Category Archives: Chicago Portage Woods

Poking Around the Portage

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Several days ago, before the -20 F. windchills – it was possible to go for a walk and see a few birds or other creatures at the Chicago Portage. I returned this morning when it was a balmy 10 degrees. The sun was shining brightly and there was less wind than yesterday, but it was still awfully cold. Somehow the cold is making everything else worse, as difficult as that might be to comprehend. But here we are.

January 6 was the last time I saw a number of sparrows. Below: a Song Sparrow and an American Tree Sparrow.

I was delighted to see – and hear – a Winter Wren. Although the wren was quite far away, I managed to get a couple reasonable photos of such a small bird.

The Red-shouldered Hawk was around that day.

At least Northern Cardinals have been pretty consistent.

A muskrat made an appearance.

On the same day, the sun hid behind the clouds at one point.

American Goldfinches were about. As happy as I am to see them in my yard, I’m glad they were at the Portage too.

Two days later, no birds to photograph, but a muskrat and an opossum. I haven’t seen an opossum here before,

Then on January 11, only one bird stood out, however distantly, for a photograph: a male Belted Kingfisher.

On January 13, I photographed only a Dark-eyed Junco. But I was attracted to the water runoff underneath the bridge closer to Harlem. That day was particularly warm.

After that we started to get cold. And this morning, I heard and saw only a few species, and was able to capture just one male Northern Cardinal while I was wearing heavier gloves. We had some snow two nights ago. We are promised some more, and temperatures will be even colder this weekend.

So now we are warming up enough to fulfill tne snowy forecast overnight and into tomorrow morning. I will at least be getting some exercise shoveling my walks. I’m also starting to write a little music inspired by my indoor birds. Anything to take my mind off…

January Two, Three and Four

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Three more days into the year, I embraced walking on icy trails, struggling to focus a heavy lens with gloves on. It wasn’t all bad. There were still birds.

On January 2, I was in Riverside. and I found myself attracted to an Ice chandelier hanging low over the water.

A Red-shouldered Hawk was sitting in a tree.

Northern Cardinals brightened up the bare branches.

And then that evening, I found the moon irresistible so I stepped outside to take a few photos.

On January 3, I went to the Chicago Portage. It was intensely quiet on the trail walking in, so I decided to check out the Des Plaines River and I found some Common Mergansers there.

I walked around to the train tracks and the railroad bridge to see if I could get a better look at the Mergansers, but the only photos I took were of the tracks themselves and of what looked like some burdock seedpods wedged in the rocks between the ballasts on the tracks.

On my way back to the trail, I saw two Bald Eagles flying in the distance.

Then, I started to find the birds, among them this Downy Woodpecker and a Red-winged Blackbird.

I have seen White-throated Sparrows fairly often this winter.

I spotted a Red-bellied Woodpecker. I’ve heard these birds more often than I’ve seen them. There were also an American Tree Sparrow and two American Goldfinches that were not in my backyard.

Here’s a White-breasted Nuthatch.

And there were also several Dark-eyed Juncos. I imagine it’s a good time of year to be a black and white or gray bird.

Jan 4 was.a Sunday that I didn’t have to sing, so I decided to do something a little different and visit the Little Red Schoolhouse Forest Preserve. I was delighted to see three Eastern Tufted Titmouse at the feeders, or Titmice if “three mouse” hurts your ears. One of these is also at the top of the post. I was so thrilled to see them, I didn’t manage to record their lovely vocalizations, some of which I don’t recall hearing before. I will have to try to go back again and record them.

Blue Jays were everywhere and not a bit shy about it. I guess the feeder birds in these locations are just used to the extra attention.

I walked the Black Oak Trail which is about a mile and three-quarters. The adjacent slough was frozen over, so there were no waterfowl. But in the woods, there were two, maybe three Red-headed Woodpeckers. The first one I saw still had a little juvenile plumage.

Just as I was finishing the trail, I spotted an Eastern Bluebird in the distance, and the Red-tailed Hawk that I had heard earlier.

I’ll finish with a handsome White-throated Sparrow.

I’ll try to be back soon. I had some nice surprises the past week, before the weather rolled the dice.

November Leftovers and Yesterday

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With only a day left in the year, I thought I could at least get back to what was left from November, starting on 11-5 in Riverside. A view of the swinging bridge, a Belted Kingfisher in flight over the Des Plaines River, and an American Robin near the shore.

Looking in the other direction on 11-7 in Riverside, when the leaves finally got around to changing on the trees, they turned mostly yellow. It was a sunny day for a Great Blue Heron and some Mallards.

Still in Riverside on 11-12, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch overlooking the river, and a lone Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

On 11-18 at the Chicago Portage, I found a young-looking Red-shouldered Hawk. I just noticed the House Finches directly behind it in the first photo.

A European Starling caught my eye. It was a very overcast day and I had to lighten these photos up considerably.

On 11-19 in Riverside, the bird of note was a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Back at the Chicago Portage on 11-20, more fall-colored birds: an American Tree Sparrow, a Fox Sparrow and a Red-shouldered Hawk.

Then on 11-22 at the Chicago Portage, I had better light but obscured views of the Red-shouldered Hawk who also appears at the top of the post.

And another look at an American Tree Sparrow. I am accustomed to seeing greater numbers of these birds in the winter than I have so far.

On 11-24 in Riverside, I found a friendly White-throated Sparrow.

And yesterday morning, 12-30 at the Chicago Portage, I first watched the water trickling off the ice melt under the bridge near Harlem, walked all the way around the dirt trail to enjoy the distant view of the other bridge which always invites me to reflect on how it is totally obscured by vegetation from this distance in the summer months… and then as I approached that bridge, I found two Northern Cardinals, a Dark-eyed Junco and a White-throated Sparrow sampling grit on that bridge.

And then it seemed like American Robins were coming in from everywhere. Here are two of about 30 that I counted.

We had snow overnight, so I got up and did a little shoveling this morning, hung feeders in the backyard, came in to feed the indoor crowd, and then went for my Wednesday swim before the pool closed early. More snow is in the forecast this afternoon and early evening, although I don’t think we will have a lot of it. I haven’t decided yet whether I will go out for a walk on New Year’s Day. The forecast is for very cold and cloudy. But if the wind isn’t too awful, a walk might be just the thing to start another year.

And now, for something more completely different… it occurs to me that I haven’t posted any music in quite a while, so here is yesterday’s Evening Snack Music, warts and all, which, for all its flubs was at least a rather enthusiastic version, complete with participation from the birds who have now grown so used to it as they know their evening snack will soon follow. It’s a dressed-up or taken-down, depending on your point of view, version of the Prelude to J.S. Bach’s A Minor English Suite. Suffice it to say that it changes every day.

Evening Snack Music 12-30-25

Winding Down with the Holidays

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It’s been a long week or two, or so it seems, with this end of the year business. I have been obsessed with baking enough Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Breads to give to people who make me happy all year long, and after all the baking was done and most of the breads delivered, it’s kind of a letdown to not have any more to bake, although now that I am making progress eating my own loaf and receiving appreciative reviews, I look forward to doing it all over again next year.

Here’s the rest of what the end of December has been looking like, when I have managed to get out and walk. There are still a few days left in the year, but so far the weather forecast is not too promising. We are drenched in rain and fog today and anticipate a sprinkling of snow and a lot of wind tomorrow.

Going back to 12-16 at the Chicago Portage, when the snow was still on the ground…

A pair of Northern Cardinals can always light up the gloom.

An American Goldfinch and a Dark-eyed Junco, two birds I expect to see, and a Fox Sparrow which is a less-frequent visitor.

The camera spotted an American Robin flying away over the snow.

On 12-17 in Riverside, two Mallards were fighting over what I will never know.

I found another American Robin in flight by the edge of the water, and then European Starlings bathing.

Here’s another view of a Dark-eyed Junco that pretty much gives away its identity this time of year: the splash of white in the tail.

And I saw a Muskrat on the river near the swinging bridge, which makes me think I may have mistaken it for a beaver the week before.

I joined Steve and Joann for the Christmas Bird Count on 12/21 in Columbus Park. There weren’t a lot of birds to photograph by the time I got there, but right before we left, four crows drew our attention to a Red-tailed Hawk. I managed the photos below and the one at the top of the post just as we got close enough to confirm the hawk’s identity.

The next morning in Riverside I encountered a rather large flock of House Finches buried in the bushy growth by the river bank. They soon took off after I managed to zoom in on a couple.

Downy Woodpeckers have been pretty consistent.

The two Mallards below were peaceful enough.

I am always drawn to Common Milkweed seedpods in winter.

And yesterday at the Portage, the snow was gone, but ice was returning.

I was pleased to see a Brown Creeper, even though I couldn’t get a very good picture of it,

I thought this little scene sums it up: an American Robin looking on as I was looking at two Downy Woodpeckers.

I am evaluating my options for a stuck-inside day. I’m thinking of cooking if my indoor crowd will let me monopolize the kitchen. They seemed to be rather active earlier, in between downpours, but it just got very dark in here and we’ve had a burst of thunder and lightning. I will reluctantly turn on the lights after receiving my latest electric bill this morning. I hope your holidays are going well, and I wish you a calm and loving start to the New Year.

More Winter Weather, Briefly

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Poking around in the snow, Monday morning in Riverside, Tuesday morning at the Chicago Portage, back to Riverside on Thursday and Friday back at the Chicago Portage…enveloped in silence with very few humans and hardly any birds… so every individual stood out as extraordinary. Before I take us further back in time to when everything was livelier, I am reporting the week’s creatures.

Downy Woodpecker

This is always a good time of year to see woodpeckers, when they stand out against the stark tree trunks and branches. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are quite consistent. Here’s a few more photos of the individual at the top of the post.

Tuesday at the Chicago Portage, I decided to only walk the paved trail as the snow and ice was too much of a slog. In spite of the short distance, I managed to see a few birds.

American Tree Sparrow

I saw a couple White-throated Sparrows.

A Red Squirrel and two White-tailed Deer were available.

And I managed to get a distant view of the Red-shouldered Hawk that I’ve seen here lately.

Wednesday’s forecast for a walk was prohibitive, so I only went swimming. Then on Thursday, I decided to visit Riverside, where the only creature of note was a beaver I saw swimming in the river while I was standing on the swinging bridge. It swam to the shore line and had a bite to eat before swimming back out again. For what it’s worth, there have been some Mallards and Canada Geese in the river, but no other ducks yet, and the water level is still rather low.

On Friday at the Chicago Portage, I saw a few American Robins.

An American Tree Sparrow perched over the trail.

I saw a Fox Sparrow, but it stayed well-hidden from my lens.

This time of year is also a great opportunity to see Northern Cardinals in the snow.

And there were three deer down the trail.

After going out in the yard yesterday morning to fill and hang feeders, I determined it was too cold and gloomy to go for a walk. While I missed taking the walk for mental and physical clarity, I had enough things to do indoors to keep me busy. I’m now gearing up for this morning’s challenge of getting to choir at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I just came in from hanging feeders in the backyard. There is no noticeable wind, but the forecast says it feels like -18.

Tomorrow I will likely start baking loaves of Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Bread, which I can easily store on the porch. I can bake four loaves at a time, and between the inclement weather and a growing bread list, I can’t think of a finer way to close out the year.

November at the Chicago Portage – Part I

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While I have a big project restoring posts from 2016 – more about that later – I may as well get caught up a bit with the morning walks in November before the month is gone. These are a few observations from the Chicago Portage on November 4, 6 and 13.

There were still plenty of leaves on the trees on November 4, and the colors were muted at best. But I like to see how this view from the bridge near Harlem changes over the seasons.

Dark-eyed Juncos had definitely arrived for the winter.

It was still possible to see Red-winged Blackbirds.

European Starlings were starting to gather in numbers.

Black-capped Chickadees are with us all year round.

A Downy Woodpecker took off.

A White-throated Sparrow posed nicely.

On November 6, I first saw an American Goldfinch.

Then I encountered the Golden-crowned Kinglet at the top of the post.

The only other bird I managed to photograph that morning was a backlit White-breasted Nuthatch.

On November 13, this American Robin made me smile.

I took photos of some far-away birds and discovered later they were Rusty Blackbirds.

A couple Fox Sparrows showed up.

And a female Northern Cardinal negotiated the baring branches.

I am starting to see Fox Squirrels more this year. It seems to me that it’s been a while.

And the last bird I tried to see better was a distant American Tree Sparrow.

So now I am beginning to understand what happened to all those “Unattached” photos. They weren’t exactly unattached, but because I uploaded them all to my media library first and then put them into posts, they apparently assumed some kind of neither-here-nor-there and thus “unattached” limbo status. Suffice it to say that I enthusiastically removed way too many photos, rendering several posts from 2016 totally empty, except for a little text here and there. So my project is to locate the original attachments and replace them by uploading them directly into those posts using the newer software, of course, that I suspect caused this whole fiasco. I have determined what’s on my external hard drives. It’s sort of fun to revisit the photos, especially those I took in my more far-flung birding travels. After I’m done with reconstituting older posts, the space problem and the remaining unattached items will have to be addressed as well. A sobering thought, but maybe better to deal with during the winter months. Another good excuse for not writing my book.

Winter Weather at the Chicago Portage

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Tuesday morning, I went for a walk at the Chicago Portage because I needed the walk more than anything else. For a while it was so quiet, I was content to think I might be just looking at the emptiness in full. We had just experienced our first snowfall and the trees were looking less leafy.

As I started to walk past the bridge at Harlem, an influx of sparrows flew across the path over the fence from the corner. I managed to capture a White-throated Sparrow.

A Dark-eyed Junco sat still for a moment.

Two sparrows, a Fox Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow, were in the same bare tree.

An American Robin stood out against the greying sky.

I spotted a Black-capped Chickadee.

I went through the opening in the fence and found Red-winged Blackbirds and some European Starlings foraging in the leaves on the path. They weren’t too easy to see.

I also saw a snow-covered American Robin.

I took a look at the Des Plaines River which is still quite low.

A Downy Woodpecker was busy at work on some interesting tree bark.

A flock of 30 or more European Starlings flew into the bare trees.

There were at least 40 American Robins, so it was difficult to ignore them all.

On my way out, I had to take notice of the dramatic looking oak trees.

I hope to be back with more soon. I’ve been inconvenienced recently by some technical issues and spam: it’s exhausting. But I suppose I should expect no less in these surreal times.

One more of the bird at the top of the post. I always look forward to seeing Fox Sparrows, so this day was a special treat.

More Fall Scenes from the Chicago Portage

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Here’s something a bit more current, even though I hardly went out for walks last week. I have started to get back into my regular routine. Anyway, here are some photos in reverse chronological order for a change. First are some from October 21st. A grey squirrel seemed to have perfected a walnut chin grip.

I managed to get a few barely passable photos of a rather cooperative Golden-crowned Kinglet. This is the same individual at the top of the post.

After that, I got some better views of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Then I noticed a young Cooper’s Hawk in the distance.

On October 16, there were some American Goldfinches.

I saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

The moon made an appearance.

A Golden-crowned Kinglet emerged, this one being a little easier to capture.

And I encountered a deer on the way out past the little bridge.

The camera caught a distant Tennessee Warbler.

Then back on October 14, I first saw a Hermit Thrush on the chain-link fence that separates the Chicago Portage from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District property, and then agan later on a branch.

I found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

I caught a glimpse of a White-throated Sparrow.

A Red-winged Blackbird flew overhead.

It was still easy to get a few looks at Yellow-rumped Warblers.

I took note of a pensive-looking American Goldfinch.

A female Downy Woodpecker was mining a large tree trunk, and then I saw a male Downy Woodpecker closer.

I found a Nashville Warbler irresistible.

And I also found a lingering Tennessee Warbler.

With my house guest gone Thursday, I have been trying to get my life back together. I wonder if it has been a bit more challenging as the days grow shorter and temperatures cooler. Luckily my indoor birds are here to remind me what needs to be done every day at a minimum.

For what it’s worth, on Saturday morning, I picked up and then unloaded a total of 510 pounds of birdseed, my annual stock-up-for-winter from the Chicago Bird Alliance (formerly Chicago Audubon Society) Annual Birdseed Sale. I began to muse, as I always do, about how much longer I will be physically able to do this task, but then, as if an immediate answer to my question, I soon discovered that all the lifting and carrying had somehow provided me with a rush of energy that was enough to continue doing the physical tasks of two big cleanups, first of the dining room, and then the living room, removing the indoor birds’ dirty curtains and huts and replacing with clean ones. In essence, I accomplished in one day what I would normally have scheduled to do in three, and I am none the worse for wear. Indoors, the birds seem to have accepted their fate of having to start all over again building nests in the huts, too. Now, if we can all just get used to the “earlier” evenings descending into darkness. The birds yelled at me last night when the dining room light, which is on a timer, went off. I had been napping after dinner on the futon. Their message was clear: It’s late and we want to go to sleep. Turn off the radio and the living room light and say goodnight.

Something Else from the Chicago Portage

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I fully intended to do this post a week and a half ago, while we were still romancing the idea of a warm fall migration season. I’ll still be looking back, but I’ve been busy with the upcoming choir concert and the impending arrival of a house guest – something that doesn’t happen all that often when you live with birds, not that anything in their lives will change – and as life becomes evermore complicated, I find I have an intense determination to simplify things. I’m sorry that doesn’t seem to have made its way into my writing.

So here are some photos from the end of September at the Chicago Portage. The 28th and the 30th, to be exact. I almost wrote the end of December. Our weather has finally and suddenly taken a chilly turn.

There weren’t many birds on the 28th. Perhaps the least common was the Rose-breasted Grosbeak below.

Red-winged Blackbirds started to show up here and there in preparation for joining flocks moving south.

And Common Grackles were amusing themselves with the abundance of huge walnuts.

I caught a glimpse of an American Redstart. Actually, this is the most common view of this species in any season.

And on my way out, a White-tailed Deer crossed the path.

On September 30, I first noticed a Yellow-rumped Warbler on the bridge by Harlem.

Then as I looked out from the bring into the shallow stream covered in duckweed, I saw a Muskrat. I had somehow managed to get out of the house a bit earlier that morning, and I suspect that I might have been keeping Muskrat hours.

Another Yellow-rumped Warbler was in the duckweed.

Then, I caught a new view of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I have never seen the red under the wings before!

The camera found an Indigo Bunting or two.

I got lucky with Lincoln Sparrows and took far too many photos of them. This was the first individual I saw.

I saw a Song Sparrow across the water.

Then I found another interesting Song Sparrow that almost looked strongly striped like a Fox Sparrow, while its belly was unstreaked. It’s sometimes amazing to me how varied individuals in this species can be.

Yellow-rumped Warblers can look quite different too.

I found a Downy Woodpecker working hard on a tree limb. The first photo is blurred by how fast she was drumming.

Another Yellow-rumped Warbler was fading into the leaves.

Here’s the second Lincoln’s Sparrow. This might also be the same one at the top of the post. I was sitting on the picnic table close to the water when the sparrow popped up on a nearby log.

I watched a Red-bellied Woodpecker grab something to eat.

And then, when I returned to the bridge near Harlem, I found an Ovenbird foraging in the leaf litter. It was then joined by a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

I caught another view of the Ovenbird after that.

Palm Warblers have been somewhat scarce this fall. I was used to seeing them everywhere in previous years.

Here’s another Palm Warbler, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler below it. The Palm Warbler has yellow underneath its tail, and you can’t always see the yellow on the other’s rump.

Well, that’s about it for the moment. I have lots more to share, I just have to find the time and the mental space to do so. It feels good to be sitting here with some coffee after singing this morning in choir while the temperature fell and it rained steadily. It’s easier to be inside under those circumstances. It looks like we will be much cooler now than we have been, but not freezing yet. I am thankful for the rain on the new plants I put in the ground last week. And I’m looking forward to digging into a challenging week ahead, with rehearsals, arrivals, laughter, tears, more birds, more music, more reasons to keep going.

Fall Migration at the Chicago Portage

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For the most part, it’s been a sluggish fall migration season, but I have been glad to see the birds when they show up. Here are some photos from three September visits to the Chicago Portage: September 18, September 23 and September 25. I have been there thrice since. It’s a challenge to keep up with even this.

September 19 started out with a Song Sparrow, a Gray-cheeked Thrush and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

A look across the creek

I caught a Gray-cheeked Thrush in flight and stopped to check out some milkweed beetles. Then had one more look at the thrush,

A Downy Woodpecker caught my attention

And then a Black-and-White Warbler emerged. I grew hopeful.

Soon, I saw an American Redstart, and I had a brief look at a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Next, a Tennessee Warbler emerged, matching the green leaves.

Another, more yellow Tennessee warbler was also present.

A Blackpoll Warbler volunteered.

And another American Redstart that looks like a first-year male.

I had a brief encounter with a Red-eyed Vireo.

Here’s another American Redstart. This is the second-year or better male at the top of the post.

On 9-23, it was cloudy, but I took my chances. It actually started raining in earnest about an hour after I got there and I had to leave. That was the last time we had some rain. In any even, I first saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler.

I found a Cedar Waxwing and a Downy Woodpecker on the same twig.

I found another first-year male American Redstart.

I was happy to find an Ovenbird. I’ve seen these birds a few times over the past couple of weeks. I even had one briefly in my yard.

I got distant views of a Black-throated Green Warbler.

And as I gave in to the steady rain shower, I found a Box Elder Bug on Snakeroot.

On 9-25, things were quieter still, with a Gray-cheeked Thrush…

a Rose-breasted Grosbeak,,,

and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The sight of a Yellow-rumped Warbler usually indicates we are nearing the close of fall warbler migration.

I found a Magnolia Warbler.

A Gray Catbird barely emerged from the foliage.

And my last photos were of an Eastern Wood-Pewee.

There’s still a lot more to report and I hope to get ahead of it soon. There are a lot of other things going on this month, but I will still be birding every morning that I can.