Category Archives: Riverside Lawn Trail

One Month Ago

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I’ve grown fond of going out lately with the little Sony camera as I become more used to what it will or won’t do. It’s now been a few days over a month since my carpal tunnel surgery. But I was still using the Canon body and lens last month and have a few photos from that time period to share. And since I have been stuck inside during a long-awaited thunderstorm, it seems like a good time to finish this post. Starting on June 15th, I saw Cliff Swallows by the bridge at Joliet Avenue.

Common Mergansers, albeit uncommon this time of year, were again in the river that morning.

A Great Blue Heron was looking for a meal, and then a Red-winged Blackbird demanded its departure.

I have seen so few butterflies this summer, I had to document this Hackberry Emperor.

Every once in a while I see enough parts a male Northern Cardinal.

Gray Catbirds were more vocal earlier in the season, more often heard than seen. So this was a nice encounter.

Then on June 19, I noticed this Common Grackle shining in the sunlight by the HofmannTower.

I also found this Barn Swallow taking a break for a photo.

What appeared to be juvenile Cliff Swallows were flying by the walls of the former Hofmann Dam.

Two common river occupants were still worth noticing: a Double-crested Cormorant and a Mallard.

Here are two more views of the Cedar Waxwing at the top of the post.

An Indigo Bunting appeared briefly to be behind bars.

A distant view from the swinging bridge revealed a pair of Common Mergansers and a Great Blue Heron.

I am always delighted to see the return of the Blue-fronted Dancer Damselfly.

Then, another pose from a Gray Catbird on that day.

After experiencing extremely dry conditions – I ran out of water in both rain barrels over a week ago – we have finally gotten some rain today. I was beginning to wonder where it could be coming from with all the hot and dry conditions to the west of us. The fronts have been threatening with severe thunderstorms since late morning. The birds and I have been lucky, but it’s been an afternoon of anticipation as to what will happen next. Earlier, the emergency broadcast system on the radio was not a test, but the real thing. The Zebra Finches always yell when they hear the test. And then later, the actual test was run, I guess just to make sure. We yelled again. A turned around day indeed.

Busy Birds Along The River

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So this is some of what I was going to post earlier. Last month, I was still able to see the breeding birds that visit our area getting busy. The Baltimore Oriole at the top of the post is from June 10. The photos below were from two days earlier. I was particularly intrigued by the female oriole finding what looks like the perfect ingredient to add to her nest construction. Suffice it to say that by now, the orioles have gone silent and disappeared from view. They must be busy rearing young.

Going back even earlier, on June 3, there were the Canada Goose families.

Also on the 3rd, I saw this buck crossing the river.

Great Blue Herons have been here and there, but I haven’t seen them too often lately. The one below is monitored by a Common Grackle.

A Barn Swallow will usually show up by the Joliet Avenue bridge, where they nest.

I noticed a Common Grackle looking interested in a turtle.

A Ring-billed Gull flew in and later flew out with something.

I normally refrain from photographing dead creatures, but this scene was so bizarre I couldn’t help myself. The raccoon was on the side of the trail in Riverside Lawn.

On June 8, I found a willing Cedar Waxwing.

On June 10, I also had this Barn Swallow taking a break to preen.

I’ll be back later with a few interesting encounters from June 15, but here’s a brief aside from June 22. I saw and was able to photograph and report a Canada Goose tagged 98H. I submitted my observation and got my Certificate of Appreciation back from the USGS almost immediately, I’m sure thanks to AI. She is a Large Canada Goose who was banded in Brookfield, Illinois on July 7, 2015 when she was still too young to fly. I haven’t seen her since, but I will be interested to see if she shows up again.

The last few days, it was impossible to be outside for very long with the wildfire smoke. I donned a mask while I was outside for just a few minutes. Whatever rain seemed possible, it skipped us and we are still warm and humid although the ground is dry. Maybe the birds have gone more quiet from the heaviness in the air. I have noticed that people are a lot quieter in my neighborhood than in previous, more normal summers. I never thought I’d miss the noise.

Scenes from Riverside

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The heat wave has begun. I was contemplating a walk by the river this morning, but at 7:00 AM it was already uncomfortably hot in my backyard, which is always cooler anyway because of all the trees… so I have reluctantly decided to stay inside. The thought of starting the car to drive for a walk seems like adding insult to injury. And, as good as I feel right now, I need to remind myself that I am still recovering from surgery.

So this is the first of a few retrospective posts featuring earlier walks by the Des Plaines River. I’ll start with an Indigo Bunting I found in Swan Pond on May 18.

On May 25, I happened to focus upon a Red-winged Blackbird as he was photo-bombed by a Mourning Dove,

On May 29, I took note of some late Mallard ducklings, two Double-crested Cormorants, and a Ring-billed Gull.

An Osprey also flew over.

And I was drawn to a Common Grackle in iridescence.

A doe calmly stared me down.

The month of June began inauspiciously. From June 1, a Double-crested Cormorant, a well-camouflaged Killdeer, a Song Sparrow and a Least Flycatcher.

I’m skipping ahead to June 22 when Cedar Waxwings were busy catching insects off the river.

I will be back with more selections, seeing as how I have conscripted myself to basically staying indoors these next few days. We are promised the beginning of a cool-down on Friday with forecasts for rain, of course. But I should not complain. I am healing well. I am managing to take care of my indoor birds and get some things done around the house. There are glimmers of promise as my wrist feels better and I turn less blue.

Down by the River

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The river was too frozen for much of February, so I missed seeing some of the ducks that usually come to visit. With the recent warmer temperatures and the ice melting, it was rewarding to start seeing Red-breasted Mergansers again. And just two days ago, there were two male Buffleheads with them.

There was ample sunshine that morning and I had the best look at a Red-bellied Woodpecker that I’ve had for weeks.

Going back a bit, on February 27, I started seeing pairs of Canada Geese. There was one of a pair that like to stand on the wall leftover from the Hofmann dam.

A couple Red-breasted Mergansers were a bit closer that day.

I started seeing Brown Creepers again.

A Red-winged Blackbird was foraging in the leaf litter right in front of me as I sat on my favorite log,

Going back a bit to February 16, just before the water started flowing in the river again, the same pair of geese by the Hofmann Tower, practicing thermoregulation.

I also saw a Merlin that day.

A pair of Mallards found some open water next to the ice.

Three more quick photos from Monday: a Mallard drake, an American Robin, and the full moon that evening. I got up early Tuesday morning to ln hopes of seeing the lunar eclipse, but we were under cloudy skies with drizzle.

We are scheduled to get some rain the next few days. While it might discourage a morning walk or two, we need the rain as the promise of spring continues.

Braving the Cold

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I couldn’t stand being cooped up any longer, even though we’re still flirting with single-digit temperatures. Yesterday morning was full of bright sunshine and it wasn’t too windy, so I put on all my layers and attempted a walk in Riverside Lawn on my way to the pool.

I could not have gotten a better greeting than to see an adult Bald Eagle flying in my direction over the frozen Des Plaines River. I was walking the snow-packed trail in the woods. Wearing thick polar fleece gloves, not to mention stuffed into my puffy jacket, I had no idea if I would be able to wield the big lens toward the eagle in time for a few photographs. I think I got lucky.

Snow and ice on the river

I heard and then saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

A female Northern Cardinal sat still for a moment.

I walked to the swinging bridge, determined to take a look and then just walk back. I saw a Red-shouldered Hawk fly behind the police/fire station. The hawk eventually found a place to perch and look over the river.

A Mourning Dove had been disturbed by the hawk flying through, but the hawk seemed uninterested in what looked like at least 20 doves lined up on the wall behind the station.

The woods were quiet on the way back to my car, so I was happy to see a few familiar faces, if you will, approaching the Hofmann Tower.

I will be going for walks in the cold more frequently now, as long as it’s not too windy or snowing. For what it’s worth, I felt better swimming after that walk. An important part of my life had fallen back into place.

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.

Looking Back a Bit

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I had to make room for some photos from yesterday, so I am skipping back a bit to early October in Riverside before I banish these photos to external storage, which in the long run is likely nothing more than another type of clutter. But when you can’t see it piled up it’s easier to ignore. And some of these photos seemed just too pleasing to look at before I send them off to organized oblivion.

On October 1, it was still common to see Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons on the river.

A Bald Eagle was sitting perched south of the swinging bridge.

In Riverside Lawn, I found a Carolina Wren

A couple White-throated Sparrows emerged from the leaves.

And not surprisingly, I saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Perhaps the surprise was actually seeing its yellow rump.

I caught glimpses of a Black-throated Green Warbler.

It has been a good year to see Chestnut-sided Warblers.

I found a Tennessee Warbler as well.

And another Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Two days later, it was more of the same, but somewhat different. A Killdeer was bathing on the rocks by the no longer existent dam.

A Great Blue Heron was stretching by the wall.

I saw a Blue-headed Vireo that morning.

I also got some decent looks at a Northern Parula.

A Great Egret was still in the reflection of the water.

A Red-tailed Hawk flew in by the bridge and landed on a favorite raptor perch

In Riverside Lawn, I saw this Magnolia Warbler, which is also at the top of the post.

I got several looks at a Nashville Warbler.

And I found a Blackpoll Warbler as well.

I had an engaged Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

And a second Great Blue Heron gave me the eye.

After a very pleasant little warmup the last two days, the weather has returned to more seasonal temperatures. The leaves are falling off the trees at a more rapid rate, and winds are blowing from the north. I tried to stay out longer with hopes of catching some Sandhill Cranes migrating, but in spite of the sunshine, it was simply too chilly. It was a good day for baking another loaf of banana bread. I’ll be back soon with some more recent sightings.