Birds are finally starting to arrive in numbers. Because of the early leafing out, it seems like we’ve been waiting forever. New songs and bright colors fill the air.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

I could fill a book with photographs of Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers. but I don’t think I’ve ever run into one with this much personality before.

Chipping Sparrow

I love Chipping Sparrows. They’re so dapper!

Hermit Thrushes have been here a couple weeks but it’s still nice to see them.

White-Throated Sparrow

White-Throated Sparrows didn’t all leave, but the migrants are everywhere now. And they’re singing their Old Sam Peabody-Peabody-Peabody tunes a lot.

I heard a wonderful White-Throated song Wednesday afternoon. The bird singing sang it in two parts. The first part went down, but the second part was a different tune, in that he turned it upside down, went up with it and then down a half step. Very original.

Northern Waterthrush

A surprise, a Northern Waterthrush in Millennium Park Monday afternoon! I have seen Northern Waterthrushes outside the tennis courts in Daley Bicentennial Plaza after a rain, but I have never seen one in Millennium Park. I wish I could have gotten closer for a sharper picture.

A couple female Red-Winged Blackbirds at the edge of a tennis court. You can just barely see that they have red feathers on their shoulders too.

This male Red-Winged Blackbird was singing for peanuts. I guess he figured he could afford to squander his song on me now that the girls have arrived.

This Northern Flicker must have found a very good ant swarm because all my picture-taking could not distract him.

A Brown Creeper showing off his creeping abilities.

An elusive Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

A rabbit, one of many seen regularly. There must be more rabbits this year! All that early vegetation gave them a boost.

And there’s always a crow willing to pose.