The 117th CBC in Illinois

This 117^th CBC season was rather cooler than last year, with only five counts reporting highs of at least 50 degrees. Nineteen counts failed to reach the freezing mark, with White Pines barely reaching 1 degree. An ice storm the first count weekend resulted in several counts being postponed. A total of 164 species were recorded, three more than last year. Four of them were only reported during count week. Carlyle led the way with 101 species for the day. The only other count to reach 100 was Horseshoe Lake.

In all 62 counts reported this year, with a total of 1026 field observers contributing 2861 hours over 18,438 miles.  These are all down from last year, probably as the result of weather-related postponements. The 363 feeder hours reported is slightly higher than last year, as is the 167 feeder observers. An additional 163 nocturnal hours were logged. As always, Fermilab led the way, with 83 field observers. Even that is down from last year.

A Prairie Falcon at Newton and a Long-billed Dowitcher at Carlyle are probably the most surprising birds for the count, but both are reflected in recent trends.

Ducks through Herons

There were 8500 Greater White-fronted at Union County, 77,675 Snow Geese at Carlyle Lake, both higher than last year’s max counts by a fair bit. A total of 136 Tundra Swans were reported on nine counts, including 65 at Quincy, while 161 Mute Swans were recorded on 14 counts.  Spectacular counts of Trumpeter Swan including 295 at Quincy, 328 at Crane Lake-Sangamon, and 452 at Chautauqua led to a statewide count of 1250, five times last year’s count. No Blue-winged Teal were reported this year, however. Morris had the only Surf Scoter, and a count-week bird at Bird Haven was the only Black Scoter. Two counts recorded White-winged Scoters, including 19 at Chicago Lakefront. Long-tailed Ducks were reported on five counts, with a high of two at Waukegan.

Northern Bobwhites were seen on only eight counts, two fewer than last year, but the totals were up approximately thirty percent. Some of the drop may have been due to the ice storm that reduced participation and movement in some counts. Ring-necked Pheasants were reported on 21 counts totaling only 73, but Newton reported 23 Greater Prairie-Chickens, almost 50 percent greater than last year. After a very good year for loons last year, Morris had the only Common Loon, and Red-throated went unreported. Grebes in general were down, with only nine Horned Grebes reported on seven counts, and 333 Pied-billed Grebes on 30 counts. Only 21 American White Pelicans were recorded on seven counts, many fewer than last year. Rend Lake had over 600 last year, and didn’t find any this year. Three counts reported Great Egrets, with three at Monroe County. Four counts recorded Black-crowned Night-Herons, three of them in the northern part of the state.

Raptors through Woodpeckers

Bald Eagles (1581) were reported on 59 counts, a bit more than last year. No Northern Goshawks were reported in Illinois this year. A count week Golden Eagle at Evanston was the only report. Sandhill Cranes returned to normal this year, with 42 on eight counts. Twenty-two counts reported Wilson’s Snipe, but Peoria found the only American Woodcock. Other sandpipers reported included a Spotted Sandpiper and five Least Sandpipers at Crab Orchard, another Least Sandpiper at Rend Lake, and a Long-billed Dowitcher at Carlyle Lake. Rend Lake had 1311 Bonaparte’s Gulls and Springfield recorded a count-week Franklin’s Gull. Five counts reported Thayer’s Gulls, including 12 at Chicago Lakefront. The Lakefront also had the only two Iceland Gulls. Seven counts reported Lesser Black-backed Gulls, six had Glaucous Gulls, and three counts reported Great Black-backed Gulls, with 12 at their usual stronghold in Calumet City.

Eurasian Collared-Dove was reported on 40 counts this year, but the Ringed Turtle-Doves in Joliet went unrecorded. Chicago Lakefront reported the only Barn Owl, and Illini State Park had the only Snowy Owl. Fourteen counts reported Long-eared, 18 counts reported Short-eared, and nine counts reported 14 Northern Saw-whet owls. Sixty-one counts reported American Kestrel, 15 counts reported Merlin, and 15 reported Peregrine Falcon. Newton had a Prairie Falcon. Calumet City reported 49 Monk Parakeets, much higher than last year’s four, but still the only ones in the state.

Flycatchers through Finches

Fifteen counts reported Eastern Phoebes this year, including 20 at Horseshoe Lake. Only two counts reported two Loggerhead Shrikes this year, with an additional count-week bird at Bird Haven. Fifteen counts reported 19 Northern Shrikes. Red-breasted Nuthatches rebounded a bit, with 47 counts reporting 182 individuals. Five counts reported House Wrens, two counts had Sedge Wrens, and three counts had Marsh Wrens. Waukegan had a Bohemian Waxwing, the only one in the state. Nine counts reported American Pipits, totaling 49 – about 1/3 of last year’s total. Lapland Longspurs were reported on 29 counts, one fewer than last year. On the other hand, 20 counts had Snow Buntings, twice as many as last year. Four counts reported solo Orange-crowned Warblers, two reported Common Yellowthroats, and three counts reported Pine Warblers. Hennepin had the only Vesper Sparrow. Three counts reported Harris’s Sparrows. Six counts reported Lincoln’s Sparrow. Five counts reported Western Meadowlarks, and two reported Brewer’s Blackbirds.  Two counts reported Red Crossbills, with a high of eight at Andalusia while Rockford reported the only Common Redpoll. Pine Siskins were much harder to find than last year, with 18 counts reporting a total of 50. Eurasian Tree Sparrows were reported from 21 counts.