ILLINOIS & INDIANA 
In a plumage rarely seen in the Illinois & Indiana region, this first-cycle Laughing 
Gull (molting out of juvenal plumage) was on Lake Monroe, Monroe County, 
Indiana 21-24 (here 24) August 2008. Photograph by Susan E. Hengeveld. 
GULLS THOUGH HUMMINGBIRDS 
Two Black-legged Kittiwakes were at Gillson 
Park, Cook, IL 30 Nov (AFS, RDH, m.ob.). A 
juv. Sabines Gull flew past Miller 3 Sep OCK, 
KJB), and 3 others were seen there 6 Sep 
(BJG, JCK); 3 were at Carl. L (DMK, MS) 16 
Sep. A late juv. was discovered at Dunes 9 Nov 
(REF et al.). Single first-cycle Little Gulls 
were seen at Miller 27 Oct OJM, JCK), 9 Nov 
(REF et al.), and 15 Nov OJM, JKC et al.). At 
least 1 0 Laughing Gulls were reported in the 
Region, including 4 different birds from Carl. 
L. 8 Aug-23 Nov (DMK, m. oh) and 2 juvs. at 
Monroe 21 Aug (DRW). A major movement 
of Franklin’s Gulls 8 Nov included a lake- 
front-record 598 at Miller (KJB, SRB, PBG, 
JCK et al.) and 156 at L. Decatur, Macon. IL 
(TAM), followed the next day by 110 in 
Kankakee. IL OBH). Ad. California Gulls were 
at Miller 15 Nov OJM, JKO, Winthrop Har- 
bor, Lake. IL 8-22 Nov (ph. RDH, m.ob,), and 
at Mich. City 17 Nov QKC, JJM, BB, KJB), 
while a first-cycle bird was noted 23-28 Nov 
at Carl. L. (DMK, MS). Indiana’s first inland 
Lesser Black-backed Gull for Aug, a third-cy- 
cle bird, was found at Monroe 17 Aug (DD) 
and remained until 24 Aug (ph. SRE, ph. 
MRB). An ad. at Salamonie Res., Wabash 16 
Sep OJM) was only the 3rd for ne. Indiana. 
On 15 Nov, 2 Pomarine Jaegers, an ad. and 
a juv, were seen during a lakewatch at Miller 
OJM, JKC, RDH, KJB et al.). There was a 
strong flight of Parasitic Jaegers in Indiana, 
with 20 birds reported. The only jaegers re- 
ported from Illinois were juv. Parasitics seen 7 
Sep (KAM) and 2 Nov (DMK, MS, EWW) at 
Carl. L. An ad. Long-tailed Jaeger was at Miller 
3 Sep (ph. MT), and a juv, was there 28 Sep 
(tMLR, MCH, tGAW, CLW). 
The strong summer presence 
in Illinois of Least Terns spilled 
into the fall season, with 20 at 
East Cape Girardeau 9 Aug 
(TAM, DMK, KAM) and 15 in 
Wabash 10 Aug (CLH). Unusu- 
al for n. Illinois, and also late, 
were 2 Least Terns at Winthrop 
Harbor, Lake 7 Sep (EWW). 
An Indiana record 58 
Eurasian Collared-Doves were 
logged in Whiting, Lake 1 Nov 
OKC, JJM, KJB, TH et al.). A 
White-winged Dove at Door 
Village, LaPorte 1 Sep (BJG) 
produced Indiana’s first Sep 
and 2nd fall record. At least 6 
Snowy Owls were reported 
from Indiana and 12 from Illi- 
nois. One in Goshen, Elkhart, 
IN 4 Nov (ph. J&VK) might 
have been the same bird that 
was taken to a rehabilitator 14 Nov (fide RT). 
At Hawthorn Mine, Sullivan, IN, a fine count 
of 47 Short-eared Owls was made 21 Nov 
(RLH, WH, THu, AR). A Burrowing Owl 
made news 29 Oct with a one-day appearance 
at Montrose (RDH, ph. BV, tGAW, m.ob.) be- 
fore being taken by a Cooper’s Hawk! A total 
of 4 Northern Saw-whet Owls, 2 per evening 
at different sites, was recorded on consecutive 
nights 8-9 Nov in Frattklin, IL (LSt). 
Part of an impressive Regionwide flight, 
1376 Common Nighthawks were seen in 
Kankakee, IL 6 Sep OBH). A phenomenal to- 
tal of 120 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds visit- 
ed feeders in Posey 22 Sep (SSo), marking the 
highest count ever for Indiana. A Ruby- 
throated Hummingbird 29 Oct in Rockford 
(DTW) tied the 2nd latest n, Illinois date for 
this species. One Rufous Hummingbird was 
reported, an imm. male 3 Nov at Glenview, 
Cook, IL (ph. GL), 
FLYCATCHERS 
THROUGH WARBLERS 
A very tardy Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was 
studied 18-19 Oct at Montrose (tGAW, PKD, 
ph. NL, ph. CMd), Two Western Kingbirds 
were reported: 5 Sep at Montrose (RDH, 
m.ob.) and 23 Sep at Chinook Mine, Vigo. IN 
(KR, ph. JS, ph. MJ). Eastern Kingbirds 
moved through in good numbers; 80 were 
counted 22 Aug at Carl. L. (KAM). An East- 
ern Kingbird 16 Oct at Montrose (KH) was 
one of the latest on record for Illinois. An ad. 
White-eyed Vireo feeding a fledged young in 
Delaware, IN 1 1 Sep represented a ver)' late 
nesting by this species (BG). In a very good 
season for Bell’s Vireo, the tally of 43 birds at 
Hawthorn Mine, Sullivan 15 Aug (DRW) rep- 
resented the highest-ever fall count for Indi- 
ana. The male of a territorial pair at Fox Is- 
land County Park, Allen, IN remained 
through the late date of 16 Sep QAH, DR, 
MW). In a continuing downward trend, only 
one Loggerhead Shrike was reported in Indi- 
ana (8 in Illinois), while 29 Northern Shrikes 
were reported across the Region. 
Cliff Swallow numbers in Illinois were 
above normal, with 2000 in Randolph 18 Aug 
(KAM). On 10 Nov in Monroe, a single Cave 
Swallow was reported at L. Lemon 0DH)> 
and 2 were reported from Monroe (DRW), 
representing Indiana’s 2nd and 3rd records 
(p.a.). Cave Swallows in Illinois included the 
state’s first accepted record 13 Sep at Carl. L. 
(ph. DMK, ph. MS), plus a building-strike ca- 
sualty retrieved 10 Nov in Chicago (*FMNH; 
DEW, MH) and one 15-16 Nov at E. Fork L., 
Richland (tCLH, ph. RES). The total of 83 
Red-breasted Nuthatches reported in Indiana 
and the peak Illinois count of 29 at the Mor- 
ton Arboretum, DuPage 23 Nov (DFS) were 
high for an even-numbered year, given the 
species’ two-year cycle. The only Townsend’s 
Solitaire reported was at Montrose 31 Oct 
(RDH, m.ob.). 
A tardy Tennessee Warbler was at Mus- 
catatuck N.W.R., Jennings, IN 17 Nov (ph. 
DLL). Two Yellow-rumped Warblers at Eagle 
Cr. 27 Aug (LP) provided just the 3rd Aug 
record for cen. Indiana. A Black-throated Blue 
Warbler 27 Nov in Chicago (ph. GS) provid- 
ed Illinois’s record-late date, while Indiana 
recorded its latest-ever Black-throated Green 
Warbler 23 Nov in Montgomery (JDP). Also 
tardy were a Blackburnian Warbler at Mus- 
catatuck N.W.R. 25 Oct (T&CB) and a Black- 
and-white Warbler in Marion. IN 1 Nov (RL- 
S.fide LP). The Swainson’s Warblers noted in 
summer near Thebes, IL were seen there 9 
(TAM, ph. DMK) & 27 Aug (REF et al). For 
the 2nd straight year, a Northern Waterthrush 
lingered at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, being 
seen 12 Nov+ (ph. GN), and a Hooded War- 
bler at Carl. L. 1-4 Oct (KAM, DMK, MS) was 
also quite late. 
SPARROWS 
THROUGH FINCHES 
An amazing 350 Chipping Sparrows were 
counted in Indianapolis 1 Sep (LV, KF), more 
than twice the previous Indiana maximum. A 
record 1 1 Clay-colored Sparrows were report- 
ed in Indiana, including a very early bird at 
Monroe 24 Aug (ph. SRE, JL) and an ad. at 
Dunes 20 Sep QKC, m.ob.). The total of 177 
Savannah Sparrows at Goose Pond 22 Oct 
constituted Indiana’s 3rd highest count 
(LWS). An impressive 15 Le Conte’s Sparrows 
84 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
