Closer to Home

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Lisa Rest

Male Downy Woodpecker

There’s perhaps more going on inside the house than outside it bird-wise, but the most captivating moments are often beyond my ability to capture because they involve me. Like yesterday when I was playing piano, one of the young Zebra Finch males landed on top of the music and sang his song to me that he’s been working on, over and over, reminding me that it will soon be time to get out the music paper and try to write down his and everyone else’s offerings.

Female Downy Woodpecker

After a week of trying to keep the car movable around mounds of snow and driving it around the block at best, it was almost an exhilarating experience to drive this weekend, not that I went much farther than the dentist, the pool and grocery shopping yesterday, when there was sunshine, and then to the Chicago Portage today, when there was not. But dentist appointments are not scheduled around the weather, and actually the gorgeous sunshine might have explained the virtual emptiness of the pool, which meant I had an entire lane to myself to swim in for an hour, something that never happens on a weekend.

Chicago Portage

Anyway in spite of the cloud cover I decided to go out while we were still experiencing a partial thaw, and see what it was like shooting with the extender on the 100-400mm lens, with the Mark III 5D which I haven’t used for quite a while. It’s an experiment I will have to repeat several times before I decide exactly what to take with me on my upcoming trip, but I have to say I immediately loved the quietness of the shutter click on the Mark III, I had forgotten all about that and gotten used to the noisy report of the 70D. I have to say the birds never seem to mind the extra noise, I guess they assume we humans are too noisy anyway, but I like the quieter camera almost as much as I like my quieter car.

There were no clear paths, so it was a slower walk than usual at the Portage. No birds were heard or seen for quite a while, until I spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk perched on a far tree, but the hawk took off before I could try for a picture of it, and then as it flew back around the far side there wasn’t much to photograph.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Still the ability to see through the entire preserve in certain spots was amazing to me. I have never been able to see the other bridge until I am almost on top of it. This must be due to the clearing of so many trees.

I did finally run into a concentration of birds – mostly Northern Cardinals, in fact more than I have ever seen together in quite some time (a group of Cardinals being a college, conclave, deck, or Vatican, depending on what term you use), and there was a White-Throated Sparrow or two and some Black-Capped Chickadees – near the halfway mark. I stood and watched them for a long time, but they were quite far away and I knew I wasn’t going to be gaining on them. The lack of light today was my most operative challenge.

Female Northern Cardinal

White-Throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Black-Capped Chickadee

A Ring-Billed Gull flew over.

Things were decidedly more active at the sunflower seed feeder when I got home, where I inadvertently got a picture of a rather odd-looking House Finch.

House Finch on the right with white on its auriculars where red would normally be

A more traditionally colored House Finch was in the crabapple tree.

The Downy Woodpecker photographs are from last weekend when I was snowbound and they came into the yard individually, at different times of the day, notably when the other birds were absent.

Spring is ever-so-slightly hinting at its promise with the days getting longer and a bird here and there trying out a bit of song. I have heard Chickadees, an occasional Robin and sometimes a Cardinal. Maybe the best “sign” for me was six American Crows flying into the trees on my street yesterday when I left for the dentist. A return of crows to my neighborhood would be the first after 13 years.

Back in the Yard

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Lisa Rest

The last two Saturdays have been great mornings to work in the yard, last Saturday in particular as it was cool and cloudy, but I have slept in so that by the time I do get out, the heat and humidity begin to creep in, and the day is replete with the rest of Saturday’s routine. But I have managed to take a few more yard pictures before playing piano, swimming, grocery shopping…

The one bloom on the Swamp Milkweed was visited by a Monarch Butterfly last Saturday. I saw the Monarch again yesterday but it did not stay, only flying over the entire yard and right past me a few times, I suppose because the one milkweed blossom is spent and there was little else of interest. Next year, I promise, will be different.

There were two Eastern Tiger Swallowtails in the purple coneflowers last Saturday. They wouldn’t pose together but this one was available.

And yesterday I finally managed to get a Red Admiral to cooperate.

Young birds are now in the yard in droves. Last Saturday, they were still begging a lot.

Juvenile House Sparrow

Juvenile House Finches

Juvenile House Finch

Adult Male House Finch

Last Saturday I had the windows open and heard Chipping Sparrows in the yard. I could not photograph them outside, as they were right by the back door and I would have scared them away, but I managed to get a few pictures through the kitchen window.

Juvenile Chipping Sparrow

I suspect there is more than one pair breeding in south Berwyn.

Adult Chipping Sparrow

Someone else I can only photograph through the window, as she is well attuned to the squeaks of my back doors…

I discovered this spider last weekend in a shady spot.

Garden Spider

The front yard is more established this year, one year after its planting. This is the main section, the other smaller portion being on the other side of the front walk. I have seen butterflies now and again but the biggest hit lately was the Sweet Joe-Pye Weed: the bees were literally bathing in it. But this weekend it’s looking rather spent and frazzled. I watered it last night and am hoping we get some rain.

Front Yard

Bee in the Joe-Pye Weed

I seem to have two types of cardinal flower. The first photograph is from the ones that have been in the backyard for years, and the second from the new one in the front.

Below is a plant that mystifies me. I have no idea where it came from but it planted itself between two bricks. I don’t recall if it flowered last year but this year it has done a nice job. Even if it is an invasive, it doesn’t appear to be spreading. It’s in one shady spot under the hawthorn. If anybody knows what this is, please let me know.

I don’t know what this is but it is growing between two bricks for the second year in a row

I thought there was something a bit different about this fox squirrel. For sure, it’s a she. The one I am used to seeing all the time has been a male. She is a bit shy, but every bit as polite as he is.

Invariably dill comes up here and there in the yard. I thought I planted some this year but it didn’t come up where I put it. Nevertheless a few plants have managed to grow and I leave them hoping they will attract female Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterflies to lay eggs. I was very happy to see this caterpillar yesterday. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen one of these in the yard. I’m going to plant more dill for next year too.

Eastern Black Swallowtail Caterpillar on dill

I did manage to work in the yard even though it was nearly midday: it wasn’t buggy and my trees keep me cool. At any rate, it’s looking a little tamer I suppose because we haven’t had too much rain lately so the weeds actually stay pulled for a while. I think I will start photographing and cataloguing all the weeds before I yank them out next weekend, in part because I see them often enough elsewhere, and in the process of looking them up I will learn about others. I know a lot of them by sight but have forgotten some of their names. The macro lens is making a nerd out of me.

I will be back later with a few photos from my weekend excursion.

Frozen in Time

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Lisa Rest

Why, why, why do I

Always think I

Have more energy

Than I do?

Ice on the Chicago River

Why, why, why do I

Think I’ll do

More than I’ll ever

Get around to?

Thursday’s heat wave

Twenty-four seven

Four-thirty a.m till eleven

The days are way too long

Ring-Billed Gull, downtown Chicago by the river

And yet they fly

So quickly by

Can’t help but live them wrong

Chief Nemesis on my feeder

It’s only when the clock stops

And I am in the moment

That life comes by

Looks me in the eye

Red-Breasted Merganser on the Chicago River

And says what it so meant

American Robin, Cancer Survivors Garden 1-31-14

Life is quick

Life’s a kick

Life can be expendable

What we share

Can take us there

And always be commendable

OH NO not more SNOW

During the week and even into the weekend, I find myself distracted by too many multi-tasking thoughts. So to stop and be in the moment is priceless and irresistible. I think it must be what I love about taking pictures. I am trying to freeze a moment in time, in memory. I am also paying attention, so that inhibits the clutter of distraction. So that must be why it felt so good to pull the camera out on the way in to work the last two mornings–after two weeks of working through lunch or barely getting out at all–to stop and shoot at the river’s edge. It’s a creative process, too; the excitement of seeing something that looks like a potential photograph and trying to capture it with the camera, it’s a vision, however momentary. But it also takes me out of myself and I focus on the subject. And that is why I love birds so very much: they make me forget about me. Reminds me of that line in Joni Mitchell’s song, “All I Want” from the Blue album, “Oh I love you when I forget about me.” But with the birds it’s different. They also remind me of who I really am, without that act I have to put on during the work week.

The ultimate peace is to be relieved of one’s constant mind. I think they used to call it “Nirvana.” (No, this is not intended to be a musical reference this time. 🙂 )

Mourning Doves in my neighbor’s tree

P.S. This House Finch was supposed to be in this post but she somehow didn’t make it.

Female House Finch

Back to Birds: Crabtree Nature Center

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Lisa Rest

7 Species in 1 Frame!

Last week, I visited Crabtree Nature Center in the far northwest corner of Cook County, Illinois. I went twice, to try for reported good views of a female White-Winged Crossbill, a species I have barely seen on a few occasions. The bird had been seen visiting the feeders, and others had taken nice pictures, so I wanted a memorable look.

Female and Male Downy Woodpeckers

I never saw the White-Winged Crossbill. Watching the feeders from the comfort of the warm nature center, however, was a mesmerizing experience. Birds came constantly to the feeders. If someone or something scared them off, they were back within seconds.

American Tree Sparrow

I am looking forward to returning to Crabtree to check out the trails later in the year. But for now I am going to just fill up the rest of this post with a few more pictures taken last week.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch and Northern Cardinal

Pine Siskins

Red-Bellied Woodpecke

Mourning Doves and Northern Cardinal

White-Breasted Nuthatch

White-Throated Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Thanks to All!

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Lisa Rest

Northern Waterthrush, Chicago Portage 9-3-12

Thanks to all who are following my blog and those who make the effort to like my posts. I wish I could respond to each and every one of you individually. Maybe someday I’ll get there (I’m even worse with facebook, ask anyone who has “friended” me). In the spirit of my disorganization, I am offering somewhat of a hodgepodge, smorgasbord post.

It’s been a busy Labor Day Weekend, or so it seems–difficult to let go of the last three-day weekend until the Big Holidays at the end of the year. I’ve been trying to let go of the work week as much as possible. Saturday morning was the only morning of the past three I woke up with work on my mind.

I heard this little clip of Beniamino, one of my six little male zebra finches, on Saturday when I was listening to a tape in the car. He has hopped right onto the microphone and started singing, and then calling. Pietro sings a moment later.

The juvenile Ruby-Throated Hummingbird left my yard sometime last week, but now I have an adult female coming to my feeders. She seems to know who fills the feeders, because when I went out yesterday afternoon to see if she would show up for a picture, she soon flew right over my head and to the closest feeder in front of me. And perched. She seems to like to relax and take her time about these things.

Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Also have a few pictures from around the yard.

Young Male House Finches

I was trying out a new camera. I’m taking a trip in November and it seemed like time to get something a little more bird friendly. Actually it is more friendly from the standpoint of noise alone – the shutter click is a lovely sound compared to the tin-can clunk of my other cameras.

Male American Goldfinch

Here’s something else very exciting. Something made me decide to clean the cages tonight, which meant I got to listen to NPR in the basement, and there was a story about Wapapura, which takes recording sessions to the outdoors. This is what I have always dreamed of doing, but it’s hard to carry around an electric piano, or any piano for that matter. I would love to take a string quartet to the forest and record the birds’ contributions. I am thrilled to hear someone else believes music is for sharing with the universe.

Sunflower Cycle

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Lisa Rest

Sunflowers are blooming early this year. Planted by the birds and squirrels from the seeds spilled from the feeder, they grow tall and, depending on how much rain we’ve had, they can produce huge flowers that weigh them down. But since it’s been very hot and dry, the sunflowers are of a smaller variety. No matter, for they still attract the goldfinches.

Male American Goldfinch

I took the day off to take care of an accumulation of errands around the house that would have decimated a normal weekend’s worth of time. Before I left for my first stop, I was delighted to be out in the yard when goldfinches were flitting around in the sunflowers. I ran back in the house to get the camera and was rewarded by their stay.

Juvenile American Goldfinch

Even the goldfinches are nesting early this year. I did not expect to see a juvenile so soon.

Sunflower seeds feed the squirrels too. I don’t mind when they eat the spilled seeds on the ground, but keeping them off the feeders is an increasing challenge as the trees start forming a low canopy in my yard. Here’s one of my nemesis Gray Squirrels who likes to raid the feeders.

And here’s the Fox Squirrel who has much better manners and does not seem to be spending all his energy trying to outsmart me.

Fox Squirrel

While I was trying to get pictures of the goldfinches, I caught a Mourning Dove leaving.

Mourning Dove

A female House Sparrow on a bare branch of the ailing Horse Chestnut Tree.

The ubiquitous House Finches are all paired up and they’ve fledged clutches by now. They may be working on a second batch.

The goldfinches still visit the thistle socks too. I will have to fill them up again tomorrow morning.

Down home with Climate Change

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Lisa Rest

Thursday evening I attended a presentation at the DuPage Birding Club given by Doug Stotz, who is a Conservation Ornithologist with the Environmental Conservation Programs at the Field Museum in Chicago. Specifically the topic was climate change and its effect on Chicago birds. Ironically his talk was rescheduled due to a weather event.

We have all been so distracted by the abrupt changes in weather, it’s easy to forget how climate change is affecting everything else, and the interconnectedness of earth’s biological systems. For instance, Doug pointed out that because we had the early heat wave in March and the trees had leafed over, by the time the tropical migrants pass through Chicago in May, the normal abundance of early-leafing insects will be gone as the trees develop their natural immunity against them. So Doug predicted a less colorful spring migration. He also had a list of birds we could expect to not see after a while. I already remember thinking the last two years were not as birdy on the lakefront, so even in my casual observation, change was already occurring.

I’m thinking the disappearance this past winter and spring of American Goldfinches in my yard at my feeders, replaced by an unprecedented population of House Finches, must be due to climate change. The United States Department of Agriculture has a webpage with predictions of climate change effects on numerous species, the goldfinches among them. I didn’t expect the change to be so abrupt, but goldfinches have a varied seed diet, and apparently a year-round supply of niger in my yard isn’t all they require. I can remember talking to someone five years ago in Kansas City when I went down for orientation at the new firm where I work. He said he missed seeing goldfinches. I thought he must be crazy, they were all over my yard. Now I know he wasn’t crazy.

Henbit or Purple Deadnettle

I’ve definitely noticed a difference in the plant life this spring. There’s an enormous amount of Henbit, also known as Purple Deadnettle, in my yard. While it is not considered an invasive species in Illinois, it’s certainly become invasive in my yard!

While I was out digging up weeds and cleaning up the dead stems a bit, I took a few pictures of the birds that were in the yard.

I have a pair of Robins who were attracted to my digging. Sadly, their numbers are predicted to decline from our area as well.

The Mourning Doves are numerous as ever. This is definitely evidence of a species that keeps creeping north. I can remember when I first started paying attention to birds that someone told me Mourning Doves never used to be in the Chicago area. That cooing song of the male still sounds like something out Tennessee Williams or Faulkner to me.

Mourning Doves

And of course the ubiquitous House Finches. It makes sense that a warmer climate is just what they need. I believe they originated in California.

Female House Finch

Male House Finch

I took a brief walk over at the Portage this afternoon to see if the strong southern winds had blown in anything new yet. I was unable to detect anything but the same suspects as in the past two weeks. I did hear a couple goldfinches singing, and later when I came home a bright flash of yellow darted in toward my feeders for a moment, so they’re not gone yet. But I already miss their cheerful abundance.

American Goldfinches 4-16-2009

And one more picture taken during our last big snow storm, in February of 2010.

American Goldfinches - Winter 2010

A welcome cooldown…

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Lisa Rest

We’ve had some well-needed rain. The cloud cover persisted all day except for a brief peek of sunshine late in the afternoon. No matter. Spring was going on in the yard full blast.

I planted two of these purchased from the Arboretum years ago and I can't remember what they are. I'll have to look them up, along with the weeds that are overtaking the yard already.

Courtship is a popular pastime. In the city, couples abound, holding hands, kissing on park benches. In my yard, this male house finch was trying to convince a female that he’s the right guy,

and she was listening for a while…

but then she was resisting…

and in the end seemed to have her doubts.

A robin grabbed a worm right out of the wet ground and then was not sure what he wanted to do with it.

A dark-eyed junco landed in the hawthorn without batting an eyelash. I’ve had one of those thorns go right through a heavy shoe sole. Juncos seemed a bit incongruous during last week’s string of 80-degree days since we associate juncos with winter around here, but they may not necessarily disappear completely until mid-May.

The flowering crab is already beyond full bloom and starting leaves.

A mourning dove forages on the ground under the feeder.

A lone common grackle hogged the sunflower seed feeder periodically and then checked out a bird bath.

The redbud here…

and there.

My little chickadee.

Even the scotch pine has spring fever.

Snow set

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Lisa Rest

The minute it started to snow, I wanted to get a picture of the Black-Throated Blue Warbler downtown if he was still around, against the snow, my imagination seeing his slate-blueness dramatically incongruous against the white background, but it was not meant to be. The last time I saw him was Thursday when the storm started – he darted out from the bush hideout for a second or two and vanished. But while I was waited for him to show up again, there were other birds.

W-T Sparrow Lakefront & Millennium 113_1

White-Throated Sparrow

Indeed, the sparrows are making a killing on the food donations, intended for them but also intended to keep the Black-Throated Blue from starving to death. I had brought him dried caterpillars the first day but I think they got buried under the snow. The sparrows didn’t seem to know what to make of them.

W-T Sparrow Chicago Loop and Millennium 027_1

another White-Throated Sparrow

So the question now is whether BT Blue took off for warmer climes, deciding correctly that snow was not part of his heritage, or if he is digging for bugsicles down in his bunker underneath a bush somewhere, ready to venture out only when the weather turns more hospitable.

Downy Woodpeckers don’t migrate, no matter how inclement the weather. They’re equipped to find food and they don’t feel threatened by a photographer.

Male Downy Woodpecker, Millennium Park

Friday when I got off the train after most of the snow had fallen, my attention was drawn to these bicycles.

Saturday I put up the last new feeder in the yard – my final response to the warning from the city that I am allowed only two feeders. Let’s see, with the peanut feeder, the hopper, the woodpecker suet feeder, the thistle feeder and three thistle socks, that makes 8 feeders. Perfect!

platform feeder - black oil sunflower seeds only

The Black-Capped Chickadee was the first bird to discover the platform feeder, followed by the House Finches. But here he is endorsing the Audubon feeder.

Black-Capped Chickadee

The House Finches are more numerous this year. I have four pairs, at least.

House Finches, two males and a female

This beautiful male is also endorsing the Audubon feeder.

Male House Finch

I haven’t seen any goldfinches all weekend, I don’t know what happened to them. I wish someone had told me there wouldn’t be very many this year, I would not have stocked up on thistle seed at the Chicago Audubon sale. I’ll have to find a cool, dry place to store it in the spring. In previous years it was all I could do to keep the goldfinch hoards happy.

American Goldfinches

The cardinals visit but they elude my camera. This was the best I could come up with last week, before the snow.

Male Northern Cardinal

There are four juncos who visit regularly. This is the first time I’ve seen one on the roof. Usually they’re foraging on the ground, but they were visiting the platform feeder too.

Dark-Eyed Junco

Here are four of the 23 Mourning Doves on the ground with a Grey Squirrel.

Mourning Doves and Grey Squirrel

And Lady Downy, as I call her, visits the new peanut feeder that is too small for the squirrels to hang on (hooray!). I think I’ll have to leave it out for her and Lord Downy this week, albeit in defiance of the city’s regulations, as we are promised more cold and snow. I’ll bring in the platform feeder and clean it, and maybe take down some of those less used thistle socks. But let’s hope the inspectors have something better to do than count the feeders in my yard. If only I could get them interested in counting birds (citizen science)!

Female Downy Woodpecker

Feeder Frenzy

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Lisa Rest

Birds at the new feeder

I promise this will be my last post on bird feeding for a while. I met the Blight Department’s deadline Thursday and had only two feeders in the yard, consisting of one sunflower seed caged mesh tube and the recycled plastic suet feeder. It was the coldest day of the season and I felt awful, but decided to fight back by buying two new feeders. One is a hopper with suet cages on either side, so that’s two feeders in one, and the other is a fancy-dancy squirrel-proof thistle feeder, not that I’ve ever seen a squirrel eat thistle, but it protects the seed nicely and nyjer seed can get to be pretty ratty in a sock or a plastic tube exposed to the elements.

Chickadee on the new hopper.

I saw all the regulars today, but did not get pictures of everyone. It may take the cardinals a few days to figure out the hopper, but the chickadees were delighted with it. One even sang to me this afternoon and I whistled his tune back to him.

Goldfinch on the new feeder.

The new thistle feeder will take some getting used to but there were finches on it and the seed went down a bit, so they’ll have all week to perfect their technique. It provides perch opportunities for more birds than any one thistle sock or upside-down feeder.

A male house finch came to check out the new situation and when I started taking his picture he looked at me quizzically, a bit exasperated, like how many more do you want?

Male House Finch

On the ground, of course, the clean up crew did a fine job. I was happy to see a Mourning Dove. I don’t think there are as many as I used to see, thanks to the local hawks.

Mourning Dove

I had four fox squirrels and two grey squirrels this morning. Here’s one of each.

Fox Squirrel

Grey Squirrel

I have a few more feeders coming to alternate with the two new ones. It was probably time to clean up my act anyway.

Goldbird Variations

Why Birds Sing in Key with Music, or how I finally put perfect pitch to use.

Category Archives: House Finch

Closer to Home

Back in the Yard

Frozen in Time

Back to Birds: Crabtree Nature Center

Thanks to All!

Sunflower Cycle

Down home with Climate Change

A welcome cooldown…

Snow set

Feeder Frenzy