114th CBC Illinois Regional Summary

By Paul Sweet

In stark contrast to our last two years, this year’s CBC period presaged a very difficult winter. Only three counts reached 50 degrees, all of them conducted on 12/28. Twenty-five counts failed to reach freezing, with White Pines recording the lowest high temp, at 15 degrees. Andalusia had a low of -10, while Van Petten dipped to -11.  Only five counts recorded open still water, with Evanston the only one in northern Illinois. Five counts reported no open water at all. To top all of this off, 22 counts reported winds of at least 20 mph, with Andalusia reporting 40 mph gusts! Overall, 161 species were recorded, all of them on count day for at least one count. Rend Lake had the highest day count with 104 (and 2 more count week), while Union County and Horseshoe Lake reached 101. Carlyle Lake had 99 count-day species, with an additional five count week birds.  Springfield had an impressive 92 species on count day, but eight count-week species pushed their total to 100, quite the milestone for a count outside of southern Illinois.

Given these conditions, it’s probably not surprising that effort was down. Sixty-two counts reported this year, with a total of 1072 observers (down 85 from last year) contributing 3064 hours over 18,836 miles. (This is down 191 hours and 858 miles.) Perhaps not surprisingly 60% more feeder hours were reported, although by nine fewer observers. Nocturnal hours were down by over half as well. As always, Fermilab led the way with 110 observers (still down six from last year), and this year they were the only count to exceed 50. Only two counts reached 20 feeder observers, Quincy with 20 and Waukegan with 71.

Ducks through Herons

Unsurprisingly, waterfowl numbers in general were down – all of the goose species showed declines from last year’s near-record season, Tundra Swans were down to a more typical 39 on a not-so-typical 25 counts, and only 193 Mute Swans were recorded, on 15 counts.

A total of 253 Trumpeter Swans, on the other hand, was only two below last year’s record high, with a high count of 149 at Union County. This year marks the first time that Trumpeters outnumbered Mutes! Notable ducks included one Blue-winged Teal at Fermilab, while Calumet City recorded all three species of scoters, including a high of 17 White-winged Scoters. Three counts reported a total of four Long-tailed Ducks.

Newton only reported 14 Greater Prairie-Chickens this year. Cold, windy conditions on count day may explain this in part. Northern Bobwhites continue to decline, with a new record low of 75 on 11 counts. Three counts had solo Common Loons, five counts reported a total of 30 Horned Grebes, and Rend Lake reported the only Eared Grebe for the state. Only 30 American White Pelicans were recorded, on eight counts.  Mermet Lake had the only Great Egret in the state, but in defiance of the conditions, all three counts that recorded Black-crowned Night-Herons were in or around Chicago: Calumet City, Chicago Urban, and Fermilab.

Raptors through Woodpeckers

Increased ice cover to our north probably explains the new record count of 2030 Bald Eagles, on 56 counts. Western Mercer County had the highest count with 413. Middlefork River Valley and Evanston reported Northern Goshawks, while Rockford had one count-week. Schapville and Collinsville reported Harlan’s Red-tails.  A total of 211 Rough-legged Hawks was the highest count since 1996 and the second highest since 1988. Union County and Forest Glen reported Golden Eagles, and Rend Lake had a count-week Golden. Eleven counts reported Merlin, and 11 reported Peregrine Falcon.

Only 21 Sandhill Cranes were reported this year, 20 of them on Lisle Arboretum. Mermet Lake had a Spotted Sandpiper and Rend Lake had a Least Sandpiper, but Killdeer and Wilson’s Snipe numbers were much lower than last year, with neither species reaching 100 individuals this season. Mermet Lake reported the only two American Woodcock. Two counts reported California Gulls, seven reported Thayer’s Gulls, and two reported Iceland Gulls. Calumet City had an impressive 27 Great Black-backed Gulls, and Illini State Park had a surprise Black-legged Kittiwake. No terns were reported this year.

Eurasian Collared-Dove was again reported on 38 counts, while two counts recorded a total of 19 Monk Parakeets. Six counts reported an impressive 14 Snowy Owls this year, in keeping with the invasion of the eastern US. Ten counts reported Long-eared, 12 counts reported Short-eared, and 12 counts reported 16 Northern Saw-whet owls.

Flycatchers through Finches

Ten counts reported Eastern Phoebes this year. Amazingly, the coldest count in the state, White Pines, had one!

Six counts reported 11 Loggerhead Shrikes, a bit of an improvement over last year’s total of eight. While the overall total of 173 wasn’t that high, 37 counts reported Red-breasted Nuthatches.  Five counts reported solo Gray Catbirds, with two more count-week. Nine counts reported a total of 50 American Pipits, which used to be a surprise anywhere in the state. Five Pine Warblers were reported on four counts, and Union County had a Common Yellowthroat. Shelbyville had the only Spotted Towhee in the state.

Three counts reported Vesper Sparrows and four had Le Conte’s.  Chillicothe had a Smith’s Longspur, a major surprise anywhere in the state, but they were upstaged by the two found at Union County! Lapland Longspurs were reported on 49 counts, while 27 counts had Snow Buntings. Four counts reported Western Meadowlarks, and two reported lone Brewer’s Blackbirds.  A Pine Grosbeak was at Schapville. Thorn Creek had the only eight Common Redpolls reported in the state this year.