Spring migration has been completely unpredictable this year. There are certain things that you tend to expect to happen, and several of those things did still occur, but the timing and number of species seen has been quite different from the past few years.

We always look forward to seeing lots of wood warblers during spring migration, yet this spring, for whatever reason, sightings have been sporadic at best. There just were not that many species in the trees once we got past the early influx of Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers. There were hardly any other species in large numbers, and when there were, like Tennessee Warblers, for example, they were so high up and distant, they were impossible to see.

Rather than go on about What Happened To Spring Migration?, I am going to just start posting my favorite photos from the past few weeks, starting with three visits to the Chicago Portage on April 28, May 2, and May 8. Let’s start with a fond goodbye to the Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers.

It was consistently difficult to capture a Nashville Warbler this spring.

I saw a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that day. I think it’s the only one this season.

American Robins are busy and ubiquitous. Could that be a cicada in the robin’s bill in the second photo?

Black-capped Chickadees have since gone nesting and are not so easy to see.

There was something odd going on with a couple Blue-gray Gnatcatchers that day. I can’t tell if the scruffy-looking one was an early fledgling, but that’s what it looks like, the other being its watchful parent.

On May 2, a couple fighting Baltimore Orioles caught my eye.

It was a cloudy day.

I barely captured a male American Redstart.

There was still a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Yellow Warblers were easier to find. Here are some more photos of the bird at the top of the post and another individual.

Northern Flickers are getting easier to see.

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are disappearing as they tend to their nests, but I got lucky with this one.

And Warbling Vireos are normally difficult to see but I have managed to photograph several this season.

I was watching a female Red-winged Blackbird searching for nesting material.

And a male Red-winged Blackbird by the water.

At one point three Turkey Vultures flew over in celebration.

The switch to summer-like hot weather and thunderstorms seems sudden. I’ve shed my jeans for lighter weight birding clothes. On Saturday morning, I led my auction bird walk at the Chicago Portage. Two days before, the mosquitos were waking up. On Friday morning, the first periodical cicadas were emerging from their exoskeletons. Here’s a sneak preview.

Yesterday was the last Unity Temple Choir performance for the season, and afterward, four of us went down to Hyde Park to sing with members of other UU choirs for the Meadville-Lombard commencement ceremony. Suffice it to say I was happily exhausted.

I have a lot more photos to share, and in spite of the lack of warblers, I still have had some nice warbler encounters from the last couple weeks. But I think I’ll be back first with some birds from the Spring Bird Count.