October 17, and A Little More

Posted on by
1

As promised, here’s a short post about October 17 at the Chicago Portage. For one thing, it was very special to see a pair of Wood Ducks in with the Mallards.

White-breasted Nuthatches are here all year, but I don’t see them so often.

I had a few Golden-crowned Kinglets.

And a Ruby-crowned Kinglet as well.

This Yellow-rumped Warbler is likely a female, as it’s not so heavily marked. I have come to appreciate the black feet of this species, this year. So elegant.

Mallards had just recently returned to the site.

Here are two more photos of the Wood Ducks. The female is in the lower photograph.

Merlin is always hearing a Swamp Sparrow, and that day, I had one.

I also caught a distant glimpse of a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow.

Tennessee Warblers have been nice to see this year.

And for comparison, I found a very cooperative Orange-crowned Warbler.

Going back a bit to October 6, I got my best look at a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

I also managed to capture a Black-and-White Warbler. I think it came up rare for that day.

And it was good to get a glimpse of a distant adult Bald Eagle.

I am going to try to come back with what now seems like a whole lot of fall warbler photos. There was a week and a half of a lot of activity and apparently I was too busy then to do a report. Keeping my fingers crossed that we get the rain in the forecast later this week. That will keep me from taking more photos and give me time to get caught up a bit. Beyond that, we are so dry, I just want the rain more than anything else.

Fall Migration Winding Down

Posted on by
4

The transition to cooler temperatures last week finally made fall feel more real. We came back to warming up for a few days with abundant sunshine. It was enough to wake up the biting midges and reach for the bug spray. But now we are cooling off again.

This little collection is from three mornings at the Chicago Portage the past couple of weeks, starting with October 15. Yellow-rumped Warblers were still abundant.

Tennessee Warblers were still around here and there. The warmer weather is making migration a little more lackadaisical.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was available.

I felt lucky to see a male Eastern Towhee.

Here and there, I could see an Orange-crowned Warbler.

Heere’s another Tennessee Warbler – this one also at the top of the post.

White-throated Sparrows are everywhere. I don’t always see them, but I sometimes hear them, especially young males trying out their songs. And I have had at least one in my backyard the last couple weeks.

Two days earlier, I saw an American Kestrel. At first it was perched far away, but it started to fly in, and I later found it devouring its prey.

Palm Warblers have been scarce compared to previous years.

Hermit Thrushes came through in greater numbers. I could see three or four on any given day.

Mallards have returned to the duckweed.

October 17 was Very Birdy at the Portage. I think I’ll come back with a separate post about it. But in the meantime and in the interest of economy, here are a few more choice photos from even earlier, on October 8.

I saw what likely was my last Indigo Bunting of the year.

Blackpoll Warblers like the one below made a decent showing later this fall.

Another Hermit Thrush was present.

White-throated Sparrows have been around now for about three weeks. This one stood out in the sunshine.

I have seen Golden-crowned Kinglets on a few occasions, although not as many as previous years, so I was happy to find I did manage to get a few photos of the field mark for which the species is named.

Here’s one more Yellow-rumped Warbler.

I am not sure if I have really been “insanely” busy or it’s just trying to adjust to the days getting shorter, but it becomes harder and harder to avoid clichés. I spent this last week preparing myself mentally to get up in the middle of the night to drive to the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin and Hopper Lakes close to the Illinois River for an Illinois Audubon Society bird walk that began at 7:30 AM. I am so glad I went. It was wonderful to see the restoration of a beautiful wetland, transformed from farmland. I had been there years ago after the restoration process had just begun. Now the acreage provides for plants, insects and birds – in incredible biodiversity. I will try to do a post about this sooner. I seem to have slowed down in tandem with the slower pace of this fall migration.

Here Come the Yellow-rumped Warblers

Posted on by
4

I was going to go back to September photos, but between hosting my friend for two weeks and various social commitments, I have been too tired to complete any narratives. And now that the pressure is off, I have succumbed to a rhinovirus which is likely nothing more than the so-called common cold, but even my Zebra Finches yell at me when I start coughing.

So how about a quick review of some Yellow-rumped Warblers seen recently, and then I will try to get back to the regular program. Here are some captures from October 2 and October 5 in the Swan Pond and Riverside Lawn areas by the Des Plaines River.

The arrival of Yellow-rumped Warblers always heralds the end of warbler migration. My theory is that they have less of a distance to travel to their winter grounds, and so they wait longer to get going. They always arrive in great numbers, so after a while, you can recognize them immediately. They also have a distinctive chip note, so you can hear them before you see them.

You won’t always see the yellow rump for which they are named, and it can be confusing, especially in the sping, when the males are brighter and have yellow on their heads and sides as well. But here is how they look in the fall. And for me, that broken eye-ring is a dead giveaway.

Then in Swan Pond, I saw some more Yellow-rumps foraging low in the vegetation. Note the heavy striping on the bird in the lower photograph. There is always room for individual variation. Chances are this was a younger bird.

More Yellow-rumped Warblers appeared on the 5th.

Of course, there were other birds. Of note on the 2nd, I first saw a Great Egret not far from the Hofmann Tower.

Then, later by the swinging bridge, a Great Egret and a Double-crested Cormorant.

The cormorant is notable for its pale chest. This indicates a juvenile, according to Sibley.

I saw an Eastern Phoebe by the bridge.

And walking around, I noticed Bald-faced Hornet Nest and a Differential Grasshopper. I credit Google for these IDs…

On my way back to the car, I found a Common Nighthawk sleeping in a tree.

I had covered up the air conditioner and taken the living room fans to the basement days ago, but then we got walloped with hot weather for today and possibly tomorrow, which forced me to turn them all on again.

I promise to be back with more from the fall migration season soon. It’s good to take a break from sneezing.

Two More Days Trickling In

Posted on by
5

It’s been a busy week. While the days are getting shorter, fall weather is suspiciously in exact sync with the calendar, and evidence of passerine migration has picked up on the ground, making for some long-awaited encounters. But first, here’s how the Chicago Portage appeared on September 15, looking back at the bridge near Harlem.

Of course the Portage attracts creatures more than birds. But below the young doe, two year-round residents were present: a Hairy Woodpecker and a female Northern Cardinal.

And then, I started seeing Blackpoll Warblers. A lot of them must have come through our flyway, because I have been seeing them consistently and in numbers. However confusing they may look in the fall, with no “black” poll to relate to, they consistently have orange-to-pink colored feet which always distinguishes them from everybody else. And after a while, maybe, you start to notice what their face looks like, or the way their feathers are arranged, and you can sense their identity before the confirming feet.

Below, a glimpse of a Gray-cheeked Thrush, and a juvenile Indigo Bunting.

I never turn down a Magnolia Warbler.

Then the Black-throated Green Warbler, also at the top of the post, appeared. I especially appreciated his effort to make sure I saw his black throat.

Two days later, on September 17, I observed an American Goldfinch still feeding a fledgling.

I saw Blackpoll Warblers again.

There were several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Most seemed to be juveniles, except for what appears to be an adult female in the top right of the first photo below.

I was surprised to see a Lincoln’s Sparrow.

This was the last time I saw a Green Heron.

A Magnolia Warbler brightened up the leaves.

And then, I heard and saw a couple Yellow-Rumped Warblers. This one was a bit too far away to capture well, but they are often among the last warblers to be seen in the fall.

I was still seeing Bay-breasted Warblers.

I caught a brief glimpse of a Chestnut-sided Warbler.

And another Indigo Bunting.

Blue Jays have been very vocal and not so difficult to see, now that breeding season is over.

So with the weather cool and autumn-like, the subtle signs accumulate. I went out back to fill and hang feeders this morning and encountered a bee still asleep in a flower. I am back to wearing jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts. It’s been hard to come by seasonal weather for quite a while, but I am gratefully reminded that fall has always been my favorite time of year.

Fall Warblers Come Trickling In

Posted on by
4

Nothing like a rainy day to give me some extra time for a long overdue blog post. I’ve been trying to find some fall migrants in between weather events. The only problem with seeing just a few individuals is that if they are very cooperative, I take too many photos of them. Such was the case with a few birds on September 8 at the Chicago Portage.

The first birds I saw were juvenile “regulars” – a Gray Catbird dealing with feather management, and a Song Sparrow.

There was quite a display of Chicken-of-the-Woods on a fallen log.

Then I found a couple Bay-breasted Warblers.

I later found the Cape May Warbler that is at the top of the post. It was having a fine time gleaning galls from the undersides of hackberry leaves.

I was also happy to see a Green Heron that day.

Two days later, it was overcast and I only saw a few warblers, but I didn’t get many photos usable for anything except identification purposes. But I did see two lovely juveniles: a young Indigo Bunting, an American Robin, and I’m throwing in a likely adult American Goldfinch.

Last was a Blue Jay in flight. I think the Sony excels at this with its 600mm zoom.

Seeing as how tomorrow’s forecast is much like today’s with a lot of rain, I should be back that much sooner with more warblers and other migrants. I am also getting ready for a friend coming to stay a couple weeks, so maybe the rainy weather is good timing.

Riverside in August

Posted on by
4

August on the Des Plaines River began with herons and continued throughout the month with the larger birds being most notable, starting with several Great Egrets and one Great Blue Heron on August 3.

The days are getting shorter, yet at times it feels like what has happened, how can summer be over? Fall migration is getting off to what feels like a slow start. Would it help to identify more than four seasons and come up with names for the ones in between? No, that might make it worse… Here are some photos.

On August 10, a Great Blue Heron stood on a pedestal.

I also observed a Northern Flicker preening.

And a log bedecked in fungus, which Google calls “Hairy Curtain Fungus.” Okay…

Two days later we were in the clouds, with Rock Pigeons at the Hofmann Tower and a perched Great Egret.

On August 17, it was again very cloudy. I took the photo of the Great Egret which is at the top of the post, and managed to capture a perched Red-tailed Hawk during a short break in the cloud cover.

On August 19, I had my last glimpses in Swan Pond of Indigo Buntings.

On August 21, a Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret shared the same fallen log space.

On August 24, I caught some Canada Geese landing in the river and a Great Egret with a fish.

I then found an Osprey enjoying its breakfast. My friends Ted and Annette had seen it catch its prey earlier. I have since seen most likely the same bird on several occasions, sitting on one dead tree or another overlooking the river.

On August 28, the birds volunteering for photos were a Cooper’s Hawk and a Northern Waterthrush.

And on the last day of August, I saw another Common Merganser, rare for this time of year.

The Osprey was also present with another meal.

So far, September has continued to be a bit slow, migrants not quite keeping up with our expectations, but considering nobody can predict the weather anymore, no matter how many birds fly over us at night on their way to their wintering grounds, we can only hope to see what we see, and in the end, it’s always the bird I’m looking at right now. I have had some nice encounters this month. I can start making more excuses as the social calendar heats up, but I’ll still try to be back a little sooner.

They’re Coming Back

Posted on by
6

On the first day of September, I found eight fall warbler species at the Chicago Portage. I did not manage to get decent photographs of them all, but I was surprised to see how many the Sony did actually capture. I still find the camera to be quite temperamental, but with the extreme heat we have been experiencing, I intend to keep using it when it seems more practical.

This will be a very short post with some of the more engaging photos. I found most of the birds closer to the more northerly entrance to the preserve, so I will have to keep checking that area which, up until now, has been pretty quiet.

Here are some Tennessee Warblers.

I have been seeing American Redstarts off and on for about a week. Sometimes, of course, I saw only their tails.

I am always delighted to see Bay-breasted Warblers.

The big surprise was a Canada Warbler. This must be a first-year bird because it barely has a “necklace.” But the blue-gray color of the back and that bold eye-ring give it away.

The Chestnut-sided Warbler at the top of the post is also below.

Not another warbler, but there were a few Eastern Wood-Pewees – flycatchers – that morning.

One more bird – either a female Orchard Oriole or Baltimore Oriole. I am leaning toward Orchard, but too lazy to prove it to eBird…

So the activity has fallen off over the last few days of extreme heat. The air was so thick this morning I barely managed to walk the Portage for a little less than an hour. But the weekend looks to be cooler with the winds coming from the north, so maybe we will see more migrants. I’ll be back soon with a collection of RIverside sightings.

August Recap from the Chicago Portage

Posted on by
6

It’s time to seriously think about fall. The fall migration bird walks have begun, anticipating the birds gracefully bringing us into the autumnal season as they have in the past. August at the Chicago Portage has been quiet, the summer breeding birds having all but left and the migrants from the north starting to pass through. Here’s a little compilation of some birds I managed to see and photograph at the Chicago Portage with the smaller camera.

Starting with August 4, the Bird of the Month has to be an American Goldfinch. They have been everywhere.

On August 8, I got a rare view of a Muskrat.

Indigo Buntings were abundant, the adults were getting ready to leave.

On August 18, I encounted a White-tailed Deer doe and one of her fawns.

Eastern Wood-Pewees have been constant all summer. I will miss their sweet little songs cascading through the woods.

I’m always happy to see a butterfly. This is a Hackberry Emperor.

On August 20, I saw a juvenile Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher and a few Cedar Waxwings.

I found a juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Turkey Vultures were on the move.

I saw my first fall warblers that day, with a couple Blackburnian Warblers easiest to photograph.

On August 22, right by the little bridge near Harlem Avenue, I was joined by a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird who was enjoying a patch of Jewelweed.

On August 23, I saw a Black-and-White Warbler and a Blackburnian Warbler.

A Northern Flicker was checking the “flicker” tree, perhaps to see if anyone was left behind.

I saw Eastern Wood-Pewees again.

On August 25, I saw a juvenile Indigo Bunting.

And again on August 27, another late Indigo Bunting.

I took note of a Pearl Crescent butterfly.

Northern Flickers will continue to be quite visible throughout the fall.

And just when I had given up on seeing any more birds, this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk flew right overhead and I complied. I have found the Sony RX10 to be great at focusing on birds in flight against a clear background. I am glad I finally got some good use out of this camera. I may have to learn how to use my Canon set up all over again…

So Near and Yet So Far

Posted on by
6

I spent the last week in total embarrassment. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the rare bird alerts until I realized that a Swallow-tailed Kite had been seen along the Des Plaines River in the very same places I frequent, and I was too busy getting back to swimming in my favorite pool. The bird even stuck around for four days. Latecomer that I was to this exciting event, probably nearly missing seeing it at least once – by what? an hour?? – I nonetheless enjoyed three quick visits to Ottawa Trail, albeit in cloudy conditions as we endured a very rainy period those days.

For further mortification, one morning while I was in Riverside by the Des Plaines River, the Kite was merrily flying around Mount Auburn cemetery, roughly a stone’s throw from the Chicago Portage, and of course I didn’t know about it until that night. So just for fun since the rainy forecast seemed to be in abeyance, I decided to visit Mount Auburn and then the Portage the next morning, only to be caught in a downpour which continued as I wrote this paragraph in my car. I should accept my fate and be grateful that I have traveled enough in years past to have seen this species. Perhaps it’s too late in life for me to suddenly start chasing birds.

Here’s a little roundup of other birds I saw while visiting all the places the Kite had left. Starting with Ottawa Trail on August 10, a fly-by Common Grackle and a Red-tailed Hawk.

On August 11, two Downy Woodpeckers, a Mourning Dove, an Osprey and a Great Blue Heron…

Later the same day at Ottawa Trail, a Baltimore Oriole and Blue Jay in downward spiraling flight, and a pensive Red-tailed Hawk.

Other species at Ottawa Trail: Black Swallowtail, Monarch, and Common Buckeye butterflies.

Moving on to Mount Auburn Cemetery, a couple American Kestrels kept me entertained.

Fall migration is starting, and I think I am over the Kite. I have seen a few individual warblers and I hope to be back a lot sooner with more recent discoveries. I have also been distracted by the sudden nonexistence of staples I have taken for granted (sardines and 12×14″ newsprint to line my birdcage trays, if you were curious), which should not be surprising given the current State of Flux.

Here’s a Blackburnian Warbler I saw four days ago at the Portage. I’ll be back.

Hanging Out at McGinnis Slough

Posted on by
4

Imagining that it was still really quiet in this midsummer breeding season almost anywhere, I was drawn to visit McGinnis Slough the last two Sunday mornings. Farther than the two places I frequent normally, but not so far away that I had to get up any earlier, I drove to the slough first on July 25. The first bird I saw well enough to photograph was a slightly frazzled-looking House Finch. Soon afterward, I was delighted to see the young Pied-billed Grebe at the top of the post.

I then saw a Green Heron, but it was hard to separate from the reeds.

One Wood Duck was fairly close.

And I got a couple views of a Killdeer.

I could not ignore the Swamp Rose Mallow.

I also had a most obliging Blue Dasher Dragonfly.

A Great Blue Heron flew to a tree.

And an Osprey flew overhead.

But maybe most interesting of all was seeing a Mallard hen watching over her one late duckling.

On August 2, a week later, even fewer birds were available for photographs, but sometimes less is more. I just managed to watch these Wood Ducks vanish from my vantage point soon after I arrived.

And then came the big surprise. Two adult Trumpeter Swans arrived not too far from the trail with their two juveniles. We had just received a lot of rain, which filled the slough with enough water for the swans to visit the parts they don’t normally frequent. I’ve had this happen before, and it’s just wonderful to see these birds closer.

I again had a very cooperative Blue Dasher Dragonfly.

And this tiny butterfly I believe to be a Hobomok Skipper.

That’s it for now. I can appreciate the slow season for what it is.