Fifteen people with binoculars smiling at the camera on the beach — Photo by Edward Warden.

words by Brighten Jelke

April 29, 2024

Sixteen birders gathered in the evening of April 29 to decompress from a long day at work and look for birds at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, enjoying beautiful weather and sunset views. Making our way counter-clockwise around the sanctuary, the group got excellent looks at a Great-crested Flycatcher in a canopy tree, as well as Eastern Towhees and White-throated Sparrows foraging on the ground.

Great-crested Flycatcher. Montrose Point, August 30, 2020. Photo by Geoff Williamson.

Some participants thought they heard a Blue Grosbeak, which has been confirmed at Montrose and other locations in Chicago over the past couple of weeks. However, after a few minutes of listening without seeing any grosbeaks (either Blue or Rose-breasted), we headed out to the beach, where it was almost hard to hear the birds over the calling toads!

Along the shore were Caspian Terns, Dunlins, Sanderlings, two Willets, and one Spotted Sandpiper. Bank Swallows and Barn Swallows also made their presence known.

Two long-legged shorebirds turned golden by the sun at the edge of the beach and the water. — Willet. *Photo by Cristina Warnock.*

“I thought I had to come at 6 a.m. to get this kind of action!” remarked one participant. As the evening light turned golden, Imani the Piping Plover came out to greet us, calling out and even walking alongside the group on the public beach for a few minutes.

Bird with light tan back, white belly, dark band across forhead and dark collar around neck. The bird has a silver band at the top of its yellow right leg, an orange band at the top of the left and a silver/blue band on the left leg near the foot. — Imani the Piping Plover. *Photo by Kris Hansen.*

Despite being so close to Imani, it was difficult to observe the unique leg banding used to mark the Piping Plovers, which caused some confusion even in a group with several experienced birders. Each individual can be recognized by the color and position of multiple bands on their legs, although the placement high on the leg means they sometimes appear covered up, and the colors can fade over time. Imani has a USGS metal band on the upper left leg and an orange band with a lighter colored center opposite that, as well as light blue on the lower right leg. For more information about how to identify and report banded Piping Plover sightings, check out the Great Lakes Piping Plovers website or Chicago Piping Plovers on Instagram.

We saw 38 species in the sanctuary and 17 species on the dunes.

A line of people with binoculars follow the sand trail among the native grasses near the beach. — *Photo by Edward Warden.*

The group ended the night with a few warblers back at the Magic Hedge, and finally saw the Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. We continued through the sanctuary until it was almost too dark to see the birds. Evening walks are a beautiful and relaxing way to end the day—if you find yourself always birding at the same time of day, try switching it up and see how your experience changes!

Field Trip Report: After-Work Bird Walk at Montrose Point