About Lisa Rest

I became interested in birds through music. The birds have helped me discover more about music and more about listening to everything, and my association with birds has opened up new worlds I never knew existed.

Great Egrets on the Des Plaines

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Lisa Rest

I had two days on the Des Plaines River last week with a lot of Great Egret action. First, on August 29, I counted a total of 23 Great Egrets. There were 19 south of the Hofmann Tower and I found 4 more fishing along the river as I walked. It wasn’t possible to get all 19 of the first group in a decent photograph, but here’s a look at 8 of them at once.

A Great Blue Heron was also present.

But the Egrets stole the show.

There were also a couple Mallards and a Mourning Dove.

This Great Egret flew over me.

An Osprey was hunting on the river that day, too.

On my way out of Riverside Lawn where not much was happening, I saw a Swainson’s Thrush.

Two days later on the 31st, Egrets were still present, but there were fewer of them. There’s also a Great Blue Heron farthest left in the tree shot below.

By the Hofmann Tower, one Great Egret was closer.

I noticed a lone turtle.

Then a Great Egret came flying down the river.

As I walked along the paved trail in Riverside, a Northern Flicker caught my eye and I had some unusual views.

I found only one Cedar Waxwing perched pretty far away.

A juvenile Song Sparrow caught my eye.

Back on the River, a Double-crested Cormorant took off.

A group of six young-looking Mallards were still together. I think I recall them as ducklings.

A Great Egret north of the swinging bridge struck a pose, and then started flying around.

For butterflies, I saw a Cabbage White and Pearl Crescent.

Here’s one more Great Egret flying by…

Fall warblers have begun showing up a bit more regularly the last few days. I will try to be back soon with photos of some of them. Tomorrow morning, Henry will be leading his first walk of the season in Columbus Park, and I suspect there will be many more birds to see. I will be trying to get my lens on them. There are still a lot of leaves on the trees, but it will be less windy than it was today.

While We’re Waiting

Posted on September 2, 2025 by Lisa Rest

While we’re waiting for fall passerine migration to properly distract us, here are some photos from the last month taken in various places. Well, it was almost August – starting withJuly 31 a the Chicago Portage.

Butterflies and flowers made an impression on me. I saw a Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly, a blossom on a Cup Plant growing near the bridge closest to Harlem, and a Zebulon Skipper Butterfly.

I noticed a very young American Robin.

And a fawn made a brief appearance.

Indigo Buntings were starting to wind down.

I managed to capture a couple Barn Swallows in flight.

Then Indigo Bunting juveniles began to show up, like the one below.

Two more butterflies, an Eastern Comma and a Monarch.

A Turkey Vulture flew overhead.

And an Osprey made a brief, if distant, appearance.

On August 26, nearly a month later, at the Chicago Portage, I noted a Downy Woodpecker.

I saw a Tennessee Warbler.

I also caught glimpses of a Blackburnian Warbler and another Tennessee Warbler.

The Common Grackle below looks like a young bird.

And I had nice looks at a female Baltimore Oriole, who is also featured at the top of the post.

American Goldfinches were foraging in the duckweed, as usual.

I caught a glimpse of a Warbling Vireo.

And here are just a couple photos from a visit on August 17 to Deadstick Pond and Big Marsh with Joann and Steve. We spent most of our time trying to identify shorebirds which I never got halfway-decent photos of, so here are a few other things.

It was possible to get a couple Killdeer photos.

And I have a hard time ignoring Caspian Terns.

It’s always good to see a Green Heron.

A look at a juvenile Barn Swallow.

And I got a rare look at a not-so-rare bird – a Northern House Wren.

Good looks at a juvenile Common Yellowthroat…

And there was a juvenile Indigo Bunting.

For the most part, birds are moving around in flocks. I have managed to see a few stragglers here and there over the past few days, but fall passerine migration, and more specifically warbler migration, has barely begun. There are reasons for optimism, however. Tomorrow’s forecast is for rain, possibly stormy weather, and with winds from the north, cooling down. I’m hoping for a little fallout at the Chicago Portage on Thursday. We shall see.

A Sneak Preview of Fall Passerine Migration

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Lisa Rest

Last weekend I tagged along with Joann and Steve to two locations in Chicago. Saturday morning we went on an organized walk in Horner Park. Sunday, we visited LaBagh Woods, a place I have been to before, but not for a long time. There were hints of fall passerine migration all around us.

Horner Park is a huge space, the birdiest spots being along a walk that follows the Chicago River. We had a flock of Cedar Waxwings early.

I noticed a pair of European Starlings in the same tree the waxwings had just left. They are not fall migrants per se, but I thought they looked interesting.

Then I spotted a Chestnut-sided Warbler. Unfortunately, it was really hard to get a decent photo as the bird was quite far away.

But soon, there was a lot of excitement about a very bright male Blackburnian Warbler that did not appear to be out of breeding plumage. My clearest shot of this bird did not show his orange breast all that well, but you can use your imagination.

More excitement occurred when we found a Red-breasted Nuthatch. This bird was close enough to see and photograph very well.

A Downy Woodpecker and a White-breasted Nuthatch were trading places in another tree.

I found a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.

Then later, I found a mysterious bird in my photos. I didn’t report it because neither I nor Merlin had any clear idea what it was. It has a very large beak, too large for a House Finch which was my first thought because it was brown and streaky. But it wasn’t a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It’s been haunting me for days. Then I started to think maybe it was a juvenile Blue Grosbeak. Here are a couple photos. The bird was distant and lighting wasn’t perfect for detail. But that beak, that profile…

I took note of an Orange Sulphur Butterfly.

There was a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched distantly in front of us.

Then I started following a yellow bird that turned out to be another Blackburnian Warbler. This individual is also at the top of the post.

On to LaBagh Woods on Sunday. An Eastern Wood-Pewee was the first bird we saw.

There was a young Gray Catbird nearby,

Then one of several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds we saw that morning started flying around. We saw only females.

A Hairy Woodpecker showed up. Not a migrant, but less frequently seen.

A young-looking American Redstart made a brief appearance.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker is always nice to see.

I thought I saw a Philadelphia Vireo in a vireo cluster, but they all turned out to be Warbling Vireos.

There were several Red-eyed Vireos as well.

We saw a couple Bay-breasted Warblers. Here’s the first one I captured.

We determined the bird in the photos below to be a Yellow-rumped Warbler, based a lot on its undertail. I have to get a “Yellow-rumped” face back in my head as well.

We saw a couple Tennessee Warblers.

Here’s another Bay-breasted Warbler.

I thought this was an interesting look at a Northern Flicker from the back.

We had one or two Nashville Warblers.

Another Red-bellied Woodpecker. This looks like a juvenile.

And we saw another Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.

The Indigo Bunting below appears to be a juvenile.

We caught a glimpse of a Great-crested Flycatcher. I have missed seeing enough of these birds this summer.

Here’s another Tennessee Warbler in too much light.

Tomorrow is August 30, it’s a Saturday, and the start of the Oak Park Migration Bird Walks for this fall season. We will be at Thatcher Woods in River Forest. The event has been publicized so well I almost tend to think we will have more people than birds, but I hope we get to see some migrants and some interesting behavior. The early fall-like weather is a plus,

What’s Up, McGinnis?

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Lisa Rest

I’ve been to McGinnis Slough only twice this season, once on June 15 and then more recently on August 22.

On June 15, the story was swallows and Wood Ducks. There were a few Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. It was a day for the breeding passerines as well, with Red-winged Blackbirds and Baltimore Orioles.

Northern Rough-winged Swallows were busy catching insects, I suspect to feed offspring planted in a spot of dirt on the lawn. There were also some Tree Swallows like the one at the top of the post.

A Great Egret was busy preening all those plumes.

I’ve had luck all season with flying Killdeer.

Wood Ducks were present in their favorite spot, which was reassuring.

A Great Egret was hanging out with the Wood Ducks, and a Great Blue Heron flew out over the marsh.

An Eastern Kingbird looked pensive.

And a female Red-winged Blackbird gave me a piece of her mind.

A male Baltimore Oriole was not shy.

I followed this Great Egret’s decision to change locations.

On August 22 which was last Friday, I decided to visit the slough before I took my last swim in the Orland Park pool. Now two months later, the story was an interesting moth, enthusiastic dragonflies and swamp rose mallow. Only Blue-WInged Teal and Mallards were close enough to photograph. There were a lot of Great Egrets and a few Great Blue Herons, but they were too far away.

The first creature I paid attention to was a Clover Looper Moth. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before.

The Swamp Rose Mallow gets me every time.

Five Blue-winged Teal flew in and around, and stayed briefly.

The Mallards in the first two photos below appear to be in eclipse plumage. The others appeared to be serenely enjoying the space that was taken up by the Wood Ducks in June.

An Osprey flew over just as I had returned to my car.

Blue Dasher Dragonflies were everywhere in various poses and light situations. The one in the last photo below looks really battle-worn.

And last, I noticed a Ruby Meadowhawk. I have never photographed this species before.

I have been out birding with friends to a couple places in Chicago that are closer to the lake over the weekend, and I can attest to the fact that fall passerine migration has begun. It was a matter of running into small mixed flocks for the most part, although I have seen a few individuals around here the last two days. I already have a lot of catching up to do. I welcome Migration Madness as a divine distraction.

Cedar Waxwings at the Chicago Portage

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Lisa Rest

Although I have seen a Cedar Waxwing here and there over the last couple months, I’m just now starting to see them in numbers as they organize feeding flocks comprised of adults and juveniles. A lot of other species are doing the same sort of thing, but none have been quite so obvious as the waxwings over the last week or so.

These photos are from two visits to the Chicago Portage, August 14 and August 18. While things have been generally quiet and slow, there always seems to be something to look at.

Before I left the house on the 14th, I noticed a Monarch Butterfly on my Joe Pye Weed.

When I got to the Chicago Portage, standing overlooking the bridge closest to Harlem, I noticed a small duckweed-adorned turtle.

American Robins have been less frequent, although I still see a few. They’re congregating elsewhere, but they’ll be back. Here’s a young one I spotted.

The Cedar Waxwings I saw that day were on the young side too. You can tell by the streaked breast.

One field mark often clinches it for me: that yellow tip of the tail.

On the insect-side of things, below, a female Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly, one of several Pearl Crescent Butterflies, and an orb-weaver spider web.

The Indigo Buntings were still singing, if somewhat less enthusiastically.

I caught a glimpse of a White-tailed Deer.

On the woodpecker side of things, a Northern Flicker, a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker.

Barn Swallows were flying overhead

On the 18th, when I walked in, I was greeted by a feast of green.

Cedar Waxwings were present, but in distant groups.

Most of the birds were far away in the bare branches of the treetops, like these Northern Flickers.

Two Blue-winged Teal flew in over the water.

And then by the bridge near Harlem again, I found an American Goldfinch…

and one of the Blue-winged Teal.

Here’s another Monarch Butterfly. I hope to keep seeing them, even if they’re only one or two at a time and here and there.

I’ve been swimming elsewhere this week while my pool is receiving its annual cleaning. Meanwhile, the temperature and air quality are heavenly compared to previous weeks, so it’s pleasant enough to go for a walk even if there aren’t a lot of birds to see. It will be more comfortable working in my backyard jungle too.

It was very, very quiet – even quieter than it has been – at the Chicago Portage this morning. Hardly a peep out of anyone, and even fewer birds to see. Sort of reminds me of a too-long intermission when you’re just waiting for the next act.

Here’s a quick summary of this morning’s characters. A sort of post post-script, if you will.

Another Monarch Butterfly capturing my attention

A Northern Flicker and an American Robin

I’ve been to and have plans to visit other places. I’ll be back soon.

One of Those May Days

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Lisa Rest

The trees were just leafing out. The warblers were arriving. There were too many photographs. Here are just a few of those photos from that day. And in the process of going through them, I found another species I had not reported, for a total of 45 at the Chicago Portage.

I am just going to post a few and in the process get mentally ready for how different some of these birds will look when they come back through very soon. Some of them will look like barely sketched in versions of their former selves. Nothing like a new set of feathers to wear in.

What makes this a Nashville Warbler? It helps to have more than one view, but sometimes you don’t…

A Black-and-White Warbler is easier to identify.

Not a warbler, but an adult White-crowned Sparrow. I expect to see more juveniles in fall migration, which is later in the season for most sparrow species. The juveniles will not have white crowns yet.

A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak took me by surprise.

Black-throated Green Warblers will always be amongst my favorites.

Yellow-rumped Warblers won’t look anything at all like this flashy-looking fellow. Sometimes I have to rely on their distinctive tails and eyes.

Here’s the bird I didn’t notice I had that day: a Philadelphia Vireo.

And here’s a more-common Warbling Vireo for comparison.

Also that day, a Northern Flicker investigating a former nest hole, and a Baltimore Oriole just being attractive.

So much for this blast from the past. I won’t have time for too many more of these, which will banish all the unexplored spring photos to external storage. I doubt I will ever have a reason to review them, much like all the tapes and manuscripts stored in boxes, not to mention digital recordings, but it still seems too hard to simply throw them away. I suspect there will soon be better things to look forward to than reflecting upon too much accumulated stuff, and I can let go of these thoughts for another year.

We had some storm activity last night with a lot of rain, which has nearly knocked over just about every tall plant. I have only been outside this morning to empty collected water and inspect the damage. I’m not sure how much I want to let stay. The female hummingbird came into the yard earlier as if to see whether anything had changed, but she did not stop at a feeder, so I am taking that as a request for new sugar water. If I go back outside to work in the yard a bit, I will be well-sprayed to ward off the mosquitoes and midges. At least we have cooled off for a while and the air quality is good for a change. Summer is winding down.

A Walk at Eggers Grove

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Lisa Rest

Last Saturday, Joann and I did a walk organized under the auspices of the Cook County Forest Preserves at Eggers Grove on the far southeast side. It was advertised as a “Bird the Preserves” event. I need some occasional prodding to get me out of my rut and this proved to be a pleasant experience.

Although we were close to the Calumet Region we had visited earlier, this was instead a walk in the woods. We could, however, see birds flying over the marsh. First we saw a Broad-winged Hawk.

A Caspian Tern flew by with a fish a little bit later.

An American Herring Gull also flew by at a distance.

Then we were treated to a couple Red-headed Woodpeckers. There may have been three individuals total. I grabbed photos of the two that were closest.

A couple Downy Woodpeckers were interacting farther from the trail.

Two Red-shouldered Hawks flew over the marsh. I captured one.

We saw a couple Eastern Wood-Pewees and heard at least one. This one appears to be a juvenile and was therefore the cutest.

There weren’t a lot of birds to photograph, but it was a nice morning and I’m always happy to get good looks at Red-headed Woodpeckers.

Below are photos of a couple birds observed around my house. On August 2, a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird sat preening in my apple tree in the front yard. The apple tree has grown to twice if not three times the size it was last summer. There is a hummingbird feeder on the front porch which is well-hidden by this tree and a Schubert’s Chokecherry, but the hummingbird knows exactly where it is. The middle photo gives you a better idea of her size in comparison to the tree and the house.

On Wednesday morning, I looked out through the back porch window and saw an Ovenbird under the feeder in the middle of the yard. I grabbed my camera and walked outside, to find it perched on the back fence, I didn’t get great shots, but it was nice to see this bird in my yard. According to eBird, I had one in my yard two years ago in October.

A couple days ago, I found a grasshopper in the front yard while I was pulling out some of what I believe to be Tall Goldenrod. I took this photo with my phone.

I was outside earlier today only to do a little yard work. It’s 92 degrees F. as I write this. Rain and thunderstorms have been in the forecast off and on all day to no avail, but now it looks like we have a better chance of getting some weather in a few hours, and we are promised cooler temperatures along with it. It’s the middle of August and the days are getting shorter. My favorite season – autumn – is just around the corner. The Oak Park Migration Bird Walks start in two weeks. There is something reassuring about taking note of all the obvious things in life that are still true.

Meanwhile Back at the Portage

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Lisa Rest

It’s been pretty quiet at the Chicago Portage lately, but that’s not surprising.

On August 5, I first noticed an Eastern Kingbird flying off with a cicada.

A Blue Jay was in flight too. Looks like it was on the cloudy side.

American Goldfinches still like hanging out in the duckweed.

Butterflies and dragonflies are having a good time, I think.

Normally Gray Catbirds are quite elusive, but this one wanted to do a photo shoot.

Back down on the ground, I saw an interesting caterpillar.

Sort of along the same color scheme, a turtle covered in duckweed stuck its head up from its shell.

I found a young Northern House Wren.

And I caught a very brief view of a Muskrat.

I had a singing Indigo Bunting, for good measure.

Hackberry Emperor butterflies seem to like bridges and walls.

I was taking not great photos of a young Northern Flicker at a distance, when it suddenly left, upside down.

Two days later, on August 7, things were even a bit quieter. I focused on a bee checking out the prairie coneflowers.

And I found a Pearl Crescent Butterfly.

A Blue Jay looked pensive and very blue behind the leaves.

Then, an Osprey flew over, carrying a strange-looking object. It doesn’t appear to be prey, but perhaps nesting material. But who’s nesting in August?

A short while later, another Osprey came flying through with a branch. I’ll never know. I think it might be nest repair, after the kids fledged and tore it up. Getting it ready for next year?

I found a juvenile European Starling and a female Red-winged Blackbird.

A juvenile American Robin flew at a distance.

Here are two Indigo Buntings, a female or more likely an immature bird, and a male.

And an Eastern Comma Butterfly for good measure.

I still have to make more room on the hard drive so I will try to be back again sooner. A new wave of extreme heat and subsequent rain should make that even more possible.

Return of the Osprey

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Lisa Rest

Along the river and beyond, this is the part of summer I always look forward to. I have seen Osprey more frequently the last two weeks, and now that they are hunting over the river in the morning, it’s sheer bliss.

Last Friday morning began auspiciously enough with a Great Egret fishing by the wall left after the dam removal, across from the Hofmann Tower.

As I started to walk along the paved trail, a Northern Cardinal came decidedly into view, perhaps emboldened by his state of molt and the fact that he hasn’t been a constant object of attention lately.

Then, as soon as I got past the trees, an Osprey began flying over the river. It’s hard to decide which photos to include in this post, but rest assured there were way too many of them.

As the Osprey moved behind the trees, I caught a few interesting maneuvers.

Meanwhile, a Great Egret was busy preening on a dead branch sticking up from the middle of the river. The water levels have been quite low lately.

Then, much to my surprise, I encountered a juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron tucked under the trees by the bend in the river where I step off the paved trail to walk through the grass behind the library. This is the first Black-crowned Night-heron I have ever seen on my walks along the river. My friend Chris has frequently told me he sees them periodically, but I had never seen one until Friday.

My walk through Riverside Lawn was uneventful after all that excitement.

The Osprey had taken to sitting on top of a distant dead tree overlooking the river. Since those grainy backlit photos aren’t worth reproducing, I will leave you with two more closer views of the Osprey flying over the river.

I’ll be back soon with more of this sort of thing. Fall migration has already started for shorebirds, and nesting season is coming to a close. We are finally getting some rain, which is good for everything even though it will embolden my jungle which I have to try taming a bit today.

Down by the River

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Lisa Rest

Before I get caught up with the past week, here are some reflections from July 30 and August 1. I was just starting to see Great Egrets again on the river. The fewer the birds, the more I take notice of the ones I do see. July 30 started off quietly enough. I first noted a Mallard on a rock.

As I started walking along the paved trail in Riverside, some Blue Jays drew my attention to a Cooper’s Hawk across the river.

A Great Egret was fishing.

Canada Geese gathered in their favorite beach spot along the river just past the swinging bridge.

When I crossed the bridge, I saw Cook County Forest Preserve workers busy shredding wood and brush.

I had to get past them to avoid the newest obstacle on the trail not far from the entrance spot where they were working. When I first encountered this earlier, I managed to crawl underneath it, but my knees were cracking loudly and I have decided to avoid this fallen tree. I can check on it easily when I get past it going in the other way, to see if there’s been any change in the situation.