First Fall Fallout

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Lisa Rest

Last Tuesday morning at the Chicago Portage was a beautiful day. The heat of the past week vanished with a cool front and with that front fall warblers.

A warbler fallout is described as some weather event that causes birds to stop flying on their migratory route (they migrate at night) and come down to earth. While this may not have been a true fallout in the sense that it was only a cold front, there seemed to be a significant number of warblers feeding busily that morning.

There were several Tennessee Warblers.

Tennessee Warblers can appear green or yellow or even white, depending on the light and their surroundings.

Bay-breasted Warblers seemed to be some of the first to show up this fall. I was still seeing a few.

Black-and-White Warblers also seemed to be in numbers.

One first-year male American Redstart that actually sat still long enough for a photograph. I often see only a flash of tail feathers.

I have seen a lot of Blackpoll Warblers for at least a week now. I think they are starting to replace the Bay-breasted Warblers in sightings, but that of course can make things more confusing. It’s helpful to see Blackpolls’ streaking on the breast and orange feet.

Chestnut-sided Warblers are immediately recognizable by their bright greenish-yellow caps.

In the Colorful Woodpecker Department, Northern Flickers provided a distraction for a while.

Palm Warblers are just starting to arrive.

And Magnolia Warblers are here and there, though not in great numbers.

Most exciting was to come across a Northern Parula. This is a warbler I don’t see all that often. I was dismayed that it was not considered a Northeastern species by my Warbler app, but I did find it in the Southeastern classification later. We are carved out somewhat south, north and west outside their breeding range, so I suppose it’s possible we may see more of them with climate change. The photo at the top of the post is of this bird.

And then there was the yellow bird who was not a warbler, but a female Scarlet Tanager. I always seem to see one here in the fall, but never the male of the species.

There was a young Red-tailed Hawk on board that morning. I have recently discovered that the juvenile Red-tailed Hawks tends to be darker in plumage color and the iris eye color is also darker than the adults.

I was lucky to see a Wood Thrush that morning.

And the White-breasted Nuthatch below is obscured by leaves but interesting anyway.

Here’s a young American Robin for good measure.

It turns out I did have one more Indigo Bunting.

Here are a few more photos of the first-year Northern Parula. There’s just a very faint suggestion of an orange necklace to come.

I have more photos for future posts and I am likely to take even more. One never knows what a migration season will be like, but so far there have been some high points to this one.

A Little Migration Music, Please

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Lisa Rest

After seeing some fall warblers here and there, things remained slow until the middle of last week when a cold front finally pushed through. I had hoped to be more timely with this post but I’ve been busier than I thought.

At the Portage on Tuesday, September 5, things were still slow, with most of the birds being nearly too far away to photograph except for identification purposes. Still there were a few. Like this Tennessee Warbler.

American Redstarts are often hard to capture. Most have been females or first-year males.

Bay-breasted Warblers showed up early and persisted.

Another Bay-breasted Warbler, acting more like any old bird in that it wasn’t busy looking for insects but instead sat perched on a dead tree over the marsh. The next few photos were taken from somewhat far away, as I stood on the bridge closest to Harlem Avenue.

Not a warbler, but an American Goldfinch in the same tree

Back on the trail, I was trying for everything.

It’s always exciting to see an Osprey fly over. This one was carrying its prey, but it was too far away to get a good enough look at what it was.

A Downy Woodpecker and a Song Sparrow shared the same dead bush.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds seem a bit more relaxed lately.

Below is perhaps the last time I saw an Indigo Bunting. This is either a female or an immature male.

A few Red-winged Blackbirds were still around.

And some American Crows flew over.

On the 7th, just two days later, the cold front ushered in more birds.

Below is a female American Redstart.

Black-and-White Warblers are easy to identify.

There were a couple Blackburnian Warblers. The warbler at the top of the post is also a Blackburnian.

Magnolia Warblers were in the flock.

I barely captured the Golden-winged Warbler below.

Tennessee Warblers really blend into the green leaves.

Below is a distant Cape May Warbler.

Then there were all those other birds. Red-eyed Vireos were also present.

American Goldfinches are busy now that there are a lot of seeds available.

I caught a couple views of a goldfinch family.

There was a Great-crested Flycatcher.

And a few Red-winged Blackbirds…

Gray-cheeked Thrushes have been abundant. The first picture below might be a bit confusing as it suggests a Swainson’s Thrush if you go with the somewhat more-prominent eye-ring, but its face has that more pinched look of a Gray-cheeked to me.

This was just the beginning. Earlier this week brought more warblers to my lens. I hope to be back a lot sooner with those photos. For now, I’m getting up early to “lead” a walk at Columbus Park tomorrow morning. It seems likely to be difficult birding. The last couple days have been rather slow. The forecast is for cloudy and cool. Then on Sunday, the forecast is for rain all morning. So it might not be too birdy a weekend… But the show must go on.

More from McGinnis

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Lisa Rest

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.

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.

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

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.

Missing at McGinnis

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Lisa Rest

I had a run of no Internet access over a few days, but I’m up and running again… A few weeks ago, there were several reports of a Little Blue Heron and a Snowy Egret at McGinnis Slough, and since it’s a place I’ve visited often enough I rearranged my schedule, such as it is, and decided to have a look. I wound up going a total of four times. I never saw either of the reported rare birds, but I did see something different on every visit.

On August 9, the most amazing thing to me was the number of Great Egrets. Years ago when I first visited this place I felt like I could always count on seeing a lot of egrets, but in recent years I have never encountered such numbers as I did on this date. I estimated, conservatively, 110.

When I first got arrived, everything was engulfed in fog. I was too early!

As the fog began to lift, creatures started to appear.

A Damselfly – it might be a Sedge Sprite

Wood Ducks were present where they usually are located, but barely visible save for the whites of their eyes.

A Great Blue Heron flew directly overhead in the fog.

A break in the vegetation revealed two distant Sandhill Cranes. You can click on the gallery images for slightly better views.

There were Wood Ducks in the aquatic plants.

I have no idea how I captured this Killdeer in flight.

Then the Sandhill Cranes flew right by me.

Farther away, an Osprey appeared, for good measure.

Below is a view after more fog cleared, revealing the overgrown marsh.

European Starlings were flying around and then landing to feed.

But really the visit was spectacular because of all the Great Egrets and the Great Blue Herons flying by. All those little distant white dots in the second photo below were likely all Great Egrets.

And closer were several in the trees.

There were not nearly so many Great Blue Herons but I did get some nice looks.

After the fog lifted, I managed to find a juvenile male Wood Duck perched.

There were American Goldfinches enjoying the seed heads of some spent flowers.

We are in the midst of what I hope is our last heat wave of the season. I will try to make the best of it by swimming and blogging. I also have to practice my choir parts, as we are singing songs in Swahili and Italian next Sunday.

I’ll be back with the rest of the McGinnis visits shortly. There are fewer photographs so I can wrap them all up into one post.

A Warbler Here and There

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Lisa Rest

Welcome to Fall Migration Warbler Identification Meditation. (I was inspired after reading an article about meditation going mainstream.) Warblers are starting to arrive, and I had more species in my photos than I realized while taking them. Since many of the warblers look quite different from their spring plumages, and are often hard to distinguish from others, it necessitates a review of wing bars, undertails, bill shape, and if you ask me, even a facial expression can sometimes play a role.

I had been seeing a warbler here and there over the last week or so and was planning to gather them all together in one post here, but my visit to the Chicago Portage on Tuesday morning – before the Heat Wave – proved too busy to ignore, so I am just going to consolidate what I saw on Tuesday and come back later with the rest.

My visit didn’t start out with warblers, of course. Except for a few American Robins, the birds were at quite a distance. This young Robin was enjoying some ripe pokeberries.

There were birds perched from time to time in the bare trees that border the water, and for the most part, I was just taking photos to identify them later. There were some interactions going on that I might not have bothered to notice.

An Eastern Kingbird is at the top, a Baltimore Oriole below

All I can figure is the Baltimore Oriole started moving toward the top of the tree where the Eastern Kingbird was perched and there was a bit of an upset. My last photo was of the Eastern Kingbird either going after prey or giving up on the challenge to its position.

Then I was following perhaps the same Eastern Kingbird with what looked like a cicada. It wasn’t having an easy time of it.

After all that, a quiet moment for the Eastern Kingbird.

Young and older Northern Flickers popped up here and there.

It was probably the first time I did not hear a Song Sparrow, but I did see this young bird at a considerable distance.

Quiet bird moments gave me opportunities to focus the lens on other things. I really like the way the foxtail grass looks with the sun shining through it. Then for butterflies, there was a Hobomok Skipper, a Monarch, and a Pearl Crescent.

A spider web off the trail was more challenging.

A view of the new trail from the south end of it

And now for the warblers. Just as I was pretty much on my way out, so to speak, but before I reached Tadziu’s bridge (by the way, I saw and head a couple adult male Indigo Buntings, but I do think Tadziu has left for his winter home), I noticed activity in the expanse of trees between the trail and the train tracks. At first, there were several Red-eyed Vireos.

I barely caught a clear glimpse of a Magnolia Warbler.

I was not aware until I developed my photos that one of the first birds I was following was actually a Chestnut-sided Warbler. There’s not much chestnut siding in this bird, but the greenish-yellow coloring on the crown and back, the eye-ring, and yes, its posture/expression tipped me off.

The Black-and-White Warbler was easy to see, however briefly, but difficult to capture. I managed one clear photo.

I had the feeling I was seeing more than one Bay-breasted Warbler.

This is likely a different individual below.

And the bird below is the same individual as the one at the top of the post.

With the mixed flock was a young-looking Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

I at first assumed the bird below was another Bay-breasted but changed my mind when I saw the photo of its back. I started going down the Blackpoll Warbler trail. It’s also very hard to see some vague orange coloring on the foot in these photos. But there is faint streaking on the breast in the first photo.

A couple Baltimore Orioles were in the mix as well, if a bit farther away.

The Baltimore Oriole below was intrigued by some dead leaves.

Here’s one of those not-in-focus photos I got of the Black-and-White as it escaped scrutiny.

Well, our 100 degrees Fahrenheit has given me the opportunity to sit inside and finish this post. We are due for cooler temperatures tomorrow. I will likely visit Riverside in the morning to see what migrants are appearing there, and then drive to my temporary swimming location. I’m looking forward to cooler temperatures on the weekend and into next week when I will be able to resume a more regular routine again. But I am already starting to make room for fall activities. Wednesday evening choir rehearsals have returned. The kids are back in school down the block. The Saturday morning bird walks begin on September 2nd at Columbus Park.

And somehow in spite of my efforts at population control inside the house, increasingly louder begging noises have me expecting to see a new Zebra Finch fledgling or two shortly. Somebody is getting better at building predator (me)-proof nests.

To be continued. 🙂

Celebrating the Chicago Portage

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Lisa Rest

Apologies for not getting this done sooner, but it’s just been a week. I had hoped to come up with a more interesting post. For an inaugural event, the 350-year celebration was a very pleasant day. I think we all agreed that the event was under-publicized, but perhaps it was just as well for a first-time affair. I am curious to see how the Chicago Portage and this event continue to evolve and I have so much more to learn.

The photo at the top of the post is of a Common Whitetail Dragonfly sitting on the same piece of wood where the Green Heron in my last post was feeding on them.

The photos directly below are of the set-up for the reenactment lectures that were presented throughout the day.

Earlier in the morning before the festivities began, Bob and I looked for birds. The few we saw were too far away to photograph, even with a long lens.

Indeed, my best subject was this Chipmunk scaling the bark of a hackberry tree.

We were done birding for the morning until I noticed this American Kestrel perched in a dead tree. I had no idea that I would see this bird again later.

I wish I had taken more photos of the activities, but I never caught the reporter bug, and I tend not to take photos of people. It’s enough for me to ask for a bird’s permission.

Bob and I attended John Langer’s first talk about the history of the Chicago Portage, which John offered throughout the day for latecomers. He is truly devoted and indefatigable! I followed John’s group for a while when he took the tour on the trail, and I quickly realized that I learn something new every time. There is so much to know about the Portage, I now must try to attend more presentations.

I did sit in on part of the reenactment of Marquette and Joliet’s discovery, but I was starting to fade. Then around 1:00 PM or so I went on a nature walk with two naturalists whose names I neglected to note. If this is indeed going to be an annual event I will have to be better prepared next time. One of the experts found this praying mantis, which he said was a Chinese species. I don’t think I have seen a praying mantis at the Portage before. Something else to look for!

But then I haven’t seen clover there before either. Just one flower.

Thanks to Cynthia for holding the sedges up so I could photograph them with my cell phone. Unfortunately I did not manage to name the images simultaneously so I will have to do some research. I just bought a couple books on sedges and grasses. It looks like a perfect way to go down the rabbit hole.

Then I have to figure out this grass that is growing in the stream.

This grass was planted by the Friends of the Chicago Portage. Who knew?

One more photo of the Common Whitetail.

As we were walking, a Red-shouldered Hawk flew overhead.

Toward the end of the walk, as we stood talking, we noticed an argument between a Blue Jay and likely the very same American Kestrel I had seen earlier.

The Kestrel was not amused.

These photos are in the order that I took them.

Finally, the Blue Jay prevailed and the Kestrel left.

It somehow seems fitting that the last bird I saw and photographed before I left was a Turkey Vulture.

We are heating up this week. I don’t know how much birding I will be doing, but the pool where I swim will also be closed for cleaning, which is disappointing to say the least. I will try to see if I can swim somewhere else. If not, maybe I can make better use of my time while sitting on the futon. At least I won’t be falling asleep processing too many photographs.

There have been some interesting birds over the past week and a half and I hope to be back to this page sooner. Thanks for coming along.

Green Heron Bliss at the Portage

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Lisa Rest

Thursday was a quiet day at the Chicago Portage. I met Bob on the trail and we looked for birds while wondering what Chicago Portage Day was going to be like two days later. I will be back with a little report on that event soon. But Thursday turned out to be a magical encounter with a Green Heron and it deserves commemoration.

Song Sparrows are still singing. The one on the left appears to be a juvenile.

We encountered an Eastern Wood-Pewee, albeit backlit. I am happy to report that I have heard this bird all summer and have seen it on several occasions.

It was a good day for butterflies.

Juvenile Indigo Buntings are starting to appear.

And now we are getting glimpses or better of Baltimore Orioles again.

Just when we thought we had seen everything, while we were standing at the bridge closest to Harlem looking out into the swamp, if you will, I saw something move. Directly below us on a narrow log or branch was a Green Heron. Even though it was quite close, it appeared small to me.

We watched it as it fished for dragonflies and aquatic creatures. Occasionally it would pull something small out of the water. I was trying to be quiet and careful not to disturb the heron with the camera lens.

Suddenly one of those Common Whitetail dragonflies appeared within reach. The heron caught it.

It took some extra maneuvering before the dragonfly went down the hatch.

The most amazing thing about this entire encounter is that the Green Heron seemed totally unfazed by our attention. After some people walked by and it did not react, I was able to get a better view at the end of the bridge. Then Bob suggested I try shooting a video. Below is my short movie. (Bob was sorry not to have his own camera handy but he did take a video with his phone.)

Bob was also kind enough to loan his binoculars to a couple young women who stopped to see what was going on at the bridge. An experience like this could turn them into birders. By the way, the heron appeared larger with its neck outstretched.

I was too worn out from yesterday’s festivities to go birding this morning, but I did some work in the yard early. I’d like to go back outside to see if I can capture a hummingbird at the feeder, although it’s turning cloudy and the bugs are biting. Rain is in the forecast the next day or two. I will have to play it by ear. Here’s a quick look at my favorite color combination outside the back door, and though I rarely cut flowers, I had a couple sprigs of Ironweed that begged to be trimmed.

A Visit to Goose Lake Prairie – Part 2

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Lisa Rest

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.