Trip Report: Calumet Reclamation Plant - 2013 August 18

Twenty-two observers attended this joint Chicago Ornithological Society/Evanston North Shore Bird Club sponsored field trip to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in southeast Chicago on Sunday morning (18 August 2013). Like last year's trip, it was an absolutely gorgeous day for a field trip. We counted at least 186 individuals of ten shorebird species, compared with 318 individuals of ten shorebird species on the same trip last year. The main difference between this year's trip and last year's was the number of Least Sandpipers (135 last year, 40 this year), and Pectoral Sandpipers (80 last year, 5 this year).

Our best trip highlight early on was a single adult BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, but after acting upon the recommendations of the Gyllenhaals, we revisited the same spot and found that 3 adult BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were present. Our biggest miss (in my opinion) was Baird's Sandpiper. On the other hand, Aaron Gyllenhaal may have a very different interpretation of our biggest misses...!

Our trip results are listed below. By my count, we found a total of 43 bird species at the plant (compared with 43 last year as well). Once again, a big thanks goes to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for graciously allowing our groups access to the plant.

- post contributed by Walter Marcisz

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Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (Chicago), Cook, US-IL
Aug 18, 2013 7:00 AM - 11:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
5.5 mile(s)
Comments:    Joint Chicago Ornithological Society/Evanston North Shore Bird Club field trip.
Observers: Walter Marcisz, Allison Daley, Frank Fahey, Alexandra Gerarden, Aaron Gyllenhaal, Eric Gyllenhaal, Ethan Gyllenhaal, Ann Harness, John Hockman, Susan Linnel, Margo Milde, Fran Morel, Thomas Nakic, Jill Niland, Joan Norek, Linda Radtke, Mark Roome, Jeff Sanders, Lisa Spellman, Al Stokie, Ted Wolff, Amy Zehnder.
Weather: Gorgeous weather overall. Comfortable temperatures to upper 70s F., sunny with some puffy cumulus clouds, calm at first with light northerly winds later in the morning.
43 species

Wood Duck4
Mallard102
Blue-winged Teal3
Double-crested Cormorant37  (total includes 35 flyovers)
Great Blue Heron (Blue form)  2
Great Egret1
Green Heron4
Red-tailed Hawk1
Black-bellied Plover3  (3 adults)
Semipalmated Plover16
Killdeer29
Spotted Sandpiper9
Solitary Sandpiper10
Greater Yellowlegs1
Lesser Yellowlegs34
Semipalmated Sandpiper39
Least Sandpiper40
Pectoral Sandpiper5
Ring-billed Gull95
Herring Gull1  (1 flyover juvenile)
Caspian Tern1  (flyover)
Mourning Dove3
Chimney Swift17
Downy Woodpecker3
Willow Flycatcher1
Eastern Kingbird2
Blue Jay1
Barn Swallow63
Black-capped Chickadee1
American Robin8
Gray Catbird3
European Starling37
Cedar Waxwing5
Common Yellowthroat1
Song Sparrow9
Northern Cardinal2
Indigo Bunting2
Red-winged Blackbird120  (estimate)
Common Grackle1
Brown-headed Cowbird11
Baltimore Oriole1
House Finch2
American Goldfinch18