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| Prairie Warbler by Jackie Bowman |
A trio of hard-to-find species cooperated nicely for area
birders, including me.
(published 7-9-20)
On occasions when I simply must see a rock pigeon I know where
to go. A small flock hangs out on the utility wires outside the Glen Ellyn
McDonald’s on Roosevelt Road. They are what I call sticky birds, loyal to a
site. Pigeons have a reliable weakness for parking lot French fries.
The Chicago region, of course, is a permanent or part-time
home to more exciting birds. Many are uncommon, even rare. But seeing the
rarities can be a challenge—they are often “one-day wonders,” observed by a
lucky birder or maybe a small group in the right place at the right time.
Birders like me depend on stickiness. I am rarely among the
first people on the scene after a rare bird is spotted and then reported
online. Unless it’s an ivory-billed woodpecker, I’m inclined to try for a look
after the bird is reported several days in a row. I like to know the odds of
success are really good.
This laid-back style of birding, of course, can backfire.
I’ve missed some rare birds from being late to the party. Not recently though. In
the last six weeks, I’ve followed in many a birder’s wake to enjoy fine views of
three coveted warbler species. All three birds were sticky indeed—just where
the reports said they would be and in no apparent hurry to leave. Birders call them
“continuing” birds.
Checking off Kentucky, mourning and prairie warblers shouldn’t
be this easy. For sure, I’m indebted to the original finders of these
yellow-bellied beauties and to the many birders who posted their sightings in
the days that followed. Thanks!
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| Kentucky Warbler by Todd Fellenbaum |
The Kentucky warbler, as I related here last month, was a lifer for me. Mike Madsen found it at Greene Valley Forest Preserve (Naperville) on May 23. I went there on May 25 and by then dozens of birders had eyed the bird, a singing male. The Kentucky’s churry-churry-churry song is loud and distinct, making this one easy to locate.
Having a guide helped, too. Joan Campbell texted me from the woods, urging me to get my butt in gear for a chance to confront my long-time nemesis. Twelve minutes later I was heading south on Route 53.
Once on site, I
expected more of a struggle. Kentucky warbler is usually secretive and hard to
view. You might hear it but seeing it can be iffy. The Greene Valley bird, however,
was moving from branch to branch, teasing us with occasional open looks. I
could not have been happier.
A reported mourning warbler at Lyman Woods in Downers Grove
grabbed my attention next. Here was another elusive species apparently outfitted
with a tiny pair of molasses slippers. Discovered by Graham Deese on June 5,
the bird was sheltering in place.
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| Mourning Warbler by Philip Dunn |
Joan agreed to meet me at Lyman, her home patch, on June 10. She’s a bird monitor at the preserve and leads walks there for the DuPage Birding Club. She’d already seen the warbler and took me directly to it. Easy peasy, and my best look ever of a species I’d last seen in 2003. (I might need to get out more.)
My luck continued on July 1 with a prairie warbler—fittingly, along the Prairie Path at West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve. Matt Wistrand found the bird on June 25 as he was biking by, alertly detecting its high-pitched buzzy trill. Acting like a male bird on territory, it stayed put long enough to be my first prairie warbler outside of Florida.
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| Yellow-breasted Chat by Jackie Bowman |
So, there it is, three successful sorties around DuPage and
not a wasted minute or mile. Target birding at its best! It shows that
sometimes it’s okay to be late—with good information, and perhaps a little help
from a friend, you can still get the bird.
To track notable bird sightings, consider using eBird, a free
service of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Sign up at ebird.org to receive a daily list
of uncommon or rare birds for any state or county in the United States. I get
the Illinois and DuPage reports.
Copyright 2020 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.