The Falcon Returns – Life and Death on the 46th Floor

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Lisa Rest

Whatever post I had been envisioning to be cobbled from birding the last two weekends or downtown forays during the week has been usurped by Mbres360, the young Peregrine Falcon from my last post.

This morning began very birdy up on the 46th floor. My coworkers drew my attention to a female Golden-Shafted Flicker that had apparently struck the building. She was lying right outside the window on the balcony or ledge down the hall from my office. She looked perfect, except that she was dead. I don’t have it in me to photograph a dead bird; it seems somehow disrespectful. Yet I would volunteer to get her to the Field Museum, where she might be gutted and stuffed. They would do so respectfully, and keep track of her death in their records. If there was a way to get the building maintenance to open the window, I wanted to deliver the Flicker to the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and the Field Museum. I ran back to my office and that’s when Kim called to me and said, “Lisa, he’s back.”

Mbres360 was indeed back. The closer pictures are shot unfortunately through blinds, but still it was easy to see his bands and confirm his identity. He seems to have taken a liking to our rookery-like tower. And he looks bigger and more ferocious than last week.

After I took these pictures, the Flicker Drama was continuing. I ran back to the other balcony where the maintenance guys had just removed the Flicker into a black plastic bag and it seemed inevitable they would throw it in the trash. Leslie, our office manager, put in a call to the management office to ask them to hold the Flicker until a collision monitor could pick it up. I called Bird Collision Monitors and asked them to introduce themselves to building security; and then the Flicker should be turned over to them. I never heard back, so all I can hope is that they were able to rescue the Flicker from a dumpster burial.

When I went back to Kim’s office the falcon was gone, but Kim said he was after a smaller bird that had also disappeared. Mbres360 has probably figured out he can get an easy meal by looking for stunned birds colliding with our building. He would not be interested in a dead bird, however. Personally I wish him luck, because it seemed way too much trouble to remove the Flicker for an uncertain outcome. I shudder to think what it would have been like to try to rescue a bird that was still alive under those circumstances. Not that I wouldn’t try…

Falcon on the 46th Floor

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Lisa Rest

Meet “Mbres360.” I’m not sure how to pronounce his name or what it stands for, but he paid the office a visit yesterday afternoon by landing on the ledge outside the conference room, and I am still savoring the opportunity, seeing one of these birds up close.

I did not want to startle him by going through the conference room doors. Luckily Kim was in her office which also has a view of the ledge, and when I told her the bird was right outside her window, she invited me in to take pictures. I ran to get the camera, afraid I might miss the opportunity because I had put it away, but I guess the bird was as curious as we were, because he waited for me to get my act together and I took a few shots.

Then I went looking on the Internet for where to report him and see if maybe he could be identified. In less than a minute I found Stephanie Ware’s wonderful Chicago Peregrine Falcon Blog. I followed her instructions and sent her pictures and a closeup of the bands which I read as Red N and Green 53.

Stephanie graciously wrote me back to tell me the bird was was a male chick “from this year’s river nest” and then she identified him by name.

I’m always looking out the windows to see who is flying by, which is probably why I’ll never get an office with a window. I have seen Peregrines on several occasions, but I never dreamed one would visit like this. Considering the Chicago Peregrines are born and raised in an urban environment, with nests on top of skyscrapers, I guess it’s not that unlikely. But this felt very special. The sighting made my week, for sure. And led me to Stephanie’s wonderful blog, so I can learn more about these beautiful birds.

After I had taken maybe five pictures, he decided he’d had enough and with a little shriek, he literally disappeared into thin air. I guess that is the magic of the entire encounter. Once these birds fledge they start honing their incredible speed which makes them such formidable predators. It’s hard to think of Mbres360 as a tough guy just yet.

Return of the Yellow-Rumpeds

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Lisa Rest

Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Lyman Woods

Our migrations always seem to be punctuated by the arrival of Yellow-Rumped Warblers. In the spring, their arrival in great numbers signifies the beginning of the end of spring warbler migration. It is much the same in the fall. So while I was delighted this weekend to see them easily because of their numbers, I could not help but think that the warbler numbers would be dwindling, and fall would give way to other species.

“Meadow” Rump

Yesterday there were perhaps 30 or more Yellow-Rumped Warblers foraging in and around the meadow at Lyman Woods in Downers Grove.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Chicago Portage

Today I went first to Ottawa Trail Woods where I saw virtually none of them, unlike spring. By the time I got to the Portage, there were only a few Yellow-Rumpeds hanging out with some American Goldfinches. But when I circled back around to the south bridge before I left, there were perhaps 20 or more foraging in the duckweed-covered shallows with as many American Robins.

I have many other bird photographs from this weekend but I have to get some sleep, so I am limiting myself to the Yellow-Rumped Warblers for this post.

I am surprised by this particular setting, which I didn’t realize at the time I took the pictures, I was so busy following the bird’s movements. But the duckweed background, branches and sparse leaves strike me as very shibui.

Bathers

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Lisa Rest

One thing about the fountains at Lake Shore East Park – they provide an irresistible temptation to bathe for the birds. At least for the Common Grackles that have been hanging out there in numbers.

The first video is from September 4 and the second one is from yesterday, September 18, exactly two weeks later. On the 4th a House Sparrow joined in but I didn’t manage to get him in the video. Yesterday a Gray-Cheeked Thrush responded to the temptation of flowing water.

Gray-Cheeked Thrush

At first I thought this was a Swainson’s Thrush but on closer review it turned out to be Gray-Cheeked which is much more unusual.

Apologies for the construction noise accompanying the second video! They’re building another high-rise apartment building across from the park.

A few more bathing stills…

The last is with the House Sparrow before I started the video recording.

Come on in, the water’s fine!

Wherefore art thou, flickr page?

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Lisa Rest

Monarch Butterfly

I just deleted the link to my flickr page because the page no longer exists. It seems somewhere along the line, probably due to some wonderful merger I wasn’t paying attention to, my account got deleted. I have no idea where my photographs associated with it went, and I was forced to set up a new account with nothing in it. As I recall, I have paid for this privilege. I’ve asked for help twice to no avail.

Thanks for listening to my rant. There were some photographs on flickr that I do not have anywhere else. This constitutes sentimental, not “real” value, of course.

I’ll be back soon with a more topical post. Until then, above is the last Monarch Butterfly I saw this year, about two weeks ago.

City Stopovers

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Lisa Rest

Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher, Lake Shore East Park

Fall is suddenly upon us with cooler temperatures, shorter days, and finally some rain. It has been raining all day today, true to the weather predictions which the past couple weeks have not held, at least in my neighborhood. So we were pretty dry until now. I finally gave in to reality and decided to get caught up on indoor chores, rather than go out on the migrant quest. But over the past week there have been birds arriving at the two spots I can visit regularly downtown, 155 North Wacker Drive on my way in to work and Lake Shore East Park on my lunch hour, in particular on Friday after the cold front pushed more birds down to us.

Northern Waterthrush, 155 N. Wacker Drive

Tennessee Warbler behind glass at 155 North Wacker deli

At 155 North Wacker I never know where I’m going to see birds, so the waterthrush flew up onto the top of a wall on Wednesday, and on Friday, the Tennessee Warbler was stuck inside the deli. I called the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors without realizing I had not told them exactly where I was but by the time they got there the worker inside the deli whom I had been trying to help get the bird down and out the door managed to catch the warbler in something net-like, brought it out to me, and as soon as I could say “it’s fine” the Tennessee escaped his hand and flew into the trees. I would have rather gotten a picture of him free, but he was not having anything to do with us after all that.

Female American Redstart, Lake Shore East Park

Redstarts have been most abundant. Of course this time of year a lot of them look more like Yellowstarts. The first year males are distinguishable from the females such as the one above by their more brightly-colored feathers and the prescient orange look to the yellow on the side of the breast. The young male below was a bit puffed-out looking through a lot of the shots; I hope he’s feeling better.

First-Year Male American Redstart

Swainson’s Thrushes have also been here and there. Not as many as I would have seen in the larger park space but still you could pretty much count on seeing or hearing one somewhere.

Swainson’s Thrush, Lake Shore East Park

Below is a not great picture of what may be the first Blackpoll I’ve seen this fall. There were other shots that fill out the whole bird a bit more but none as revealing. That’s one thing about taking pictures of warblers. You might end up with the tail feathers in one picture and the breast or head in another. Or you might just get a good look at the underside.

Blackpoll Warbler, Lake Shore East Park

Below is a Female Wilson’s Warbler. Again not a great picture but a nice bird to see, nevertheless.

Female Wilson’s Warbler, 155 N. Wacker Drive

Friday there were at least a dozen Palm Warblers foraging in the grass and in the trees in Lake Shore East Park.

Palm Warbler, Lake Shore East Park

The third most common bird has been Magnolia Warbler. Below is what looks to me like a nice first-year male.

Magnolia Warbler, Lake Shore East Park

If I can get up early tomorrow I might try the lakefront before work. If nothing else, I owe my crows a visit.

A Few Fall Warblers

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Lisa Rest

Bay-Breasted Warbler

If the Osprey from my last post and a few other interesting water-oriented birds had not kept me occupied on Sunday, I might have been gone before these warblers came to life. Indeed I had turned back when the sun came out from behind the clouds around 11:00 a.m., which is usually when everything starts to slow down. Enter the Chickadees, Redstarts, and these few characters.

Bay-Breasted Warbler

The Ovenbird below was a little too far away.

Ovenbird

But the female Magnolia Warbler spent a moment or two preening before seeming to ask me just what it was I found so interesting about her.

Female Magnolia Warbler

The weather is suddenly beastly hot, but I am hopeful the cool front predicted for the end of the week will bring a few more tropical jewels my way.

Osprey Opportunities

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Lisa Rest

Osprey, Chicago Botanic Garden

The past week and a half has been catch-as-catch-can on the birding front while juggling all those other things that get in the way of it, like work, home and sleep. I have taken a lot of pictures and in the process have several unfinished posts which are barely started.

So while trying to regain some balance in my life I thought I’d show you pictures of Ospreys I took yesterday and today. Seeing an Osprey is always special. Seeing and photographing these magnificent birds in two different locations on consecutive days is almost too good to be true. I will never utter the words, “Oh no, not another Osprey.”

The picture at the top of the post is from the Chicago Botanic Garden. More images from that outing will appear in a future post. Weather-wise, what a difference a day makes. Yesterday morning was for the most part sunny and beautiful.

Chicago Botanic Garden

The following images are from this morning, under intense cloud cover. I started out a bit later and it didn’t matter, since there was very little activity until I got down to the Des Plaines River area at Ottawa Trail Woods.

Osprey on the Des Plaines River

If you click on the picture above you can see some fishermen across the river and the Osprey flying over. I followed the bird with the camera and prayed.

This bird circled back and flew over again.

I have to wonder what these powerful raptors think of somebody like me standing below, pointing a big lens up at them. They seem so nonchalant about the paparazzi.

All in a day’s work.

Hummingbird Moth Migration

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Lisa Rest

White-Lined Sphynx Moth

Last week for two days in a row in downtown Chicago, I saw Hummingbird Moths, also known as Sphynx Moths, with the first one being on my way to work Thursday morning in the flowering plants at 100 South Wacker Drive. Now that fall warbler migration has begun I have had my camera ready. But I think even if I had to stop and put the lens on the body, this moth would still have waited for me. It seemed to respond to attention.

If you know the name of this plant please tell me: it’s installed everywhere which makes me think it’s rather common and very hardy.

When I got to 155 N. Wacker Drive a few minutes later, I did manage to see a Nashville Warbler out in the open. I had a female Mourning Warbler too but she was not so cooperative.

Nashville Warbler

Later in the afternoon, at Lake Shore East Park, I was hearing birds but not seeing them, so I started imitating some call notes and this Blackburnian Warbler emerged to check me out.

Blackburnian Warbler

Also had a brief encounter with a Swainson’s Thrush.

Swainson’s Thrush

Few and far between are Monarch Butterflies. I can remember only a few years ago seeing scores of them at a time and now I am lucky to see one. I would like to see this species recover; I hope it’s not too late.

Monarch Butterfly

On the way back to work, at the Aon Center, was another hummer moth.

This one was a bit easier to capture. Click on the pictures for an enlarged view. I think the eyes are fascinating.

Indeed these moths look to me like some kind of magical made-up creatures that belong in a Pixar movie.

Not that I’ve ever watched one. I’d rather see the real thing.

Goldbird Variations

Why Birds Sing in Key with Music, or how I finally put perfect pitch to use.

Monthly Archives: September 2013