Category Archives: dragonflies

Summertime at Goose Lake Prairie

Posted on by
8

A week later than my usual annual visit to Goose Lake Prairie, I decided to visit. The forecast was for halfway decent weather, partly cloudy and not too hot. I arrived a little after 8:00 AM. There was another vehicle in the parking lot overtaken by weeds, and no sign of a Killdeer to greet me. Just as I started walking the trail, I encountered two well-established birders – so well-established I decided to keep quiet and confirm their identity later. Suffice it to say that the one without the wheelchair rattled off a list of birds they had encountered. I did not find everything they saw, but I had a good walk.

The first bird I met was an Indigo Bunting.

Common Yellowthroats were predictably everywhere. American Goldfinches as well.

American Goldfinch

The Red-winged Blackbird below looked so excited to be singing, I had to pay attention. Meanwhile, a merciful cloud cover was making the increasing heat more bearable.

I always have to take this picture of Cragg’s Cabin

I saw a Tree Swallow or two.

Northern Cardinals were hanging out.

There were several Barn Swallows.

I was delighted to find a Halloween Pennant Dragonfly, and then another later. In the panel below the Halloween Pennant, a Common Whitetail and a Black Saddlebags.

I was intrigued by a Common Yellowthroat in thorns.

Now, I nearly always expect to see Dickcissels, but I heard only two, and barely managed to capture this one too far away to be barely distinguishable even with my 400mm lens. Logically I am trying to make up an excuse for their absence: their territories are already established, they’re busy raising young and it’s none of my business.

I nearly always expect to see an Eastern Meadowlark or two as well. There were some foraging ahead in the grass on the trail, and this one flew by.

I was a little surprised to see a single Cedar Waxwing.

More Common Yellowthroats. In addition to the male posing very nicely below, I encountered a couple youngsters. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen juvenile Common Yellowthroats. I had to refresh my memory when I processed the photos.

I was hearing Field Sparrows but didn’t think I saw any until I realized later the camera had captured a few. All these birds were so far away and the cloud cover made it difficult to distinguish them. The two in the bottom photo appear to be juveniles.

Here’s another American Goldfinch.

I haven’t been seeing many butterflies, but this is an Orange or Clouded Sulphur.

I walked quite a ways before I encountered some very noisy Bell’s Vireos.

Willow Flycatchers were also on hand.

Noticeable flowering plants were Great Mullein and Silphium (Rosin Weed). I think this is the first time I have seen the Silphium there. It’s not a tall plant, which intrigues me seeing as how I have encountered problems with my natives growing tall this year. Maybe this is something I should consider in my backyard.

When I finally got all the way around the trail to a view of the Goose Lake as such, I did not see anything in the water. Previous years there has been at least a heron or two. I also noticed that the blind structure had been removed.

I heard Yellow-breasted Chats and did finally come across a juvenile that was willing to be photographed. i think the last bird in flight might be a different individual.

Also in flight, a Killdeer and a Red-winged Blackbird.

As I was coming to the end of my walk, I noticed an Orchard Oriole on some Great Mullein.

Here’s one more of a Bell’s Vireo. It picked such a beautiful spot to sit in, with the colorful sumac berries.

It shouldn’t have taken me a week to write this post, but I have been busy in the yard, among other things. One thing I have definitely noticed: insects seem to be back. I had been bemoaning the dire lack of insects and consequently swallows, swifts and flycatchers, and I am still sure the number of birds has decreased. But I can attest to the return of insects from one very personal observation. When I got home from Goose Lake Prairie, my legs were covered in bites. I was not aware I was being eaten while I was walking. I had tucked my pants into my socks to oblige the warning sign about ticks at the beginning of the trail, but I did not use any spray as it didn’t seem necessary. Suffice it to say I suffered raging itch for days, more like chigger bites (maybe they were) but the itching has subsided and I will live. Now I am using a little eucalyptus bug spray when I venture out. And I am seeing more birds and dragonflies. Apocalypse Not Quite Yet. To be continued.

The River Recedes – Part Two

Posted on by
4

On August 9 there didn’t seem to be a lot going on. But it was reassuring to see the Great Blue Heron in a likely spot opposite the Hofmann Tower. The previous high water level had covered the rocky island in greenery.

The Rock Pigeons were doing their flight drills. They seem to be roosting under the Joliet Avenue bridge where it’s cooler than sitting on top of the Hofmann Tower.

A few Canada Geese and Mallards were hanging out on the rocks.

I started walking the paved trail along the river and saw a young House Sparrow.

There was not much else until I reached the swinging bridge. There, I saw another Great Blue Heron bathing in the shallow water.

I barely spotted a Warbling Vireo.

And then, as I stood on the bridge, an Osprey started flying over the river.

As I took photos, the Osprey saw me and decided to play with me by flying overhead.

With the Osprey gone, I looked over toward the Great Blue Heron again. The water was barely knee-deep.

In Riverside Lawn, insects were enjoying the sunshine.

A wasp on some boneset.

A sole Monarch Butterfly captured my attention by being extremely cooperative.

A Blue Dasher Dragonfly also waited patiently to be photographed.

And then, I obliged a Blue-frojnted Dancer damselfly for good measure. They always seem to be begging for attention.

A fawn appeared briefly.

The last couple days, fall migrants have begun to show up here and there. I’ve been to a couple different places as well. Anything could happen here.

Here and There

Posted on by
Reply

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.

McGinnis Slough

What few photos I managed are here.

American Robin – juvenile

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.

Common Whitetail
Blue Dasher

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.

Up Close and Personal

Posted on by
6

It was cool enough on Sunday morning to return to the Chicago Portage. Rain from the night before had cut through Saturday’s oppressive heat.

Of course, I was looking for the Black-crowned Night-heron. As I was walking the main trail after the first turn, I thought I saw something in the distance near the edge of the water. It was the heron with its back to me.

It turned its head around but was still difficult to see at that distance. I hoped to catch up with it later.

Luckily I did find it again and I was closer to it, but its back was still toward me. There was a lot of tedious preening on the heron’s part.

Eventually it decided to start looking for food, an errant feather still tucked in its bill.

Then it started its slow, graceful hunt.

Not much else to report but I made note of a few things, like the clouds.

And there was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched out on a limb of a dead tree by the bridge.

A Northern Cardinal stood out in the green.

A different dragonfly. This is a Black and White-winged Dragonfly.

While I’m at it, I’m going to clean up a few photos from two earlier June visits. On June 4, there were more insects.

Pearl Crescent Butterflies
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle
Common Whitetail Skimmer female

Then way back on June 1, it was all about Indigo Buntings.

Tadziu was also on hand that day.

I may still get over to the Portage sometime this week if the weather permits to see how things are wrapping up for the very end of June which has been a busy month for the breeding birds. Here’s one more photo of the Black-crowned Night-heron.

Meanwhile Back at the Portage

Posted on by
8

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.

Common Whitetail Dragonfly female
Red Admiral

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.

Eastern Comma
Red Admiral

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 by
4

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.

More from McGinnis

Posted on by
4

I returned to McGinnis Slough on 8/11, 8/17 and 8/21. The Snowy Egret and/or Little Blue Heron were still being seen around the earlier dates by others, but I was never able to locate either one. I went back on the 21st in large part because it was on my way to the pool in Orland Park where I swam for a week while my pool was being cleaned.

On the 11th, only large birds caught my attention. The first was an Osprey.

There were far fewer Great Egrets, and therefore fewer to try and make into Snowys.

One Great Blue Heron offered a view in flight.

On August 17, I noticed two Blue-winged Teal swimming with a Wood Duck. The Blue Dasher dragonfly at the top of the post was also present on that day.

Instead of the Sandhill Cranes seen on the 9th, there were several Trumpeter Swans.

A Red-tailed Hawk flew over and put on a show.

On the 21st, all my subjects were smaller.

Mourning Dove

There were more ducks inhabiting the spot usually taken up by Wood Ducks.

There were Blue-winged Teal among the Mallards and Wood Ducks

There were more Wood Ducks than previous visits. One was hiding in the second photo below.

There were small, but cooperative butterflies. I’ve seen several of these two species this summer. Enough so that I recognize them now, but by next summer I’ll no doubt have to look them up again.

Hobomok Skipper
Pearl Crescent

There haven’t been as many dragonflies this year. That probably has something to do with the weather and climate change.

Eastern Pondhawk Female

The Rose Mallow is always in bloom here. I found this white one to be easier to photograph than the pink ones.

And as a little footnote, as I stepped out the front door of my house on the 17th, I noticed this American Goldfinch male chowing down on purple coneflower seeds. The seed bonanza season has begun for goldfinches. I will leave everything to them for the fall and winter and not clean up until spring.

As I am sitting here writing this post I just noticed the Snowy Egret was seen again yesterday at McGinnis Slough. I am not driving back out there in this heat to see if I can find it. There are some things one has to just let go. That said, I may visit McGinnis Slough again later in the week in cooler weather, because even if I don’t see the Snowy, something else could be interesting.

More Summer Portage Passages

Posted on by
Reply

We have threats of thunderstorms this morning and perhaps later in the afternoon, but like yesterday so far it seems to be a waiting game with periods of drizzle.

The last time I saw a Great-crested Flycatcher at the Chicago Portage was on July 22nd. I imagine they’re still around but I am not sure I have heard them lately either. This one was just close enough to capture with the 400mm lens.

I managed to focus for a while on a disheveled-looking Northern Flicker. I waited and waited for him to take off, hoping to capture him in flight, but he beat me to it.

A Spicebush Swallowtail was present both days.

You might expect the beetle below to be named after its vibrant color but instead it’s named after six tiny little white spots which might be more visible in the second photograph.

Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle

Whatever the attraction is to the dirt path, this female Powdered Dancer damselfly stayed there long enough.

Tadziu the Indigo Bunting is just as fond of his sunshine perch as he is of the other one across the bridge in the shade.

When there isn’t a lot going on to distract me, I tend to focus on whatever activity exists. Starved for action, I could not resist taking pictures of two young-looking Warbling Vireos who were busy in the mulberries. Berries require less work for them than bugs, I imagine. And as for me, it’s only a matter of time before I get to apply these skills to fall warblers.

The contrast between July 22 and July 25 before and after some rain is evident in the photos below of the bottomlands by the Des Plaines River.

It’s usually easier to get a decent photograph of a female Twelve-Spotted Skimmer.

Female Twelve-Spotted Skimmer

This is pretty much how the water looks at the Portage these days. A sea of green.

I have some photos from two more visits at the very end of July, and then it’s looking for signs of more activity in August as fledglings turn into juveniles and thoughts of fall migration start to emerge.

In the meantime, sitting on my front porch yesterday afternoon, I had a brief visit from a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting in the apple tree. I hope to eventually get a few photos of her in action at the flowers or the feeders.

Riverside Walks

Posted on by
2

I hadn’t walked around Riverside for a while so I took a walk Monday while it was still comfortable to be outside. There were lots of Canada Geese and only a few Mallards but I was happy to see the hen below with her two ducklings. I admit I cropped dad out of the picture.

It was also nice to see herons on the water. There were two Great Egrets but they were quite distant, so I photographed only one. I also saw one Great Blue Heron. The water level is so low they are standing in the middle of the river.

I was reminded of the storm the week before, both by the paved walk and later on the Riverside Lawn trail where I had to negotiate three downed trees.

I love the spotty plumage on young American Robins like the one below.

The damselfly treat of the day was a Blue-fronted Dancer.

I often see Common Grackles in the rocks by the river. This is a female.

Almost two weeks earlier, on June 8, I visited Riverside and the first bird I saw was a Cliff Swallow sitting on the wire for quite a while. I don’t see this species very often.

It was a cloudy day. and it was much cooler as well. Again, a Common Grackle caught my eye, this time, a male.

It seemed unusual to see a feral Rock Pigeon on the riverbank.

Canada Geese were in the river. Nothing unusual about that.

There was this little family taking a walk.

I struggled to see and photograph Killdeer that day. They blend in well with the rocks by the former Hoffman Dam.

Here are the first photos I took, literally just pointing the camera in the direction I was hearing the Killdeer.

At some point there was a Turkey Vulture being chased by a Red-winged Blackbird. I love to see the vultures in flight, they are so graceful. A series of several photos is below.

I managed to capture a Baltimore Oriole that day. The photo opportunities have decreased since nesting season has taken over everything.

Here’s one more of the Cliff Swallow.

There were a number of Variable Dancers on the Riverside Lawn trail. They are very tiny,

Summer is official now and hot weather is baked in, so to speak. I have a busy agenda this week and heading into July with the possibility of a house guest for a couple weeks, so my posts may be a little scattered or scatterbrained, but after all it is summertime. Hope you are enjoying the longer days and staying cool enough, wherever you are.

Back to the Slough

Posted on by
4

It was a nice weekend – two cooler mornings before the anticipated heat returned. I went to the Portage on Saturday morning and decided to visit McGinnis Slough Sunday. This is a brief summary of the McGinnis encounter.

There is very little water. Maybe it’s a little more water than last summer, but some birds I could always count on are not present. I saw no evidence of Trumpeter Swans, for instance. And last year there was a pair of Sandhill Cranes, but I haven’t seen any of those either. There was only one Great Blue Heron fishing close to the log where the Wood Ducks hang out. I could barely see anything through the reeds.

Later I managed a somewhat clearer picture of the Great Blue Heron and a couple deer.

I was surprised to see more people at the preserve than I expected, but I had forgotten that it was a holiday – Father’s Day – and beautiful weather, and why not? I got there fairly early anyway and first encountered a group of Tree Swallows.

This is always an attractive place for dragonflies and I found several beautiful Blue Dashers. I am always chuckling to myself as I try to do macro photography with a 100-400mm lens.

There were a lot of Song Sparrows singing. I only photographed this one, but recorded another briefly. Then at one point I just stood and recorded all the songs of several species I was hearing.

Song Sparrow song
Song Sparrow and Red-winged Blackbird singing
Marsh Wren, Red-winged Blackbird and Common Yellowthroat singing

I barely managed to capture a male Common Yellowthroat who had retreated to a perch inside a small tree.

At one point I noticed a Downy Woodpecker feeding its fledgling.

A young American Robin was looking out over the vast expanse of the slough from its perch near the path, as if to reflect upon the world now at its wingtips.

Another young American Robin caught my eye. More of a keeping cool perch.

The water alongside the trail going north

I kept hearing a Virginia Rail, but never even hoped to see it. I followed it with my ears as it moved around, at times not too far from the center lawn that juts out into the slough from the parking lot. Before I left, I sat at a picnic table there to cool off and just observe, when I caught a distant view of a Common Gallinule in my binoculars. It was nearly impossible to photograph but I tried anyway. I have never seen one of these here before. Perhaps this is an indication of the habitat changing.

There was a very tiny Least Skipper.

Least Skipper

And I was surprised this Chipmunk stuck around just long enough for me to snap its photo.

Red-winged Blackbirds were everywhere but this female turned out to be my best photo op.

Here’s one more of a Blue Dasher.

I don’t know how much energy I will have tomorrow, but with any luck I will be back with more sleepy summertime photos. As luck would have it — tomorrow being the summer solstice and the longest day of the year — it may be the hottest day we have had so far. I almost look forward to the days getting shorter.