As soon as the winds started coming from the south, birds I’ve been waiting to see since they left last fall started arriving. These photos are from April 30th at the Chicago Portage National Historic Site. I am already in photo-overload mode as more birds keep coming to the area. I’d like to find a better way to keep up with this, but everything else in my life has been springing into action lately. I can’t complain. It does help to have a new laptop with plenty of power and room to spare.
That’s a Chestnut-sided Warbler at the top of the post. I heard him sing clearly and then when I looked for him, he obliged by posing nicely on a branch.
My walk began with some male Brown-headed Cowbirds above, silhouetted against the blue sky.
The last few days, Palm Warblers have been Everywhere. For some reason we weren’t seeing them much in the fall, but they’ve made up for it on their return trip.
A glimpse of the Portage greening up
Yellow-rumped Warblers are still abundant.
I’ve been seeing a few Nashville Warblers over the last few days, but they have been up really high in the trees and far away, making them harder to capture.
Even the year-round birds look spiffier this time of year.
Downy Woodpecker
There were a number of White-throated Sparrows behind the opening in the fence. I managed to capture one.
And White-crowned Sparrows are showing up too.
Red-winged Blackbirds are getting down to business.
Female Red-winged BlackbirdMale Red-winged BlackbirdRed Admiral butterflies are everywhere too
There was a fetching Northern Rough-winged Swallow.
The Eastern Phoebe was available as well.
Most gratifying was to see my first Indigo Bunting of the season.
There’s a Mallard pair, though the female is harder to find most of the time, and turtles sunning themselves.
A Great Blue Heron flew over.
When the heron came to check things out, a Red-winged Blackbird was not very happy. The Great Blue left after a few minutes.
Here are two more of the Chestnut-sided Warbler.
It took a day or two to come down from the Spring Music Festival. It was a wonderful event. Now I have an early rise on Saturday to look forward to, so I can be in DuPage County at 6:30 in the morning for the Illinois Spring Bird Count. The Oak Park Bird Walkers will be counting in Columbus Park where I led a walk last Saturday. I just remembered I have photos from that day too. I even had a little flurry of migrants in my backyard this week. And now that we are safely at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more, the yard is begging for maintenance. …I need to eat dinner and get some sleep!
It’s raining almost all day today and most of tomorrow, so I have no excuse not to finish this blog post I started a week ago.
These photos are from September 6 and September 8. I have returned to Riverside several times since. In my usual fashion, I hope to get around to that eventually.
There have been as many as 9 Great Egrets gathering just south (or is that west?) of the former Hofmann Dam. To illustrate this point I’ve borrowed a photograph from September 13, although I couldn’t get all 9 into the photo at once.
But back to the week before, when I saw only one Bay-breasted Warbler briefly on the 8th.
This Black-and-White Warbler was a little easier to photograph.
I had good looks at a Chestnut-sided Warbler.
Tennessee Warblers have been plentiful this migration, although it’s been hard to find one closer.
I feel like I have seen more Veerys this fall. Not a warbler, but a very special thrush.
I had seen a male Black-throated Blue Warbler at the Chicago Portage a day or two earlier, but was unable to get a good photograph. This one in Riverside Lawn made up for it.
I had some trouble figuring out the first bird below, but it seemed to suggest American Redstart to me. Now I have my doubts, though. Could it be an Orange-crowned? If so, it would be rare for the early date. I leave it up to conjecture. This is a never-ending challenge. In any event, the second bird is a first-year male American Redstart with no doubt about it.
Nashville Warblers started showing up and I have seen many more lately.
Magnolia Warblers don’t seem to be as plentiful this year. It’s been challenging capturing the ones I have barely seen. I used to consider them rather extroverted. The bird at the top of the post is a Magnolia Warbler.
So what about all those other birds?
I have seen one Double-crested Cormorant on virtually each occasion.
Mallards have begun to congregate in the river.
There have not been so many Great Blue Herons but I have seen at least two, maybe three on occasion, though they tend to be in solitary locations.
On the 6th, when I saw very few birds, I was treated to a Solitary Sandpiper flying by and then landing where I could get a few images.
Crossing the swinging foot bridge, I stopped to photograph this rather odd-looking spider.
Flocks of blackbirds – mainly Common Grackles and Red-wingeds – have begun to move around here and there.
And Gray-cheeked Thrushes seem to be in abundance this season as well.
Oh I have so many more photos to share with you. I will try to take advantage of the rain making me stay inside and not take anymore! But other inside activities, if you can call them that, beckon. It’s cool enough to catch up on some cooking. There’s the biweekly cleaning of the dining room and the weekly cage cleaning (both are to be accomplished today). Musical routines are always adhered to. I could go on. Perhaps most frustrating is the book I’ve been trying to write finally working out in my head. Finding the time in to get it written is the issue. If not on a rainy day, then when? Let’s see how loud the voices in my head become. To be continued.
Welcome to Fall Migration Warbler Identification Meditation. (I was inspired after reading an article about meditation going mainstream.) Warblers are starting to arrive, and I had more species in my photos than I realized while taking them. Since many of the warblers look quite different from their spring plumages, and are often hard to distinguish from others, it necessitates a review of wing bars, undertails, bill shape, and if you ask me, even a facial expression can sometimes play a role.
I had been seeing a warbler here and there over the last week or so and was planning to gather them all together in one post here, but my visit to the Chicago Portage on Tuesday morning – before the Heat Wave – proved too busy to ignore, so I am just going to consolidate what I saw on Tuesday and come back later with the rest.
My visit didn’t start out with warblers, of course. Except for a few American Robins, the birds were at quite a distance. This young Robin was enjoying some ripe pokeberries.
There were birds perched from time to time in the bare trees that border the water, and for the most part, I was just taking photos to identify them later. There were some interactions going on that I might not have bothered to notice.
An Eastern Kingbird is at the top, a Baltimore Oriole below
All I can figure is the Baltimore Oriole started moving toward the top of the tree where the Eastern Kingbird was perched and there was a bit of an upset. My last photo was of the Eastern Kingbird either going after prey or giving up on the challenge to its position.
Then I was following perhaps the same Eastern Kingbird with what looked like a cicada. It wasn’t having an easy time of it.
After all that, a quiet moment for the Eastern Kingbird.
Young and older Northern Flickers popped up here and there.
It was probably the first time I did not hear a Song Sparrow, but I did see this young bird at a considerable distance.
Quiet bird moments gave me opportunities to focus the lens on other things. I really like the way the foxtail grass looks with the sun shining through it. Then for butterflies, there was a Hobomok Skipper, a Monarch, and a Pearl Crescent.
A spider web off the trail was more challenging.
A view of the new trail from the south end of it
And now for the warblers. Just as I was pretty much on my way out, so to speak, but before I reached Tadziu’s bridge (by the way, I saw and head a couple adult male Indigo Buntings, but I do think Tadziu has left for his winter home), I noticed activity in the expanse of trees between the trail and the train tracks. At first, there were several Red-eyed Vireos.
I barely caught a clear glimpse of a Magnolia Warbler.
I was not aware until I developed my photos that one of the first birds I was following was actually a Chestnut-sided Warbler. There’s not much chestnut siding in this bird, but the greenish-yellow coloring on the crown and back, the eye-ring, and yes, its posture/expression tipped me off.
The Black-and-White Warbler was easy to see, however briefly, but difficult to capture. I managed one clear photo.
I had the feeling I was seeing more than one Bay-breasted Warbler.
This is likely a different individual below.
And the bird below is the same individual as the one at the top of the post.
With the mixed flock was a young-looking Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
I at first assumed the bird below was another Bay-breasted but changed my mind when I saw the photo of its back. I started going down the Blackpoll Warbler trail. It’s also very hard to see some vague orange coloring on the foot in these photos. But there is faint streaking on the breast in the first photo.
A couple Baltimore Orioles were in the mix as well, if a bit farther away.
The Baltimore Oriole below was intrigued by some dead leaves.
Here’s one of those not-in-focus photos I got of the Black-and-White as it escaped scrutiny.
Well, our 100 degrees Fahrenheit has given me the opportunity to sit inside and finish this post. We are due for cooler temperatures tomorrow. I will likely visit Riverside in the morning to see what migrants are appearing there, and then drive to my temporary swimming location. I’m looking forward to cooler temperatures on the weekend and into next week when I will be able to resume a more regular routine again. But I am already starting to make room for fall activities. Wednesday evening choir rehearsals have returned. The kids are back in school down the block. The Saturday morning bird walks begin on September 2nd at Columbus Park.
And somehow in spite of my efforts at population control inside the house, increasingly louder begging noises have me expecting to see a new Zebra Finch fledgling or two shortly. Somebody is getting better at building predator (me)-proof nests.
I thought I would be combining photos from a couple days in Riverside, but I took more than enough on May 17. It was perhaps my best spring migration day from the standpoint of seeing some birds I had not seen yet this spring and receiving great cooperation from them. My list totaled 52 species that day, and I spent a little over three hours to see them. Two days earlier on the 15th, I had 57 species – we will have to get caught up with those birds later.
When I crossed the Joliet Avenue bridge, I saw the Mallard hen below with her four ducklings. Later I saw them swimming across the river.
As I started to walk the paved path that runs along the Des Plaines River, I found birds here and there tucked into the trees.
Least FlycatcherBelieve it or not – a Yellow-rumped WarblerA more recognizable Yellow-rumped WarblerChestnut-sided WarblerAmerican RobinMagnolia Warbler
I took the photo of the fisherman below to show how low the river was. Unfortunately, nearly 2 weeks later, it is even lower now. We are experiencing “moderate drought” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
I could not resist photographing these Tree Swallows taking a break. I shot the two twice to focus on one and then the other.
I crossed the footbridge and walked into Riverside Lawn. There I encountered an American Redstart singing enthusiastically. The video clip below has a small portion of his song.
For a Redstart, he was relatively easy to capture.
It’s annoying to try and figure out flycatchers that don’t vocalize, but for some reason I decided this one was an Alder Flycatcher.
I never tire of Magnolia Warblers.
This was the first time I saw Cedar Waxwings this spring.
Palm Warblers were everywhere for weeks. Now they are being seen here and there but the sightings are rare. This one didn’t want to be seen at all.
I don’t always find an Indigo Bunting here, so this was a nice encounter.
Gray Catbirds are everywhere.
Scarlet Tanagers were around for maybe a couple weeks. The yellow on the one below is interesting.
Sooner or later a female Red-winged Blackbird strikes an interesting pose.
Common Yellowthroats are frequently heard but rarely seen in areas with more trees, so I was very happy to get a chance to photograph this one.
Another warbler that’s not always easy to see, in part because it tends to stay close to the ground, is the Ovenbird.
Yet another Scarlet Tanager…
And another male American Redstart…
No matter how long I photographed the flycatcher below, it would not turn sideways so I could see its wing bars. I think it’s an Alder Flycatcher.
The thrushes were abundant and lovely to see this spring.
VeeryGray-cheeked Thrush
Then I got lucky enough to see a less-often-seen warbler. This is a male Black-throated Blue Warbler. If I had gotten no other photograph but the first one below, I would still be able to tell what it was from the distinguishing white check mark on the wing. That identifier helps a lot when seeing the female of this species.
It’s easy to take Yellow-rumped Warblers for granted, but I thought this one took an interesting pose.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Nashville Warblers made themselves available only in part all season.
I caught up with the Ovenbird again later and it posed for me.
More Magnolia Warblers…
Female Scarlet Tanagers are beautiful too. The light on the bird in the first photograph makes it look almost like another species.
The guys are just fabulous. One of those days in Riverside I saw a male Scarlet Tanager appear in a tree right above a couple walking toward me with their dog and I pointed to the tanager. They looked up and saw it. I got a thumbs-up.
Let’s not forget about Mourning Doves. It was a Mourning Dove’s song that got me started with the whole birds-sing-in-key-with-music stuff.
Here’s one more of the Magnolia Warbler that’s at the top of the post.
This appears to be a lovely female Yellow-Rumped Warbler.
And in better light, it was easier to see this Palm Warbler.
The Ring-billed Gull below was putting on a little show on the wall by the Hofmann Dam.
And now for a little vireo review. Red-eyed Vireos are heard more often than seen, with their distinctive question-sounding song. But every once in a while I get to photograph an individual.
And then on occasion I get to see a Warbling Vireo well.
It has taken me days to get through this. I hope it won’t take you that long!
I have been out every day finding more birds, which would be enough to keep me occupied. But now we suddenly have summer weather – the heat of it, anyway – with no rain, and I have new plants in the ground and more coming shortly, so I have added watering the garden in the evening to the daily routine. I bought a new hose that just makes it either to the back or the front of my lot. Even though we had a drought last summer, it was generally cooler, and I managed to get by without watering at all, but that was because of all the established native plants. I am planting new things while preparing for a native garden walk the third week of July.
Last Saturday morning, I led the first of two Unity Temple Auction bird walks at the Chicago Portage. After the group left, I stayed and found more birds with Bob Smith. I went back again the next day. Both days were cloudy and sometimes even a little drizzly, which did not make for great photographs, but I took too many photos anyway. Spring migration is finally rolling.
Before I go further, I just wanted to share the photograph below that reminds me of a wallpaper pattern. Birds have a natural artistic sense.
Baltimore Oriole Wallpaper
WARNING: This post has too many photographs. You may get dizzy. I certainly did trying to get them all in here. For the sake of expediency I am forsaking any attempt at order. Sort of.
American Redstarts are always a challenge, even in good light.
Below is a first-year male American Redstart.
And then a second year or older male…
There have been a lot of thrushes at the Portage. Below are Swainson’s Thrushes.
I have seen several Gray-cheeked Thrushes too. The unfortunate lack of light didn’t help with the images of the one below.
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Northern Waterthrushes, several of which have been present lately, are a different type of New World Warbler. They’re not thrushes. I thought I heard somewhere that they now had their own classification, but they are still in the parulidae family.
Another Northern Waterthrush, down close to the water where they normally forage.
Yellow-rumped Warblers are still around.
Back to the Thrushes. Below are two individual Veerys seen on both days.
Scarlet Tanagers are back. A pair could stay to breed at the Chicago Portage.
Female Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Buntings are back to raise families as well.
Female Indigo Bunting
My Indigo Bunting friend Tadziu was not available when I led the group through the trails, but he showed up later on Saturday. Below the photos is a video I took of him the Thursday before, which has some of his song.
If you remember my Flicker Mania post from April 15 when Northern Flickers were Everywhere, by contrast, it’s now definitely a challenge to catch a glimpse of one of them.
A busy Northern Flicker
House Wrens fill the air with their chattery songs. Most are staying for the summer.
A House Wren
Tennessee Warblers can also make a lot of noise, but they have been difficult to spot.
A Baltimore Oriole is below, collecting material for her fabulously constructed nest.
This Black-throated Green Warbler almost disappeared into the green.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are not easy to spot these days. They’re way up high and maybe even a little harder to hear with their wheezy song.
They were much easier to see just a couple weeks ago.
Another bird that can be heard everywhere but makes a rare appearance – a Warbling Vireo.
I barely caught a glimpse of a female Common Yellowthroat (in the first two photos below) and then discovered I had by chance barely captured the male as well. This is a warbler of open fields and some park-like settings, and is most often found in shrubby habitat. They stay all summer and you might even forget about them were it not for often hearing the male singing his “witchety wichety” song loudly from some hidden location.
Below is an Eastern Wood-Pewee, a flycatcher that normally stays through the summertime at the Portage. It has a lyrical song for a flycatcher that can often be heard from quite far away. If I hear one singing closer, I will have to see if I can record him.
On Sunday I saw the Great-crested Flycatcher below. Ebird tells me I saw my first one this year on May 9.
Empidonax flycatchers are often tricky to identify, especially without accompanying vocalizations. I believe the bird below is a Least Flycatcher, which is also the Least Difficult to ascertain.
Another Swainson’s Thrush is below. I finally heard one singing yesterday.
Swainson’s Thrush
It was hard to capture a Nashville Warbler those two days.
I have since seen more Magnolia Warblers and I promise to post some better pictures soon.
We still had a Dark-eyed Junco last weekend, which came up rare for such a late date.
Chestnut-sided Warblers have been around for a week or more. I promise better photos to come of this bird too.
Below is one of two Osprey that flew over late Saturday morning.
The Wilson’s Warbler below was kind enough to offer his most reliable field mark, although in better light, I can wax rhapsodic over Wilson’s Warbler Yellow.
Northern Cardinals might be a little puzzled – or bored – by all the fuss over the influx of other brightly-colored birds. They seem less bothered by the camera’s attention lately.
We saw a Beaver swimming in the stream Saturday morning. We also saw a Muskrat later but I didn’t get a respectable photo.
Swallows were busy. There were Northern Rough-winged Swallows… which I saw, incidentally, this morning before it started to rain.
And there were Barn Swallows.
White-crowned Sparrows were easier to see.
I saw my first Blackpoll Warbler last weekend.
One more Indigo Bunting
I promise not to do this again…it’s too hard to organize. But I just had to let loose with these photos before diving into the rest of them. Spring Migration is like the Holy Grail.
I was praying for rain this morning but the forecast was indecisive, so I went to the Portage. It started to rain in earnest about twenty minutes after I got there, so I switched priorities and did my grocery shopping. I will go back out to swim shortly. My new plants are grateful for the rain. And since I didn’t manage to stay up late last night to finish this post, so am I.
Tomorrow is the second auction bird walk and the forecast couldn’t be better. We should have plenty of sunshine which will make it easier to see the birds.
I have been out every morning, even a few times in the rain, anticipating arrivals. Nearly every day has produced another species. And with warmer weather the last few days, I have seen 40+ species in either of my most-frequented locations.
These photos are from May 4th at the Portage, with the exception of the Baltimore Oriole at the top of the post who perched right in front of me yesterday and insisted on having his picture taken. A lot has transpired since May 4 but I figure I have to start somewhere.
Yellow Warblers have been abundant lately.
Warbling Vireos are recognized more often by their song. They’re not always easy to see. So I was particularly happy to capture this one somewhat.
Even before the Baltimore Orioles began arriving, I saw this male Orchard Oriole. I saw one again yesterday and now I’m wondering if perhaps there will be a breeding pair.
It was a little tricky following the Nashville Warbler below.
At some point I will devote more space to some better Yellow-rumped Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet photos, but these were just in the sampling for this day.
Yellow-rumped WarblerRuby-crowned Kinglet
It wasn’t until I got home and took my pictures off the camera that I realized there was a Green Heron sitting to the right of the Great Egret.
Turtles are back, enjoying the sunshine.
Perhaps one could imagine a conversation between the Great Egret and the turtles.
I’m always happy to see a White-throated Sparrow. It’s been even better to hear them sing lately.
Chipmunks are sometimes curious enough to sit still.
I don’t try to get photos of Red-winged Blackbirds too often now that they are everywhere but I happened to capture this one in flight.
Below is a Song Sparrow in a quieter moment.
The Portage is very green now, over the burn.
It’s wonderful to see swallows again. Tree Swallows are everywhere.
Somehow I captured this Northern Rough-winged Swallow. I like the reflections in the water.
Barn Swallows were swooping low over the water too.
It took the Palm Warblers just a little while to get here but they are quite comfortable showing up everywhere and taking their time about it, which the photographer greatly appreciates.
European Starlings do well at the Portage. Some are nesting in the mouth of the statue.
A Brown-headed Cowbird atop the statue
Meanwhile back at the bungalow, the indoor crowd is cheering me on. After the Spring Music Festival, suddenly I have several non-paying gigs, so to speak, for which I have begun to learn a lot of new music. I am accompanying a soprano for the choir talent show. Linda the flutist and I are playing for the first Sunday service in July and I am also playing for the second service. I blame it all on the birds. Now that they expect me to play piano every single day, they have convinced me I can play everything.
I am trying to look at this philosophically. If I started playing piano at 2, it’s only fitting I go out the same way I came in.
I will be back with Lots More Spring Migration Photos: I hope sooner than later.
I could have simply just done a blog post and called it Black-throated Green Warblers from the photographs I took on this day. Believe it or not this is only half of the ones I kept. But this is the best half. All photos were taken on September 29.
Yellow-rumped Warblers have been foraging in the duckweed for weeks.
I had a Blackpoll Warbler that day, and you can almost even see the field mark for which it’s named in the first photo below.
A Chipmunk was waiting for something on the first bridge.
Invariably American Robins in various molts were foraging on the front lawn, or going somewhere.
I had a glimpse of a Downy Woodpecker.
Another woodpecker, a Northern Flicker, was busy too,
And there was a third woodpecker, a Hairy Woodpecker, whose profile distinguishes it immediately.
I had one of my last juvenile Indigo Buntings – you can see a bit of blue at the tip of its tail.
Hermit Thrushes have been at the Portage all of this month. This one may have been the first I saw there this fall.
Two more Yellow-rumped Warblers – one in Boneset and the other in Goldenrod.
Below is an immature Red-winged Blackbird.
I barely captured the Chestnut-sided Warbler below, but I am glad I did.
Not to be overlooked, a Bay-breasted Warbler made an appearance.
Here are some more photographs of another Black-throated Green Warbler.
It was a pretty day at the Chicago Portage.
I am glad I am able to finish this post, such as it is, on my phone. I will be back in a few days when I can reconnect with all the photos on my laptop!
Well, it looks like warbler migration has slowed down for the moment. I am hopeful that this is just a temporary blip on the radar, so to speak, but our “birdcast” has been uninspiring and it’s pretty quiet on the ground.
I was seeing a few warblers on Wednesday but practically none today. Indeed I had so few species today I have decided to combine both days into one post.
I was very happy to find a Chestnut-sided Warbler in my photos on Wednesday as I hadn’t seen one yet this fall.
And perhaps best of all for its confirming orange toes, a beautiful Blackpoll Warbler posed for several photographs. Indeed it could have been two different individuals or the same one, depending on the light.
A few more of the Blackpoll.
And now, for the More Confusing than Ever Fall Warbler, another Blackpoll.
After much deliberation, I have concluded this is indeed a Blackpoll Warbler
The only other warbler I was able to capture was a distant Magnolia Warbler.
I tend to think I will see Magnolia Warblers more regularly than I have this fall. Here’s one that was the only warbler I saw today. And not well, either.
There weren’t even Tennessee Warblers today, but I had them on Wednesday, however briefly.
The rest of them…
Red-eyed Vireos have been abundant the past week or two as well, and I got lucky again on Wednesday.
A scruffy-looking Red-eyed Vireo
So why did I start out with a female Northern Flicker? She was close enough to photograph well and she was preoccupied enough not to mind me clicking away.
The abundance of American Goldfinches seems to have calmed down.
This Rose-breasted Grosbeak was sitting still atop a tree.
Cedar Waxwings are moving around in flocks. Unfortunately all these individuals were quite backlit.
This is my favorite light on a Swainson’s Thrush.
An American Robin commanded attention
After weeks of shallow waters, the Des Plaines River is quite full again.
There was one Great Egret available for a photograph on Wednesday.
But this morning when I got out of my car and walked south of the Hofmann Tower to see if the Great Blue Egret was holding its ground, I found seven (yes, 7) Great Egrets.
As I started my walk in Riverside, I encountered more Great Egrets.
No. 8No. 9Could this be No. 10?
On land, there were Mourning Doves holding their perches.
Blue Jays were noisy and visible this morning.
And a Belted Kingfisher sat perched over the river not far from the Joliet Avenue bridge when I first started out.
Looking up into the trees for birds, I found a well-attended wasp nest.
The search for birds resumes tomorrow morning in Columbus Park, where I am responsible for showing up. I am going to turn in for the night so I can get up early enough to meet whoever else shows up.
This is another 2-visit post – from September 2nd and a week later on the 9th. There was a lot more happening on September 2nd but yesterday’s visit to Riverside produced a surprise or two, so I’m including it. The American Goldfinch at the top of the post was in my front yard when I left the house, but maybe it’s surprising too as it didn’t leave but instead allowed me to take its picture.
Just as some birding acquaintances had mentioned they weren’t seeing Red-winged Blackbirds anymore, easily 100 or more blackbirds in a mixed flock of Red-wingeds and Common Grackles descended on Riverside that morning.
Blackbirds in an oak tree
Even more surprising later was a hail of acorns falling onto me, the trail, and everywhere when I was walking the trail in Riverside Lawn. Below is a video as I tried to capture some of the craziness of birds landing and hopping in two big oak trees, causing the acorns to fall. The birds – Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles – don’t eat acorns, so I can only surmise they were having fun.
It was hard to get a decent shot of the acorns on the ground. But I managed to capture a chipmunk and its stuffed cheeks with my cell phone.
Apparently the acorns were scattered about more than it seemed
There was a small but nice selection of warblers on the 2nd. I was actually able to capture an American Redstart or two. One thing I like about the photograph below is that it shows off this bird’s rictal bristles, which I thought, like many others, had something to do with catching insects. However that assumption has been challenged and I found a brief article by Dr. Roger Lederer interesting. Still, it’s nice to see the bird’s whiskers.
I think I saw my last Golden-winged Warbler on the 2nd. Below are photos of what appears to be a female Golden-winged Warbler. Nice of her to show off her prize in the last photo.
I also saw a Wilson’s Warbler that morning close to the paved walk along the river. Wilson is one of my favorites.
Also in the Queen Anne’s Lace was a lovely Tennessee Warbler. After this fall I have become a big fan of Queen Anne’s Lace.
Wait – a few more warblers, and then back to surprises. Here’s a very nice Black-throated Green Warbler I saw that day. Another one of my all-time favorite subjects.
And a Cape May Warbler.
And a Magnolia Warbler…
And one more Tennessee Warbler.
Where were we? Mourning Doves like to pose as if they are part of a frieze.
Also on the 2nd, an Osprey made a brief appearance, the light playing with its backlit silhouette.
Congratulations for making it this far. I think we’re about halfway there. This looks like a brand new Northern Cardinal.
Swainson’s Thrushes have been easy to see now for a couple weeks.
Below is a Hairy Woodpecker. I don’t see these as often as the Downies so, hail Hairy.
Delighting to the song of an Eastern Pewee all summer but rarely seeing one, it was great to see this bird well, if briefly, on the 2nd.
And young Gray Catbirds are not shy.
The Common Grackles have been bathing and sipping water on the rocks all summer. I think I know how this feels when the pool is closed for a week – let’s get those last luxurious baths in before we have to leave.
When I went back to Riverside on the 9th, I was a little surprised to see several species other than the Common Grackles on the rocks. The water is a little shallower now.
At some point on the Riverside Lawn trail there’s a tree with these glorious Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms (Laetiporus sulphureus) growing. I am not tempted but I have read they are edible.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this Magnolia Warbler yesterday is that it was the only warbler I saw well enough to photograph.
The Killdeer were still on the rocks by the former Hofmann Dam.
The biggest surprise yesterday was to see perhaps a dozen Double-crested Cormorants flying overhead in formation.
I’m sure the reason why I’m seeing more Mourning Doves lately is simply because there are more of them. I am quite fond of these birds, as it was one in particular who first alerted me to the fact that birds sing in key with music.
And the American Goldfinches are busy weaning their young. The juvenile on the left was begging for a handout but his dad held firm and eventually left him on the branch alone.
Monarch migration continues.
A pleasant surprise was to see a Belted Kingfisher well enough to photograph. I had just emerged from within the woods and had forgotten to adjust my exposure to sunnier conditions so these photos are a bit overexposed. I hear these guys a lot but don’t always see them well, so this was a treat.
I will be back with more. We have a choir party/rehearsal this afternoon and we sing tomorrow morning. I have been ripening avocados so I can use one of my serrano chiles to make guacamole for the party. It looks like we will have rain tomorrow and through Monday morning, so I will be busy indoors. We will cool off a bit too. Feeling more and more like fall.
It’s been a busy birding week and fall warbler migration is only getting started, but I’m already having a hard time keeping up. To add to my confusion, with the pool closed, the break in my routine is making it harder to figure out what day it is. But I have started getting up earlier to join bird walks and I will start leading Saturday walks tomorrow through the second week in October. It’s beginning to look like fall, even if it doesn’t feel like it just yet.
These photographs are from August 31st at Riverside, and I have also added the rest of the birds from August 26th at the same location.
I was happy to see a very cooperative Northern Waterthrush on Wednesday.
American Redstarts are the most numerous and well-distributed fall warbler species so far. I have seen them every day. The one immediately below looks like a first-year male.
Also fairly common are Magnolia Warblers like the one at the top of the post and below.
I discovered something about Blackpoll Warblers I never realized before. Apparently they all have orange toes – so when stumped by a decision between whether you are looking at a Blackpoll or a Bay-breasted, if you can see orange toes, that solves the problem. I was delighted to find photos showing beautiful orange toes. This is nearly impossible to see in the field, however.
I have also seen Golden-winged Warblers all week, starting on Tuesday morning at Columbus Park with Henry G.’s walk. They seem to have all come into the area at once and I have seen them everywhere I have been. I’m sneaking this photo in from Tuesday as it is the best one I have of the whole bird.
Below is another Golden-winged I just barely captured the next morning at Riverside.
Cape May Warblers seem to be numerous this season.
And not a day goes by without a Tennessee Warbler.
Below is a barely-captured Black-and-white Warbler
Thrushes are starting to appear as well. This is a Swainson’s Thrush.
Juvenile Gray Catbirds can’t get enough of the camera. They demand attention.
I don’t think this molting Northern Cardinal wanted to be seen like this but I couldn’t help myself.
In answer to the question, “Where have all the blackbirds gone?”, I have seen huge flocks all week at Riverside.
And Cedar Waxwings are on the move in flocks as well.
I have a feeling House Wrens will be gone soon but the youngsters are still around.
And Great Egrets are busy fishing. The water level has improved in the river.
I will try to come back sooner and more frequently, as the birds just keep coming. I also have some stored surprises still to share. We are starting out very warm going into the Labor Day weekend, with a promise of cooler weather after tomorrow. We could see a lot more warblers with winds from the north.
