Volo Bog bust, Greater White-fronted Goose at Diversey

Volo Bog
Lake County, north of Route 120 west of Hwy 12 on Brandenburg Road

Sunday, February 19th, 2006, 4-6pm

Once again this morning I tried to find that darn Harlequin Duck male that had been reported at Belmont Harbor and North Avenue at the Chess Pavilion. After seeing the Snow Geese at Montrose, I thought maybe I should check in between. I went to Diversey Harbor to see what I could find there. No Harlequin Duck, but I did find a Greater White-fronted Goose (photo Jeff Skrentny) swimming in the water close to the rock beach, and that was at least a new Chicago bird, #36 for my Chicago life and year list.

But today was going to be dedicated to a 50 mile trip to the north. After reading a posting about another birders great Sunday afternoon trip a week earlier, I decided to head up to Volo Bog this afternoon to see if I would have any luck seeing the Long-eared, Screech and Great-horned Owls he had seen, plus hope to catch a glimpse of the illusive Northern Shrikes up in that area.

But today was going to be dedicated to a 50 mile trip to the north. After reading a posting about another birders great Sunday afternoon trip a week earlier, I decided to head up to Volo Bog this afternoon to see if I would have any luck seeing the Long-eared, Screech and Great Horned Owls he had seen, plus hope to catch a glimpse of the illusive Northern Shrikes up in that area.

Good thing I like nature and walks. That was all I got. I didn't see or hear a bird of any sort on this beautiful Sunday afternoon and dusk until I did the whole walk around Volo Bog and was heading back to my car. Then with the light too dark to make any positive ID, I saw what might have been a Northern Shrike zipping through the air with some prey in its talons. Why do I think it was a shrike; size and coloring. But I am way too much a rookie to ever know.

So it was 104 miles of driving for a good 3 mile walk. Could be worse, though a cold day, it wasn't the frigid temperatures of yesterday. No owls today so it looks like another trip before I can see those glorious birds at Volo Bog. How bad could that be?


FUN SIDE NOTE...I reported my sighting of the Greater White Fronted Goose at Diversey on IBET, and my posting became my FIRST report that was included in the Chicago Audubon Rare Bird Alert:

Chicago Rare Bird Alert

Downloaded from BIRDCNTR, a service of the National Birding Hotline Cooperative (NBHC), and processed by an automatic mail processor.

Posted on this server Friday, February 24, 2006

- RBA

* Illinois
* Chicago
* February 22, 2006
* ILCH0602.22

- Birds mentioned

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE...

A WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen at the mouth of Diversey
Harbor February 19th and 21st.