The fall warblers are trickling in. Here are a few warblers to get started with from morning walks in Riverside and the Chicago Portage. On August 27 in Riverside, I saw a female American Redstart.
Also present was a Cedar Waxwing. I included the middle photo because if you look closely at the yellow tip of the tail, it appears to have a serrated edge.
I caught a Chimney Swift and a Double-crested Cormorant in flight.
A Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret were available for long views.
On September 1 at the Chicago Portage, I briefly saw a Blackburnian Warbler.
I also had a Cape May Warbler, but only got a glimpse-and-a-half.
The next day, September 2, at the Chicago Portage, I had only a Nashville Warbler.
But I did get an interesting photo of a young Hairy Woodpecker.
And I made the acquaintance of a Chickweed Geometer Moth.
Back again on September 4 at the Chicago Portage, I had an American Redstart that could be a young male.
I then saw a Bay-breasted Warbler.
And I got some fair looks at a Magnolia Warbler or two.
I also had Tennessee Warblers.
I caught a glimpse of a Gray-cheeked Thrush.
And a Field Sparrow sat still for a moment.
Also that day, Bob and I saw a Broad-winged Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk. They were both in the air at the same time, and then the Cooper’s Hawk made a return solo visit.
Broad-winged HawkCooper’s Hawk
In Riverside on September 5, I saw the Chestnut-sided Warbler who is also at the top of this post.
I also had an American Redstart, again, a young male.
Great Egrets were here and there..
On my walk through Riverside Lawn, I came across a Green Heron perched by the river close to where I was walking.
And I heard and then saw a Northern Waterthrush.
I just had a very interesting morning at the Chicago Portage, so I think I will be back with that recap as soon as possible before I go back a little bit to the five days in between. Anything can happen during fall migration, even when it’s least expected.
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,
Sunday morning was full of sunshine and the temperatures were warmer than the cold cloudiness of previous days. I decided that a visit to the Chicago Portage was in order and it turned out to be fruitful. I had 39 species on my eBird list. One in particular was the Blue-headed Vireo at the top of the post.
That said, things started out a bit slowly as I stood by the same Box Elder Maple tree as last time, watching for movement. A male Northern Cardinal sat patiently.
Then I barely saw a Warbling Vireo, but they are nearly always elusive, so I settled for a small photos anyway.
Warbling Vireo
I spotted a Pine Warbler.
A Yellow-rumped Warbler appeared and disappeared into the foliage.
I caught a female Red-winged Blackbird in a furtive moment.
There was only one Blue-winged Teal in the open water, but I later discovered some in the flooded marshy area, although they were too far away and obscured by vegetation to photograph properly. For what it’s worth, there was also a Solitary Sandpiper. So the Blue-winged Teal are still present.
Here’s what I saw later from the paved trail looking out onto the marshy area.
Solitary Sandpiper and Blue-winged Teal in the background
And a close-cropped view of two Blue-winged Teal.
Solitary Sandpiper with Blue-winged Teal
I heard and saw several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.
Then I was pleasantly surprised to see my first Black-throated Green Warbler of the season, even if I had only obscured views.
It took me a while to find a Yellow Warbler, but I managed to capture one rather distant individual.
The turtles were enjoying the abundant sunshine.
I barely saw an American Kestrel as it flew in the distance.
Here’s another Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
And I found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet – with just a tiny bit of red in the third photo
One more Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. They will quickly become increasingly difficult to see.
Next, I found a Black-and-White Warbler foraging on a Hackberry Tree.
Then a couple Orange-crowned Warblers appeared. They became more evident in my photo review later.
Another Orange-crowned Warbler.
And another Black-and-white Warbler appeared.
I was quite happy to see a Nashville Warbler.
One more Orange-crowned Warbler. They are sometimes confused with other “drab” warblers, such as the Tennessee Warbler. One definite clue to an Orange-crowned is the yellow undertail coverts. Don’t bother looking for an orange crown…
I took a photo of a nearby Palm Warbler, even as I already feel like I have seen enough of them. They don’t try to hide themselves too well, which probably encourages our tendency to dismiss them, but they are still beautiful.
There was yet another Black-and-White Warbler.
My last Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the morning…
As I started to walk along the paved trail toward Harlem, a male Eastern Bluebird came to see me. I wonder if it was my turquoise windbreaker that attracted him.
I went down to the picnic tables by the water and sat down on the one directly under the tree. As I sat there, a Blue-headed Vireo flew into the branches above me.
A male Red-winged Blackbird displayed close to the shore.
On my way back out on the paved trail, I spotted a Field Sparrow.
And the next-to-last bird I photographed was a male Baltimore Oriole.
I apologize for the photo overload. It’s just been so long since last spring. I went back to the Portage this morning and it was warm, cloudy and windy. My Merlin app heard more warbler species than I saw. But the week is young and more birds will continue to appear. To quote Emily Dickinson, “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Indeed.
The rain stopped Wednesday and it was still mid-morning, so I decided to take a look around Riverside Lawn before I went swimming. I’m glad I did. Even though the light was poor, I had some birds I hadn’t seen among all the Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers.
I was first greeted by a beautiful female Eastern Towhee.
I saw two Chimney Swifts returning from Chile.
There were a couple Yellow-rumped Warblers bathing in a puddle on the trail.
I noticed a couple Northern Flickers getting ready to make more flickers.
A Yellow-rumped Warbler seemed interested in posing for me.
There were so many Palm Warblers I found it hard to estimate, but eBird would only allow me to enter 20 without requiring documentation, so that was the number I entered. I’m sure there were more than 20, but I would have needed an assistant with a counter to keep track of them all.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets have been abundant. I haven’t been seeing any Golden-crowned Kinglets lately.
Here’s another Palm Warbler and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.
I then felt lucky to see a Swamp Sparrow on the muddy trail.
I heard and then saw this Northern Waterthrush. It sang and posed on a branch right ih froht of me.
Palm Warblers were still pretty to look at.
A couple female Red-winged Blackbirds were hanging out.
This Ruby-crowned Kinglet was cooperative, but I have yet to get a photo with one displaying the crown.
Then I was delighted to see my first Gray Catbird. It was totally silent, but the quiet won’t last as soon as a number of them come to nest. Then I will more likely hear than see them.
Not to be outdone by the Palms, another Yellow-rumped Warbler.
I was going to end the post here, but because the last few days have been increasingly birdy and I am accumulating too many photos already, I have decided to include Friday morning’s visit to Riverside as well.
That morning, before I left, I put out my oriole feeder. Moments after I came back inside, I looked out the kitchen window and saw a male Baltimore Oriole on the feeder. He had first been attracted to the hummingbird feeders that I had put out the night before, but then he saw his preferred color and got busy. I managed to get a few photos through the back porch windows.
When I got to Riverside and parked my car by the Hofmann Tower, I looked out on the rock “island” and saw a Solitary Sandpiper.
This time I walked first on the Swan Pond side of the river following the paved trail. I spotted a Pine Warbler.
Then I encountered a Yellow-rumped Warbler who thought he looked spectacular in a Redbud tree. I agreed and took too many photos of him. Here’s one.
A Great Blue Heron flew to the top of a tree on the other side of the river to survey his options.
The male Eastern Bluebird who knows me came to say hello.
While I was paying attention to the Bluebird, the Great Blue Heron decided to try fishing on my side of the river.
I took note of what appears to be a female Yellow-rumped Warbler.
I found a White-throated Sparrow on the dirt trail that leads to the library. I then stopped to have an engaging conversation with a man who was fishing at the bend in the river.
As I approached the swinging bridge, I heard and saw an Eastern Phoebe. Not far from him, perched on a cable of the bridge was a Tree Swallow making chattering sounds. I mused that they were exchanging bug stories and did a quick recording on my phone (below). The Eastern Phoebe sings his name, “Fee-bee.”
An American Robin thought I should take its picture as it stood on one leg.
On the trail, I sat down on a fallen log and after a moment or two, a male Common Yellowthroat popped up in front of me.
I also got a very good look at a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
One more Ruby-crowned Kinglet
I finished walking Riverside Lawn with a Black-capped Chickadee, two Downy Woodpeckers and another White-throated Sparrow.
Other highlights of Friday morning’s walk were several more conversations with humans. Maybe we are all eager to talk with each other a little bit more these days. I am always ready to trade bird and (when appropriate) music stories. Spring migration gives us all something to look forward to.
Here’s one more photo of that hammy Yellow-rumped Warbler. I hope to be back soon as there’s lots more to report. Warmer temperatures and rain are in the forecast this week. More birds are on their way.
I was working on another post about what’s been going on at the Chicago Portage lately, but it seems only fitting to quickly make note of yesterday morning’s walk as the birds return. And I’m just a little rained out this morning…
The first bird I saw when I walked in was a Palm Warbler on the ground. It flew into a tree for a couple quick photos. I’ve seen a couple of these in other places the last few days, but there seemed to be a few more individuals yesterday.
As I walked in, just beyond the bridge by Harlem, I found a burst of activity in a big Box Elder Maple tree. There were several Yellow-rumped Warblers, and then I heard and saw a Yellow Warbler. This spot is generally where I have encountered the first returning Yellow Warblers who come to stay for the summer.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
I always think of my birding instructor’s comment years ago, that Yellow Warblers have yellow on every single feather.
Next a Downy Woodpecker flew in to join the loose flock.
It was hard to tear myself away from the activity in the tree, but I was curious to see what else was going on. I saw only one male Blue-winged Teal in the water, where just a few days ago there were a dozen. Although they are good at hiding, I’d be surprised if the others haven’t left. As things progress it will be interesting to see who’s next.
I heard and managed to just barely see my first Warbling Vireo of the season.
I discovered an Orange-crowned Warbler later in my photos. The second photo is a confusing preening shot which didn’t help much in the poor light.
I took one more photo of the Blue-winged Teal.
Then I saw a hawk flying in the distance. It turned out to be a Red-tailed Hawk. I also heard a Red-shouldered Hawk later, but did not see it.
It was nice to see more species returning, even if there were not many individuals and they were staying high in the treetops. It’s already a bit of a challenge as the tree buds open. Here are a few so-so photos of a Pine Warbler I encountered.
Hearing Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and not seeing them was frustrating. But eventually I managed to see one or two.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
A couple female Brown-headed Cowbirds were low to the ground and making a lot of noise. When I refused to bother looking for them, they flew right up in front of me into the tree hanging over the trail to make sure I couldn’t miss them.
A Song Sparrow had its back toward me until it struck this pose.
After hearing them sing, I found one of a few White-throated Sparrows.
After I turned around to meet Bob on the trail, I saw the Yellow Warbler again.
I had an appointment to take my car in for an oil change, so I had to leave. My walk ended as it began, with another Palm Warbler.
Anything could happen in the coming days. We have several daytime highs in the 70’s and some storm activity is predicted. Strong winds are blowing birds considered vagrants into the area. I will try to keep up with some of this in my little corner of the world. I start leading walks this Saturday. For the moment, the Saturday forecast is for sunshine. I wish you some sunshine in your life.
I decided to visit Little Red Schoolhouse, a Cook County Forest Preserve in the Palos Area, for a change, just to take a bit of a longer walk and perhaps see a different bird or two. I did not see the Common Loon there (at the top of the post), but I’ll get to that later.
Almost immediately as I walked around the back of the nature center along the path close to Longjohn Slough, quite a large body of water, there appeared an abundance of Tree Swallows. These days, an abundance is anything three or more…
Observing the slough from a small platform blind, waterfowl was dispersed and distant, but things perked up quickly when an Osprey flew in. The Osprey picked up something that appeared to be nesting material and flew off with it.
Ironically, there is a nesting platform for Osprey in the middle of the slough, but it was serving as an observation deck for some Double-crested Cormorants. This Osprey must be nesting somewhere else.
A little while later, a Bald Eagle was flying around very distant, I couldn’t make it out until I went through my photographs. It looks like a first-year bird. The cloudy sky didn’t help.
I did manage to capture a couple Wood Ducks that were not out too far.
I also found a female Bufflehead. There were several Common Mergansers and likely a few other species but they were too far away to capture well.
I started to walk the trail through the woods and found a willing Song Sparrow.
I encountered a couple Tree Swallows up close.
I looked back out toward the slough and saw that two Canada Geese had taken over the osprey platform.
After a while I found some Yellow-rumped Warblers. There may have been half a dozen of them in a loose group.
I have seen a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets the last week or so, but they’ve all been hard to capture in poor light and this one was no exception.
Then when it seemed like there was nothing else, a bright Pine Warbler sang and hung around long enough for a few photos. Lack of light added to the fuzziness of these photos, but it was just so nice to see a new bird for the season.
Done with this location and ready to go home, I looked at my phone and noticed Lori from the Oak Park Bird Walkers had been trying to contact me to tell me there was a Common Loon in the lagoon by the Trailside Museum parking lot at Thatcher Woods. At first I dismissed the idea of going up there to see it, but then I thought it over, realized it was only a 25-minute drive, and that the bird would likely not be going anywhere soon as it was off course and stuck there for whatever reason. So that explains the photo at the top of the post, and here are a few more.
There were plenty of other people with large lenses taking pictures of the loon and I didn’t feel like hanging around. It always upsets me to see a bird that has somehow gotten lost. Lori was kind enough to let me know later that the bird was eventually seen trying to cross Chicago Avenue which is quite a busy street, while being protected by people who thought it might be injured, and was taken eventually to DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center. That was probably the best possible outcome.
Our weather is still on the chilly side of things, but we are starting to green up, and I am still taken by surprise with the ever-increasing daylight hours. This is perhaps a side-effect of messing too much with reality. (/s) More encounters to follow.
I have what feels like a million things going on all at once and it seems never-ending. The past weekend alone was life-changing. More about that later. But this week I have to remain focused on our upcoming flute-and-piano recital Sunday afternoon. Even my birds seem to know it’s important.
So here are some photos from my walk in Riverside yesterday morning. I had several other things planned but they will have to wait. I can be more current for a change.
The first bird I saw, as it was trying to hide from me, was a bird we tend to associate with the coming of winter – a Dark-eyed Junco.
(I’m trying to finish this on my phone while I am at the car dealer for service. I hope I don’t become incomprehensible.)
As I continued to walk on the Swan Pond side of the river I encountered a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Then a female Northern Cardinal assumed that she blended in well with some changing leaves.
Then of course it was time for Yellow-rumped Warblers. They are everywhere in substantial numbers. It’s not unusual to see several at a time and I have become quite accustomed to their little “click” sounding contact calls.
What was even more impressive yesterday morning was their behavior. They seemed to be emulating some Cedar Waxwings who were flying over the river to catch insects in the air. I had never seen Yellow-rumps do this before.
This vine always turns bright red, and can be counted on even in a drought to provide some fall color.
More Yellow-rumpeds up close and personal.
I managed to get a Golden-crowned Kinglet to slow down long enough for a photo or two.
Killdeer were busy in mudflats that have sprung up everywhere in the shallow waters of the river.
Then, as I was crossing the swinging bridge, I saw a Spotted Sandpiper on the shore below. I have seen one or two of these birds at this spot before so I just dutifully tried to get the best photos I could without thinking too much about it, but then when I entered it on my EBird list it came up “rare.” All the better to have the photos.
In Riverside Lawn I saw a White-throated Sparrow.
Then I encountered a young doe having breakfast.
Of course there were more Yellow-rumped Warblers, if not much else. The individual below the flying bird appeared to be drying off its feathers after a bath in the river.
The Killdeer were busy flying around and I finally managed to capture them that way.
Flying to the rocks by the Hofmann Tower
That’s about it for yesterday’s birds. When I got home after swimming, I noticed Milkweed Beetles all over the seed pods in the front garden.
So I have been in a dream all weekend and I am reluctant to wake up from it. My favorite singer-songwriter over the last several years has been Peter Mayer (from Minnesota). I discovered his music when my friend Cory Anderson sang Peter’s iconic song, “Holy Now”, at what I think was the first or second Spring Music Festival that I performed in with my flute playing friend Linda Rios. Just Googling “Holy Now” led me to YouTube videos and eventually Peter’s website where I found albums on CDs galore. I eventually bought them all and fell in love with more songs than I ever imagined could be written with such incredible lyrics and beautiful tunes and arrangements. Peter Mayer also is a fantastic guitarist and singer. And he somehow manages to find hope for humanity through storytelling and metaphor, which is in such short supply these days.
Years ago, before the pandemic, I did get to see him in concert at a church in the northwest corner of the state. I started a small one-person campaign to see if we could get him to come to Unity Temple for a concert. If nothing else, he has a song in one of the hymnals called “Blue Boat Home.” But my request got lost in the myriad other things going on.
During the pandemic, Peter resorted to doing YouTube concerts periodically from his basement. It was a great experience for me to see him more often and get to know him more personally, or so it seemed. And I think it was also rewarding for him in a way as he could continue to write more songs and try them out on his larger following. He is now releasing singles instead of albums, as CD players become relics of the past.
So why am I telling you all this??? It’s because, thanks to our developmental minister Roger, who knows Peter from another congregation where he served, Peter Mayer played a concert at Unity Temple on Saturday night and the next morning, he sang for the service, sang with the choir, and gave the sermon – twice! – as we have now resumed two services. I Was In Heaven!! It was a transformative experience. Up there with the discovery that birds sing with music in key and they are listening to us. And even better than that, after Peter’s sermons about mindfulness and connection with the universe, I thought he should know about the birds and the music. I could see the wheels turning in his head as I told him about it. And I left him with the thought that, after the Big Bang, there was a Big Chord. Music is indeed the beginning of everything. And with luck, it just might be our salvation.
Thanks for listening. I will resume regular programming in my next post.
Oh, and by the way, if you are at all curious about Peter Mayer, he is at PeterMayer.net, to distinguish him from the other one who is “.com” and, as Pete joked about it at his concert, “is also very good looking.”
I’m trying to get caught up with birds I saw last week while continuing to see that many more individuals this week. It’s almost like being on a birding tour.
On Wednesday, September 25, Riverside was busy. Great Egrets have been gathering by the Hofmann Tower, along with one or two Great Blue Herons.
I crossed Joliet Avenue at the bridge in my usual fashion and started walking the paved trail along Swan Pond. Yellow-rumped Warblers were starting to show up.
Magnolia Warblers, like the one at the top of the post, were easier to see.
I found a female Black-throated Green Warbler, however backlit.
First winter White-crowned Sparrows were along the path.
Crossing the swinging bridge, I found two Great-blue Herons and a Great Egret standing in the shallow river.
More Magnolia Warblers were waiting for me in Riverside Lawn.
Another Yellow-rumped Warbler posed for me.
I was surprised to see a new dragonfly!
Wandering Glider (female)
A Lincoln’s Sparrow tried to hide in some dead leaves and kept sneaking looks at me.
Here’s another Yellow-rumped Warbler.
I approached a clearing with fallen logs and saw steam rising up from one of them.
Shortly thereafter, I found a male Black-throated Blue Warbler. It was hard to get good photos with the bright sun behind him. But even if I had not seen the whole bird, that last photo showing the trademark “handkerchief” white spot would have clarified his identity.
More Yellow-rumped Warblers appeared. They are very busy and not too shy.
It’s often hard to capture an American Redstart but I managed to find one or two in momentary repose.
There were a couple Bay-breasted Warblers.
And a Black-and-White Warbler came to investigate the bark of a hackberry tree.
Here’s another American Redstart. I’m including the last photo because I have seen a lot of these birds’ attempts at tree-climbing this fall.
And here’s one more Bay-breasted Warbler.
And another Yellow-rumped Warbler.
The bird below turned out to be a Pine Warbler. I’m beginning to think they are the most confusing fall warblers, period.
The last bird for this post is another Yellow-rumped Warbler.
I have been lucky to find small mixed flocks of warblers several times over the past week or two. It seems like the race is on to capture as many photos as I can. It’s a busy week socially too. And right on time, we are having a little taste of October weather. The long, lazy-seeming days of summer have slipped away.
This morning was cloudy and comfortably cool, without the heavy wind gusts from yesterday. The wind direction remains coming out of the Northeast, which should bode well for warbler migration. I went to the Chicago Portage somewhat late this morning, sleeping in after attending a play last night, and I did not expect to see much activity after yesterday’s drizzly walk at Columbus Park. At the Portage, I met up with Bob who had arrived a half hour before me and told me he had seen only two species.
As we started to walk down the paved trail together, it was soon apparent the birds had been waiting for us. I wound up taking over 300 photos which I spent a good part of the day paring down to 195. After I had been through them all a few times and solidified my list, I reported 29 species to eBird, 12 of them warblers.
We saw a couple Palm Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers which I did not manage to photograph well, and then we saw our first Northern Parula, which turned out to be the Warbler of the Day, although Black-throated Green Warblers came in a strong second. Here’s what the first Northern Parula looked like before we started seeing them all much more clearly.
Here’s the first Black-throated Green Warbler I captured.
Then we caught a glimpse of a coyote running out from the direction of the water, to cross the trail ahead of us.
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet caught our attention.
Of a few Magnolia Warblers, I only managed the photo below,.
A brief glimpse of a Magnolia Warbler
A Blackpoll Warbler first appeared with its back toward us, but graciously displayed its orange legs.
Then we got really good views of a Northern Parula. This one is the same individual at the top of the post, and I was in heaven – I really love seeing this bird. I’ve seen them on a couple occasions during the Saturday walks this fall, but up until now I have not had good looks, so this was just wonderful.
Next we saw a Bay-breasted Warbler. I should know this Bay-breasted face by now, I have had enough of these birds peer into the camera lens with curiosity.
Although this post is focused mainly on warblers, I have to include a very pretty adult non-breeding male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
The camera caught a brief look at a Nashville Warbler. Apologies to Bob if this is the bird I identified in the field as a Common Yellowthroat. I am not sure, though, if I managed to capture the Yellowthroat. And so it goes.
Another Northern Parula!
More Black-throated Green Warblers appeared.
Between the green and yellow leaves and the two predominant warbler species displaying green and yellow in their feathers, it all made a lot of sense.
Here is another Bay-breasted Warbler, looking not so much like the one that appears earlier in the post.
For all the Yellow-rumped Warblers I have seen over the last few days, I was able to only barely capture one this morning. Have no fear, I will be back with many more photos of these birds.
Then a Tennessee Warbler came into view.
Sure enough, another Northern Parula grabbed my attention.
There were even more Northern Parulas, but first, it took me a while to decide that the bird below, rather nondescript, was quite probably a Pine Warbler. And just so you know, the Warbler Guide app on my phone clarified it for me. Take a look at the last photograph where you can see there is no streaking on the top of the back but note the lower contrast tertial edging – that’s how they phrased it. In other words, the entire back isn’t streaky like a Blackpoll or a Bay-breasted Warbler. What a great new field mark to discover!
I also found what looks like an Orange-crowned Warbler in my photos.
Well, that about wraps it up for this morning’s outing. We had other species, such as American Robins, Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, American Goldfinches, etc., but we gladly let the warblers distract us. Here’s a few more of my bird of the day, Northern Parula. I will be back as soon as possible with more photos from the past week or two. There are so many of them!
After Thatcher Woods last Monday, I stopped by Riverside to get caught up with more fall migrants. I’m taking advantage of some well-needed rain this morning and trying to catch up with last week, because this week got off to an even birdier start yesterday. But I digress.
After parking in my usual spot by the Hofmann Tower, I photographed a lone Rock Pigeon standing on the railing overlooking the river. It’s wearing two bands.
Then, off the Joliet Avenue bridge, a Killdeer approached. The drought exposed the rocky sometime-island where these birds love to forage – and blend in.
There were a few warblers around the bend off the paved trail by Swan Pond. I first spotted a busy Blackpoll Warbler.
American Robins don’t often grab my attention long enough.
Then I started to see an American Redstart scaling a tree trunk. I’ve see a lot of this behavior this migration season. This looks like a female.
Nashville Warblers have been hard to capture, especially when they are foraging low in messy flowers like this Boneset.
A Gray-cheeked Thrush was on the path before me with a very dried-out earthworm. I think this was on the shortcut that goes from the paved trail to the lawn leading up to the library.
After crossing the Swinging Bridge and walking into Riverside Lawn, I caught a glimpse of a Great Egret through the trees, standing in the middle of the river.
As I started through, I noticed a Black-and-White Warbler.
Black-capped Chickadees don’t often offer themselves up for photos, but when they do, they are entertaining little birds, always friendly.
I spotted a Magnolia Warbler in the hackberry leaves.
Here’s another female American Redstart.
The most subtle and confounding warblers could be Black-throated Blue females. I hope that’s what this is. I think it’s easier in the spring when they are sporting their little white “handkerchiefs” on their wings.
I could almost talk myself into thinking the bird below is an Orange-crowned Warbler, but the undertail coverts are white, so that can’t be.
More American Redstarts appear. The females seem to be abundant now.
And here’s the last Magnolia Warbler I was able to photograph.
A more distinctive-looking Blackpoll Warbler – perhaps.
And another.
Here’s a Bay-breasted Warbler.
I feel like I have seen more Gray-cheeked Thrushes this fall than ever.
And last but not least, the first-year male American Redstart who is also at the top of this post.
Now I will have the luxury of taking these photos off my hard drive. The craziness continues, but I suspect not for too much longer. We cooled off considerably on Sunday with some rain, and it looks like we are going to stay in pleasantly seasonal fall temperatures for the coming week. Millions upon millions of birds flew over Cook County the last couple evenings, according to Cornell’s Birdcast. I was lucky yesterday to have encountered several along the river, just one week after this visit. I’ll be back!
