Here are way too many photographs from two October visits to the Chicago Portage – October 4, and October 6. I was going to include even more photos from October 13, but I would never be able to finish the post, so that event with too many photos will follow. And then, I was there again this morning and had 29 species. Just trying to keep up with October has been a challenge!
At the Portage lately, I have been changing my strategy and have started birding the inside dirt trail first because there seem to be more birds available in there. The month started off with plenty of Yellow-rumped Warblers and both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets to try and follow with the camera. Fall wood-warbler migration is slowing down, but there are still a few other species here and there.
A preening Song Sparrow was pretty much making it difficult to come up with a definitive photograph of it.
An Indigo Bunting was present on the 4th of October. I can’t tell you if this is a bird passing through or one that was still lingering here. I had yet another Indigo Bunting this morning.
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was somewhat available. Up until the past few days the Golden-crowned Kinglets seemed to be more prevalent, but now the Ruby-crowneds are catching up with them.
A House Wren was briefly available on the 4th. I think I have still heard one or two recently.
A very pale Red-breasted Nuthatch appeared in my photographs, however briefly. This reminds me that earlier, somewhere, I have a better representation of one and I will have to find it…
A Rose-breasted Grosbeak was perched up high. This is likely a female.
This Yellow-rumped Warbler was too close to ignore.
Also on the 4th, American Goldfinches were causing a ruckus up in a tree – I realized that there was a full-grown youngster still begging for handouts but was unable to capture it clearly.
Some photos of what appears to be a young Golden-crowned Kinglet with its streakiness…
And another Golden-crowned Kinglet in a pensive moment…
Room for a Downy Woodpecker…
Here’s one of the last Magnolia Warblers I’ve barely seen this fall.
Yellow-rumped Warblers were everywhere, of course.
I’ve been complaining about Not Enough Palm Warblers for weeks and it still rings true. They must have picked another route back to the southern states. It’s just so unusual to see only one of them.
A couple more Yellow-rumped Warbler photos, just for fun.
So I will be back very soon with October 13 and then maybe even today’s haul – although there’s still a lot going on elsewhere and in my backlog… It seems like a lot anyway, when even as the weather is getting colder and the days are shorter, there are still plenty of birds to see.
Another fine selection. I take my hat off to your spotting photographing skills.
Oh thank you so much. Funny I was talking with a cyclist at the end of my walk today and after asking me about the weight of my camera and lens he said he never made it to digital photography, that he just stopped taking pictures. I told him that it was just too easy to take however many pictures and delete the ones that were useless. We then reminisced about film and dark rooms… I can’t imagine trying to follow these birds without burst, etc.
Well, today’s weather seems to be telling us that that the migration flow may be slowing down or coming to an end. You captured most of those October birds that managed to find some time to camp out at Portage. Nice Job
Thanks, Bob. I barely even heard birds this morning but that might have in part been due to a Cooper’s Hawk that was hiding out in a thicket the entire hour I was at Riverside Lawn. I do feel like there are somewhat fewer birds than last year altogether.