
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
I think fall must be my favorite season at the Chicago Portage. The birds blend in with the autumn colors, the leaves start to fall from the trees and then every once in a while a bird takes a quick leaf-like descent as well. This past Saturday, after my morning commitment to Thatcher Woods where we had scores of Yellow-Rumped and Palm Warblers, I decided to see what was up at the Portage. Below are two of perhaps 100 Robins…
Directly below, two Common Yellowthroats at Thatcher Woods.
I always take a picture of the water, such as it is, at the Portage to document how it changes from season to season…
There is water enough to bathe in as this female Red-Winged Blackbird was finding out.

Red-Winged Blackbird (male)
The Yellow-Rumped Warbler below was at Thatcher Woods…
And the Palm Warbler below was at the Portage.
Tennessee Warblers and Orange-Crowned Warblers often get confused in the spring but these two made it easier for me.

Tennessee Warbler
Orange-Crowneds always looks to me like they have a slight eye-ring.

Orange-Crowned Warbler
I missed seeing a flashy male Black-Throated Blue Warbler this year but I’m glad to have found a female of the species, wearing her muted fall clothes.

Black-Throated Blue Warbler (female)
Blackpoll Warblers in their fall plumage are stamped permanently on my brain after a few years ago when there were many for several days at my old stomping grounds, Lake Shore East Park, so I was delighted to find this lovely individual.
At one point I encountered some workers who were taking down a tree. I spent some time talking to one while another was driving wedges into what was soon to be the stump. It turns out the trees were not birch but white poplar, which is an invasive species and that is why they were removing it. Come to think of it I don’t recall ever seeing a bird in those trees although they had become a landmark and I thought they were rather attractive. After I was given clearance to go beyond the workers, I grabbed two quick clicks in the distance as the tree fell.
For all the Robin activity there were only a few Cedar Waxwings…
My view from the first bridge at the Portage yielded a Mourning Dove and a House Wren.
I almost thought I had missed all the Indigo Buntings but there were still a few youngsters left.

Indigo Bunting

Northern Cardinal (female)
I was delighted to see a Swainson’s Thrush if only for a moment…

Swainson’s Thrush
Eastern Phoebes…
Just starting to see Dark-Eyed Juncos, the harbinger of colder weather coming, I suppose. But after not seeing them all summer I am glad to have them back.

Dark-Eyed Junco
Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers are coming through as well.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
The Des Plaines was so low, this Great Egret was wading out into it quite a ways from the shoreline.
We had a lot of Northern Flickers at Thatcher Woods. Here’s one of them checking out a future home, perhaps.

Yes I am a Yellow-Rumped Warbler
And Monarch Butterflies are still migrating. I love the way the Poke Weed looks this time of year. I knew the birds were attracted to it but I guess the Monarchs like it too.
After hearing and rarely seeing Eastern Wood-Pewees all summer, it was nice to get good looks at this one.

Eastern Wood-Pewee
This last photograph is of a Downy Woodpecker who was foraging low and obscured by the vegetation but I like the pastel colors.
More to come, I have three more Saturday bird walks, weather permitting. We seem to be entering a rainy spell but from the looks of the Des Plaines last week we can use it.
A feast of birds. Your spotting skills are tremendous.
Oh my, thank you. It was a nice, sunny day and the birds seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was.
Great variety of birds Lisa. π
Thanks, H.J. I felt lucky to have caught the activity so late in the morning. π
What a busy visit!
And now I know where all the robins have gone. After a spring filled with hordes of them I haven’t seen more than one or two in as many months. I wasn’t worried of course, just wondering!
This is the time of year when the robins move around in flocks, so you might see a stray one or two but for the most part they’re sampling their favorite ripe fruit. We had barely one or two robins at Thatcher Woods and then I got to the Portage and they were everywhere. So it goes. π
Quite an assortment of migrants!
I don’t know if the hoard of Robins was stirring up the action or what but it was nice to see so many species at the Portage. I didn’t know what to expect because the parking lot was more crowded than I’ve ever seen it but I didn’t run into a lot of people all at once, and by the time I left it was quite empty again. I’m just glad the birds seem to like this place.
Reblogged this on Wolf's Birding and Bonsai Blog.
Thanks!
My kids grew up thinking there was a bird called the Bloody Warbler, as in “All these bloody warblers look the same to me.”
Looking at your warbler pictures I was reminded of this…
More great pictures despite my poor bird ID skills. π
Just when I think I have them figured out then I have to start all over again. Young birds of any species are a problem altogether. π
That is so true! π