Category Archives: breeding birds

Yellow-headed Blackbirds at Goose Lake Natural Area

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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.

Song Sparrow
Common Yellowthroat

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

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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

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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.

Warbling Vireo

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

Red Admiral Butterfly

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

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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.

Field Sparrow
Song Sparrows

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.

Red-bellied Woodpecker
A brief glimpse of a male Wood Duck

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…

Another Baltimore Oriole
White-breasted Nuthatch

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.

A Visit to Goose Lake Prairie – Part 2

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As promised, here are the rest of too many photographs taken last Tuesday – a week ago already! – at Goose Lake Prairie. The bird at the top of the post is an adult male Common Yellowthroat. Below are two photos of a juvenile Common Yellowthroat negotiating a thorny perch.

I reported 6 Dickcissels but there were likely several more. In any case, I took photos of the closest ones I could find. Once the sun started to emerge from behind the early morning clouds, they were singing everywhere. And they were not shy.

Below is a young Gray Catbird.

And I managed to find an Eastern Kingbird.

More photos of the prairie plants: Ironweed, Blazing Star, Prairie Coneflower and Partridge Pea, which is a new one for me.

Insects enjoying the Rattlesnake Master.

Apologies if I am repeating one of these Dickcissel images from the last post…

Below are a few other individual Dickcissels looking more like females and/or juveniles.

Still searching for Sedge Wrens and finding two more House Wrens…

I made my way over to one of the lakes, but with all the vegetation it was difficult to see much of anything. I did find what appeared to be a female or immature Hooded Merganser.

The photos below stumped me for a day and a half for whatever reason until I realized it was a Red-winged Blackbird.

I was happy to see three American Crows and managed to follow one as it flew over.

Below is a bird I did not expect to see. She’s a female Scarlet Tanager.

Sharing a bush, below, a Dickcissel and yes, a House Wren…

Common Yellowthroat male

I took notice of another Gray Catbird.

Rabbits seem to be ubiquitous this summer.

That’s it for August 1 at Goose Lake Prairie.

On the home front, the day before, I noticed a Monarch caterpillar on a small milkweed plant in the front yard. The next day when I came home from Goose Lake Prairie, I noticed all the leaves off the original plant were gone, and the caterpillar had moved to another small milkweed plant nearby. I have since lost track of it. I hope it is safe and thriving somewhere in the front yard. After years of Common Milkweed appearing in my yard, this is the first Monarch caterpillar I have ever seen. I can only hope there will be more.

And lastly, John L. from the Friends of the Chicago Portage contacted me a couple days ago to tell me about an organized 350-year celebration of sorts of the Chicago Portage National Historic Site, to occur this Saturday, August 12. He has asked me to participate in some fashion, which I envision might include talking to visitors about birds at the Portage, and I guess I could volunteer a little information on the plants I’ve become familiar with too if necessary. I am not contemplating a formal presentation, but I am starting to gather a few facts to have handy. From what John has told me, it sounds like it is going to be quite interesting, including actors reenacting explorers Marquette and Joliet following the lead of Native Americans through the site and representatives from the National Park Service, the Cook County Forest Preserves and others with booths and activities. Needless to say, I will be arriving much earlier to check on the birds before all this occurs.

Below are quick photographs I took this morning of a sign that is now posted by the Harlem Avenue entrance, the famous statue, and one of the storyboards that was added when the shelter was built a few years ago. If nothing else, all this explains the completion of the asphalt trail and the native plantings by the parking lot. Maybe I can find out what the numbers on the trees were for. I promise to (try to) give a full report afterward.

I have since been over to the “other” Goose Lake, a few visits to Riverside, and back to the Portage again. I will try to get caught up with some of these visits. Fall migration is just starting and it almost seems like every day, even in the middle of heat and not a lot of activity, there is always something new.

A Visit to Goose Lake Prairie – Part I

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Last Tuesday morning I got up very early and went to Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area. This is a place I traditionally visit around the 4th of July, but my July was full of too many other things this year.

It was quite cloudy, but that made it cooler, and it was a treat anyway to be able to see uninterrupted sky. It was also much quieter than my usual suburban haunts.

Early on there were few birds visible. Some American Robins.

There were a lot of House Wrens chattering about the lookout ramp attached to the back of the Visitor’s Center.

The clouds kept parting here and there for a bit of sunshine.

There were a considerable number of American Goldfinches. This one caught my attention.

The native wildflowers that dominate this prairie are beautiful. Below, a little Blazing Star.

I saw my first juvenile Eastern Bluebird.

The sun kept making its case.

A Barn Swallow

Below, two Song Sparrows. The second bird appears to be a juvenile.

Young Field Sparrows were everywhere but hard to capture in iffy light.

Common Yellowthroats were abundant.

The Cragg Cabin represents the earliest settlement.

The body of water outside the cabin was at a low level, attracting just a couple shorebirds. I barely got photos of a Solitary Sandpiper…

and a Killdeer.

Rattlesnake Master, one of my favorite plants I am again trying to grow at home, is in bloom here and there.

There were Tree Swallows..

Another male Common Yellowthroat.

American Goldfinch males started accumulating in one tree as if they all wanted to be in the picture.

I saw one juvenile Eastern Meadowlark.

Barn Swallows on break…

A view behind the cabin of the windmill and a conestoga wagon.

I saw a couple more juvenile Eastern Bluebirds.

And more House Wrens. I kept hearing Sedge Wrens but was unable to capture any.

Below, a couple young Field Sparrows.

Red-winged Blackbirds made a brief appearance.

Another House Wren…

The photos below were taken at quite a distance but they’re interesting to me because there’s an adult male Common Yellowthroat and then below him, to the right, is what appears to be a juvenile.

More American Goldfinches showing off.

Well, basically I got through dropping half of the photos into this post and it became too exhausting for me to go on, let alone expect you to wade through any more of it, so I will be back with Part 2 fairly quickly. That’s a Dickcissel at the top of the post, by the way. Many more images of that bird to come in Part 2.

Three of a Kind

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My last visit to the Chicago Portage gave me a chance to see not just one Green Heron, but I believe I saw three different individuals after perusing my photographs. That’s because they each seemed to be of a different age and therefore plumage.

The easiest one to photograph was the juvenile I saw last. In addition to being really streaky-looking, notice how grayish the legs and feet are.

But the first bird I saw, not all that well but at a distance in poor light, appeared to be an adult.

So what else could there be? The bird below is somewhere in between the other two individuals. That would make it a First Summer Green Heron.

I don’t purport to be any kind of expert about this, I just looked up the juvenile on my Sibley app and noticed that there was yet another category.

Beyond that, on July 25 I saw the adult Green Heron below at quite a distance.

These photos are from 3 visits, July 25, July 27 and July 29. Actually the only photos I took on July 27 are of the Pearl Crescent Butterfly below. It was so hot, the birds were all cooling off in the trees and therefore unavailable.

The 25th was a better day overall. Below are a few furtive shots I took of a young Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

The light was good for a photo of Tadziu the Indigo Bunting.

I keep seeing young Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

I noticed what looks like a Downy Woodpecker feather stuck in a bit of web.

Do you suppose the rabbit and the robin are talking about me?

Another American Robin

I noticed two Monarch Butterflies in the Red Milkweed.

And when I got home I noticed a Monarch on the Common Milkweed in the front yard.

On the 29th I had a backlit Indigo Bunting (not Tadziu, incidentally).

Trying out the asphalt, a young-looking female Brown-headed Cowbird and an American Robin.

It’s such an occasion lately to see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird I took the photo below, even though you can barely see it.

More numbers on trees. I am even more puzzled by the first tree that has two different numbers on it.

And two more from the front yard. Another Monarch Butterfly and my Nodding Onions have finally opened.

I went back to Riverside yesterday for the first time in over a week. I will go back to the Portage on Thursday. I went farther afield this morning and it was a welcome change of location and pace. I’ll be back with more juvenile birds.

Paved at the Portage

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The paving over of the inside trail appears to be complete. Remnants of fencing and barriers remain but will likely disappear shortly. Each visit to the Chicago Portage remains slightly different as the plants and the wildlife continue in spite of everything,

We have noticed numbers posted on some of the trees by the paved trail and wonder what the significance is. Yesterday I asked Rick, a foreman of the volunteers, and he said he and his dad were speculating as well. He texted his contact with the environmental team for an answer. Maybe we will eventually find out. I ran into José later yesterday and he speculated that it had something to do with which trees had to be preserved as a few were removed in the pavement process. No. 15 is one of my favorite hackberries, for what it’s worth.

These photos are from my visit on July 24. I have been back a few times since but as quiet as things seem, I can’t fit all the visits into one post.

I have taken to walking straight out the grassy area to the paved trail, beyond the shelter, to check the water for herons first. On that day I saw this rabbit…

and what appeared to be an Eastern Wood-Pewee with its offspring. I always hear this bird but rarely see it. The adult is on the left.

The youngster was very cooperative with my camera.

I saw no herons that day. But as I walked there were other things to catch my attention, like two Ladybugs on a plant I have not identified.

A European Starling lost in mulberries.

A Downy Woodpecker investigating a dead tree.

The view from the bridge closest to Harlem Avenue.

Plants demanding attention. The White Vervain is starting to bloom. It looks oh-so-weedy but it is actually quite beneficial to wildlife. A large Common Elderberry is ripening its berries. What appear to be a couple willow trees are growing beside Tadziu’s bridge. And I cannot resist the Squirrel-Tailed Grass in full bloom.

I won’t begin to try to explain what these Vespids are up to.

Faraway birds…

Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch

Another young woodpecker, this one a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

A young Red-winged Blackbird perfecting the art of preening.

I have seen this behavior several times this summer. An American Robin sitting on the gravel trail. I don’t expect to see one sitting on the asphalt, however.

The turtles are in place.

One more of the Downy Woodpecker above.

I will be back shortly with some Green Heron photos from yesterday’s visit that proved interesting.

Asphalt At Last

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I started writing this post days ago, after I stopped by the Chicago Portage on Thursday morning. Judging from all the large trucks in the parking lot, I deduced that the work on the inside trail was finally being done. My first instinct was to leave, but there was a parking space, so my curiosity got the better of me and I started to walk. Halfway up the trail closest to Harlem Avenue, a huge truck drove past me going in the opposite direction. Undeterred, I made my way slowly toward the bridge.

As I walked the path into the Portage, I noticed that one of my favorite plants is blooming, the Prairie Coneflower below on the left. I have never seen the white flower next to it before. It’s identified as Hedge Bindweed.

Butterflies are present, if not numerous. The red milkweed is a favorite of Monarchs. I am not sure what the little yellow flowers are that have attracted the Red Admiral and the Cabbage Whites, but it looks like Turkish Rocket or Turkish Warty-cabbage, also known as bunias orientalis. Non-native and invasive.

I had a rare look at a Daddy Longlegs.

Woodpeckers are out and about now, after weeks of hiding. I followed this Northern Flicker with the lens.

And a Red-bellied Woodpecker that looks a bit new. This is also the individual at the top of the post.

Young European Starlings were busy exploring.

More starling activity.

So here’s a little sneak preview of the asphalt trail. It was evident on Thursday morning that part of it had already been completed, and it was good to know the work would be finished. I returned Monday and Tuesday of this week and will catch up with those photos later.

The burdock made an interesting perch for this young Red-winged Blackbird.

And below is another juvenile Red-winged Blackbird.

American Robins abound and every once in a while, one strikes a pose.

A Turkey Vulture flew over low enough for a good view.

I have seen a clump of the White Campion below growing at one point on the trail. It’s related to the Starry Campion that showed up for the first time in my front yard this year.

Below is a photo from my phone which does better closeups than the big lens.

I caught a glimpse of a young-looking Song Sparrow below.

And a juvenile Great-crested Flycatcher.

Most gratifying of all that day was seeing a couple Yellow Warblers. I knew they were still around but haven’t heard or seen any for a few weeks.

Encroaching thunderstorms this morning will likely delay my departure for the pool. I decided not to consider a walk in Riverside even though I miss going there, it’s been over a week. The garden tour on Saturday consumed all my energy all the way leading up to it, Sunday and afterward. I am still exhausted just thinking about it. But it has been nice to start getting some other things done too. And I have developed a taste for iced coffee to help with that.

There is currently a downpour. It’s very dark for ten o’clock in the morning. I will be back as soon as possible with a report on the garden tour. Thunder. I am thinking about all the things I forgot to bring in before this. Nothing critical. Just more stuff on the brain.

Young Birds at the Chicago Portage

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I thought I would post this earlier, but this week is so strange as I try to fit everything else around the main focus of getting the yard ready. Yet I could not resist the urge to visit the Chicago Portage Tuesday morning. I had a couple minor errands to run anyway. It was a beautiful morning, not too hot, the air quality was better, there was a breeze, and the sun was shining amid some beautiful clouds.

No progress had been made on the improvements since my last visit. The current state of flux has therefore settled into a new sort of normal. I walked up the middle grassy area beyond the shelter. I encountered a young White-breasted Nuthatch.

American Robins are everywhere.

Groups of young European Starlings gather loosely,

Below is the male Indigo Bunting whose territory is closer to the bridge by Harlem Avenue.

Another young American Robin

The bird below looks to be a juvenile Red-winged Blackbird.

As I walked the main path and stopped to view the marsh, I saw three yellow birds fly in to perch on a small tree. They were not immediately recognizable but I thought they were juvenile Baltimore Orioles. Upon reviewing my photos later, it turned out I was correct. I was mesmerized by their blue feet and legs. Who knew?

A little break for a Downy Woodpecker. They’ve been hard to see lately, so I enjoyed watching this one.

A Great Egret flew over.

After a while one of the three Baltimore Orioles left and a House Finch came in. Then the oriole on the right left with something in its beak.

Below is another Baltimore Oriole with some web material.

It was hard not ignore new flowers blooming. Tall Bellflower is on the left, and White Snakeroot on the right. The Tall Bellflower is a biennial. I have some too currently blooming in my backyard.

This cloud caught my eye.

In the mulberry trees, birds were finally getting around to eating the berries. The berries have been visible for weeks but I guess they just weren’t ready until now.

Baltimore Oriole

American Robin and European Starling below.

Over by Tadziu’s bridge, I saw some Blue Vervain starting to bloom.

Just up the gravel path, a Spicebush Swallowtail.

On a bare branch, two Red-winged Blackbirds.

Then at quite a distance from the bridge by Harlem, two young-looking Great-crested Flycatchers.

Earlier I took a peek at the Des Plaines River through the break in the fence. We’re drying out again.

Just a couple more days to get ready for the garden tour. For all practical purposes I am mostly ready, but there’s always something else to take care of. After this is all over, the plants will get to do what they want for a while, because all this yanking and digging and weeding is wreaking havoc on my right hand which makes it most uncomfortable to play piano. Mild numbness turns into tingling with needles. I feel like I’m playing with steel nails instead of fingers. But that hasn’t stopped me. The show must go on.