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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.
Sunday, April 29
Notable Species:
Northern Mockingbird,
American Pipit,
Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Clay-colored Sparrow,
Henslow's Sparrow
The morning started well with a nice and cooperative
Clay-colored Sparrow by Lake Law. I did not notice the Grebe but it was relocated
later in the day. I spent most off the morning checking for grassland
birds with some success. Highlights included the first
Henslow's off
the year (Main Injector ring), a flyover
Sharp-shinned (near Casey's pond), fledgling
Horned Larks, a male
Ring-necked Pheasant (near the
bison pasture) and several
Turkey Vultures perched on the High Rise.
I also received reports of a
Northern Mockingbird along Pine st.,
Common Mergansers on Swan Lake, and
American Pipits at Swenson rd.
Friday, April 27
Notable Species:
Eared Grebe
Still present at Lake Law.
Wednesday, April 25
Notable Species:
Eared Grebe
Still present at Lake Law this morning!
Monday, April 23
Notable Species:
Eared Grebe,
Le Conte's Sparrow
Both were seen within 100 yards of each other at Lake Law this
evening. The grebe was particularly enjoyable, not only because they
are quite rare on site, but also because this one was in full breeding
plumage.
Tuesday, April 17
It was a very pleasant morning of birding at Fermi. The almost
nonexistent wind was a welcome relief from the strong winds of the
past several days. The large flock of
Northern Shovelers was again
together, this time at the south end of A.E. Sea along with a dozen
Ruddy Ducks, several
Blue-winged Teal and a pair of
Gadwall. The male
American Kestrel was again acting as sentinel about 20 yards
from the nest box near the Hedge. Sparrows appear to be increasing
in the Sparrow Hedge area. Seen were numerous
Song Sparrows,
Field Sparrows, and
Swamp Sparrows. Also seen were a good-sized flock of
White-throated Sparrows, a surprise
American Tree Sparrow and the
bird of the day, a
Le Conte's Sparrow (a first spring sighting for
the Lab).
Eastern Towhees and
Brown Thrashers were also quite evident in the area. A
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was found here and in several other locations around the
Lab. As I approached the
Cooper's Hawk nest a
Great Horned Owl burst
out of the woods followed closely by one of the
Cooper's Hawks.
About a minute later I could hear
American Crows join in by mobbing
the owl. The nest was empty but I then heard the agitated calls of
the other
Cooper's Hawk nearby. On my return from the Garden Club,
the hawks were still quite vocal. About fifteen minutes later while
showing the nest to Bob, we found the female settled in on the nest.
The pair of
Osprey were together one pole away from the nest
platform. Several
Wilson's Snipe flushed again from the flooded
grasses along Swenson Road while a
Sora, the first of the year,
called from the cattails across the road. Other birds seen around
the Lab were
Great Egret,
Green-winged Teal,
Wood Duck,
Turkey Vulture,
Barn Swallow (another first),
Northern Rough-winged Swallow,
Hermit Thrush,
Yellow-rumped Warbler,
Savannah Sparrow and
Chipping Sparrow. Finally,
Great Horned Owl nest one had both owlets
being quite alert but I could not see the owlet in nest two. This nest appears quite deep and the owlet looked less advanced than the
pair in nest one. On the plus side there was some fresh white wash
since most was washed away on our weekend visit, this gives me hope
that the owlet is still in there. Dave
An adult male
Blue Grosbeak was hanging around the northern part of
the Education Center parking lot as I left work this evening. This is
a new species for the site list! Peter K.
Sunday, April 15
We had a pleasant morning of birding in mild temperatures although
the strong winds dissuaded us from walking to the Sparrow Hedge. We chose to bird locations less affected by these winds. Lake Law again
had a nice mixed flock of waterfowl including
Northern Shovelers,
Lesser Scaup, and
Ruddy Ducks. Other birds seen in the lakes area
were
Horned Grebe,
Pied-billed Grebe and
American Coot. The Nepese marsh area had
Blue-winged Teal,
Green-winged Teal and several
Swamp Sparrows. Once again, as we observed the
Cooper's Hawk nest, the
female flew in and settled down. Seen in the Garden Club were a
Winter Wren,
Field Sparrows and a good number of
White-throated Sparrows. A
Wilson's Snipe was flushed along Swenson Road. Main Ring Woods was fairly active with a good number of
Yellow-rumped Warblers, some
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, more
White-throated Sparrows and a
Golden-crowned Kinglet. An
Eastern Phoebe confirmed
its breeding status by flying into a nest under an eve by a power
building along Kautz Road. Meanwhile the
Ospreys were busy improving
their nest. Some other birds of note were
Northern Rough-winged Swallow,
Horned Lark,
Chipping Sparrow and
Vesper Sparrow. Dave Wednesday, April 11
A chilly but pleasant morning (with ice on some puddles) provided
some interesting birding around the Lab. A group of around fifty
Northern Shovelers, probably the same birds seen last week, were on
A.E. Sea. About one hundred
Double-crested Cormorants were in two
groups on Lake Law with another thirty-five on A.E. Sea. Only the
Male
American Kestrel was hanging around the Sparrow Hedge nest box.
Hopefully this means the female was inside brooding. Other birds of
note in the Sparrow Hedge were
Wood Duck,
Ring-necked Pheasant,
Brown Thrasher,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, and
Field Sparrow. Nepese had
several
Blue-winged Teal and a pair of
Green-winged Teal. I checked
the apparent
Cooper's Hawk nest in the area of the Garden Club and
it had definitely been improved since my last visit. While I viewed
the nest through my binoculars, the female swooped in and landed.
Though I did not have a clear view of the whole bird, I assume she
brought in nest material because she then flew off again after a
couple of minutes. A pair of
Wood Ducks bolted from under the new
nest box at the edge of a small pond inside the Big Woods. A
Great Egret flew over the berm near the center
of the ring while three female
Hooded Mergansers swam in the moat.
East Main Ring woods still had a couple of
Dark-eyed Juncos and the
first
Hermit Thrush of the year while the West woods provided well
over a dozen
Rusty Blackbirds. Both
Osprey have now returned to the
nest area, with reports of the second bird's return provided earlier
in the week. Two
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were sparring on a tree
in Kautz Road Woods until a
Red-bellied Woodpecker flew in and
scared off one of the combatants. I finally found a second
Great Horned Owl nest in the hollow of a broken off tree. It appears quite
deep and I could only confirm a single owlet inside. Nest number one
is doing fine. It was hard to tell but it still looks like there is
a pair of young within. Finally, I was able to relocate the
Barred Owl after being elusive for a few weeks. Dave Thursday, April 5
With temps back into the normal range and moderately strong
northeast winds, the morning began with a chill but it was still a
pleasant morning of birding. It started out with over fifty
Northern Shovelers together in A.E. Sea, with not much going on in Lake Law.
To show how bad the waterfowl migration has been this season, this
was the largest flock of a single species (non-winter species) I
have seen so far. The male
American Kestrel was feeding on a small
rodent near the Hedge nest box. Later the male and female were seen
together. Birds singing in the Sparrow Hedge area were
Brown Thrasher,
Eastern Towhees,
Field Sparrows,
Song Sparrows, and
Northern Cardinals. A
Sandhill Crane was heard, then seen flying low
in a northeast direction almost directly overhead and into the wind.
Nepese marsh had several
Blue-winged Teal while the surrounding area
produced a pair of
Cooper's Hawks, singing
Eastern Phoebes and the
first
Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the year. The Swenson Road horse
wallow had a pair of
Green-winged Teal but the kestrels were not
found in the area. My first
Osprey sighting of the year was one
feeding on a fish atop a post adjacent to the nest platform; so far
this year only one bird has been seen. Added inside the Main Ring were a
Turkey Vulture, a
Swamp Sparrow and a good number of Yellow-
rumped Warblers. The first
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers of the year
were found in a couple of different woodlots. Finally, the
Great Horned Owl nest has been blessed with a pair of fuzzy owlets. Dave Sunday, April 1
Cloudy, seasonable temps and minimal wind greeted us this morning
for a pleasant morning of birding. The fairly disappointing
waterfowl season seems to be winding down with only
Wood Ducks,
Northern Shovelers, a couple
Gadwall, and a couple of
American Black Ducks, all seen in various locations throughout the Lab. Also seen
were a
Pied-billed Grebe and several
American Coots. The Sparrow Hedge was the most active area we visited, but sparrow numbers
remain low. Sparrows seen in this area were
Song Sparrow,
Swamp Sparrow,
Fox Sparrow,
Field Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco, and the first
Vesper Sparrow of the year.
Chipping Sparrow and
Savannah Sparrow were added elsewhere. Other birds in the Hedge area were
Brown Thrasher,
Eastern Towhee,
Rusty Blackbird and the pair of
American Kestrels which appear to be married to the nest box in the area.
Wilson's Snipe were again seen along Swenson Road. From inside the
Main Ring we added
Northern Harrier,
Horned Lark, a
Winter Wren and
several
Golden-crowned Kinglets. As prolific as the Big Woods was on
Wednesday, it was just as strangely quiet this morning. Dave Friday, March 30
An
Osprey was reportedly seen on the nest near the Main Injector today by a Lab employee. Dave Wednesday, March 28
I was hoping the recent strong south winds would bring in some new
birds today. There were some, but the strong winds made finding them
a little difficult. The early morning started with mild west winds
but these soon increased to 20 to 30 mph producing white caps on
Lake Law. Lake Law had a nice mixed flotilla of
Northern Shovelers,
Gadwalls,
American Wigeons and
Lesser Scaup. Interestingly this
group was still together on my return from the Hedge more than hour
later. Lake Law also had our first group of
Double-crested Cormorants consisting of a dozen birds. A.E. Sea had a pair of
Pied-billed Grebe and several
Wood Ducks, while the pair of
Hooded Mergansers were still on the Sea of Evanescence. Birds of interest
in the Sparrow Hedge area were
Brown Thrashers,
Field Sparrows,
White-throated Sparrows and a
Swamp Sparrow. A pair of
American Kestrels were again near the Sparrow Hedge nest box, while a male
was atop the Swenson Road nest box. Several
Blue-winged Teal were in
Nepese marsh and Swenson Road produced several
Green-winged Teal. A
beautiful male
Belted Kingfisher with its crest up was perched on a
wire over Dusaf Pond. A couple of
Rusty Blackbirds were found in
Morgan's Woods. The birdiest spot of the morning was the Big Woods with numerous woodpeckers, chickadees and robins. The highlights
were several
Eastern Phoebes,
Eastern Bluebirds,
and
Dark-eyed Juncos, the first migrant
Yellow-rumped Warbler, the
first
Winter Wren of the year and a pair of
Great Horned Owls. A
Turkey Vulture was soaring along the northern edge of the woods as I
exited. Finally, the female
Great Horned Owl was still atop her
nest. Dave Sunday, March 25
Another beautiful morning greeted us again this morning with mild
winds and above average temperatures. Lake Law was quiet with only
Ruddy Duck and
Pied-billed Grebe worthy of mention. Singing
Brown Thrashers, the first of the season, were found in the Sparrow Hedge area. Other singers in this area were
Eastern Phoebe,
Eastern Towhee,
Song Sparrow and
Field Sparrow. Today a male
American Kestrel was standing guard near the nest box in the area. Other birds of mention in the area were
Wood Duck,
Tree Swallow, White-
throated Sparrow and
Fox Sparrow. The Nepese marsh area produced
Gadwall,
Northern Shoveler,
Blue-winged Teal and Green Winged Teal.
After adding
Hairy Woodpecker,
Chipping Sparrow and some of the last
American Tree Sparrows and
Dark-eyed Juncos in the Garden Club, we
were pleasantly surprised to find a
Cooper's Hawk near a nest in the
area. Lake Logo had several
American Coots along with a lone
Bufflehead, and Main Ring Lake had a Double Crested Cormorant.
Savannah Sparrows were found in a couple of different locations. I
was surprised by four
Wilson's Snipe bursting out of the flooded
grasses along Swenson Road as I stepped out of the car. Finally, a
lone
Turkey Vulture sailed over Eloa Road as we headed for donuts.
Dave Wednesday, March 21
A hot, late afternoon/evening trip to Fermi today produced a few
more new year birds. The first new arrival was a
Field Sparrow on my
way to the Sparrow Hedge. Next was a
Double-crested Cormorant along
the edge of A.E. Sea while a
Pied-billed Grebe swam nearby.
Hooded Mergansers and
Green-winged Teal were found on the Sea of
Evanescence. A female
American Kestrel was perched in a tree
adjacent to the nest box just east of the Sparrow Hedge.
Northern Flickers numbers are beginning to increase here and throughout the
Lab. Others in the Hedge area were a calling
Eastern Towhee,
Song Sparrows and
Fox Sparrows but both of these in smaller numbers than
in previous trips. A
Chipping Sparrow was heard in the trees of the
Village; this is a two to three weeks earlier arrival than in the
past. Nepese marsh provided
Gadwall,
Northern Shoveler,
Blue-winged Teal and a female
Bufflehead. The Garden Club had more
Field Sparrows, with some
singing. Singing
Dark-eyed Juncos and a couple of
American Tree Sparrows were also
found, but their numbers appear to be waning fast lately throughout
the Lab. Main Ring Lake was very quiet with only a few
Gadwall, a
pair of
Ruddy Ducks and three
American Coots. As the sun dropped
below the horizon,
American Woodcocks began peenting but did not
start their flights until almost dark. Unfortunately, no screech-
owls were contacted later in the evening. Dave Sunday, March 18
Another beautiful morning greeted us with temperatures more than 30
deg. above normal. Winds again were low to moderate most of the
morning. We started at Lake Law which produced
Ring-necked Ducks and
a
Lesser Scaup, but the highlight here was five
Horned Grebes. Four of the grebes were in full breeding plumage while the fifth was
still showing clean non-breeding plumage. A
Pied-billed Grebe was
fishing in A.E. Sea. An
American Kestrel was calling as it flew
toward the east end of the Sparrow Hedge, hopefully, to check out
the new nest box in that area. The Hedge still had many
Song Sparrows, singing
Fox Sparrows and a
White-crowned Sparrow.
Eastern Meadowlarks were singing in the fields south of the Hedge and just
about every other suitable location in the Lab. Another
American Kestrel was spotted along West Wilson Road. It's really good to see
them becoming well distributed around the Lab again. The first
Eastern Phoebe of the year was heard then found in the area of the
fire station. Finally, Denis mentioned that he had a
Ring-necked Pheasant yesterday near Batavia and Eola Roads. Dave Friday, March 16
Another beautiful March shirtsleeve morning greeted Peter and I this
morning. Lake Law produced
Northern Shoveler,
Ring-necked Duck,
Common Merganser,
Ruddy Duck and our first
Pied-billed Grebe of the
year. On the way back to the Sparrow Hedge we were greeted by the
first migrant
Eastern Towhee of the year. At first it was calling;
then later it began its song from atop a tall tree.
Song Sparrows and
Fox Sparrows remain in good numbers in the Hedge Area. An
Eastern Meadowlark in the field south of the Hedge glowed in the
bright sun and then
Sandhill Cranes were heard but not seen. These cranes may have been on the ground but this could not be determined.
The highlight of this area was seeing a late
Northern Shrike perched
in a tree along with an
American Kestrel and
Red-winged Blackbird;
all three in very close proximity. Nepsee marsh had about two dozen
Northern Shovelers, several
Blue-winged Teal (another new year bird)
while some
Eastern Bluebirds sang nearby. The Swenson Road area had
several
Green-winged Teal and another recent arrival, a
Tree Swallow. Main Ring Lake added
American Black Duck,
Gadwall and
American Coot while the Main Injector Moat added
Redhead and
Belted Kingfisher. Some other birds of mention were
Wood Duck,
Bufflehead,
Northern Flicker,
Horned Lark, and another dozen or more
Fox Sparrows. Finally, the
Great Horned Owl is still atop her nest and
the
Barred Owl was again spotted. Dave Wednesday, March 14
A
Short-eared Owl was reportedly perched atop a post on the east
side of North Eola Road. Dave Sunday, March 11
The morning started out beautifully with sun and minimal winds. Even when the wind picked up on our way back from the Sparrow Hedge, it
was not much of a factor. Lake Law had the expected
Common Mergansers though their numbers appear to be diminishing throughout
the Lab. Additionally seen on Lake Law were
Green-winged Teal,
Northern Pintails, and
Ruddy Ducks. One of the biggest surprises of
the morning was when a
Northern Shrike flew in and perched in a tree
about 30 yards from where our scope was setup. A singing
Eastern Meadowlark greeted us as we headed to the Sparrow Hedge and upon our
return a
Northern Harrier hunted past us; not the most common of
locations for either of these birds. The path along the Hedge was
filled with
Song Sparrows and
Fox Sparrows, some singing, and a
White-throated Sparrow. At Main Ring Lake we added
Gadwall,
Northern Shoveler,
Common Goldeneye, and
American Black Duck with
Wood Ducks nearby. The second big surprise of the morning was a
Sharp-shinned Hawk strangely hunting the prairie inside the Ring.
This was interesting especially since I witnessed a similar
experience with a sharp-shin back in early January, with no other
sightings from then until now. The
Ring-necked Ducks had returned to
the Main Injector moat. We finished up at Casey's Pond with both
Redheads and
Lesser Scaup. Other signs of spring were provided by
the sounds of Chorus Frogs and the first sightings of Garter Snakes. Dave Friday, March 9
Despite the cool and windy conditions, the Sparrow Hedge/Lakes region was quite active with birdlife. Around two dozen mostly
common species were in the area. Some of the highlights were an
American Kestrel and
Eastern Bluebird east of the Hedge, several
Fox Sparrows and
Song Sparrows in the hedge and the first
Golden-crowned Kinglet of the year in the pines. The only waterfowl seen on the
lakes in this area were
Common Mergansers which have been the most
numerous species throughout the Lab lately.
American Crows are still
being seen in multiple locations throughout the Lab. Other Waterfowl seen around the Lab were
Gadwall,
American Black Duck,
Redhead,
Greater Scaup, and
Ruddy Duck. In addition to the
American Coots that have been on the Main Injector Moat more coots have arrived and
are on Main Ring Lake. Although Peter reported some
Wood Ducks and a
Turkey Vulture earlier in the week, these birds were new for me this
morning. Also new for the year was a
Brown Creeper seen in Main Ring Woods West. A total of four
American Kestrels were seen today,
two being a pair near the end of Swensen Road close to the nest box
that was active last year. A
Red-tailed Hawk has settled into the
nest at the southwest corner of the buffalo savannah. From the owl
department, the female
Great Horned Owl appears a little higher on
her nest and a surprise sighting of a
Barred Owl was a highlight
after not being seen since mid January. Dave Sunday, March 4
This morning's moderate west winds, overcast skies, and slightly
below normal temps helped to keep bird activity, other than
waterfowl, somewhat suppressed. A decent variety of waterfowl
included highlights of
Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Redhead,
Ring-necked Duck,
Greater Scaup,
Common Goldeneye,
Common Merganser,
Red-breasted Merganser, and
Ruddy Duck.
American Coots still inhabit the Main Injector Moat. In addition, about 100
Ring-necked Ducks were seen at the south end of the moat. Several
Northern Harriers were found throughout the lab, including three
adult males.
Bald Eagles were found inside the Main Ring and
catching a fish in A.E. Sea. A group of migrating
Song Sparrows were
spotted in the brushy areas of Morgan's Woods. A fairly large flock
of blackbirds including
Red-winged Blackbirds, a good number of
Common Grackles, several
Brown-headed Cowbirds, and the first
Rusty Blackbird of the year were found along Powerline Road. Also spotted
were several
Killdeer and an
Eastern Bluebird. Finally, the
Great Horned Owl remains on its nest. Dave Thursday, March 1
Less than optimal birding conditions this morning with grey clouds,
cool winds and an occasional mist which did not produce any new
birds for the year. Weather conditions aside, some birds are
becoming more evident in their typical locations including
Killdeer,
Northern Flicker,
American Robin,
Song Sparrow,
Eastern Meadowlark,
and
Red-winged Blackbird. Waterfowl variety was down from what Peter experienced yesterday. Some of today's highlights were
Gadwall,
American Wigeon,
Redhead, about 70
Ring-necked Ducks (in the Main Injector Moat),
Greater Scaup and the usual good number of
Common Mergansers. The Sparrow Hedge produced
Song Sparrows, a
Swamp Sparrow and several
Fox Sparrows. In addition a
Northern Harrier was
hunting throughout this area. Other highlights were
American Coot,
Great Horned Owl,
American Crow,
Horned Lark and
White-throated Sparrow. Dave Wednesday, February 29
Peter had several new arrivals on Main Ring Lake today including
Greater White-fronted Goose,
Canvasback, and
Red-breasted Merganser.
Also, in this same area were two
Bald Eagles. In addition, new for
the year were two
Greater Scaup on Casey's Pond. Dave Sunday, February 26
Today's strong winds made waterfowl and field birds our major
targets. The field birds were dominated by many
Horned Larks and
several
Red-winged Blackbirds in the North Roads area. The surprise
in this area was a lone
Savannah Sparrow which is about a month
ahead of its typical first arrival date. These were followed by a
lone
Eastern Meadowlark in the area of the Main Injector Ring. We did much better with the waterfowl though the non-winter birds are
still just trickling in. The new arrivals were a pair of
Redheads and several
Buffleheads in Casey's Pond and several
Northern Pintails and
Northern Shovelers in Main Ring Lake. Some of the other
waterfowl
were
Cackling Goose,
Gadwall,
Ring-necked Duck,
Common Goldeneye,
Common Merganser, and
Hooded Merganser. A
Bald Eagle was again
spotted flying over Main Ring Lake then landing on the ice.
American Robins and
Eastern Bluebirds were also seen on the west side of the
Lab. Later, on the way through the Lab Peter added a
Snow Goose (blue)and about a dozen
Greater White-fronted Geese on Main Ring Lake. Dave Saturday, February 25
Denis spotted a
Short-eared Owl around 4:00 this afternoon flying
along the Main Ring Berm. Dave Wednesday, February 22
Most locations of the Lab were fairly quiet this morning. The major
exception was the large flock of blackbirds along East Wilson Road.
The makeup was mostly male
Red-winged Blackbirds with several
females mixed in. Also in the flock were several
Common Grackles and
Brown-headed Cowbirds; both new birds for the year. Another new bird
for the year was a
Killdeer herd flying over Lake Logo. This tied
for the earliest sighting for this species. Not too much variety
with the waterfowl today with
American Black Ducks, an
American Wigeon, and
Common Mergansers in just about any area with open
water. The
American Coots have been in the Main Injector Moat for
six weeks now. A
Bald Eagle was seen picking at a fish on the small
amount of ice remaining on Main Ring Lake. It then flew to a tall
dead tree about 100 yards away and was still there more than an hour
later. The
Great Horned Owl was still on her nest. Some of the other
highlights were
Great Blue Heron,
Northern Harrier,
Long-eared Owl,
Hairy Woodpecker,
Horned Lark,
Blue Jay,
American Crow (oddly seen
in three different locations), and
Song Sparrow. Dave Sunday, February 19
First of all Peter said he had seen
Sandhill Cranes flying over the
Lab during the past week. This equals the earliest sighting of the
year from over ten years ago, typically the earliest sighting of the
year is in the first week of March. We started this morning's
birding in the Sparrow Hedge area with a good deal of song in the
air. The majority of the singing was from
Black-capped Chickadees,
Northern Cardinals and
Red-winged Blackbirds. Other birds of note in
the area were
Common Mergansers, a
Hooded Merganser, a
Northern Shrike,
American Crows,
Blue Jays, and a
Fox Sparrow. Also a rabbit
was seen along the trail; the first I have seen in the Lab for quite
awhile. The Big Woods was also quite active with woodpeckers,
nuthatches and chickadees. Some of the interesting sightings in the
Ring Area were
American Black Duck,
American Wigeon,
Common Goldeneye,
Common Merganser,
Northern Harrier,
American Kestrel,
American Coots and
Eastern Bluebirds. Denis' group had many of the
same birds in addition to a couple of
Ring-necked Ducks and a
Cooper's Hawk. Surprisingly,
Cooper's Hawks have been hard to come
by at the Lab early this year, this being only the second sighting
for the year. Finally, a couple of
Bald Eagles were reported in the
Nepese marsh area later in the day. Dave Wednesday, February 15
It was a very quiet afternoon of birding today at the Lab, but
things picked up as the daylight diminished. Some of the birds seen
were a pair of
Hooded Mergansers, a
Great Blue Heron, several
American Coots still in the Main Injector Moat, a
Hairy Woodpecker,
Eastern Bluebirds, and a
Red-winged Blackbird. As darkness
approached hundreds of
Common Goldeneyes and
Common Mergansers filled the open patch of water in Main Ring Lake. The
Great Horned Owl nest was still occupied with the male guarding about 20 yards
away. A pair of
Northern Harriers were again hunting the South Eola Road area. The male called when a flushed
Great Horned Owl flew near
its immediate hunting territory. Later, just before dark I watched
as the harrier mobbed the owl now in a small stand of trees. The harrier flew through the trees a couple of times and as it flew off
a
Short-eared Owl called and then took over the mobbing activity.
The
Short-eared Owl took two passes at the
Great Horned Owl then
flew high and off to a hunting area somewhere to the west. An
Eastern Screech-Owl was contacted as the rain started to fall and in
Kautz Road Woods a pair of
Great Horned Owls responded with hoots
and barks. Dave Sunday, February 12
Wind was the main deterrent for this morning's birding but there
were still some interesting sightings. Again there were slim numbers
of interesting waterfowl including an American Widgeon, several
Ring-necked Ducks,
Common Goldeneyes and
Common Mergansers.
Fox Sparrows were still at the eastern edge of the Sparrow Hedge,
Horned Larks were still in the north roads area, and a
Great Blue Heron was
on the Swan Lake shoreline.
Eastern Bluebirds were seen working some
tree cavities along West Wilson Rd. Pine trees seemed to be the
place to catch some rays this morning. A
Red-tailed Hawk and
Great Horned Owl were found on the south side of a couple of pines, out of
the wind, in two separate locations. Seen from a distance, Denis and
his class chased down and confirmed a
Rough-legged Hawk just north
of the buffalo feeders. Denis also found a
Long-eared Owl and
Northern Shrike inside the Main Ring. Lastly, the only new year
birds were several
Eastern Meadowlarks found by Denis along North Eola Road. Dave Wednesday, February 8
Many of the same waterfowl were still around the Lab this morning,
but the numbers of
Common Mergansers and
Common Goldeneyes were down
considerably. Other waterfowl of note were
American Black Ducks,
Ring-necked Ducks, and
Hooded Mergansers. Five
American Coots still
remain in the Main Injector Moat. A hike along Kress Creek produced
the first
White-throated Sparrows of the year but little else.
Horned Larks were also near this area. Several
Great Horned Owls were located
and, finally, the first nest of the year. One of the
Great Horned Owls was being mobbed by six
American Crows in a pine tree on West Wilson Road; the six crows together being the oddity here. The highlight of the morning came early, around 8:00 am, when I spotted
a beautiful pair of
Northern Harriers hunting on the west side of
North Eola Road. As the male crossed the road and I followed with my
binoculars, a
Short-eared Owl came into my field of view. The owl
continued to hunt for several minutes then went down on some prey.
Dave Sunday, February 5
March-like weather conditions continued at Fermilab this morning.
This trend was more evident by the amount of both bird movement and
singing throughout the Lab. We started out at Lake Law and the
Sparrow Hedge area with good results starting with two new species
for the year including a
Lesser Scaup and five flyover
Tundra Swans.
Other highlights in the area were Several
Cackling Geese and
Common Goldeneye, lots of
Common Mergansers, a
Northern Shrike, Five
Blue Jays, a couple of
American Crows, numerous
Horned Larks (in the
fields south of the Hedge), and several
Red-winged Blackbirds. A
second
Northern Shrike was found inside the Main Ring. The first
American Wigeon for the year was located inside the Ring along
with
American Black Ducks,
Ring-necked Ducks, a
Ruddy Duck, a
Hooded Merganser,
American Coots, and
Song Sparrows. Finally,
Eastern Bluebirds continue to be a solid line for the year's records. Dave Thursday, February 2
Foggy and virtually windless conditions this morning provided some
good birding with interesting results. First a large circuit of the
Sparrow Hedge area produced some new year birds with a
White-crowned Sparrow, several
Fox Sparrows and a first-ever
February sighting of a female
Eastern Towhee. Another first-ever
February sighting was a
Yellow-rumped Warbler pished in with a group
of
Black-capped Chickadees in the woods along Giese Road. The
American Robins around the Sparrow Hedge were well dispersed outside
the deeper wooded areas as if it were early spring. Another spring
like sign was a
Hairy Woodpecker drumming as its mate responded
along Indian Creek. Another pair of
Hairy Woodpeckers were
interacting in the Big Woods.
Peter also added a
Belted Kingfisher and
Ring-necked Ducks from last
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