I don’t have much to show for the last week, but since snow seems to be the dominant feature this winter and will be continuing, I may as well pay a little attention to it. I went for a walk after the first accumulation in Riverside. A Downy Woodpecker was on the paved trail, investigating some sort of nut that he couldn’t crack open. I think he was hoping I could help out, but I was useless when I tried stepping on it and nothing happened…
I noticed two Mourning Doves and started to take their picture when an American Robin tried to get in as well.
The Song Sparrow at the top of the post was foraging in the snow.
Canada Geese were gathering in the Des Plaines River, which is still pretty low.
On December 2, I took a walk around the Chicago Portage, sticking to the paved trail areas.
I found a white-breasted Nuthatch and a White-throated Sparrow.
A Red-shouldered Hawk flew by.
And a Northern Cardinal showed up at the parking lot.
The next day in Riverside I saw the tagged Canada Goose 21N.
A female Northern Cardinal blended in with her surroundings.
A distant Merlin flew over the river.
And a White-throated Sparrow foraged in a thicket.
Snow and cold continues. I had to shovel and unbury my car yesterday morning before driving off to Unity Temple to sing in the choir. It was so cold in the sanctuary, many of us were wearing coats when not performing. But it was a service so worth doing. We sang “Song of the Earth” by Craig Hella Johnson and it was a moving experience to be part of. It was a service welcoming new members, which is always a happy occasion. Conversely, the theme this week was how hard it is to find and hold onto hope. It’s as if we are in the cold and dark spiritually as well as physically. We have to continue poking around, shoveling the snow and stirring up the leaves.
Two parting shots from a cold, snow-filled walk in Jackson Park Saturday morning. I will try to show up more often…now that I’m snow-broken.
Some nice photos and rambling thoughts of early winter in Chicago. (Well late Fall)
Thanks, Bob. I hope you are safe and warm wherever you are. I’m calling it winter, even if it’s not official. If it walks like a duck…etc,
I enjoyed your snowy outings and I am always pleased to see a bridge, as you know. The nuthatch was the icing on the cake for me.
The bridge saved the day for me, as most of the birds we saw were too far away to even consider photographing except for ID purposes. I am glad I saw the nuthatch, as they aren’t even vocalizing very much these days.
Nice to see such a variety of what, to me, are exotic species.
Thanks! I feel the same way about birds I from other places, and perhaps especially ones that I saw in earlier travels.
Travel and ornithology are two things I wish I’d done more of. You are making good that deficiency for me.
I feel really lucky to have had those travel experiences when I did, while I was still fit enough to walk miles through an airport with 25 lbs. of optics on my back…
Yes, walking seems like such a simple thing when we are young . . . 🙂