ILLINOIS & INDIANA 
Bellrose 10 Apr (KAM), 2 at Cahokia 
Mounds S.P., St Clair 27 Apr (FRH), and 3 at 
American Bottoms, Monroe 27 May (C&PD). 
At least 5 other single birds were noted. Sin- 
gle Plegadis were seen 2 May at Goose Pond 
(ph. LuS, fide LWS) and 8 May at Montrose 
OSAJRS). 
VULTURES THROUGH RAILS 
Two Black Vultures at Prairie Creek Res. 11 
Apr (ph. BG) furnished the first record for 
Delaware, IN; noteworthy were singles at 
Carl. L. 1 1 Apr (MSS, DMK) and in Marion, 
IL 14 May (MSS), with 2 in Washington, IL 20 
May (MSS). Well n. of its normal range in In- 
diana, a Mississippi Kite was discovered in ne. 
Tippecanoe 2 May (DA, fide JBD). Single 
Swainson’s Hawks were noted 1 Apr in both 
Knox, IL (MJB) and DuPage, IL (REF), while 
3 were tallied near the breeding sites in Kane 
and McHenry, IL 25 Apr (RAM, ALM). Very 
rare in Indiana, a light-morph Swainson’s was 
discovered in nw. Jasper 23 Apr (BJG, PBG, 
JJM, LP). The dark-morph Harlan’s Hawk that 
wintered at Hawthorn was present through 1 
Apr (DRW et al). A Rough-legged Hawk in 
McHenry, IL 14 May (RAM) was unusually 
late. Representing the first record for the n. 
tier and the latest ever for Indiana, a Prairie 
Falcon was found at Kankakee EW.A., La- 
Porte 21 Mar (KJB, SRB, JKC, TH, LSH). The 
only Yellow Rail reports for the season came 
from Karl Bartel Land and Water Reserve, 
Marion, IL 16 & 18 Apr (RES et al.) and 
Goose Pond 25 Apr (LWS). Single Black Rails 
called from three different locations at Goose 
Pond 4, 23, & 24 May (LWS et al). 
SHOREBIRDS THROUGH TERNS 
Notable among the shorebirds were many ear- 
ly arrivals. A fine tally of 6803 American 
Golden-Plovers was made 25 Apr in Benton, 
IN (BO). In St. Clair, IL, a Piping Plover 3-4 
Apr (TJD, DMK, MSS) provided a record-ear- 
ly arrival date for Illinois. All other Piping 
Plover reports came from Waukegan, IL, with 
one noted 1-2 May (DD, MJB, TBL), 2 there 3- 
4 May QSS, NAL), and one 9 May (EWW, 
APS, m.ob.). Four Black-necked Stilts at Cane 
Ridge 5 Apr (CC) provided Indiana’s 2nd ear- 
liest spring record, and a state-high count of 
35 American Avocets was logged there 2 May 
(S&RV et al). An avocet in East Chicago 28 
Apr (AK, JSC) was the first seen at the Indi- 
ana lakefront since 1998. 
Record-high counts in Indiana for both 
species of yellowlegs were established at 
Goose Pond this spring, with 497 Greaters 
tallied 2 Apr (LWS, BF, BkF) and 1300 Lessers 
16 Apr (LWS, MC). Part of a “wave” of Wil- 
lets in late Apr-early May, Indiana’s two high- 
est spring counts ever for the lakefront con- 
sisted of 35 birds in East Chicago 28 Apr (AK, 
JSC) and 26 birds at a Gary wetland 2 May 
(MTp, KJB, JJM, EMH et al.). A Spotted Sand- 
piper at Horseshoe 23 Mar (FRH) provided a 
record-early arrival date for Illinois. Three 
mid-May Whimbrels were reported from Illi- 
nois: 14 May in Madison (DJS), 18 May in 
Cook (AA), and 18-21 May in Sangamon 
(HDB). Good numbers of Hudsonian God- 
wits were reported from Illinois, including 12 
w. of Victoria, Knox 17 May (MR, PJR), 6 near 
Meredosia, Morgan 14 May (TW), 7 there 17 
May (KR), 3 at Farina, Fayette 16 May (DMK, 
MSS, KAM), and 3 at Spoon R., Stark 17 May 
(MHB). Single Marbled Godwits were noted 
22 Apr at Chicago (DRD et al.) and in Sanga- 
mon, IL (HDB); 2 were at Swan L., Calhoun, IL 
25 Apr (RQR); and one was at Goose Pond 27 
Apr (LWS). A strong flight of Red Knots in- 
cluded 6 in Waukegan 21 May (EWW) 
among 9 reported for Illinois. A nice count of 
15 Baird’s Sandpipers was made at Spoon R., 
Stark, IL 24 May (MHB). The 400 Dunlins at 
Santa Fe Bottoms, Clinton, IL 4 May (DMK) 
were notable, and the 15 Stilt Sandpipers at 
McCool Basin, Porter 13 May QCK) provided 
a record-high spring count for Indiana. A 
Buff-breasted Sandpiper discovered 9 May in 
w. Union, IL (VMK) provided the 6th spring 
record for Illinois. Short-billed Dowitchers 
had a fine season: one 25 Apr at Bellrose 
(KAM, MSS) was record-early for Illinois, and 
excellent flocks of 127 and 120 were found at 
Pierce Rd. wetland, St. Joseph, IN 13 May 
(BH) and Santa Fe Bottoms, Clinton, IL 4 May 
(DMK), respectively. A fine count of 369 Wil- 
son’s Snipe was logged at Goose Pond 30 Mar 
(LWS). A record-early Wilson’s Phalarope was 
noted 8 Apr in Pulaski, IL (GL, KAM, MSS), 
while a group of 4 Red-necked Phalaropes 
seen 21 May (MHB) and 28 May (KR) in Peo- 
ria, IL were part of the highest spring total 
(11) ever for Illinois. 
Laughing Gull numbers are on the rise in 
the Region: 17+ were reported, including 3 in 
Waukegan, IL 26 Apr (EWW) and a pair seen 
copulating at N. Pt. Marina 31 May (DRD). A 
Laughing Gull x Ring-billed Gull hybrid was 
noted 7 Mar in se. Chicago (AA). An amazing 
400 Franklin’s Gulls were at Lock & Dam 14, 
Rock Island, IL 16 May (SMF), and an ad. Lit- 
tle Gull was photographed at Melvin Price 
Lock & Dam, Madison, IL 11-12 May (DMK, 
MSS, KAM et al). An ad. California Gull was 
at N. Pt. Marina 16 Mar-12 Apr (ph. CSF, 
m.ob.), and a second-cycle bird was there 30 
May (ph. TBL). The 8 Thayer’s Gulls at N. Pt. 
Marina 14 Mar (RDH) provided the highest 
spring tally for Illinois in 12 years, and 4 Ice- 
land Gulls there 7 Apr (EWW) were notable. 
In Waukegan, IL, lingering Icelands included a 
first-cycle bird 13 May and a second-cycle bird 
14 May (EWW). There were 7 Lesser Black- 
backed Gulls at N. Pt. Marina 14 Mar (RDH), 
and an exceptional count of 9 was made there 
7 Apr (EWW). Four inland Lesser Black- 
backeds were reported in Indiana, including an 
ad. near Wakarusa 4 Mar (ph. LS, ph. HK) and 
2 ads. at Prairie Creek Res. 11 Apr. (BG). A 
first-cycle Lesser Black-backed remained at N. 
Pt. Marina 24-28 May (EWW), and a second- 
cycle was in Waukegan, IL 25 May (EWW). A 
rather late first- or second-cycle Glaucous Gull 
was at Michigan City Harbor, La Porte, IN 9 
May (SRB, NM). The lakefront enjoyed a 
record spring flight of Great Black-backed 
Gulls, the peak count consisting of 17 birds at 
various Indiana sites 14 Mar (KJB, SRB, JKC, 
LSH et al). 
Single Caspian Terns in se. Chicago (WJM) 
and at Montrose (GAW) 24 Mar were record 
early for Illinois, and impressive flocks of 465 
and 350 were noted at Michigan City Harbor, 
La Porte, IN 1 May OJM) and Montrose 7 May 
(GAW), respectively. Common Terns had a 
strong presence on L. Michigan, with 575 at 
Waukegan, IL 14 May (EWW) and 425 at N. 
Pt. Marina 21 May (EWW), while the 107 at 
Goose Pond 13 May (KkR) represented a fine 
inland count. Least Terns reported away from 
s. Illinois included singles 14 May in Sanga- 
mon (HDB) and 21 May in Fulton (KR). 
DOVES THROUGH WAXWiNGS 
For the 11th consecutive spring, White- 
winged Doves were reported in the Region, 
with single birds at Montrose 2 May (LK, ph. 
MT et al), in Boone, IN 7 May (RLH, CH, LP), 
and at Dunes 18 Apr (BJG, JCK, RJP, KJB et 
al.) and 14 May (KJB, JKC). Two Monk Para- 
keets seen in Hammond, IN 2 May were ob- 
served building a nest there 8 May OJM)- A 
census of known Barn Owl nest sites in Indi- 
ana in Apr and May yielded a minimum of 37 
birds, including 22 ads. (AK et al.). A Chim- 
ney Swift in LaGrange 29 Mar (SP) was Indi- 
ana’s 2nd earliest ever. The 89 Ruby-throated 
Hummingbirds at the Mississippi R. 
blufflands in Monroe, IL 28 May (C&PD) pro- 
vided Illinois’s 2nd highest spring count. 
An Olive-sided Flycatcher in Adams 25 
Apr (AGD) was record early for Illinois. 
Western Kingbirds were plentiful in Illinois 
this spring. In addition to the birds at the 
Granite City breeding site (KAM et al), an 
early returner was in Joppa 24 Apr (FKB), 
another was at Horseshoe 8 May (FRH), and 
in the n. tier, singles were in Lake 18 May 
(TA, JG), in DuPage (REF) and Stark (DFS), 
both 19 May, at Montrose 29 May (RDH), 
and in Lake 30 May QOS). Providing the 2nd 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
431 
