Spring in the park continues

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.

7 thoughts on “Spring in the park continues

    • Thanks, H.J.! Actually it was two days, Monday and Wednesday. I just fixed the day I saw the Waterthrush – thanks for making me realize I haven’t been keeping too good track of time lately. Must be spring fever.

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