Nashville Warbler: Early May Migration through Northern Illinois

A Nashville Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Illinois; 5/8/2011.

Nashville Warblers (Above) are one of many warblers migrating through Northern Illinois making their way to more northern summer homes. Nashvilles spend the winter in Mexico and Central America and their summers in the northern Great Lakes shores, Central and Eastern Canada, and much of the Northeastern states. There is a pocket in the northwest as well where Nashvilles can be found in the summer (Northern California, Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho). 

A Nashville Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Illinois; 5/8/2011.

Identifying marks of the Nashville Warbler are its gray hood, yellow throat and breast, greenish back and wings with no wing bars, and a complete bold white eye-ring. The Nashville (Above) is likely a female as the males have more yellow underneath and have a small red patch on its crown; however, it is rarely visible.

Palm Warblers; Early May Migration through Northern Illinois

A Palm Warbler "Western Population" in the grass next to the Kishwaukee River,
Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 5/1/2011.

With the return of many warblers along with the nice weather of the first week of May, Palm Warblers (Above) seemed to be one of the most abundant. I saw them anywhere their was open grassy areas - especially near water. Palms have two populations which have varying amounts of yellow on their breasts. Both populations have a reddish crown with a yellow face and dark eye-line and are relatively plain brown / gray on the wings and back. The "Eastern Population" Palms have a bright yellow throat, breast, and belly which have red racing stripes along their flanks and breast. None of my photos seemed to have these guys with completely yellow undersides, so my guess they are the "Westren Poulation" which have less yellow on their breasts and bellies, but keep the yellow throat, partial yellow eyebrow and yellow near the rump. But they lack the bright red stripes on their flanks. They sport more of a muted brown stripes. In their non-breeding plumage  (Below), they lose their red crown and all yellow except near the tail.

A Palm Warbler in its non-breeding plumage, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/3/2010.

A Palm Warbler ("Eastern or Western Population"?), Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/8/2011.

Palm Warblers spend their summers in Central and Eastern Canada as well as Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin and the Northeastern States. So when we see them in northern Illinois, they are travelling through from their winter grounds in the southeast as well as Mexico (where I saw them last December).

Another "Western Population" Palm Warbler, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 5/1/2011.

Solitary Sandpiper; Early May Migration through Northern Illinois

A Solitary Sandpiper, Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 5/10/2011.

Along with the Spotted Sandpiper which arrived in Late April, the Solitary Sandpiper (Above) is one of the first of shorebirds I have seen this spring. I am just learning to identify the many different types of shorebirds there are, so I am hoping I will add many new Lifers this spring and summer as I identify more of these. I have seen the Solitary Sandpiper in three different areas within the first week of May: Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, and Rock Cut State Park. They can be found searching for insects and insect larvae, spiders, worms, and tadpoles in mud flats of freshwater creeks and shallow waters of marshes near wooded areas. When we see them in northern Illinois, they are in the midst of their migration to Canada and Alaska where they will spend their summers.

A Solitary Sandpiper,exploring a marsh in Rock Cut State Park,
Rockford, IL; 5/8/2011.

These sandpipers are very similar to the Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, but their legs aren't as bright yellow and their size is much smaller at 8.5 " in length. Solitary Sandpipers have dark wings with white spots on its wings and back, and have a very clean white belly and under the tail, but have fine brown streaks on its breast.

A Solitary Sandpiper checking out its reflection,
Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 5/4/2011.

Swainson's Thrush; Early May Migration through Northern llinois

A Swainson's Thrush, Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 5/1/2011.

While hiking through Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve on May 1, I saw three different types of Thrushes. Two I have seen before (Wood and Hermit) but the 3rd type was a Lifer for me (#286) - the Swainson's Thrush. These guys look an awful like their cousins, Hermit Thrushes, but the characteristic which identified it for me was its buff-colored spectacles and eye-ring. The Hermit's eye ring is white and their tail is more reddish. Swainson's Thrushes make northern Illinois a stopover as they travel through to their summer grounds of Canada, Alaska, northern Wisconsin and Michigan, the northeast states, as well as the Rockies and the northern Pacific coastal states.

White-crowned Sparrows; Early May Migration through Northern Illinois

A White-crowned Sparrow, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 5/1/2011.

The first week of May and finally nice weather brought an entourage of migrating birds into Northern Illinois. After a cold slow moving April, the May Migration started with a bang. The first week of May brought in 4 new Lifers for me and 28 FOYs. In fact, the very first day of May I spent a couple of hours in Espenscheid Forest Preserve near Cherry Valley, just southeast of Rockford, I counted over 50 different bird species - a good day's birding for me. Then a week later (May 8) I counted over 60 species at Rock Cut State Park in my 5 hour hike.

Early May new arrivals included several types of sparrows [White-crowned Sparrows (Above), Lark Sparrows, and Swamp Sparrows], a few thrushes [Veery, Swainson's Thrush (Lifer #286), Wood Thrushes, Louisiana Waterthrush (Lifer#285)], Bank Swallows, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Ovenbirds, Warbling Vireos, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, House Wrens, a couple more Sandpipers [Upland and Solitary], several Flycatchers [Least, Great-crested, Eastern Kingbirds], and a boatload of Warblers [Tennessee, Palm, American Redstarts, Northern Parulas, Magnolias, Common Yellowthroats, Yellows, Prothonotary, Black & Whites, and Nashvilles]. These are the new arrivals that I either saw or heard.  I am sure there were a lot more that I missed or couldn't identify ... yet.

White-crowned Sparrows invaded my yard during the first week of May, Rockford, IL; 5/3/2011.

The White-throated Sparrows finally left my yard on May 1, to go to their summer homes further north, but were immediately replaced by dozens of White-crowned Sparrows (Above) who appeared on May 1 and stayed for more than two weeks. They became the 32nd different species of bird that has appeared in our yard this year.

White-crowns are just one of the new arrivals that will only stay for a brief visit in Northern Illinois before they continue their spring migration to their summer homes in the far north of Canada and Alaska and the Rocky Mt. States. Other temporary visitors from the list above include: Tennessee Warblers, Palm Warblers, Nashville Warblers, Swainson's Thrush, and the Solitary Sandpiper. The others on the list will call Northern Illinois their summer home.

A White-crowned Sparrow gleening food from a sandy bank of the Kishwaukee
River, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 5/4/2011.

A couple very identifying traits of the White crowns are their black and white striped crowns, very broad white eyebrow, and their bright orange bill which contrasts with its plain gray nape, throat and underparts. Their rumps and flanks are a light brown, while thier wings are darker brown with white wingbars.

Eared Grebes; Late April Spring Migration through Northern Illinois

A somewhat grainy pic of an Eared Gebe, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 4/29/2011

Eared Grebes are not a usual sight in our part of the country of Northern Illinois, as their territory is generally west of the Mississippi River. So I was both surprised and delighted to see a couple of these Grebes in Pierce lake at Rock Cut State Park in the last week of April. At first when I saw them I thought they were Horned Grebes, which I saw for the first time a month earlier. They are very similar looking from a distance. And on a cloudy day with very flat light, heck - even up close, they are similar. The main indicator for telling them apart is the yellow feathering on the sides of their heads. Eared Grebes feathers fan out in wispy plumes from the back edges of their eyes (Above); whereas the Horned Grebes have a more solid patch of yellow that extend to the back of their heads (for more about Horned Grebes, see my 4/29 post ...

http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/04/horned-grebes-spring-migration-birds.html ).

The Eared Grebe's neck and head is completely black which makes their firey red eyes glare out in an almost maniacally evil manner. Eared Grebes Spend their summers from about Nevada, Utah and Colorado in the southern edge of their range up to southern half the Canadian territories of British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba. Since they winter in the Southwest stretching towards the western shores of the Gulf Coast, the Grebes that leave the Louisianna coast to travel to Manitoba, could find themselves travelling through northern Illinois if winds sent them too far East.

As for me, I am happy to add two species of Grebes on my Life List ( Horned #277). Eared Grebes (#283) were a real bonus this spring.

White-throated Sparrows: Late April Spring Migration through Northern Illinois

A White-throated Sparrow, Rockford, IL; 4/27/2011.

A year ago on April 24, 2010, I was pleasantly surprised to see an unfamiliar bird (of my young birding life)sitting on the front stoop of our house. I looked it up to find out it was a White-throated Sparrow (at the time it was #154 on my life list). It foraged around for about a half a day in my yard and I never saw it again.  I told Val that I hope it remembered where it obtained  food and rest during its Spring migration, and returns again next year. And sure enough, a year to the day, on 4/24/2011, a White-throated Sparrow appeared in our back yard and spent the entire day feeding on the ground below our feeders. I was wondering if was the same sparrow from a year ago.  The next day a couple more White-throats were in our yard, and a few days later we had a flock of about a dozen feeding dayly for a span of about two weeks. Not only did it return, but it brought its friends.

A White-throated Sparrow, Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 4/25/2011.

 I have seen more White-throated Sparrows this spring than I ever have in my life. Not only have I have seen them in our yard, but also in Rock Cut State Park, and Blackhawk Springs and Espenscheid Forest Preserves (Above). But I think now they have finally moved north. I think the last time I heard one singing from our yard was back on May 6. I would think with the nice Spring weather finally arriving in the first week of May, the White-throats decided it's time to continue their migration to its summer homes in Canada, the northern shorelines of the Great Lakes and the Northeastern States. Supposedly they spend the winter in our area (as its most northern edge of its winter range), I have never seen them around until late April.

White-throated Sparrow, Rockford, IL; 4/27/2011.

White-throated Sparrow, Rockford, IL; 4/27/2011.

Along with the White-throated Sparrows, late April brought another wave of migratory birds through Northern Illinois. The new birds that either saw or heard in late April were Eastern Towhees, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, Gray Catbirds, Brewers Blackbirds, Green Herons, Eared Grebes, Brown Thrashers, and Spotted Sandpipers. Of this group, only the White-throated Sparrows, Brewer's balckbirds, and Eared Grebes will be passing through. The other species will spend their summer in Northern Illinois.