Cameron

After chasing a Surf Scoter at Ashurst Lake without luck on Saturday, I took a longer journey to Cameron today in search of three birds that had been posted in recent days. I found two of the target birds without problem at the courtyard - a female American Redstart and a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - but had no luck with the Ruddy Ground-dove. The area wasn't very birdy; other than the two targets all I saw were 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2 American Crows and 3 Eurasian Collared Doves.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Both target birds were new state birds for me - taking me to 15 for the year. The American Redstart took me to 556 for the year with 311 in the U.S and 260 in Arizona.

Chicago

On Saturday, October 15th, Chicago Aududon’s Pat Durkin picked me up from iit and took me to the Wooded Island Birdwalk in Jackson Park where we were joined by at least another ten birders. We spent nearly three hours walking a route that has been surveyed almost weekly for over 30 years! Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls were numerous and we saw a good number of Red-tailed and Sharp-shinned hawks migrating through the area. I also got to see Swainson’s Thrush for the second time this year and had good views of a Palm Warbler, a bird I had dipped on at Keno Springs at the start of the year. I added four birds for the year on the walk, but was in the wrong place when a Field Sparrow showed itself. A warbler made a quick visit high above our heads, flitting about very briefly. I saw yellow under the tail and black streaking on the flanks, perhaps a Blue-throated Green Warbler. But the views weren’t conclusive enough for me to claim a lifer.

Downy Woodpecker

Returning to iit I ran into a large flock of White-throated Sparrow on campus; this was another bird I had missed out on during the bird walk. Waiting to take the CTA Green Line train into the city, I glimpsed more of the hawk migration from the elevated 35-Brownsville-IIT station with a Peregrine, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Turkey Vulture in quick succession!

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In the afternoon I walked from the city along the lake shore to 31^st street, adding Dark-eyed Junco and Magnolia Warbler in the trees near the Soldier Field stadium, pale Song Sparrows in the weedy side of the Sledding Hill and then had luck at the McCormick Bird Sanctuary with Cooper’s Hawk, Swamp Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Hermit Thrush and an obliging Eastern Phoebe. I totaled 32 species for the day including three more year birds in the afternoon taking my year’s total to 552 with 309 in the U.S. 

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I awoke on Sunday October 16th to find it drizzling outside and I spent an hour-and-a-half birding through the windows, seeing two more Downy Woodpeckers and several Golden-crowned Kinglets. I added White-crowned Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler to my trip list. When the rain stopped I took a quick stroll across campus and ran into a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a bird I had missed the day before. Several Chimney Swifts also flew around.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I headed to Lincoln Park where I birded the North Pond area which had many Wood Ducks. I added Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, Brown Creeper and Fox Sparrow. I joined my boys at the Zoo and saw House Finch and Cedar Waxwing. This took my trip list to 44 and my yearly tally to 555 with 310 in the US.

Snowbowl

I spent an hour hiking around the Arizona Snowbowl this morning hoping for some of the high elevation species I have not seen this year. But things were against me. It had snowed on Thursday night and the ground was a little slippery underfoot; it was a beautiful morning and some 300 people were out having fun; a firewood sale was happening and there were many chain saws working logs that had been pile in one area. I only saw one ofmy targets, Clark's Nutcracker. My 545th species of the year.

South Kaibab National Forest

I joined a Northern Arizona Audubon field trip to the South Kaibab National Forest on Saturday October 7th. Garland Prairie was excellent for sparrows (White-crowned, Chipping, Brewers, Vesper and Savannah) and for raptors the best of which were four Ferruginous Hawks including two dark phase birds. We also had Prairie Falcon, American Kestrel and Red-tailed Hawk. 

Two species were new for the year, taking me to 544 with 299 in the US.

Upper Lake Mary Mudflats

I had to wait until 4:30pm because of monsoon-like rains before heading out to Upper Lake Mary to see the waders reported on the mudflats. An interesting group of birds - Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted, Least, Baird's and Pectoral Sandpiper - remained impassive as I lugged my scope close enough to be sure of the IDs!

Two species were new for the year, taking me to 542 and 297 in the US. Pectoral Sandpiper was new for me in Arizona, the 13th such bird in 2011.

September Recap

With work in full swing, I managed just a few birds despite trips to Wickenburg, Lake Havasu and Phoenix. And despite the fact that there were many good birds around in fall migration:


View Northern Arizona Birds: Fall Migration 2011 in a larger map

I added just 9 species for the month and also picked up a new mammal: Elk and a new reptile: Mojave Rattlesnake.