The Illinois
Ornithological Society

Illinois Rare Bird Alert

RBA
State: Illinois
Coverage: Statewide
Date: December 6, 2009

Species Mentioned (Caps denote a review list species):

  • Snow Goose
  • BRANT
  • Tundra Swan
  • Harlequin Duck
  • Surf Scoter
  • White-winged Scoter
  • Black Scoter
  • Long-tailed Duck
  • Pacific Loon
  • Western Grebe
  • Purple Sandpiper
  • Black-legged Kittiwake
  • California Gull
  • Thayer's Gull
  • Iceland Gull
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull
  • Glaucous Gull

This is the Illinois Rare Bird Report for December 6, 2009.
Compiler: Sulli Gibson.

NOTE: Species in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE REVIEW LIST SPECIES. Details of these sightings are desired by the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee. Careful observation, not ornithological expertise, is the only qualification for submitting data. For details and pointers see the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee page on this Web site. Species requiring documentation can be found on the review list on the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee page. For status information about Illinois birds, see the Birds of Illinois page on this Web site.

Begin transcript -

Snow Goose: Cook Co (North) - 1 blue morph at the All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines on 12/2/09 (Fran Morel).

BRANT: Peoria Co (Central) - 1 at the Riverplex (Athletic Complex) on the Peoria Riverfront on 12/3/09 (Rick Fox). It was seen on 12/4/09 and 12/5/09 by many others. Another location that it has been sighted at is the Detweiller Marina (1 mile North).

Tundra Swan: Carroll Co (North) - 100s at Spring Lake of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge on 12/6/09 (Anne Straight).

Harlequin Duck: Lake Co (North) - 1 flying South seen from the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/6/09 (Michael Hogg).

Surf Scoter: Peoria Co (Central) - 1 on the Illinois River in Peoria on 12/4/09 (Maury Brucker, Rick Fox). It is best viewed from the North end of the Riverplex. It has been in the area for week now. Less notable Surf Scoters have been seen on Lake Michigan at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park a few times this past week.

White-winged Scoter: Lake Co (North) - 1 at Waukegan Beach on 12/6/09 (Sulli Gibson, Geoff Williamson). 1 adult at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/6/09 (Beau Schaefer). The Illinois Beach State Park bird was seen the day before as well(Dave Johnson, et al.).

Black Scoter: Lake Co (North) - 1 immature female type at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/5/09 (Dave Johnson, et al.).

Long-tailed Duck: Bond/Clinton/Fayette Co (South) - 2 at the Carlyle Lake Sewage Lagoon along Sand Ridge Road (Dan Kassebaum, et al.). Lake Co (North) - 10 at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/5/09 (Dave Johnson, et al.).

Pacific Loon: Lake Co (North) - 1 viewed from the headquarters at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/6/09 (Greg Neise, Karen Mansfield, Jeff Skrentny). It was seen by many others in the afternoon.

Western Grebe: Lake Co (North) - 1 viewed and photographed from Stateline Beach in Winthrop Harbor on 12/6/09 (Greg Neise, Karen Mansfield, Jeff Skrentny). 1 viewed from Central Road Beach in Highland Park on 12/6/09 (Michael Hogg).

Purple Sandpiper: Lake Co (North) - 1 at the pier between the Government Pier and the Beach Pier at Waukegan Beach on 12/6/09 (Greg Neise, Karen Mansfield, Jeff Skrentny). This is the pier that makes up the north part of the Waukegan Harbor channel. It was seen throughout the day by many on the very edge of the beach side of this pier.

Black-legged Kittiwake: DeWitt Co (Central) - 1 1st cycle at the SW Spillway at Clinton Lake on 12/6/09 (Craig Thayer). This bird has been present for about a week now.

California Gull: Lake Co (North) - 1 adult at North Point Marina in Zion on 12/5/09 (Dave Johnson, et al.).

Thayer's Gull: Lake Co (North) - 4 (3 adults, 1 second year) at North Point Marina in Zion on 12/6/09 (Sulli Gibson, Geoff Williamson). Unspecified number at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/6/09.

Iceland Gull: Lake Co (North) - Unspecified number at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/6/09.

Lesser Black-backed Gull: Lake Co (North) - 1 adult at North Point Marina in Zion on 12/6/09 (Sulli Gibson, Geoff Williamson). Unspecified number at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/6/09. 2 at North Point Marina in Zion on 12/5/09 (Dave Johnson, et al.).

Glaucous Gull: Lake Co (North) - 1 adult at the South Unit of Illinois Beach State Park on 12/5/09 (Dave Johnson, et al.).

- End transcript

Sulli Gibson
Illinois Ornithological Society

Illinois Rare Bird Alert

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