Category Archives: Riverside Lawn Trail

Two Riverside Visits

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I haven’t been to Riverside very often lately. It’s either been too hot or, if after a rain, too wet walking through the tall grasses in Riverside Lawn. Here are some photos from July 18, and then a few from the end of June.

A Double-crested Cormorant flying down river

With the insect apocalypse in the back of my mind, I was encouraged to see a few Chimney Swifts close to the water.

A Double-crested Cormorant was enjoying the sunshine.

I encountered an Indigo Bunting on the paved trail who sang beautifully for me until I tried to record him. I had to follow him as he sought other perches to sing from. I thought he had a rather distinctive twist on an Indigo Bunting song. A short recording is below the photos.

When I got to the swinging bridge, I first noticed a gathering of Canada Geese.

I took too many photos of the male Belted Kingfisher who is also at the top of the post. Between trying to stand on my toes so I did not have the top of the bridge in the photos, I was also having a hard time focusing. I hadn’t gone to pick up my new lenses yet.

A juvenile Common Grackle jumped up for a look.

I had been talking to a fisherman when I first reached the bridge. He called me back to the edge of the bridge to see a Smallmouth Bass sitting in the water. When he told me what it was, I was immediately reminded of Peter Mayer’s song, “Little Jimmy.” If you’re curious, here’s a link to a YouTube version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_XCOynKJ3M

Smallmouth Bass

So, about the overgrown grasses obscuring the trail. I tried to take a photo or two. Walking through here after a rain is a good way to get soaked. It was dry this time, but I may skip completing this walk for a while during the summer.

From the river’s edge, I tried to capture a Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

I was attracted to the Red-winged Blackbird below. This is either a female or perhaps a juvenile.

On the Riverside Lawn trail, where I always see them, there were a few Blue-fronted Dancer damselflies. I was thrilled to see them, although there were not as many as previous years.

A Northern Cardinal popped up to sing.

The last birds I saw on my way out were three Double-crested Cormorants sitting in a dead tree. The one easiest to focus on is in the cropped photo below.

Way back on June 25, I saw tagged Canada Goose 98H again.

And a Mallard mom was with her offspring. My, how they had grown. I haven’t seen many Mallards since.

I followed a Ring-billed Gull as it flew over the water.

There was also a Killdeer.

I had a female Belted Kingfisher that day but I had an even harder time focusing on her.

I captured an adult male Common Grackle in semi-flight.

And a fly-by American Robin finished my walk.

It has taken me a while to get temporarily accustomed to not going for a walk every morning. Working in the yard has been a somewhat worthwhile substitute, but I can’t help but wonder what I’m missing. I hope to get back to Riverside soon, but with a lot of heat and rain in the forecast my visits will remain sporadic. Storms are possible tonight, which sounds like a nice, if temporary, break in the heat and humidity. Indoors, my birds have been keeping an eye on me to make sure I don’t take too many naps.

Cooler Times: A Look Back at April 30

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One day’s worth of photos seems worth going back to look at. These were taken on April 30 in Riverside. Spring migration was beginning, the temperatures were much cooler, and there were only a few leaves starting on the trees. I’m taking a break from the heat.

I first encountered a Killdeer by the Hofmann Tower.

I also took note of a Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

I noticed a Solitary Sandpiper on the rocks, and another on the sloping sidewall of the defunct dam.

Then they took off and I got some flight shots, with both of them in the frame of the last photo.

I was seeing Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers pretty regularly.

Baltimore Orioles stood out.

I found two Tree Swallows perched on the swinging bridge.

A Ring-billed Gull was flying.

More Yellow-rumped Warblers.

A few Black-and-White Warblers were around too. This is the same individual as at the top of the post.

An Osprey flew over.

A female Downy Woodpecker went about her business.

And a Red-winged Blackbird attending to his.

I noticed a Great Blue Heron across the river when I walked through Riverside Lawn. It caught a fish and then swallowed it.

Warbling Vireos were arriving.

I got to see a male Eastern Bluebird who periodically checked with me this spring.

There were Ruby-crowned Kinglets here and there.

Then I noticed a female Scarlet Tanager.

One more of the Great Blue Heron.

Heading back to my car, I found a Northern Rough-winged Swallow on the wall by the Hoffman Tower.

We are promised some cooler weather and even rain later today. I worked in the yard this morning. and slowly but surely, there is more visual breathing space. It seems there is always something surprising going on and it’s not all bad. May we all be surprised by something good these days. I’ll be back shortly with some more recent observations.

Looking Back a Bit

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While I’ve been stuck inside, more or less, during the heat wave, it’s been almost refreshing to look back at photos from the end of April still on the laptop. Spring migration was starting, and even though many of the trees did not yet have leaves and the temperatures were chilly, birds were on the way.

But first, I found even more photos I didn’t know I still had, from April 17 at the Chicago Portage. Below, an American Robin sneaking nesting material, and a late American Tree Sparrow.

Northern Flickers were coming back.

An Osprey flew over.

A Song Sparrow was checking out the marshy area.

On April 21 in Riverside, Yellow-rumped Warblers were easy to find.

A Northern Cardinal, a Song Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow made the cut.

On April 24 at the Chicago Portage, I found two American Robins preoccupied.

Yellow-rumped Warblers were easy to find.

I noted the return of a Green Heron.

Blue-winged Teal had been at the Chicago Portage for weeks.

Palm Warblers were showing up too.

Palm Warbler

On April 28 in Riverside, I saw an Eastern Bluebird. While they were setting up a territory, I saw the bluebirds quite frequently, but now that they are busy raising young I haven’t seen them lately at all.

An interesting fungus

Palm Warblers were showing up everywhere.

A pair of Northern Cardinals were enjoying the sunshine.

And a Great Blue Heron was in the river.

Then on April 29, back at the Chicago Portage, I had a Field Sparrow.

Warbling Vireos were arriving and claiming territories.

One of several Palm Warblers…

A Yellow Warbler was most likely heard first and then seen. There are at least two if not three breeding pairs at the Chicago Portage this year.

A Green Heron first appeared in a tree and then flew down to the water.

An Osprey flew over.

Then, the surprise bird at the top of this post, a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I don’t believe I have seen one since. If they are nesting here, they are extremely well hidden.

White-throated Sparrows didn’t seem to be as plentiful this spring.

Just before the leaves would make them nearly impossible to see, Warbling Vireos were singing and reminding me they were going to be everywhere.

I managed to go for a walk yesterday before the heat increased again. We did get some rain last night and we’ve cooled off a bit, so I will go for a soggy walk by the river and then immerse myself in the pool. I will be back with more current reports, and I still have a lot of notable leftovers from spring warbler migration to share.

June Mornings in Riverside

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The Des Plaines River has been really low, exposing a lot of rocky islands. We were advised of enough rain yesterday to earn a flash flood warning for the area, so it will be interesting to observe the water levels fluctuating between rain and more hot, dry weather. In the meantime, here is a little roundup of scenes from several morning walks, beginning with June 2. Two Killdeer were on the rocks across from the Hofmann Tower which has also been a favorite gathering place for Ring-billed Gulls. The photo sequence below looks like the Killdeer were making more Killdeer. Check out the way the male has stuck out his chest and neck feathers in the third photo: it looks very boastful to me.

A Bald Eagle flew in the distance that morning.

Common Grackles have been quite fond of the rocky shores.

The light was perfect for a Baltimore Oriole.

Then on June 6, the only bird I managed to photograph well was a Warbling Vireo. They’re usually hard to capture, so I’ll take it.

On June 9, a Great Egret was by the wall across from Hofmann Tower, where the dam used to be.

A Ring-billed Gull flew by.

Common Grackles were on rocks emerging from the water.

I often see a Double-crested Cormorant in flight down the river.

I managed to capture a Cliff Swallow.

This Common Grackle almost made me think of a Great-tailed Grackle.

I saw two Chimney Swifts.

And this turtle took a striking pose.

I photographed another Double-crested Cormorant swimming. He looks like he’s smiling with that yellow gape. But I never see the double-crest. I wonder if it takes two cormorants to see the double-crest.

I managed to see a Northern House Wren, which doesn’t happen too often for such a common bird.

I found another Warbling Vireo…

The bird below is a total mystery to me. I caught it flying over the grass by Swan Pond. The Merlin app thought it was a Yellow-headed Blackbird, but it’s definitely not. So much for artificial intelligence. I think it is a swallow and somehow the light is playing tricks with the camera, but I can’t pin down what species it might be.

I also found a Gray Catbird singing his heart out in the open.

On June 11, Red-winged Blackbirds were going after everyone

Most striking was their attention to a close Turkey Vulture.

While all that was going on, another Turkey Vulture was sitting in a tree above the paved trail.

I saw a mother Mallard and her ducklings by the wall that curves around a bend in the river.

On the last visit on June 16, I noticed a tagged Canada Goose that I have not seen before. I have reported it to the USGS. I will be interested to see how long it takes for them to get back to me with the usual certificate and information about the goose and where and when it was tagged, given the current administration’s staffing cuts. So far I have received a lengthy email acknowledging my submission.

A lovely Ring-billed Gull flew by that morning

I crossed the street to walk in Riverside and nearly stepped on a large turtle on the sidewalk at the end of the bridge. After looking around and realizing I was alone without any turtle experts available, I started talking to it, wondering if it needed assistance getting back down to the river as there is a steep drop-off next to the bridge wall. As I explained to the turtle that I was worried for its safety, it started to move off the edge of the sidewalk, and when I asked again if it needed assistance it gave the equivalent of a turtle’s “heck no” and started moving in earnest, sliding slightly down a small part of the incline, in the direction of the river. I then felt reassured that it would make it on its own and continued my walk.

From there my encounters were less exciting.

Eastern Kingbird
Canada Goose family
Mourning Dove
Common Grackle

Baltimore Orioles are a little less visible these days, so I try to capture them when I see them.

Despite the flash flood warning, the rain was welcome. I hope the rain will jumpstart my native plants to flower so I can see if the bees are going to come back. As of this morning, I have only seen more houseflies.

I may be back to this page sooner than later as the heat advisory is asking us to stay inside the next few days. I will try to gather more enthusiasm for indoor pursuits, which always seems strange to me this time of year, but it is what it is.

Earlier Encounters

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I’m going to skip back earlier to April for a moment to relate a couple unexpected encounters. On April 15, I was at the Chicago Portage, and on April 16, I was in Riverside.

Not much was new at the Chicago Portage. I took note of a few appearances from the usual cast of characters.

I had started seeing and hearing Eastern Phoebes like the one below.

Blue-winged Teal were still in the creek,

I was on my way back out along the paved trail when I noticed a Red-winged Blackbird atop a tree fragment. Since there hadn’t been much else happening yet, I was inclined to pay attention.

I then saw that the Red-winged Blackbird was monitoring a Red-shouldered Hawk perched quietly below as the hawk tried to figure out how to eat a snake it had captured.

The next day, I was in Riverside. But on the Lyons side of the river where I park, I saw a very healthy-looking coyote.

A Great Blue Heron was in the river with two Canada Geese. There were also two Herring Gulls.

As I started to walk the paved trail by Swan Pond, a male Eastern Bluebird who has claimed this territory came to see me.

I encountered a Tree Swallow.

I found a Field Sparrow foraging near the trail. I have seen this species a few times this spring.

Then I got several opportunities to photograph a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, ever hopeful that I might see the ruby crown. As it turned out, this individual showed just a bit of it.

My last photos were of a Red-tailed Hawk flying overhead;.

So even though spring migration was in its early stages, these photos are proof that there is always something new to see when you least expect it.

I have been on walks for the past three days with the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers. I was beginning to feel like I was on a tour, getting up early every morning and birding with some of the same people. I will be back with a little roundup of some of the birds we saw in three different locations. I am also happy to report that I have regained my sense of smell. I was just peeling a couple clementines for brunch this afternoon and I could smell the rind as my fingernail pierced it. What a relief!

‘Round Riverside

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Just when I think I’m going to get caught up with all the photos I’ve taken in the last few days, let alone weeks, I go out and take more photos and, well, the rest will be history. I’m going to try one day at a time here. How about May 19?

Swallows are back on the river. There was a profusion of Barn Swallows that day, more than I have seen in a long time. But there were also Northern Rough-winged, Tree and Bank Swallows.

Barn Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallows

I was lucky to find a couple perched young Barn Swallows. They were a shot of welcome color on a gray day.

Bank Swallow

Ring-billed gulls were busy looking for prey in the shallow river.

The gull below looks like a Herring Gull.

I encountered a pair of Baltimore Orioles on the ground in the midst of a courtship display

I caught a brief glimpse of a Brown Thrasher. The camera didn’t do it justice.

After hearing about Wilson’s Warblers from other people, I finally found one.

I kept seeing Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked Thrushes that morning and found quite a bit of variation in the photos.

Swainson’s Thrush

I took note of a Common Grackle. These birds have been hanging out on the shoreline.

The thrush below is a Gray-cheeked Thrush.

I did see one rather distant Indigo Bunting. I hear them more often than I see them at this location.

Red-eyed Vireos have been everywhere and they are singing.

A Blue Jay with nesting material posed for me, a rather uncommon occurrence.

An Eastern Phoebe was blending in with all the gray.

I am always hearing Song Sparrows but I don’t always see them. This little guy wanted me to pay attention to him.

Brown-headed Cowbirds are here and there. I am not seeing lek-like groups of males anymore.

The bird below is a Gray-cheeked Thrush. The last photo of the bird standing on the ground is a different individual but also a Gray-cheeked.

I was quite surprised to find a Wood Thrush hiding in my photos.

I glanced behind me out toward the river and saw a Great Blue Heron being monitored by a Red-winged Blackbird.

I think the light or the lack thereof was playing tricks on me that morning.

Swainson’s Thrush

After having gone quite a while without seeing any warblers, I found a couple. Below is a male Yellow Warbler. I often hear these birds singing but they’re getting harder to find.

The warbler below is a first-summer male American Redstart.

Too much cooperation will yield too many photos. This was such a nice, colorful individual.

At the end of the trail, I found a male Magnolia Warbler.

I will be back sooner, I hope. The frantic pace of spring migration is winding down, and concurrently, so are the demands of my social life. I have a little more time before I start working in the garden. Somewhat frustrated, I have been battling a virus that seems to be going around. I don’t feel so bad, it hasn’t kept me from birding, swimming, or even singing – although maybe I should have abandoned the latter activity – but it’s just a real messy wet cough and beyond that, I can’t smell what I’m cooking. It’s also been surprising to me how many birders I know who have had the same thing, so it almost feels inevitable, even for somebody like me who thinks she doesn’t get sick. I’m sleeping well, I have enough energy, and I am gradually getting better. It looks like a nice weekend – a bit on the cool side, but at least we have sunshine. Choir season is over, so I can quit trying to sing for a while and just get over it. Thanks for checking in.

Two Days in May

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I kept trying to get caught up with April, but it’s already May and there are more birds showing up despite some really chilly, windy weather. The other thing is the days keep getting longer and yet there aren’t enough hours in one day. But I can stay inside today after singing two services with the choir this morning, and take some time to recap the last two days of birding before they too become ancient history.

Yesterday morning, the Oak Park Area Migration Bird Walkers (that is such a mouthful, but I think this is the Official Name) met at Columbus Park. It was chilly and partly cloudy, but we found birds. Here are a few photos of some of the birds we saw.

As we stood on the lawn looking over the larger water area, the Great Blue Heron at the top of this post flew in for a landing. Its choice of location was too close to a pair of nesting Red-winged Blackbirds, and I caught some of the action as the male blackbird tried to get the heron to relocate.

I then captured the top photo and the one below as the heron left for another location.

We saw a few Tree Swallows. They were easier to capture perched. I suspect they weren’t catching much for taking so many breaks.

While we saw Palm Warblers in numbers, it took a while before we started to see a few other species across one of the tributaries of landscape architect Jens Jensen’s “Prairie River.” As birds were foraging around near the bank, it was nice to see a male Black-throated Blue Warbler in particular.

A male Common Yellowthroat was more difficult to see.

There were a few Yellow Warblers. Although we heard some singing, I believe the bird below is the first female Yellow Warbler I have seen this season.

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were showing off for us.

And we heard and saw at least two individual male Baltimore Orioles.

Here’s a token Palm Warbler.

I noticed a singing Warbling Vireo.

A pair of Canada Geese swam by with goslings in tow.

Toward the end of the walk, we got some furtive glimpses of a Cape May Warbler.

I will team up again with the Oak Park group in two weeks. As for now, looking back to Friday morning in Riverside, my walk was pretty tame but eventually rewarding. It only takes one unexpected sighting to make my day. Starting off more predictably, I got close views of a Mourning Dove and a Common Grackle.

As I walked on the paved Swan Pond trail, a Yellow-rumped Warbler was busy trying to catch bugs.

A Pine Warbler sang and sat rather still.

A sidewalk Chipping Sparrow appeared.

I saw a Hermit Thrush after a while.

After I crossed the river and started walking in Riverside Lawn, I was pleased to see a Great Egret across the river and a Double-crested Cormorant as it flew by.

Then suddenly, almost out of nowhere, my surprise bird showed up: a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird. She appeared to have some nesting material in her bill.

I caught a glimpse of a Nashville Warbler, and then the Nashville with a Tennessee Warbler. I didn’t realize I had captured the Tennessee until I developed my photos.

I expect things to get much crazier in the days ahead. That said, yesterday morning around 6:00 AM I was delighted to see one, and then another, beautiful, healthy-looking opossum in my backyard. I went back inside the house to grab the camera and the opossums apparently felt safe enough hanging out by the fence while I took their pictures. You can barely see the second opossum on the left of the third photo.

I know I always say this, but I will try to be back soon with some older photos before I whisk them away to make room for more spring migration.

Any Minute Now

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When I was in Riverside Monday morning and it was gloomy and chilly, as it had been all week, there were still signs of things about to get better. This will be a quick post.

I don’t see a lot of Canada Geese these days, but there are a few, like the regular couple that hangs out on the wall by the Joliet Avenue bridge. I think this is the goose doing her morning exercises.

Things brightened up a little with a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

A Great Blue Heron flew up the river. Any day now, one will find a place to fish on the shore.

Cooperative Blue Jays are rare, but I guess this one had enough twigs in the way to make it feel less exposed to my lens.

One of the Red-breasted Mergansers flew by.

I thought I heard this Song Sparrow start to sing while he was still on the ground.

A Downy Woodpecker appeared.

I never get enough of the Brown Creepers.

I wondered what the Eastern Phoebe could possibly be catching on a chilly, gloomy morning.

Then I saw my first warbler of the season. Not surprisingly, it was a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The same individual is at the top of the post.

I was heading back to my car when I noticed two Ring-billed Gulls on the “island” near where the Hofmann Dam used to be. They behaved like a couple of young lovers and they were fun to watch.

They were joined briefly by a Killdeer which you might be able to see coming in for a landing on the left, in the photo below.

The gulls continued to dream.

Then one of them caught something, and ultimately they both appeared to share the treat. I knew then that they had to be a couple, because I have never seen such cooperation among gulls before.

I always have a lot more photos than I can ever get around to posting here. I’m sorry it’s taking me so long to churn these things out lately. Especially when I am now anticipating Birding Boot Camp this weekend, when I start getting up before the birds and going out earlier, as more birds are starting to arrive. À bientot.

More or Less in Riverside

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These photos are from the middle to the end of March by the Des Plaines River. I let the Hermit Thrush at the top of this post fly in from March 31, but I will return to the rest of that day in a later post.

On March 17, the Eastern Bluebirds were watching me from the Swan Pond area.

There have been four Red-breasted Mergansers consistently in the river. That day it wasn’t easy to get them all in one photo.

A Song Sparrow, a female Northern Cardinal and a Dark-eyed Junco put up with me.

On March 19th, a little sunshine made all the difference.

Song Sparrow

I saw a Ring-billed Gull fly by with something in its beak. I could not determine what the delicacy was. But the gull made things more interesting.

A pair of Turkey Vultures flew over and I managed these photos of one of them.

On March 26th, I heard an Eastern Phoebe sing, then saw him as he sidled up against the wall and then later perched in a tree.

The female Eastern Bluebird was available.

And I had visits with a couple Golden-crowned Kingleta.

The Red-breasted Mergansers were still around. If you look closely to the left side of the group you can see the head of the second female emerging from the water.

I was thinking of stopping at this point, but I decided to stuff one more morning’s photos in here. March 26 was cloudy, nothing new there. By now I was hearing and seeing two Eastern Phoebes.

The clouds called to be noticed.

Then I encountered a burst of color from an Early Crocus. There was a brave insect checking out the right-most blossom,

Two Canada Geese got into a brief disagreement.

Near the end of my walk, I encountered a couple Brown Creepers. It’s the first time I’ve captured one in flight.

I didn’t expect it would take me so long to get around to these photos, but I’m taking a break this morning from most outdoor activities. I have been quite busy draining my sinuses from a cold that started to challenge me on Thursday. I am keeping up with WFMT’s spring pledge drive, and I plan to check out the live videos of the protests. I wasn’t planning on joining a protest today, but it didn’t seem quite right to go for a walk in the woods either if I’m not feeling up to par. I’d rather get over the cold.

In any event I will be back with more recent excursions and maybe I can manage a walk tomorrow, as every day more and more migrants are showing up. The plots thicken on all fronts.

Welcome Back

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I was in Riverside last Friday and, perfectly timed with the second day of spring, I encountered a few new birds for the season. The first was a Double-crested Cormorant flying over the Des Plaines River. I may have seen one before this date but this is the first one I have listed and photographed.

There seemed to be not much happening after that, but then I noticed the pair of Eastern Bluebirds farther out in the area called Swan Pond on the other side of the paved trail. The female was the first to recognize me.

Then the male flew in, and they both posed for photos.

It was as if they were welcoming me back. This was the third time I have seen them so far this spring.

As I crossed the swinging bridge, I heard and then saw a Belted Kingfisher.

Then I heard an Eastern Phoebe singing, and located him shortly after that. This was a first-of-year (FOY) bird for me.

In Riverside Lawn after I crossed the bridge, I didn’t find much. Still, it was nice to see a female Northern Cardinal.

And Song Sparrows have been singing and foraging here and there.

Near the end of the trail going out, I found a Golden-crowned Kinglet. I have been seeing them ever since.

I was going to do a longer post with more photos, but I think I would rather do a series of shorter posts for a change, as the birds are coming alive to the season and I am trying to keep up with the changes, however subtle.