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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 TowerThe 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 FinchMourning 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.
It’s been a quiet week on the trails, at least when I have been able to walk them. This will also be a very quiet post from my local haunts. I have been trying to write this post for days with too many interruptions. Please bear with me for a brief conglomeration of recent visits.
Going all the way back now to November 12, at the Chicago Portage, I heard and then saw, at quite a distance, a Belted Kingfisher.
Several Canada Geese were hanging out. This is not unusual, but after a whole drought-filled summer and fall seeing next to nothing on the water, they deserve some attention.
I spotted a Wood Duck among the Mallards.
Then, I barely captured an image of this Fox Sparrow.
This was the last time I saw the Red-shouldered Hawk that hung around for weeks. I loved to hear it calling out as it flew around its temporary territory. It also seemed to recognize me and wasn’t bothered by my attention.
I encountered a young white-tailed deer.
In Riverside, on November 15, there were Canada Geese in the Des Plaines River. It’s easy to not pay them much attention, but I need to keep reminding myself to look for someone different among then, like Cackling Geese or even a tagged goose.
I found a Downy Woodpecker. Downies are all over the place as we head into winter and they’re not shy about it.
A Northern Cardinal stood out against the backdrop of gray.
Back at the Chicago Portage on November 16, a Black-capped Chickadee welcomed me.
The Canada Geese and Mallards were there.
I barely managed a photo of an American Tree Sparrow. But there are more coming.
Adding a smidgen of color to the palette was a Red-bellied Woodpecker.
And then a White-breasted Nuthatch appeared. I often see these two species (the Red-bellied and the WB Nuthatch) together.
I took another look at the Canada Geese and Mallards.
That night, which might have been our last warm one, I stepped outside my front door to see the full moon.
I went back to the Chicago Portage on November 17 and saw what looked like the beginning of another muskrat nest on one side of the water.
The view from the bridge near Harlem
A Dark-eyed Junco was foraging on the trail.
Another gray day for a Downy Woodpecker.
I caught a brief look at a Red-bellied Woodpecker before it flew out of the frame.
Here’s a couple more photos of the Northern Cardinal at the top of the post.
And a last view of two Mallards.
I have been back to the Chicago Portage and Riverside as the winter weather settles in and I hope to be back to this page a lot sooner. It’s just been a busy week-and-a-half or two. Who’s keeping track? The days now, shorter, cold and gloomy, seem to blend into each other. When I can keep track of what I’m doing besides my usual routine, I have been busy helping a friend or two. There have been days when I find myself coming home in the afternoon as the light is disappearing and realizing I haven’t had breakfast yet, only trail mix. I am glad to have this smidgen of time to take advantage of a caffeine-induced wakefulness long enough to finish this post so I can come back sooner with the next one. Even as the time crunch continues into the weekend with a play tonight, singing in the choir tomorrow, cleaning the living room tomorrow night and cooking – oh, the recipes I want to try! – I am looking forward to a relatively quiet Thanksgiving week at home with the birds. I hope your holiday plans turn out better than you expect them.
Today is a quiet, cloudy, rainy day and I am trying to stay distracted enough by getting some things done around the house. But while I sit here sipping coffee with an ice pack on my knee, I may as well send off another blog post. Here are some relatively recent photos from three visits to Riverside on October 25, October 28 and November 1.
October 25. I always check first by the Hofmann Tower to see if the Great Blue Heron who hangs out along this part of the river is present. I didn’t see it right away, but after looking from the bridge at Joliet Avenue I found it tucked in one of its favorite locations off the edge of the former dam.
It was a quiet walk through Swan Pond, with a Red-bellied Woodpecker investigating a nearby tree.
Dark-eyed Juncos like this side of the river and I have often seen them foraging not too far from the paved trail.
I managed to find a Golden-crowned Kinglet.
And a male House Finch was somewhat available.
The second Great Blue Heron that was around through the end of last month was over by the bend in the river near the library.
Canada Geese and Mallards were there too.
I decided to take a photo of the Swinging Bridge while it was surrounded in some autumn color. It looks like we got a little rain the day before.
In Riverside Lawn, I was quite happy to find a young-looking Lincoln’s Sparrow.
There were a couple Hermit Thrushes as well but they proved difficult to see.
On October 28, I counted two Great Blue Herons but took photos of only one. I reported only 14 species for that day and most of them were Canada Geese and Mallards that must not have commanded my attention. I suspect I heard more birds than I saw.
A Downy Woodpecker was busy as usual. And that was about It.
Then on November 1, there were three Killdeer by the Hofmann Tower.
This time I saw only the Great Blue Heron by the Hofmann Tower.
The shadow outlining the Dark-eyed Junco’s chin below makes an interesting comment.
I heard, and then saw at quite a distance, a male Belted Kingfisher.
This was a great day for a White-throated Sparrow to sit perfectly lit for a photo session.
Mallards were preening.
In Riverside Lawn, pretty convinced the kingfisher was going to be bird-of-the-day, I was surprised to suddenly see a Carolina Wren investigated a crevice in a tree, not too far off the ground. It disappeared into the thickness of twigs and fallen logs by the river’s edge. I stood still, made a few little pishing noises to see if I could get it to pop back out again. And then, it did, landing on a log right in front of my camera, posing for a few pictures before it took off again. I have been looking for a Carolina Wren all year at this location, so I was quite happy about this encounter.
I barely managed to capture a Golden-crowned Kinglet.
And I had a hungry Black-capped Chickadee.
I hope to get back out tomorrow morning after all the rain. It will be interesting to see how high the river will be after this prolonged drought. I hope it will also be interesting to see the looks on people’s faces as they walk by with their dogs and perambulators. We could all use some more smiles.
As the drought continues, with fall migration and everything slowing down along the river, like elsewhere, the search for birds amidst the changing leaves has become a little less frantic. But there are still birds to see. Here are the highlights, if you will, from three recent visits.
On October 18, a bird that rarely makes it into my photos insisted on having his picture taken.
House Sparrow
An unmistakable Red-tailed Hawk flew into a tree.
Mallard Green is a popular color this season.
Yellow-rumped Warblers were less frequent.
White-throated Sparrows are filling in.
On October 21, two Great Blue Herons were back on the river. The one below hangs out near the Hofmann Tower.
I was on the Swan Pond side of the river when I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched in a tree with its back toward me.
Then a surprise visit of Eastern Bluebirds occurred when they flew into the willows near the paved trail. I have missed seeing these birds all year, so this was a special treat.
An American Goldfinch tried to distract me.
There were a couple female or younger Eastern Bluebirds like the one below.
Eastern Bluebird and Brown Creeper
A Brown Creeper crept up a tree.
I spotted a Golden-crowned Kinglet in the willows.
Mallards in the river were navigating rapids created by the shallow water.
A younger Great Blue Heron has been hanging out at the bend in the river by the library.
Two photos of the swinging bridge framed by some autumn colors.
Northern Cardinals are a little easier to see these days.
A Yellow-rumped Warbler I had been checking out flew toward me.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
An American Robin sat still for me when I was unable to get clear photos of a Hermit Thrush.
I checked back with the Hofmann Tower Great Blue Heron again.
On October 23rd, the Hofmann Tower Great Blue Heron nearly faded into the rocks.
The water in the river was even lower that day.
I saw an American Robin and a Red-winged Blackbird among a few others, but it was less birdy in Riverside Lawn that morning.
One more look at the Great Blue Heron by the Hofmann Tower. There’s lots more to come. We did get some rain Thursday night to tide us over, and there’s more in the forecast for this Thursday and next week. It’s been a busy week and I’m looking forward to a little down time. Oh yes, and Halloween, of course.
I have what feels like a million things going on all at once and it seems never-ending. The past weekend alone was life-changing. More about that later. But this week I have to remain focused on our upcoming flute-and-piano recital Sunday afternoon. Even my birds seem to know it’s important.
So here are some photos from my walk in Riverside yesterday morning. I had several other things planned but they will have to wait. I can be more current for a change.
The first bird I saw, as it was trying to hide from me, was a bird we tend to associate with the coming of winter – a Dark-eyed Junco.
(I’m trying to finish this on my phone while I am at the car dealer for service. I hope I don’t become incomprehensible.)
As I continued to walk on the Swan Pond side of the river I encountered a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Then a female Northern Cardinal assumed that she blended in well with some changing leaves.
Then of course it was time for Yellow-rumped Warblers. They are everywhere in substantial numbers. It’s not unusual to see several at a time and I have become quite accustomed to their little “click” sounding contact calls.
What was even more impressive yesterday morning was their behavior. They seemed to be emulating some Cedar Waxwings who were flying over the river to catch insects in the air. I had never seen Yellow-rumps do this before.
This vine always turns bright red, and can be counted on even in a drought to provide some fall color.
More Yellow-rumpeds up close and personal.
I managed to get a Golden-crowned Kinglet to slow down long enough for a photo or two.
Killdeer were busy in mudflats that have sprung up everywhere in the shallow waters of the river.
Then, as I was crossing the swinging bridge, I saw a Spotted Sandpiper on the shore below. I have seen one or two of these birds at this spot before so I just dutifully tried to get the best photos I could without thinking too much about it, but then when I entered it on my EBird list it came up “rare.” All the better to have the photos.
In Riverside Lawn I saw a White-throated Sparrow.
Then I encountered a young doe having breakfast.
Of course there were more Yellow-rumped Warblers, if not much else. The individual below the flying bird appeared to be drying off its feathers after a bath in the river.
The Killdeer were busy flying around and I finally managed to capture them that way.
Flying to the rocks by the Hofmann Tower
That’s about it for yesterday’s birds. When I got home after swimming, I noticed Milkweed Beetles all over the seed pods in the front garden.
So I have been in a dream all weekend and I am reluctant to wake up from it. My favorite singer-songwriter over the last several years has been Peter Mayer (from Minnesota). I discovered his music when my friend Cory Anderson sang Peter’s iconic song, “Holy Now”, at what I think was the first or second Spring Music Festival that I performed in with my flute playing friend Linda Rios. Just Googling “Holy Now” led me to YouTube videos and eventually Peter’s website where I found albums on CDs galore. I eventually bought them all and fell in love with more songs than I ever imagined could be written with such incredible lyrics and beautiful tunes and arrangements. Peter Mayer also is a fantastic guitarist and singer. And he somehow manages to find hope for humanity through storytelling and metaphor, which is in such short supply these days.
Years ago, before the pandemic, I did get to see him in concert at a church in the northwest corner of the state. I started a small one-person campaign to see if we could get him to come to Unity Temple for a concert. If nothing else, he has a song in one of the hymnals called “Blue Boat Home.” But my request got lost in the myriad other things going on.
During the pandemic, Peter resorted to doing YouTube concerts periodically from his basement. It was a great experience for me to see him more often and get to know him more personally, or so it seemed. And I think it was also rewarding for him in a way as he could continue to write more songs and try them out on his larger following. He is now releasing singles instead of albums, as CD players become relics of the past.
So why am I telling you all this??? It’s because, thanks to our developmental minister Roger, who knows Peter from another congregation where he served, Peter Mayer played a concert at Unity Temple on Saturday night and the next morning, he sang for the service, sang with the choir, and gave the sermon – twice! – as we have now resumed two services. I Was In Heaven!! It was a transformative experience. Up there with the discovery that birds sing with music in key and they are listening to us. And even better than that, after Peter’s sermons about mindfulness and connection with the universe, I thought he should know about the birds and the music. I could see the wheels turning in his head as I told him about it. And I left him with the thought that, after the Big Bang, there was a Big Chord. Music is indeed the beginning of everything. And with luck, it just might be our salvation.
Thanks for listening. I will resume regular programming in my next post.
Oh, and by the way, if you are at all curious about Peter Mayer, he is at PeterMayer.net, to distinguish him from the other one who is “.com” and, as Pete joked about it at his concert, “is also very good looking.”
