Nashville Warbler, Columbus Park
The days are getting shorter, there are still fall migrants coming through, the weather has been beautiful the last day or two and I feel like I’m running around in circles just trying to get normal things accomplished, and then I’m out of time for everything. Everything being the moment to sit still, observe, reflect, be…
Magnolia Warbler, Columbus Park
Palm Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-White Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Truth be told I did not stay in last Sunday because the rain was threatening but not really materializing, so I managed to visit the Portage and almost envisioned doing a post about what surprises were there, but I keep succumbing to that temptation (“What’s your favorite photograph?” “The one I just took”) and then I never get back to documenting previous outings. So while I have been recalcitrant catching up with other bloggers I am going to try at least to catch up a bit with myself.
American Redstart
Whatever my obsession to try to hold on to the last experience, these pictures are more from the 13th trip to Columbus Park, which is a park on the west side of Chicago, making it barely a stone’s throw away. There’s a nice water feature going on at the park, and perhaps the star was a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron contemplating how to make a living.
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Columbus Park
Also present, a Pied-Billed Grebe and a Great Blue Heron. I don’t recall if I realized the Blue-Winged Teal was eating a crabapple when I took the picture but it seems a little odd.
Pied-Billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Blue-Winged Teal eating crabapple
There were two young Cooper’s Hawks present.
Cooper’s Hawk
A fellow participant pointed out the caterpillar to me. I did not have my macro lens handy so it’s not a great picture, but I think it looks like a sphinx moth. I confess to being very lazy and I have not tried to look it up.
Caterpillar
I must leave this page, it’s getting late and I have to get up and go to work. I hope to return in a better mood. Tomorrow night is the first rehearsal for the choir I have signed up for. I have received the first email from Bill Hilton about November’s Costa Rica trip. There’s room for more participants: he didn’t say how many we were but the optimum number is 12. Time for me to start thinking about this trip. I’m looking forward to contributing to Bill’s research for a week.
You got here a nice collection of warblers Lisa! Nice pictures! Have a good night! 🙂
Thanks, H.J. It’s morning and I think I’m still a asleep. 🙂
Lisa, Thank you for your efforts.
Oh thank you Jim for the encouraging words. Maybe the blog, like the birds, will keep me together. 🙂
Blogs, birds and art keep me together..life is really good and your photos are so full of energy and uniqueness. Take care..music and choir is good for the soul..have a wonderful day!!!
Thanks so much, Syl! I’m stuck in the office today reading about all the birds everybody is seeing on the lakefront (of course)… Maybe I can get up early if I go straight to bed after the rehearsal. I hope it’s good for my soul. I’ll keep thinking the birds like to sing, huh? 🙂
You still have more birds than we have. They are scarce around here, in our favorite birding parks. Don’t understand it, we should have new ones arriving any time. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow. Maybe some will start showing up. Love your photos.
Hi Bob. I bet you’ll get a ton of birds soon. Apparently there are a lot out on the lakefront today and of course I am stuck inside… 🙁 But thanks so much for your comment and the compliment and I hope there are many migrants in your near future!
I really enjoyed the final picture of the heron among a host a nice captures. I hope that your choir brings you joy.
Thank you. The first choir rehearsal was fun. The director is a cool guy. I have to practice, it’s been a long time. My birds weren’t too crazy about my singing last week but they’ll have to get used to it.
I also love the last picture. The rest were very nice, but the heron… very cool!
There’s something about this weather and time of year which makes me a little lazy and grumpy. Fortunately we just got a few beautiful and also cool days, and I’m halfway thinking fall isn’t as bad as I thought!
You must be having some success, that’s quite the warbler collection for someone who’s not getting much done!
Thanks for the lovely comment, Frank. I manage to go out and see some birds, and when I’m lucky I get a few pictures. It’s dealing with the pictures and finding time to write a post later. Want to have my cake and eat it too. 🙂
Who knew Columbus Park was such a great place for birding? Not me, anyway. Pretty sure that’s one of the original Jens Jensen parks.
You’re right about Jensen – he was part of the West Park Commission. According to Wikipedia it was his first large park which he began working on in 1915.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Park_(Chicago)
He also had much to do with the redesign and rehabilitation of Douglas Park which, incidentally, is Chicago Ornithological Society’s planned walk destination for tomorrow morning. I just might attend.
Hi Lisa,
Nice bird shots! Your moth looks like a Banded Tussock Moth. They use lots of different trees as food plants for their caterpillars, including ash, birch, hazelnut, hickory, oak, walnut, and others.
Thank you, Mary Anne! What a great descriptive name for the moth. 🙂