Category Archives: Riverside Lawn Trail

In and Out of the Cold

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Apologies if this looks like just too much more cold weather. I started this post long ago, but I’ve decided to go ahead and finish it anyway: I am cleaning up February photos to make room for March and beyond as we push onward toward spring.

The last week and a half of February wasn’t very active for me or the avians, but I did find a few hardy individuals when I managed to get out and see them. I had been planning to write about the big warmup, but it was over quickly and as we still deal with colder temperatures, the memory has faded. But the daylight is increasing and the angle of the light is definitely brighter, when the sky is clear. And so it goes, in fits and starts, much like my approach to life lately.

On February 21, before I left my house, one of the male Northern Cardinals that visits my feeders was singing in the front apple tree.

in Riverside Lawn, there was snow covering everything and ice on the river. Although we have had snow since, we won’t be seeing the ice anymore.

Every once in a while the Rock Pigeons get out and celebrate.

Downy Woodpeckers are among the hardiest little birds I am always happy to see.

There was a distant American Kestrel. I have blown this up and cropped it considerably, so it’s not a great photo, but it was so nice to see this bird.

At the Chicago Portage on February 22, all the camera could find was a young deer and a Downy Woodpecker.

I went back to the Chicago Portage on February 23 and took note of the change in the sky and the snow.

A few American Robins were here and there.

Sometimes a Black-capped Chickadee stops long enough to visit. I also found a Song Sparrow and a Northern Cardinal on the snow-covered paved trail.

And I got a good look at a White-throated Sparrow.

February 24 in Riverside delivered one Downy Woodpecker.

I got not-great views of a Red-shouldered Hawk.

And a Song Sparrow and a White-breasted Nuthatch were making do with whatever the weather delivers.

Then on February 25th at the Chicago Portage, a Red-tailed Hawk put on a show of sorts.

There was also a Red-shouldered Hawk. For some unknown reason I could not decide between these three photos.

I also had a pair of Mourning Doves.

On February 26th in Riverside, it was back to gloomy skies. The American Robins did not look too happy.

I barely caught a glimpse of a Bald Eagle as it flew over me from behind and over the trees.

Dark-eyed Juncos were busy foraging in the grass and a Northern Cardinal posed.

Last day of February, at the Chicago Portage, was still pretty cold-looking. A few European Starlings showed up, and a Black-capped Chickadee.

Goodbye, February. March 1 at the Portage, no warmer, but I did have that cardinal at the head of the post

March has been more interesting lately, slowly but surely, and I will be back soon with a sweep through the last few days as I have started to see more birds coming back.

Hurry Up Spring

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It’s been hard to focus lately, but what else is new? My indoor birds remind me every morning that the sun is coming up, we are all still here and somehow life continues to amuse and sometimes amaze us. Spring being what it is, instead of the post I was writing, I am going to recap the last few days. But first, speaking of the indoor birds (apologies for the size, I can’t seem to shrink this cell phone video)…

Looking for nesting material on my slipper

On March 10. in Riverside, the abundant sunshine brought out a Blue Jay.

The Northern Cardinals have been singing for awhile, but now they are serious. I couldn’t resist trying to shoot the video below of the singing Northern Cardinal who is also at the top of the post.

Earlier that morning I had stopped to record this Northern Cardinal and another male a few trees away, singing what sounded more like a duet to me than countersinging.

The next day, Bob and I drove down to the Des Plaines SFWA Widewaters in Will County where numbers of waterfowl had been reported earlier. Unfortunately, most of the birds had moved on, but it was a nice change of scenery. Thanks to Bob for driving, and I will have to make a point of visiting this spot again. I did get a few photos, although most of the birds were too far away.

Click on this photo and look closely in the back and you might see a Bald Eagle perched in a tree

It was nice to see two Bald Eagles, a juvenile and an adult.

There were a couple Mute Swans, and I caught one as it flew closer.

The next morning in Riverside, the Red-breasted Merganser couple was out on the river again.

Song Sparrows have been singing and displaying. I haven’t recorded one yet this year, but they know I’m listening,

I saw a female Northern Cardinal foraging in the mess of branches off the trail close to the river.

And a male Red-winged Blackbird posed by the river.

A Dark-eyed Junco popped up, reminding me that soon I will not be seeing this species for a while.

A Black-capped Chickadee showed off its calisthenic prowess.

Thursday the 13th, back at the Chicago Portage, the ice had finally melted and there was water for a few Mallards.

Red-winged Blackbirds were abundant and singing like crazy. They haven’t been posing yet on territories, but I caught one in flight. Below the photo is a sample of the chorus.

I barely saw an American Tree Sparrow. This is another bird that will be disappearing soon.

I stopped to admire some moss growing on a decayed stump.

A Red-tailed Hawk flew beyond the fence

And a male Downy Woodpecker was close enough to contemplate.

Later that evening, I stepped outside to look at the full moon.

Then the next evening, I did not try to get up in the middle of the night to see and photograph the lunar eclipse. Now I am sorry I didn’t, because when I did wake up in the middle of the night, around 2:40 AM, I took a peek outside the back door. I could see a partial eclipse, and after I tried to see if the cell phone camera could do anything, I went back in and grabbed my camera. The photo isn’t great, but it was amazing to be standing out on my back porch steps in my flannel pajamas on a March evening.

Beyond that, I walked in Riverside Lawn before I went swimming, saw the Red-breasted Merganser couple again…

and an enthusiastic-looking American Robin, who seemed to be tuning up, if not yet singing.

I will try to show up here more often. Especially because even as the weather keeps fluctuating wildly, I expect I will be seeing some more birds. I did not go out today for a walk because of the weather which actually gave me the time to write this post: we are in between storms and it is too windy. I also need to save my knee and energy for the weekly living room cleanup and singing with the choir tomorrow.

Signs of Spring

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I’d been trying to come up with another post, but as luck would have it, this morning’s brief walk in cloudy gloom by the Des Plaines River produced a few nice little surprises which, when combined with the birds I saw on Friday morning, make up this one.

There have been a pair of Canada Geese that like to stand on the wall by the Hofmann Tower for ages, and today they were joined by two more. But as I started to walk, there were only a few Mallards in the river.

i had been expecting to see waterfowl this morning, but the land birds surprised me instead. A few other things were on my mind too, like memorizing the lyrics to Christopher Tin’s “Baba Yetu” while walking. I could sing softly and try to get the Swahili to roll off my tongue in time for Wednesday’s choir rehearsal. On the paved trail, as I was coming to the bend in the river, a couple Eastern Bluebirds came to greet me. The first one flew in and held his ground even as another human came up behind me as I tried to focus the camera in gloomy light. I can only wonder if my singing had anything to do with it, because these Bluebirds were downright friendly. By that time, I was no longer singing, but praising them as they sat for the camera.

When I got to the swinging bridge, there were hardly any birds in the water, but flocks of geese were in the air.

In Riverside Lawn, I might have sung for a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

And its frequent sidekick, a White-breasted Nuthatch…

There were a couple Brown Creepers flitting about, but they were hard to capture.

The last bird to check me out was a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Friday was a different story. Most of the birds were on the water or in the air. Standing on the swinging bridge, I got some close photos of Red-breasted Mergansers I had been seeing but only at a distance.

Farther north from the swinging bridge there were a lot of what looked to be mostly Common Goldeneye. Next time if I see that many birds in the water, I think I’ll try walking a little farther.

There was nothing worth photographing in Riverside Lawn on Friday. The trail was still muddy from melting snow and ice, but the parking lot puddles I usually wash off my boots in were dried up, so I walked down to the river’s edge to wash my boots and as I stood in the water, a couple small flocks of Sandhill Cranes flew in the distance.

My thanks goes to the Bluebirds for giving me something cheery to write about, a change from the cold and snow. We have warmed up a bit, but the forecast for the next couple of days is for rain and possibly some wet snow, so maybe I will get back to those birds from the last week or two and it won’t seem too out of context.

In Between Storms

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I started writing this post on Wednesday when it seemed prudent to stay home for the Winter Storm Watch. It turned out to be a hurry-up-and-wait kind of day. The snow came later than predicted and did not amount to as much as forecast, but I stayed in to monitor the bird feeders and sidewalks, attend to miscellaneous projects and get mentally ready to drive to choir rehearsal that evening. Unfortunately, choir rehearsal was canceled for the second week in a row due to weather. We will have to work that much harder the next few weeks for our upcoming Choir Sunday on March 16.

Now it is Saturday, and we are digging out somewhat from yesterday’s snow, with more snow in the forecast this afternoon, evening, and tomorrow morning. The choir sings tomorrow. I have gotten quite used to the snow by now and I anticipate shoveling before driving off tomorrow morning. At least there should not be a lot of traffic to make things worse, although I can never exactly predict when a slow-moving freight train will impede crossing the tracks.

Here are photos from my last walks by the Des Plaines River in Riverside. Beginning with February 3, the ice on the river was gone except for large pieces of it still on the river banks.

I noticed a Common Goldeneye struggling with its catch which looked at one point like a crayfish of some sort.

I saw more ice on the river bank as I crossed the swinging bridge, and still more in Riverside Lawn.

The Ring-billed Gull at the top of the post was showing off its catch. More photos of this bird below, along with one with a plane flying over.

On February 5, it was still overcast and quite gloomy. Not much to report.

Never know if I will see even Mallards these days

I try to keep track of the Common Goldeneye.

On February 7, a few more birds. I was surprised to see a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds, with some likely European Starlings, along with usual House Sparrows by the feeders behind the condominiums in Lyons.

I saw a Downy Woodpecker or two.

And several House Finches.

Still keeping an eye out for the Common Goldeneye.

As an added bonus, I saw 26N again.

And another Ring-billed Gull, this one having trouble managing its prey.

Beyond that, more ice, and a deer;.

On February 10, bright sunshine was welcoming. Although I didn’t see a lot of birds, I did get a closer look at a male Red-breasted Merganser that I have seen at more of a distance on occasion, all alone.

A couple Mallards swam by, and there were some more on an emerging island.

And a Common Goldeneye

My last visit was yesterday morning. It was almost prohibitively cold, but it felt good to walk. Ice is coming back to the river.

There were three groups of Canada Geese spread out along the river.

I barely captured the Common Goldeneye, but was glad to see at least five of them.

And there was snow.

We are getting more snow, and then tomorrow we start a very cold week, with lows in the single digits. The early morning low forecast for Tuesday is -2 degrees F. I don’t know how many walks I will attempt in those temperatures. I tend to make up my mind about a walk every morning when I go out back to fill the feeders. It’s all one can do lately to hold onto a routine, but it’s important for my and the birds’ survival. A few days ago I decided I need a new approach to writing the book. Maybe if I have to stay indoors more this coming week, I can make a little progress.

A snapshot of my collaborators is below.

Checking out my socks

January Along the River

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The song was Snow and Ice… Not a lot was happening on or near the river in January. By mid-month the water was frozen. Here’s a little rundown of what remained on my hard drive.

On January 3, I barely saw a White-breasted Nuthatch. At least it was sunny that day.

Two days later, the only birds I photographed were Canada Geese by the Joliet Avenue bridge where there was some open water, and the Rock Pigeons on the Hofmann Tower. As I recall, it was too cold to continue,

On January 8, I saw one male Common Merganser. There had been a pair hanging out south of the tower last year.

There was more ice. Mallards banked on it.

The ice insisted on becoming a subject on its own.

A squirrel was climbing up a cottonwood tree with what looked like nesting material. The squirrels in my yard have been acting quite frisky lately…

There were a lot more Canada Geese north of the swinging bridge

Hanging out with the geese, I barely saw a Common Goldeneye, and then perhaps another male Common Merganser.

Back on January 13th, the same bird species, and more snow and ice.

Skip ahead to January 27 after a brutally cold and walk-less week, and it was still a challenge to find open water.

Mallards and the Common Merganser were on the ice.

Ice was still a subject on its own.

An American Robin appeared too cold to care.

And lastly, on January 29, there was a little more activity. There were four Common Goldeneye in the river.

Below is a closer look at a female Common Goldeneye…

Some Canada Geese were watching ice break up and flow down the river,

I caught another glimpse of the Common Goldeneye off the swinging bridge.

Looking back from Riverside Lawn, the ice still looked pretty solid.

Meanwhile on land, I found a hearty Dark-eyed Junco, a Black-capped Chickadee and a Northern Cardinal.

And then I spotted 26N, a tagged Canada Goose I had first reported in February of 2023. His certificate said that he hatched in 2015 or earlier and was banded on July 14, 2016. Given the scope of bird flu, he’s a real survivor. He appeared to be moving a little awkwardly but he might have been sliding around walking in the shallow, icy river. I hope to see him again.

I will be back on the river trail this week, as we warm up somewhat. The forecast is a cloudy one. The weather might be a lot less surprising than the news for a while.

Lately on the River

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I made two visits to Riverside when it was possible, on January 15 and 17. I had missed a few days due to inclement weather. Such is life. We experienced a lovely little warmup on Friday the 17th, and we are now on are way to single digits and below zero. I am not anticipating walking much farther than my backyard for a few days, but I can still go swimming.

The Des Plaines River in these parts is having its own issues, with snow and ice.

View of the river looking south from the Hofmann Tower

I have seen some Common Goldeneye at a distance, south of the Hofmann Tower. When I tried to get a closer photo on the 15th, vegetation was in the way.

Canada Geese have been congregating on or near the ice.

On January 17th, with warmer temperatures promised, some Mallards were on the ice just north of the Joliet Avenue Bridge.

I decided to walk only on the Riverside Lawn side of the river, as I had on my previous visit. That may have been a mistake, as I might have seen the Great Blue Heron on the Swan Pond side that my friend Ken posted to Facebook. But I heard and did see – if only for a fleeting moment – a Belted Kingfisher.

I saw a Northern Cardinal. That little burst of red is a welcome sight.

Up river looking out from the swinging bridge, it was all ice and snow. I don’t expect this to improve in the coming days.

Clouds captured my attention.

There weren’t as many Canada Geese.

I briefly saw a female Downy Woodpecker.

Checking back by the Hofmann Tower before I left, I saw the Common Goldeneye again.

I’ve also been to the Chicago Portage in the last week. I anticipate I will be back with some more short posts over the next day or two as I think walking in single digits is more than I can handle with the camera. This morning, as we dipped to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, I sang with the choir. The sun has been shining brightly and the days are, well, getting longer, if colder, for a while.

Beginning and Ending Years on the River

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My last walk of 2024 was on Monday, and the first walk of 2025 was this morning. New Year’s Eve was rain and sleet all day, so I didn’t go for a walk anywhere. But I managed to take these two walks in Riverside, totally contrasting temperatures between Monday and today, and I swam my regular mile both days too.

I’m going with today’s photos first and then will look back at Monday. It was cold, cloudy and windy this morning. The first thing I noticed after getting out of my car was not a bird in sight, but the flag atop the Hofmann Tower at half mast for President Carter.

I didn’t see any birds until I got crossed the Joliet Avenue bridge with a man walking two dogs and started up the paved trail. That absence of birds included the river with absolutely no waterfowl. But soon I saw a White-breasted Nuthatch.

There was also a Black-capped Chickadee.

And as I continued to walk, one Canada Goose flew by.

There was a small group of 4 Canada Geese on the other side of the swinging bridge, along with the only 2 Mallards I saw this morning, but I didn’t bother to get much of a photo. Just as I crossed the swinging bridge, I encountered a small flock of European Starlings.

There were some Dark-eyed Juncos feeding on the ground, and a couple Northern Cardinals nearby.

And then, as soon as I walked onto the trail into Riverside Lawn, I flushed a Winter Wren. We exchanged looks.

Beyond that, I briefly saw a ruffled Red-bellied Woodpecker

More Starlings…

Back at the Hofmann Tower, the pigeons had just come in to roost.

And then I saw some Canada Geese in the river across from the tower. I counted them carefully. I haven’t seen any dead waterfowl, but reports of die-offs from the avian flu H5N1 are definitely hard to ignore.

Two days earlier, on December 30, we were warmer. I saw a Great Blue Heron fly by as I started to walk the paved trail, but did not capture it until much later. First, I paid attention to a Downy Woodpecker.

There was a small group of Canada Geese on the river.

As I started walking around the bend behind the library, I spotted an American Goldfinch

Then I had a close look at a Brown Creeper.

But with not very many birds to look at, the landscape captured my attention.

Riverside Lawn

As I walked through Riverside Lawn, I saw no birds until I noticed the Great Blue Heron across the river near where I had walked earlier.

As I kept walking, I managed a closer look.

Shadows played with a large fallen tree that has spanned the trail for years.

I caught two more photos of the Great Blue Heron.

And that was it for Monday.

Here’s one more of the female Northern Cardinal this morning.

We are going to be in the Deep Freeze for several days. I will continue to walk and take photos with gloves on, but I will also be relying on a backlog of photos from last year. Happy New Year.

Happy, Merry, Gloom

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I find I have been busy this week trading bread-making stories with a friend. A lengthy email correspondence went on for the last few days, ever since I happened to give him an extra loaf of the Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Bread on Christmas Eve. I was vaguely aware that he baked bread, but I didn’t expect an entire forum of commentary to emerge.

So now I’m back to writing about December in local haunts. These are some photos from December visits to Riverside. As I haven’t been out every day lately and less around the river, there’s not much to report. On December 13, there was a lot of ice.

Mallards made use of open areas.

A female House Finch captured my attention.

And I briefly encountered a Mourning Dove or two.

The White-breasted Nuthatch, also at the top of the post, was the bird of the day.

Then, three days later, the temperature was 50 degrees. I was pleased to see a Great Blue Heron.

Just because it was warmer, though, didn’t necessarily mean I would see more birds, but I got a good look at a House Sparrow

A few Canada Geese flew over the river.

I crossed the footbridge where melted ice left some reflective puddles.

On my walk through Riverside Lawn, I spotted an American Kestrel.

Then a Red-tailed Hawk flew in, and back out.

On December 18 there was a lot of sunshine, but very few birds. I thought these two Mallards looked a bit unusual.

Here’s one last glimpse of the December 16 Canada Geese.

I’ll be back with a Portage update and then perhaps some more photos from earlier in the year, as we near the end of it. It’s too easy to be caught off guard in between Christmas and New Year’s. Maybe there’s something even more reassuring about Hanukkah lasting 8 days.

Taking a Visual Break from Winter

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A few days ago, I found photos from late August still on my hard drive and with the dreariness of winter settling in, it felt good to look back for a moment. Here is a brief post from when I was in Riverside on August 16, 23 and 26.

On 8-16, it was not unusual to see a Great Blue Heron.

On 8-23, I took note of a Bay-breasted Warbler.

I was fortunate enough to have an Osprey fly overhead that morning as well.

A chipmunk posed briefly.

And Monarch Butterflies were few in number, making seeing one or two a special event.

I also found a Blackpoll Warbler.

And this time a Great Blue Heron flew overhead, in addition to one on rocky shore that surfaces near the Hofmann Tower when the river is low,

On 8/26, I photographed a warbler that took me some time to figure out. It turned out to be a Cape May Warbler.

Was this also the Cape May? I’m not sure but it was in the same series of photos.

More photos of the Cape May that must have helped me identify it.

I am grateful for Downy Woodpeckers being easily identifiable, no matter what time of year.

I don’t know why I have two photos of these Cedar Waxwings when they are nearly the same pose, but here they are. Looks a little bit like a wallpaper pattern, maybe?

I will be back with more recent photos. It’s been pretty quiet overall. I took today off from my usual visit to the Chicago Portage to prepare for the delivery of a new stove. The one that looked old already when I moved into my house 23 years ago finally defied repair. Perhaps it was the Nordic Rye Bread I made at the end of November. I had cooked up a package of rye berries to try a casserole recipe I hadn’t made since the nineties and I had too many cooked rye berries left, so I found the bread recipe to use up some of them. I am glad I have had it to eat all this time waiting for delivery of a new oven. This could be survival food! It’s particularly good slathered with brie.

The installation today will be just in time to make some loaves of Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin bread for Christmas gifts.

Winter Settles In Along the River

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In contrast to this post’s photos, we have had bright sunshine these past two days, but along with it are below-freezing temperatures. I braved the cold yesterday morning at the Portage, but I decided to stay in today and keep an eye on the indoor and yard birds. That makes this post basically a tribute to last week’s gloom. Starting on November 25…

House Sparrows by the Hofmann Tower
The Des Plaines River

Periodically when I see Mallards in the river, one or both of them takes a short dive. They remind me that eventually we should see some actual diving ducks.

A couple distant European Starlings barely stood out from their perches.

I caught a brief glimpse of a Great Blue Heron flying off as someone coming down the hill behind the library flushed it.

At one point, I took a photo of the sun through the clouds.

An American Robin sat still.

As did a Dark-eyed Junco.

Then two Downy Woodpeckers were just far enough away from each other to focus on. They sat like that long enough for me to take too many versions of the same shot.

On November 27, the river was still.

Canada Geese

An American Tree Sparrows was relatively easy to see.

A few Mallards were hanging around by the bridge.

I entered Riverside Lawn and found a Dark-eyed Junco sharing the trail with a female Northern Cardinal.

I wasn’t seeing much else and was on my way out. But then I stopped and turned around to look behind me. I saw a Bald Eagle perched across the river. It was a third-year bird, judging from its plumage.

Of course the moment I noticed it, the eagle decided to take off. But I was very happy to see it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Bald Eagle around here.

A busy White-breasted Nuthatch caught my attention after that.

On November 28, I took a few photos in the yard.

House Sparrows on the suet cage

American Goldfinches are back.

A somewhat young-looking male House Finch
Mourning Dove

The heated birdbaths are quite popular this time of year.

On November 29, I stopped by Riverside, but I didn’t get very far. I took a photo of one of the Canada Geese that likes to sit on top of the wall by the former Hofmann Dam.

Then I noticed a few Rock Pigeons and decided to concentrate on the white one.

There’s more from last week and yesterday, not to mention weeks before. I saw three flocks of Sandhill Cranes yesterday.

I was about to bake cookies yesterday when I realized the oven never came on. I will have to call a repairman in the morning. I have a lot of bread-baking to do this month! The stove still works. I made some grits for breakfast, but I’m otherwise not cooking anymore today. It’s been a lazy day and I have been wearing long underwear inside the house, so I can pop outside once more to change the water in the birdbaths before I come in to clean the living room. Winter is here.