Only time for a quick message. I was at Huntley from ca. 10:20 a.m. to
ca. 2:20 p.m. Highlights were 2 Pine Siskins with about 30 American
Goldfinches along the northern part of the boardwalks, 2 Merlins (one
initially found perched in a treetop just east of the main marsh later
flew and then was chased and stooped on over the marsh by a second
Merlin!), two male Wood Ducks that flew into the area of open water in
the western part of the former Main Pond area, an Eastern Phoebe in the
woods edge near the south end of the main boardwalk, a Red-breasted
Nuthatch in a pine by the visitor center parking lot, a Fox Sparrow in a
patch of bushes and Swamp Rose in the boardwalk loop, and an American
Tree Sparrow that flew up out of the brushy northern marsh edge near the
boardwalk loop to perch in the crown of a bare Red Maple in the woods
edge, then flew into the cattail marsh on the east side of the boardwalk
loop. Other waterfowl included a male Pintail, a Black Duck, 50+
Green-winged Teal, and 40+ Mallards. An adult Red-shouldered Hawk also
hunted from perches in crowns of trees in the woods edge along the east
side of the main marsh. And I was just hoping for a nice walk and a few
birds! I did not see the Cackling Goose that had been reported earlier,
however, even though I looked at almost every one of the Canada Geese
that were there (that's one of the advantages of actually counting
through flocks of birds).
John Bazuin
