Chicago Portage

Spring and all things new again, at the Chicago Portage. We’ve had enough rain to add water to the ponds and streams that otherwise appear dead with overgrown algae in the summertime because no water flows directly into them. Creatures manage to make a living off this place anyway.

Painted Turtles

Lots of turtles sunning themselves. Yesterday was beautiful, cooler than it was last week but still quite warm in the sun.

Snapping Turtle

There is one place under the bridge closest to the south side that has moving water draining out of the Portage…

More birds heard than seen but when I arrived the Blue Jays were making a lot of racket, and I figured they’d be predictably hard to see. The butterflies were barely cooperative.

I think these are Cabbage Whites.

 This cardinal was singing.

And down at the north end, a pair of Canada Geese have arrived to choose a nesting spot,

and I guess you could say the same for the Mallards.

Northern Flicker, Yellow-Shafted

There were several Northern Flickers, for the most part flying away, but I managed to catch this one off guard.

And my reward at the end of my walk was a Blue Jay who didn’t seem to mind my presence as long as he could hide behind a twig.

Here he is a little less twiggy but not quite as blue.