Champaign County Audubon Society

Field Notes
Field Notes Editor, Darin Eastburn, 344-2297

March and April 2010
Spring migration is definitely underway with Chimney Swifts arriving and Juncos on their way out. Some of the most notable sightings were both Whooping and Sandhill Cranes at Heron Pond. Other sightings at Heron Pond included White Pelican, Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Bald Eagle, Cormorant, Greater Yellowlegs, and Palm Warbler. The Sunday bird walks in Busey Woods and Crystal Lake Park have allowed local birders to see Northern Parula, Pine, Orange-crowned, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hermit Thrushes, Chimney Swifts, American Coots, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Summer Tanager, Winter Wren, and Swamp Sparrows. Reports from Meadowbrook Park have included Blue-winged Teal, Mallards, American Robin, lots of Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, American Goldfinch, and Tree Swallows.

Waterfowl have been showing up at local wetland areas over the past few weeks. At the Curtis Road wetlands area birders have reported seeing Golden Plovers, Killdeer, Pectoral Sandpipers, and Smith's Longspurs (OK, not waterfowl, but interesting). At the U of I swine ponds Pied-billed Grebes, Coots, Canada Geese, Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal, and Wood Ducks have been observed. At Weaver Pond and woods there are reports of Blue-winged Teal, Mallards, Canadian Geese, American Coot, White-throated Sparrows, Eastern Towhee, and Sora. And at Homer Lake Eastern Bluebirds, Osprey, Cormorants, Hooded Warbler, Mute Swans, and Pied-billed Grebe have been reported. Other birds of note reported recently from the local area include Chimney Swifts, Carolina Wren, Yellow-throated Warbler, Common Loon, Pectoral Sandpipers, Turkey Vultures, Purple Martins, and Cooper’s Hawks.

Champaign County Audubon Society - P.O. Box 882 - Urbana, Illinois - 61803-0882 - (217) 367-6766

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Photos courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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