys, but again failed to find anyone at the nest site.
In desperation we went back to have another go at the vireo
and there our luck turned. We not only found the
White-eyed Vireo, but also confirmed the presence of an adult male
American Redstart!
Sunday, June 21
Today I did the rounds of our better quality breeding birds.
The best bird on this list has to be the
Ospreys and they
were at the nest again this morning, though I cannot tell if
they have young. Next on the list is the
White-eyed Vireo that was visible and still singing in the wood lot west of
the Ed Center. The
Pied-billed Grebe was sitting on its nest
north of the bison field and
Grasshopper Sparrows were easy
to find along Eola rd. The sparrow hedge area produced both
Yellow-breasted Chats and
Bell's Vireos while
Henslow's Sparrows were in the grasslands to the west.
Friday, June 19
This morning's Breeding Bird Survey produced
Dickcissels,
Bobolinks, and
Henslow's Sparrows distributed throughout
the Lab but,
Grasshopper Sparrows were still found only in
the North Eola Road area. The pair of
Ospreys were found
in a dead tree in the woodlot just south of the nest
area. Other raptors found were two
Cooper's Hawks, an
American Kestrel and a flushed
Great Horned Owl. A
Wood Thrush was heard in a small woodlot by Giese Road. One
Pied-billed Grebe was still in the pond across from the
Buffalo Wallow and three young
Hooded Mergansers were
swimming in the A.E. Sea. Finally, a quick trip to the
Sparrow Hedge produced a
Yellow-breasted Chat and
Bell's Vireo. Dave Sunday, June 14
Both
Ospreys were present at the nest site today, which came
as a relief as I had only seen them infrequently during the
week and not more than one. The nest is still incomplete and
is advancing rather slowly. A
Pied-billed Grebe was seen
sitting on a nest east of the bison field and several
Grasshopper Sparrows were both seen and heard along Eola rd.
The sparrow hedge area produced at least four singing
Yellow-breasted Chats and two
Bell's Vireos.
Henslow's Sparrows and
Sedge Wrens were in the grasslands to the west
of there.
Wednesday, June 10
I have others to thank for today's exciting reports. The first was a report from the ever vigilant "Roads and
Grounds" personnel, of a family of
Sandhill Cranes feeding
in the ponds along north Eola rd. The second is the first
site record of a
Whip-poor-will! I was alerted to its
presence by neighbors along our eastern boundary and
confirmed their report when I heard the bird singing just
after dark from the brush east of Dusaf pond. According to
the neighbor, Gary Davis, it has been singing from that area
regularly for the past few weeks.
Tuesday, June 9
The first
Grasshopper Sparrows (west of Eola Rd and north
of Batavia Rd)
of the year were a highlight of the Breeding Bird Survey this morning, along with
Henslow's Sparrows in several
locations. Good numbers of
Sedge Wrens and
Bobolinks were
also singing and displaying in several locations.
American Crows were seen and are on their way back, being
seen about every other trip to the Lab.
Pied-billed Grebes were found in Lake Logo and in the seasonal pond
across from the buffalo wallow. Finally, another
Yellow-breasted Chat was found singing along Geise Road.
Dave Monday, June 8
A pair of
Ospreys are building a nest on a power pole by
the main injector ring. This is our first breeding record
for this "state endangered" species.
Sunday, June 7
Threatening weather and mosquitoes made birding rather
unpleasant this morning. However, I did manage to relocate
the
White-eyed Vireo near the Ed Center and
Bell's Vireos have returned to the sparrow hedge area. A
Pied-billed Grebe was still present on the pond north of the bison field and
is likely to be nesting there.
Henslow's Sparrows were heard
from several locations and
Dickcissels are all over the site.
Sunday, May 31
Sunday Denis saw a
Yellow-breasted Chat and
Orchard Oriole in the area of the Prairie Parking Lot on Pine Street. He also had a flyby
Osprey and an
American Woodcock family of
one adult and four chicks walking across the road in the
same area. Also of note, two
Black-crowned Night-Herons were flushed along the shore of Lake Logo and an
Alder Flycatcher was heard singing. Dave Thursday, May 28
An Exciting find today on Swan Lake was a
Greater Scaup,
this was a first May sighting at the Lab for this
species. Also, seen today were
Connecticut Warbler,
Chestnut-sided Warbler and a good number of
Henslow's Sparrows in a number of locations.
Bobolinks dominated
the pre-breeding grassland bird survey, except of course
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