For the most part, it’s been a sluggish fall migration season, but I have been glad to see the birds when they show up. Here are some photos from three September visits to the Chicago Portage: September 18, September 23 and September 25. I have been there thrice since. It’s a challenge to keep up with even this.
September 19 started out with a Song Sparrow, a Gray-cheeked Thrush and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
I caught a Gray-cheeked Thrush in flight and stopped to check out some milkweed beetles. Then had one more look at the thrush,
And then a Black-and-White Warbler emerged. I grew hopeful.
Soon, I saw an American Redstart, and I had a brief look at a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Next, a Tennessee Warbler emerged, matching the green leaves.
Another, more yellow Tennessee warbler was also present.
A Blackpoll Warbler volunteered.
And another American Redstart that looks like a first-year male.
I had a brief encounter with a Red-eyed Vireo.
Here’s another American Redstart. This is the second-year or better male at the top of the post.
On 9-23, it was cloudy, but I took my chances. It actually started raining in earnest about an hour after I got there and I had to leave. That was the last time we had some rain. In any even, I first saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler.
I found a Cedar Waxwing and a Downy Woodpecker on the same twig.
I found another first-year male American Redstart.
I was happy to find an Ovenbird. I’ve seen these birds a few times over the past couple of weeks. I even had one briefly in my yard.
I got distant views of a Black-throated Green Warbler.
And as I gave in to the steady rain shower, I found a Box Elder Bug on Snakeroot.
On 9-25, things were quieter still, with a Gray-cheeked Thrush…
a Rose-breasted Grosbeak,,,
and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The sight of a Yellow-rumped Warbler usually indicates we are nearing the close of fall warbler migration.
I found a Magnolia Warbler.
A Gray Catbird barely emerged from the foliage.
And my last photos were of an Eastern Wood-Pewee.
There’s still a lot more to report and I hope to get ahead of it soon. There are a lot of other things going on this month, but I will still be birding every morning that I can.
You do well to find the time for your posts when you are so busy.
It’s become sort of a now-or-never scenario as I try to make room for more photos on my hard drive. I’ll try to stop complaining. It could always be worse.
Boy, I still struggle with the Gray-cheeked Thrush, nice find. Although migration might be slow, next week’s cold front could bring in a new wave of lingering migrants.
The thrushes are less frequent now, but we’ve had some nice pockets of warbler activity here and there. I’m struggling to keep up with the walks and the photos – stay tuned.