After Thatcher Woods last Monday, I stopped by Riverside to get caught up with more fall migrants. I’m taking advantage of some well-needed rain this morning and trying to catch up with last week, because this week got off to an even birdier start yesterday. But I digress.

After parking in my usual spot by the Hofmann Tower, I photographed a lone Rock Pigeon standing on the railing overlooking the river. It’s wearing two bands.

Then, off the Joliet Avenue bridge, a Killdeer approached. The drought exposed the rocky sometime-island where these birds love to forage – and blend in.

There were a few warblers around the bend off the paved trail by Swan Pond. I first spotted a busy Blackpoll Warbler.

American Robins don’t often grab my attention long enough.

Then I started to see an American Redstart scaling a tree trunk. I’ve see a lot of this behavior this migration season. This looks like a female.

Nashville Warblers have been hard to capture, especially when they are foraging low in messy flowers like this Boneset.

A Gray-cheeked Thrush was on the path before me with a very dried-out earthworm. I think this was on the shortcut that goes from the paved trail to the lawn leading up to the library.

After crossing the Swinging Bridge and walking into Riverside Lawn, I caught a glimpse of a Great Egret through the trees, standing in the middle of the river.

As I started through, I noticed a Black-and-White Warbler.

Black-capped Chickadees don’t often offer themselves up for photos, but when they do, they are entertaining little birds, always friendly.

I spotted a Magnolia Warbler in the hackberry leaves.

Here’s another female American Redstart.

The most subtle and confounding warblers could be Black-throated Blue females. I hope that’s what this is. I think it’s easier in the spring when they are sporting their little white “handkerchiefs” on their wings.

I could almost talk myself into thinking the bird below is an Orange-crowned Warbler, but the undertail coverts are white, so that can’t be.

More American Redstarts appear. The females seem to be abundant now.

And here’s the last Magnolia Warbler I was able to photograph.

A more distinctive-looking Blackpoll Warbler – perhaps.

And another.

Here’s a Bay-breasted Warbler.

I feel like I have seen more Gray-cheeked Thrushes this fall than ever.

And last but not least, the first-year male American Redstart who is also at the top of this post.

Now I will have the luxury of taking these photos off my hard drive. The craziness continues, but I suspect not for too much longer. We cooled off considerably on Sunday with some rain, and it looks like we are going to stay in pleasantly seasonal fall temperatures for the coming week. Millions upon millions of birds flew over Cook County the last couple evenings, according to Cornell’s Birdcast. I was lucky yesterday to have encountered several along the river, just one week after this visit. I’ll be back!