Return to the Hebron Trail

Posted on July 5, 2024 by Lisa Rest

The last day of June was beautiful: clear sky, sunshine, refreshingly cool in temperature, definitely not a day to be wasted indoors. The day before was brutally hot, so this was a blessing. I crossed out mentally any other activities I had penciled in and got up early to visit the Hebron Trail and Goose Lake Natural Area, where I had last been on June 2nd.

Encouraged by my 5-mile walk around Orland a couple weeks earlier, I embraced the long trek down the trail to the open area. It’s not as long a walk as it seems. My entire roundtrip, according to my eBird report, was 2.73 miles. However, it seems never-ending while you’re walking it as cyclists whiz by. There were a couple dog walkers too. For the most part, at 8:30 in the morning, it was pretty quiet and, being in the midst of breeding season, I heard a few birds but didn’t see hardly. any on my way in.

I hoped to see more Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and perhaps the Black Terns I had missed on the previous visit as they were reported seen recently.

On the way in, I made note of a couple creatures.

As I emerged from the tree-lined part of the trail, the birds seemed scattered and somewhat distant, but then a few expected residents started to appear.

I first heard a Willow Flycatcher and then located him easily.

Since Red-winged Blackbirds have fledged several juveniles, I was wondering if it was also time for the Yellow-headed Blackbirds to take to the air. The Yellow-headeds hadn’t emerged yet as far as I could tell, so I think I will just have to go back in two or three weeks to see them, before they start migrating back south and west. For the record, here are a few Red-winged Blackbirds.

Common Grackles were busy with offspring. That’s a female in the last photo.

As I approached the overlook platform, I flushed a Green Heron. The heron soon returned to what appeared to be its favorite preening perch nearby.

A few male Yellow-headed Blackbirds were close enough for photos.

A Red-tailed Hawk flew over the marsh.

I walked a bit farther from the platform and found a bee on a rose.

Then, Black Terns started flying over the marsh. I haven’t seen them in so long, I had forgotten how small they are.

More photos of their aerial exploits.

I finally got some better views.

On my way out, I took some parting shots of a Green Heron, a Willow Flycatcher and a Yellow-headed Blackbird.

I also encountered a couple American Goldfinches.

Song Sparrows were here and there, singing.

I had heard Indigo Buntings, especially on the trail walking in, but did not see them until as I was leaving, I stopped to listen to this one who flew into view, perched and posed for me.

I had met a group of birders on the platform, and at their invitation, I followed them after they decided to look for some Black-necked Stilts that had been reported at a “fluddle” in the area. We found the the Stilts, and I managed a few photos somehow, even though they were barely specks in my 400mm lens.

Here are a few more Common Yellowthroat pictures,. This is about the only place I am able to photograph them.

I have been taking it easy over the 4th of July holiday. I always dread the noise of fireworks, but it wasn’t as bad in the neighborhood this year. My indoor birds are never bothered by it.

I spent some time yesterday entering historical data into my eBird account from trips I took years ago. This is a project I’ve been contemplating for a while, as it would be nice to have all my lists in one place. It seems a bit difficult to identify locations precisely from my checklist notes, but so far I have been having more fun with this project than I anticipated. Oddly enough, I may have even entered some valuable data.

I was in the Galapagos on a Field Guides tour in 2016, and we saw Sharp-beaked Ground-Finches on July 11, 2016 when we were on Genovesa Island. But eBird pushed back at the sighting, and on Cornell’s website, they said this species occurs only on Fernandina, Santiago and Pinta islands. I found my archived photos which were labeled the date we were on Genovesa, and then found the tour guide’s trip report which was broken down by species seen, and he definitely noted that Genovesa was the only place where we saw this species.

I don’t think Cornell will revise their findings on my account, but it was fun to take this trip down memory lane. Now I am looking forward to entering the rest of my checklists from the various trips as I realize it is wonderful to revisit these sightings in my memory. I consider this my birthday gift to myself. Today I am 76. Here goes another year.

Here and There

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Lisa Rest

Last Thursday morning it was nice outside, so I decided to go to the Chicago Portage, but it was closed. I continued on to McGinnis Slough to see if maybe I could check on the Trumpeter Swans or the Wood Ducks. As it turns out, I saw neither. The slough is incredibly overgrown. I definitely heard more birds than I saw.

When I opened the hatch of my car to take out the camera, I was dismayed to discover I had grabbed my older camera body with the smaller lens attached, so perhaps it’s just as well that there weren’t too many birds to focus on.

What few photos I managed are here.

A young-looking Downy Woodpecker was figuring out its feathers.

A Great Blue Heron flew past me. There was also one Great Egret in a tree but I could not capture it adequately with the smaller lens. It appears in my header for this post.

Another Great Blue was standing in what is left of the water.

A few Mallards had gathered as well.

I managed to capture a couple dragonflies.

The moon stood still for me.

Then, just as I was leaving, a Green Heron flew into a tree, and out again to another perch

When I came home, I found some activity in the front yard. The Common Milkweed is in full bloom – and scent – and the Pink Coneflowers have opened up as well.

Later on when I was in the backyard, I was thrilled to see a Hummingbird Moth, also known as Clearwing, on the Bergamot I planted last year. Everything has grown so tall in the yard this year, it was often at eye level. With my phone, I captured glimpses of the moth in the video below.

My next visit to the Portage clarified the reason for the closure. The lines between the parking spaces all received fresh paint. There are also new plantings around the statue.

I will be back with more slow summer adventures soon. We have been in the midst of a cool-down which is blissfully welcome. Even the predicted increasing temperatures don’t look so terrible, yet.

Meanwhile Back at the Portage

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Lisa Rest

I managed to visit the Chicago Portage briefly yesterday morning before it got too hot. It was cloudy, which helped with the temperature if not with photographs, and it was quite windy as well. We are promised slightly cooler temperatures tomorrow so I might go for a walk there again, although the heat and lack of rain has really slowed things down considerably. Below is what the sky looked like yesterday morning. We have had blistering sunshine since.

Here are some photos from my last 3 visits, starting on June 8, June 11 and yesterday, June 18. To start, there was not much happening on the 8th. I first encountered a doe.

The dragonflies and butterflies were posing on the gravel path ahead of me.

There was a female Baltimore Oriole at work in a tree.

I eventually wound up sitting on the bench of the picnic table that has been down by the water. Looking across to a dead tree stump, I noticed some activity with a couple Northern Flickers. It turned out they had a nest hole and were feeding young. I was reminded of the first chapter in Bernd Heinrich’s book, One Wild Bird at a Time, in which he described his observation of a pair of Northern Flickers nesting in his cabin wall. He estimated the parents made 32 trips a day to feed the nestlings, for a total of 700 feedings over a 22-day period.

When I returned to the Portage on the 11th, there was again some activity at the nest hole.

Here’s what the Portage looked like that day.

I caught a glimpse of a Yellow Warbler. I have heard them on every visit but don’t see them often now.

I was surprised to find two American Crows, a juvenile and its parent. The juvenile is below. I had a harder time spotting the parent but I could hear its calls.

I managed to find Tadziu, the Indigo Bunting on my way out. Unfortunately he was not in a very good spot for a photo.

Then yesterday, the heat and lack of rain was taking its toll.

It was cloudy, and so bird photographs were nearly out of the question, except for the cooperative Indigo Bunting at the top of the post and again below.

I tried to capture a female American Goldfinch.

Then a Great Blue Heron flew by, providing only its silhouette.

Dragonflies and butterflies, again, here and there.

12-Spotted Skimmers were everywhere.

For good measure, a rare Red-winged Blackbird – rare only because they are everywhere unseen these days.

Just as I was turned around to leave, a fawn appeared on the path in front of me.

I didn’t see her mother around, and barely captured her image as she took off.

So even in the dead heat and lockdown of breeding season, life goes on at the Chicago Portage. I will continue to walk when I can, but for now the heatwave continues, and I have a weekend full of social engagements. I hope to return soon.

A Visit to Orland Grassland

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Lisa Rest

Since nothing ever goes as planned with the weather, it seemed like a good idea to visit Orland Grassland, which had been on my mind for a week or two, while the heat wave was in remission on Friday morning. I got out early enough to arrive there by 8:15 AM and started walking on the paved trail that surrounds the entire preserve. I had no idea what I was doing. Well, I did, but once I got nearly halfway it seemed ridiculous to turn back, so I walked the whole five mile perimeter with cyclists and rollerbladers whizzing by. I will plan to visit a foot trail or two next time.

But now that we are in the midst of a weeklong heat wave with heat indices around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which I realize is nothing compared to some other parts of the world but it’s still disturbing, especially when combined with air quality alerts and no rain, maybe it’s just as well I got a 5-mile walk in. I won’t be walking much this week. I clipped off all my hair yesterday morning before I went swimming, though, as it seemed practical.

So on Friday morning, I started following the direction of a group of young runners who had been congregating in the parking lot when I arrived.

I soon saw the sign below.

If I had gone in the opposite direction along LaGrange Road, I might have been better off. I would have immediately seen the last sign below which indicated that I was starting at the parking lot. Instead, the first sign I saw was not until I had walked the entire width of the parcel along 167th Street. As I continued around each corner, I took photos of each sign until I finally got back to where I had started. Luckily, ir wasn’t too hot, but my toes were starting to complain after walking all that distance on blacktop in hiking boots.

So what birds did I see? My list had 41 species but many of them were heard only. I was dismayed that I did not see or hear (and Merlin didn’t hear either) a Henslow’s Sparrow, but now I’m thinking if I go back and do one or two of those inside foot trails I will likely have better luck. I could not find a close singing-but-well-hidden White-eyed Vireo, and I have just about given up on Yellow-breasted Chats.

The first bird I saw clearly was a male Orchard Oriole. The bright sunshine did not help, however.

And soon I saw an Eastern Kingbird.

The quintessential grassland bird that proclaims its presence is the Dickcissel, and there were many of them. This first one was rather distant, as were most, but I liked his surroundings.

I had to pay attention to dragonflies, like the Common Whitetail pair below.

The Common Green Darner below was a focusing challenge for the camera as it blended in with its perch.

And there were at least two 12-Spotted Skimmers perched high on branches like the one below.

I will never quite understand why butterflies are attracted to gravel and blacktop like this Red Admiral.

A Great Egret flew by,

Indigo Buntings were abundant.

I spotted a Common Grackle and what looks like a fledgling. I’m sorry if I distracted them with my attention: I seem to have caught them in mid-sentence.

There were some Cedar Waxwings.

A male Northern Cardinal was hard to ignore, even if he was too far away.

You know it’s a long walk when I’m interested in a House Sparrow with a cicada.

And a couple Mourning Doves…

One of the small bodies of water in the preserve

As I was walking my last leg along LaGrange Road, I spotted this Double-crested Cormorant in the distance.

I got closer to an Indigo Bunting I heard singing nearby.

A Great Blue Heron was being chased by a Red-winged Blackbird that didn’t fit in the frame.

A Tree Swallow was a bit closer.

And I heard a Willow Flycatcher at one point and then saw him.

But in the end it all came down to Dickcissels.

I probably won’t be doing a lot of birding this week, conditions being what they are. It’s disconcerting to have my routine interrupted. But I should at least view this as one of many exercises in adaptability we are faced with as climate change continues. Anyway, now I’m glad I did the five miles. My knees aren’t complaining at all, I have seen Orland Grassland from the perimeter and, when the weather improves, I can go back to it with improved orientation. I want to visit my other grassland sites as well. Oh, and a sort of postscript – this parcel is now considered Orland Grassland North as the next parcel, somewhat smaller, to the south of 179th Street in Tinley Park has been designated Orland Grassland South. What could have been more endless suburban development is being restored for wildlife. The more contiguous habitat, the better for the birds and all of us.

Back in Riverside: Early May

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Lisa Rest

I had plans to visit a grassland habitat today, but the weather and my knee had other ideas. We are in the thick of a heat wave with threats of storm activity. My knee wasn’t too bad, just adding its opinion to my decision to stay close to home. Instead, I took a short walk this morning to visit a friend on her birthday. Cooling off, I may as well write a blog post I’ve been poking at for days as the summertime lull settles in.

These are photos from last month in Riverside when migrants were still coming through. Two visits, one on May 3 and the other on May 6, are in this post.

On May 3, the first creature I saw was not a bird but a groundhog just off the Joliet Avenue bridge. I have never seen one here – or I think anywhere – before.

Baltimore Orioles were showing off in early May.

The bird below looks like an Alder Flycatcher to me. It’s harder to tell without being able to see its wing bars, but empidonax flycatchers are meant to be confusing.

Red-winged Blackbirds are sometimes hare to ignore.

There was a Tree Swallow investigating a hole in this dead tree that leans over the river by the swinging bridge. I continue to watch for further activity.

The last of the Ruby-crowned Kinglets were present.

Maybe this was one of the last of the Yellow-rumped Warblers too, looking like a female.

A House Wren looked busy establishing his territory.

That day may have been the first time I saw a Great Blue Heron on the river.

Then, on May 6, I saw a few more birds to photograph. Somehow, I managed to get this Blue Jay in flight at quite a distance.

Yellow Warblers were easier to see. There are still some around raising families, but now I only hear them.

Here are a couple more photos of the Song Sparrow at the top of the post with its insect snack.

A Warbling Vireo gave me the eye.

Likely there wasn’t anything happening off the swinging bridge that morning except for some turtles.

I found a White-throated Sparrow.

And I just barely managed to see a Lincoln’s Sparrow.

A Northern Waterthrush was close to the water.

Northern Cardinals provide a splash of color all year long.

I found a Nashville Warbler that day.

A dramatically backlit Baltimore Oriole managed to remain half-hidden in the leaves.

Some more photos of the Yellow Warbler are below.

There’s lots more from May and June which I will try to fit in soon. Even though this spring migration season was more than a little “off”, there was always something to see, usually when I least expected it. Maybe it will be a little easier to sit inside and write a post while it’s too hot to be out walking. We shall see.

Early Summer at the Portage

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Lisa Rest

The end of May brought the cicadas, the end of spring migration and a settling down into warmer temperatures and longer days. It portends a long summer season with a lot less activity and more leaves on the trees.

We have had so much more rain than last year’s drought, it seems as if plants are making up for it. That, combined with early warm weather, has accelerated growth and the flowering and fruiting season. Mulberries are already staining the cement. My currant bushes are laden with fruit. And it seems like after every rain, I have to eliminate more plants to walk through the backyard.

Here are photos selected from 3 consecutive visits to the Chicago Portage on May 25, May 28 and May 30.

On May 25, I was happy to see the Green Heron at one of its favorite fishing spots, hanging out on a log with the turtles.

An American Goldfinch was foraging in the duckweed.

And a House Wren was having a quiet moment.

On May 28, I saw the Green Heron again.

Cicadas were impossible to ignore.

Galls were already on the leaves of a hackberry tree. The galls provide a treat in the fall when the warblers come back through.

The bottomlands close to the Des Plaines River have been flooded most of the time.

I found another House Wren.

I often encounter American Robins along the trail.

On May 30, my first subject was a young doe.

Two Canada Geese were hanging out with the turtles.

A backlit Indigo Bunting looks nearly black.

I followed a female Brown-headed Cowbird. She matched the color of the branch she sat on.

I had an early Cicada pinup.

I caught a Gray Squirrel with cicada-mouth.

Swallows were flying over the marsh. I managed to photograph a Tree Swallow and then Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Baltimore Orioles aren’t as easy to see now that they’re nesting.

I found a distant Northern Flicker scaling a dead tree.

Butterflies started to emerge.

Red-winged Blackbirds are everywhere but not always visible either.

I found a female American Goldfinch in a tree.

And then another down by the water.

One more of the very blue-looking Indigo Bunting at the top of the post. In case I haven’t mentioned it before, their feathers are actually all black and the degree of blueness is what you see in light reflection.

The breeding birds are in place. The cicadas are everywhere. The days are getting longer and waking up at 5:00 AM now feels normal, unless I remind myself that had we not set the clocks ahead, it would be 4:00 AM. I’m going back to writing a book, in between navigating a calendar full of summertime concerts and gatherings. And gardening, looking for birds, playing piano, swimming and blogging, of course. Sometimes all I can do is take a nap.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds at Goose Lake Natural Area

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Lisa Rest

The Yellow-headed Blackbirds have been on my mind since April. I was hoping I would not be too late to see them this year. And anyway, I like going to this place for all the other species that make it their summer home. I just needed a day without rain that fell on the weekend so I could avoid rush-hour traffic. Even early on Sunday morning, it still takes an hour and a half to drive there. And then there’s the walk that feels longer than 2-1/2 miles roundtrip and 3 hours.

It was still very cloudy when I arrived at 8:14 AM. As I walked the long tree-lined path, I heard a lot of birds but saw none. One bird I have rarely heard or seen previously was a Vesper Sparrow, singing beautifully. Maybe I could locate it on my way back out.

As I approached the open marshy area where there once was enough water to name it “Goose Lake”, I saw a large group of birders. It turned out they were leaving just as I approached. We exchanged smiles.

The marsh is a vast expanse surrounded by farmland. The sounds of the birds are varied, and I am including one early sample recording below the photo.

Goose Lake Natural Area

The first birds I saw were Yellow Warblers.

It was fairly easy to detect several male Yellow-headed Blackbirds, although they were at quite a distance. By the end of my visit, I estimated 12 males. There were likely even more.

A Willow Flycatcher was singing, and fly-catching. I caught up with him again later.

This place is always good for Song Sparrows and Common Yellowthroats. As difficult as it is to locate Common Yellowthroats almost anywhere else, the bird below was simply sitting quietly right in front of me.

After I got to the viewing platform, a pair of Sandhill Cranes flew by. I barely managed to capture one.

Of course, in addition to the Yellow-headed Blackbirds, there are lots of Red-winged Blackbirds here. It’s really hard to estimate how many, although I wouldn’t be surprised if there were at least 50 nesting pairs.

I noticed a couple Yellow-headed Blackbirds closer to the trail, a little bit farther beyond the viewing platform, so I started to walk that way.

I encountered a Yellow-headed Blackbird just sitting on a dead tree next to the trail. I was able to get fairly close to him and then another showed up. There was also a Song Sparrow singing. In addition to the song in the short video below, he gave me a concert including three more songs. One of those songs is in the short video of the Yellow-headed Blackbird. I was hoping the Blackbird would sing, but he didn’t. He sat there and listened along with me to the Song Sparrow.

Song Sparrow – Song 1

Song Sparrow – Song 2

Song Sparrow – Song 3

Yellow-headed Blackbird listening to Song Sparrow – Song 4

Along the trail on my way back, I saw a Ground Squirrel.

And a lek of Brown-headed Cowbirds…

There was even a noisy murder of American Crows in some distant trees.

Further along my way back to my car through the long tree-lined walk, I heard the Vesper Sparrow singing again. There was a clear spot to the side of the trail that looked like a tractor or truck had trampled the vegetation. I stepped out into the edge of the farm field and found the Vesper Sparrow at the top of a dead tree. He was backlit against the cloudy sky, but I managed to capture him somewhat and his song as well.

Vesper Sparrow

Here’s another Common Yellowthroat I photographed.

Black Terns have also been seen this year, but I did not see them during my visit. I will have to go back in early July, I think, to see more Yellow-headed Blackbirds as their offspring fledge, and maybe I will get to see the Black Terns and who knows who else.

One note: I realized that I didn’t see one periodical cicada the whole time I was there. I suppose it could be that there simply is not enough concentration of trees. The northern part of Illinois and southern tip of Wisconsin are definitely on the Brood XIII range map. It’s okay. I didn’t miss the distraction.

McGinnis Moments

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Lisa Rest

Nearly two weeks ago, on a beautiful Tuesday morning, I set out as usual for a walk at the Chicago Portage only to find the gate was closed.

This doesn’t happen very often, but I had inadvertently noticed that Ottawa Trail Forest Preserve, close by and also with an entrance on Harlem, was closed, which could only mean that the person designated to open up these locations was somehow otherwise detained. I waited for a few minutes and then decided to go to McGinnis Slough instead, as I hadn’t been there for too long.

The first bird I saw was a Cedar Waxwing.

Then I found a first-year male Orchard Oriole who was singing in a tree nearby, off the lawn near the center of the parking lot.

I managed to record his song somewhat. There’s a few other birds in the background, as usual.

There was also a Common Grackle posing.

Perhaps most unexpected and a bit frustrating was the Pileated Woodpecker that swooped in to a tree right in front of me suddenly, just after I turned around to start walking the mowed trail. When he saw me he didn’t stay long, but I managed a few captures through the leaves.

It occurred to me later that a Pileated Woodpecker has been reported at this location enough times this year, so maybe I can hope to see him again. In the last photo above, he took off for the other side of the slough.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement, a very large bird suddenly flew over my head, the trees, and beyond, chased by a Canada Goose. It turned out to be a Trumpeter Swan. I will have to go back soon to see if the Trumpeter Swans are trying to raise a family on this side of the slough as they did before during the drought.

Then a pair of Eastern Kingbirds started frolicking in the grass. The photo at the top of the post was taken right as they turned their backs on each other.

Beyond that, there was the inevitable Warbling Vireo in the confusing pose below.

I barely saw Wood Ducks in their usual spot.

I was happy to see a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

The main part of the slough was heavily overgrown with vegetation. We are getting more rain, so that might change things a bit. I’ll have to go back and see how things are going for the summertime occupants. I did hear Marsh Wrens but did not see them. Of course there were plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds.

Today has been rainy and rather chilly. Some warmer weather is coming, but then more rain with it. Cicadas are everywhere. Yet it’s still good to go out and find the real world, still there.

Back to the Chicago Portage

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Lisa Rest

These photos are from May 8. Pre-Brood XIII. I have a feeling that the season will now be defined by the emergence of the 17-year cicadas, so this was pre-emergence. Please bear with me through a rather disjointed but short post.

Warbling Vireos were still visible. That’s over by now.

It was even easier to see a few butterflies Pre-Cicada.

I managed to see a Nashville Warbler, albeit distant.

The highlight of the day was seeing this Broad-winged Hawk. We don’t see them often, and when we do it’s only during the summer, according to the Sibley app on my phone.

White-crowned Sparrows were very accommodating this spring.

Indigo Buntings are abundant. Every once in a while I see a female. But everybody is disappearing into the leaf cover.

I did get to see another Chestnut-sided Warbler, sort of.

And an Eastern Kingbird.

Song Sparrows are bored with me.

I did notice a female Baltimore Oriole looking for nesting material.

I followed her up to a tree where she was fashioning her nest. I couldn’t resist taking all these photos of her beautiful creation. And as far as I could tell, she was singing while she worked.

We slipped into a chilly, rainy pattern of weather over the Memorial Day weekend that looks like it will continue for a while, and temperatures will not begin to increase until Friday. Up until now, it’s been nice to leave the windows open, but I have closed them to conserve warmth in the house. It’s not just weather anymore.

Only one thing is certain: Johann Sebastian Bach. I have to practice the prelude to the English Suite No. 2 in A minor as I have decided to play it tomorrow night for the annual choir appreciation dinner talent show. As many times as I have played this as a prelude to the Evening Snack Service, I will need an extra layer of protection against messing it up.

Highlights of a Spring Bird Count

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Lisa Rest

The Illinois Spring Bird Count was on May 4 this year. I joined the group I have been counting with for years in DuPage County. We had 66 species and counted a total of 940 individuals. We started at McKee Marsh as usual and immediately began seeing the first of the Yellow Warblers which totaled 35 by the end of the day.

Baltimore Orioles demand attention.

Many birds were already busy starting families. We saw a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher on her nest.

We had plenty of swallows and they were often at eye level. I paid attention to a Barn Swallow.

I managed to capture a Tree Swallow in flight and another in a Bluebird nest box.

Song Sparrows were abundant. So were Field Sparrows, but we heard more than we saw.

Early on, we had a Fox Squirrel looking down at us from its hole in a tree.

The first bird I photographed was a distant Hairy Woodpecker.

Gray catbirds aren’t always even this easy to see.

A brief but welcome Eastern Bluebird sighting…

I can never resist a male Brown-headed Cowbird in good light.

One of those ubiquitous Warbling Vireos:

A Painted Turtle poked its head out to greet us.

A Pileated Woodpecker flew by so fast right in front of me I could only follow its disappearance with the camera.

Three more of the Yellow Warblers…

This Rose-breasted Grosbeak had his back to us but turned around to say hello.

We watched an American Robin feeding nestlings.

We heard some other species of warblers but did not see them in any expected locations. Looking back on it now, this probably signaled the beginning of the end for this warbler migration.

I’m going to stop complaining about the dearth of warbler sightings. Spring is rapidly becoming summer. In the meantime, there have been some exciting encounters. I’ll be back soon. First, yard work.

Goldbird Variations

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

Category Archives: breeding birds