Eastern Wood-Pewee
I don’t chase birds, and it seems I have had fewer opportunities than I’d like lately to search for birds even in the most convenient places. So I try to make the most out of the chances I do get.
Wilson’s Warbler
Tuesday morning on the way back to work from the Labor Day weekend, I saw this Wilson’s Warbler at 155 N. Wacker.
American Redstart
The warblers in particular have been scarce in the city parks, if not in the “hot spots,” but I don’t like going back into the city on the weekend after migrating to and from it all week, so today I decided to get to the Chicago Portage early and then go to Palos.
Outside of American Redstarts at the Portage, I had a Connecticut Warbler and a male Black-Throated Blue, but neither of them wanted their pictures taken.
I got a little luckier at Palos, which holds a large area of contiguous forest preserves in southern Cook County. I parked in the south Swallow Cliff lot and took off on the yellow trail. I had looked it up before I went and knew it formed a continuous loop through several forest preserve areas. The entire loop is more than 8 miles. Without realizing the consequences of such a hike, I embarked upon the trek.
Blue Jay
The slowest part of my walk was in the beginning. There were Blue Jays and Eastern Wood=Pewees everywhere. I tend not to think of Blue Jays as migrants, but of course they are. To my delight, several jays sang over the course of my walk, and I always had to stop and listen. Not one song matched another.
Chestnut-Sided Warbler
It took quite a while to hit pockets of warblers and when I did it was sometimes difficult to identify them all. I didn’t get many pictures of them, but this Chestnut-Sided Warbler was most cooperative.
The Yellow Trail is frequented by runners, cyclists and horseback riders. Not necessarily the ideal birdwatching situation. But I got used to it after a while and figured the birds were pretty used to it too.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
I’m pretty tired and sore from the trek. I know I will be sore tomorrow, but my four plus miles of walking to the train and back are less strenuous than today’s workout. It was good to see some birds.
Eastern Wood-Pewee
I wish I could tell the differences between bird songs. I do love hearing the little guys chirping outside, even if I can’t tell who is singing! Another blogger gave me a lovely guide to bird songs, which has helped a bit, but I may be a lost cause. I enjoyed looking at your pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your comment and for following my blog! Don’t be discouraged trying to distinguish bird songs. It takes a LOT of practice. It took me years before I could recognize all the calls that robins make, and I am still discovering more. Guides and CDs are very helpful, but in the end the key to learning bird songs, I think, is just following the sound to see who’s making it. And your knowledge accumulates over the years: your brain stores that sound in your head somewhere and when you dust it off every spring it becomes more familiar.