I’m going to skip back earlier to April for a moment to relate a couple unexpected encounters. On April 15, I was at the Chicago Portage, and on April 16, I was in Riverside.

Not much was new at the Chicago Portage. I took note of a few appearances from the usual cast of characters.

I had started seeing and hearing Eastern Phoebes like the one below.

Blue-winged Teal were still in the creek,

I was on my way back out along the paved trail when I noticed a Red-winged Blackbird atop a tree fragment. Since there hadn’t been much else happening yet, I was inclined to pay attention.

I then saw that the Red-winged Blackbird was monitoring a Red-shouldered Hawk perched quietly below as the hawk tried to figure out how to eat a snake it had captured.

The next day, I was in Riverside. But on the Lyons side of the river where I park, I saw a very healthy-looking coyote.

A Great Blue Heron was in the river with two Canada Geese. There were also two Herring Gulls.

As I started to walk the paved trail by Swan Pond, a male Eastern Bluebird who has claimed this territory came to see me.

I encountered a Tree Swallow.

I found a Field Sparrow foraging near the trail. I have seen this species a few times this spring.

Then I got several opportunities to photograph a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, ever hopeful that I might see the ruby crown. As it turned out, this individual showed just a bit of it.

My last photos were of a Red-tailed Hawk flying overhead;.

So even though spring migration was in its early stages, these photos are proof that there is always something new to see when you least expect it.

I have been on walks for the past three days with the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers. I was beginning to feel like I was on a tour, getting up early every morning and birding with some of the same people. I will be back with a little roundup of some of the birds we saw in three different locations. I am also happy to report that I have regained my sense of smell. I was just peeling a couple clementines for brunch this afternoon and I could smell the rind as my fingernail pierced it. What a relief!