The picture above was taken on April 14 at the Chicago Portage. There had been some rain, but the deluge was yet to come. The colors were still muted, with hardly any green. After the Portage, I continued on to part of Ottawa Trail Woods for the first time, searching for signs of spring.
Female Ruddy Duck
I was a bit surprised to see this lone female Ruddy Duck at the Portage, napping. A little farther down stream were Blue-Winged Teal. Perhaps this couple was looking for a nesting spot.
Blue-Winged Teal
The Canada Goose below was sleeping peacefully on her nest, incubating her brood. But I am afraid she has probably been washed out by all the rain that followed.
Canada Goose on nest
An early female Red-Winged Blackbird was sitting quietly off to the side.
Female Red-Winged Blackbird
Ruby-Crowned and Golden-Crowned Kinglets were everywhere. This particular Ruby-Crowned seemed to be having a little trouble controlling his crown in the wind. But in the second photo it really looks like a Crown sitting on top of his head.
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Here’s a Golden-Crowned Kinglet, for comparison.
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
The sunshine, which had been in short supply, brought the turtles out of their sleep. This is but a small group: there were at least thirty.
A freight train crosses the Des Plaines River.
This Chipping Sparrow disappears right into the tree colors surrounding him.
Chipping Sparrow
Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers almost blend into the birch trees.
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Oh, just one more turtle. I couldn’t resist.
Painted Turtle
At the end of the day, the emblematic first warbler of spring, the Yellow-Rumped, still vies for my attention.
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
More to come…after the downpours.
I am impressed by the photos of the kinglets. They are so quick and tiny, we have never been able to get a picture of one.
Thanks! Yes they are quick and sometimes I feel like I’m getting too old for this as they flit around back and forth. But then I guess when there are a lot of them, as there have been lately, some individuals get brave and curious to come out long enough for a picture or two. And in the downtown parks they are often more approachable, so I guess I’m happy I got these “wilder” ones to cooperate.
I would love to have the skill to notice and catch so many birds.
Oh my! Thank you so much. I think I just get lucky from time to time. It’s a matter of showing up and then trying to blend in with the environment somewhat, I guess. A cumulative thing. Oh I feel myself tempted to expound, so maybe I’ll devote the rest of my thoughts to a future blog post!
Please do.
Another wonderful collection, Lisa. Super images of the Kinglets.
Thanks much, Bob! It’s been a great spring for Kinglets, so far…not much else. 🙂