Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher: Late April Migration to Northern Illinois

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Phoenix AZ; 12/31/2009

Another late April arrival to northern Illinois is the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. The first time I ever saw a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Above) was while I was hiking in the South Mountain Regional Park near Phoenix, Arizona, two winters ago. Little did I know, that when I would become a more serious birder that I would hear see many of these little guys (only 4 1/2" long) in the future.

A Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher building a nest, Rock Cut State Park, IL; 5/8/2011.

Blue Gray Gnatcatchers are quite common in forests and thickets throughout the U.S. from coast to coast. However, northern Illinois is at its most northern range in the Midwest for the summer - but they do migrate into the northeast states as far as Maine. In winter they will travel as far south as Mexico, Central America, and along the Gulf Coast States. As their name suggests, they have a bluish/grayish look about them, bluer on the crown and nape; grayer on the back and wings. They are lighter underneath and males will have a black forehead, eyebrow and tail (Above).

A BIF of a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher always on the move, Rock Cut State park, IL; 5/8/2011.

A nice look at a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher's White eye-ring and black eyebrow and forehead, Rock Cut State park, IL; 5/8/2011.

Although many birdbooks state that these gnatcatchers will spend time in thickets, I most often hear them from flitting from branch to branch high in the tree tops. They are so tiny that I often don't see them until after I've heard their thin weak nasal and buzzing notes. And they don't stay still very long - always moving. I was lucky to see the one (Above) fairly low while it was busy working on a nest.

Great Blue Herons, Mid March Migration to Northern Illinois

A Great Blue Heron hunting in a marshy area, Rock Cut State Park, Illinois; 4/29/2011

Great Blue Herons are another one of the earliest birds to arrive back to Northern Illinois this spring, returning by Mid-March. At first I saw only one or two, but by the end of March, there were several hanging around the edges of Pierce Lake in Rock Cut State Park (Above). I also saw them in other area water habitat as well: Nygren Wetlands Preserve (Rockton), Bauman Park and Espenscheid Forest Preserve  (Cherry Valley). They are almost always seen in solo, but in the fall they may migrate or roost in flocks. (See my 6/20/2010 post about Great Blue Herons and the "Heron Tree" in Phoenix AZ -

( http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2010/06/great-blue-herons_20.html )

Speaking of seeing Great Blue Herons in Phoenix, AZ, I was able to capture a series of pics of a Great Blue attempting to land in a tree but the branches were too thin to hold it so it more or less crashed into the tree, then took off in an awkward flight. Three of the photos are below:

A Great Blue Heron approaching for landing in a less than sturdy tree ...

... attempting to land, but the branches are too thin to hold it up ...

... then it decides to take off and look for another perch
 - you can see the broken branch in the tree [middle bottom of pic], Phoenix, AZ; 12/26/2009.

Buffleheads: Late March Spring Migration through Northern Illinois

A Bufflhead in its winter grounds, Phoenix, IL;  12/26/09.

Bufflheads are fun to watch, but for me, extremely hard to photograph. I have taken many pictures of Buffleheads over the past year, but have never been happy with any of them. Because the snow white back of its head contrasts drastically to its dark reddish - green face, crown and neck, my camera has a hard time determining the correct exposure.  If I try to compensate for the bright white patch at the back of the head, I lose the beautiful irridescent colors on the rest of the head. If I try to expose for the colors, then the white patch and body looks like a fireball and is way over exposed (Above). Also they are a frenetic diving bird, disappearing under the water and reappearing on the opposite side of the lake very quickly.

A pair of Buffleheads at Regents Park, London, England, UK; 4/10/10.

The first time I saw a Bufflehead was a couple of years ago during winter while I was visiting Arizona (Top) and was fascinated with them. Then I saw a few a year ago while spending a week in London (Above). But this Spring starting in mid to late March, they have been migrating through Northern Illinois in small to large flocks (known as a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team"). They have been present in Rock Cut State Park (Three bottom pics) for almost month. Plus I have seen them at Nygren Wetlands Preserve (Rockton), at North Pond (Chicago's Lincoln Park), and on the Mississippi River on the Illinois / Iowa border. Just last week I saw a brace of Buffleheads at Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin (Below). Their white body contrasts with their dark head, which depending on how the light hits it, they look black, or the forehead looks green, while the neck has a reddish irridescence to it. Then sometimes the red and green tints appear just the opposite.

A Pair of Buffleheads at Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 4/24/2011.

Two male Buffleheads while fighting over the rights to a female, show off
their black and white markings, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 3/26/11.

Buffleheads spend their summers exclusively in Canada and Alaska, while in winter they can be found throughout the Southern half of the U.S. and will spread north to the southern edges of the Great Lakes (Save Superior) and along both the Atlantic Seaboard and Pacific Coast and south into Mexico and Central America.

A Bufflhead sticking its landing for a perfect"10" in Pierce lake,
Rock Cut State Park; 3/27/11.

A Bufflhead on takeoff in Pierce lake, Rock Cut State Park; 3/27/11.

Ruddy Ducks: Late March Spring Migration through Northern Illinois

A small flock of Ruddy Ducks in winter plumage; Phoenix, AZ; 12/26/09.

Ruddy Ducks (female left, male right) in breeding plumage, Rock Cut State Park, IL; 4/23/11

Ruddy Ducks are a unique little diving duck with a large head for its size (only 15" in length). Ruddies travel in tightly clustered flocks and are a common sight in Northern Illinois ponds, lakes, and sheltered bays during spring Migration. They usually do not mix or travel with other species. They winter in the southern half of the U.S., along all the coastal regions and into Mexico, Central and South America (Top photo while they were intheir winter home in Aizona). They will migrate to their summer homes of the North Central Plains States, into Canada and parts of Alaska. They reach Northern Illinois around late March. Flocks of Ruddies have been on Pierce Lake in Rock Cut State Park (Above)  for a several of weeks this Spring. In fact I was there yesterday, and was lucky to get some nice shots of the Ruddies. They usually stay well away from the shore if they see people, but yesterday a couple of them didn't shy away as I approached.

They will be found year round in the Rockies to the Pacific Coastline and down into the Baja Peninsula as well as much of Mexico. However, there are pockets along the Midwest and Great Lakes where Ruddy Ducks will stay all summer and not even bother migrating further North or West. North Pond in Chicago, and Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Preserve in Wisconsin are two such areas. I am planning on travelling north to Horicon Marsh today (Easter Sunday), perhaps I'll see some more Ruddies there.

A male Ruddy Duck in its winter plumage, Phoenix AZ; 12/27/09.

The first time I saw Ruddy Ducks was while I was in Phoenix, Arizona, in the December of 2009, and they were in their winter plumage (Above).  At the time I didn't know what they looked like in their summer breeding plumage. They turn a beautiful; reddish "ruddy" brown, contrasted dramatically with a black head and tail (which is often lifted in a vertical position), snow-white cheek and a bright blue bill (very appropriate Easter color). The first time I saw this was this Spring while exploring the North Pond in Lincoln Park, Chicago (Below).  Then several times at Rock Cut State Park (Below 2nd photo).

The male Ruddy Duck in all its breeding plumage glory, with its signature
 lifted black tail, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago; 3/30/11.

Male Ruddy Duck, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 4/23/11.



A female Ruddy Duck, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 3/30/11.

A female Ruddy Duck just reemerged from a dive, Rock Cut State Park,IL; 4/23/11.

Female Ruddies (Above) are less colorful with a brownish gray body, and a darker back, head, and tail. They will also have a whitish cheek, but not as snowy white as the males, but will have an added dark stripe across its cheek. Their bills do not turn bright blue as the males.


 Next weekend I will continue my series featuring Spring Migration birds of Northern Illinois: Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Horned Grebes. Hope you can visit.

Canvasbacks: Late March Spring Migration through Northern Illinois

The beautiful male Canvasback in its winter home, Phoenix, AZ; 12/29/09.

The Canvasback (Above) are another waterbird that uses Northern Illinois as a stop through while migrating from its wintering grounds to its summer home in Northwestern U.S, Western Canada and Alaska. It spends winter along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as the southern third of the U.S., Mexico and Central America. It's a beautiful white-bodied bird with a striking red neck and head. The very top of the head and long bill are black as is its tail. Its bright red eyes shine brightly against its darker head. The females' bodies are light grayish brown and its neck and head are pale tannish color, but keeps the long black bill as its male counterpart.

I have seen Canvasbacks as early as late March through late May in several lakes: Rock Cut State Park, Bauman Park, and Nygren Wetlands Preserve.  Each time I have seen a Canvasback it's always been by itself or sometimes travelling with another species of duck. Yesterday, I posted a pic of a Canvasback hanging with some Greater Scaups. In the photo (Below) this female was hanging with a group of Mallard ducks.

This female Canvasback was seen with a flock of Mallards in Bauman Park, Rockford, IL; 5/16/09.

Lesser & Greater Scaups: Late March Spring Migration through Northrn Illinois

A sunset at Rock Cut State Park in Rockford; A great place to go birding in Northern Illinois; 4/9/11.

A mix of Greater Scaups and Lesser Scaups on Pierce Lake; Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 3/26/11.

By late March another wave of birds were making appearances throughout Northern Illinois. The vast majority of this group were waterbirds arriving on area ponds, lakes, and marshes. Within the last week of March, I have seen lots of new arrivals: Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teals, Scaups* (both Greater & Lesser), Ruddy Ducks*, Canvasbacks*, Buffleheads*, Pied-billed Grebes, Horned Grebes*, Double-crested Cormorants*, Black-crowned Night Herons, and Red-breasted Mergansers*. Non-water birds also showing up were Ospreys*, Eastern Phoebes, Chipping Sparrows, and Turkey Vultures.

* These birds are migrating through, not making Northern IL their summer home.

In my series about birds migrating through Illinois (not spending the summer in N. IL) on their way to their summer haunts, this weekend and next weekend, I'll features photos of some of these birds*: Scaups, Canvasbacks, Ruddy Ducks, Horned Grebes, Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Ospreys.

A Lesser Scaup can be distiguished from its Greater cousin by its smaller size,
its smudgy flanks, and taller head, Suguaro Lake, AZ; 12/29/09.

Another look at the Lesser Scaup, Suguaro Lake, AZ; 12/29/09.

I am not exactly sure about making positive identifications between Greater and Lesser Scaup, as they look almost identicle, especially from a distance. Lesser Scaups are smaller at 16 1/2" long; whereas the Greater Scaups are larger at 18" long. Unless they were next to eachother for comparison, I would not be able to tell them apart. However, two other traits that one can look for is that the Lesser Scaup's flanks (Above) are smudgier and the barring is more coarse. The Greater Scaup's flanks are clean white with no marks.The Lesser's head is taller and narrower than the Greater's, which appear to be lower and a flatter arc. Otherwise both birds have blackish heads and breasts, bright yellow eyes, blue bills, and white flanks and belly. In flight the Lesser Scaup has less white on its wings (Below). Both female species (Below) also look similar with brownish/grayish bodies, darker brown breast, head and wings, blue-gray bill and white along the base of the bill.

A pair of Lesser Scaups (male on left, female on right),
Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 3/31/11.

Lesser Scaups in flight, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 3/27/11.

Greater Scaups and a female Canvas Back, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 4/10/11.

In the photo (Above), two traits make me think these are Greater Scaups and not Lesser's. The flanks of the Scaups are cleaner with no smudges on the white flanks, and the tops of their heads seem to be slightly flatter than the Lesser's head (2nd & 3rd pics from top). Plus the size of these Scaups is closer to the size of the Canvasback (which can grow to 21" long) that is swimming with them, so the Greater's length of 18" is more likely than the Lesser's 16.5" length.

Lesser Scaups are far more commonly seen than the Greater Scaups. During winter months, Lessers can be seen throughout most of the southern half of the U.S. as well as along both coasts. In summer they will be found throughout  most of  Alaska, Western and Central Canada, most of Ontario, and parts of extreme northern Quebec and Newfoundland. Greater Scaups can only be found along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts in winter ( and a strange pocket along the southern Mississippi River in Arkansas). In summers they migrate to the very northern sectons of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Terrirorries, Nunavit) and Alaska. Greater Scaups are more likely to be found on saltwater than Lesser Scaups.