7/14/2020 6:39

7/14/2020
6:39 am Waukegan Beach

It’s cooler today, 67°, with a breeze from the SW. There were a few shorebirds on the pier, same species as last time. I sat on the pier for a while, waiting to see if the Least Sandpiper would come out again. No luck. The Sanderling appeared instead.

I walked to the backwater. I had left my camera at home so I had a lot less weight on my hip. It was nice for a change to not be concerned with photographing the birds.

I waited at the outlet for the Least Bittern but it didn’t show. TI got a family of Wood Ducks instead. The Marsh Wren was very vocal and perched high in the phragmites to sing.

Finally I crossed the land bridge and headed north. Immediately the Spotted Sandpiper was vigorously defending his territory. I looked carefully to make sure I didn’t step on a nest. After I got a little further along he left me alone. I wasn’t looking carefully and I flushed a Least Bittern. All I saw was him flying away over the phragmites.

I watched the backwater from that vantage point. The Wood Duck family had made it’s way to the edge of the backwater just north of me, making it clear that this water was connected to the water visible from the first look-out point. Before I turned to go I saw a Mourning Dove fly over. I decided to get the binoculars on him. I had trouble getting him in view so I looked with my eyes. Just at that moment a Peregrine Falcon had come in. He had caught the dove in his talons! He flew off to the north, perhaps to a nest in the nesting platform on the power plant’s chimney.

Seeing that it was 7:40 I started back to the parking lot. The phragmites growing in the water at the edge of the lake were doing so well. I don’t understand why the phragmites along the backwater are all dead. Maybe the sand that has been pushed up by the waves is too deep for it. As I moved along the dune I watched a big frog leaping away. Then I heard an odd squawk. I looked and saw a Green Heron in the phragmite. He didn’t fly so I had a chance to watch him for a few minutes. That sighting gave me all of the expected wading birds for the day-Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron and Least Bittern!

When I got back to the car the workmen were getting ready to groom the beach. I took a minute to scan the gulls. Finding nothing I went home for breakfast.