Can’t We Go Back to August?

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Before getting back to reality and the snowy scenes of this cold January, I found myself looking at photos still on my laptop from late August and it seems a shame to just send them off to likely oblivion on an external hard drive without sharing some of them first. The photos are from 3 days at the Chicago Portage: August 25, 27 and 29, 2024. I invite you to take a moment’s look back to late summer.

On August 25, the American Goldfinches were enjoying the duckweed.

There was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

One of several young Indigo Buntings…

And young Red-winged Blackbirds.

A White-breasted Nuthatch framed by locust leaves.

And a Monarch Butterfly was a welcome sight.

On 8-27, an American Goldfinch was perched up high over the water and then took off.

Young Indigo Buntings were abundant..

I saw a young American Robin.

And the underside of a Tennessee Warbler.

A young House Wren was nearby.

A feather on the ground that belonged to a woodpecker. I thought it might be from a Hairy Woodpecker but my book of bird feathers indicates 7 white spots could be a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,

A Cedar Waxwing was not far from the bridge near Harlem. This is the same bird at the top of the post.

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are always a pleasure to see and it’s not often that they sit still long enough to be photographed.

I was tempted by another young Indigo Bunting.

And then on the 29th, I found a young-looking Nashville Warbler.

More Cedar Waxwings were on hand.

And American Goldfinches.

A Northern Flicker was up high above the water.

A Turkey Vulture flew over with a Chimney Swift for a moment

A female Baltimore Oriole made a brief appearance.

Two young-looking Eastern Wood-Pewees shared a branch.

I will try to be back to reality soon for my next post. I was about to upload some photos from the last few days when I realized it was time to make some more room for them. I can still be tempted to go back in time again. The forecast is evermore dismal temperature-wise. The last I saw was for -1 Fahrenheit on Monday morning.

Winter is Definitely Here

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When I started writing this post nearly a week ago, the sun was shining. It was cold, but pleasant enough outside. And yesterday, after Friday’s first amount of accumulated snow, was a gorgeous, sunny day. But at the beginning of this week, for two days in a row, when I tried to go for a walk I fouind the ice on the pavement prohibitive. We got more snow again this morning. There’s something affirmative about shoveling snow.

I have been out more recently, but these are just some photos from the Chicago Portage and my yard for the first few days of the year. I managed to go swimming on New Year’s Day. Then, at the Portage on January 2 was bright and sunny. I found a Red-tailed Hawk was sitting quietly in a tree. It must have been cold, the hawk was fluffed up pretty good.

I found an American Tree Sparrow on the trail. I have not seen numbers of these birds lately.

Northern Cardinals were generally easy to see.

A Black-capped Chickadee made an enthusiastic appearance.

On January 4, from my backyard, here’s another photo of the Cooper’s Hawk that I saw that morning.

Later that day at the Chicago Portage, there was ice on the water and under the bridge.

I did manage to barely capture a distant Common Goldeneye on the Des Plaines River.

On January 5, back at home, there was an American Crow in my neighbor’s tree over the parkway. Then a very cold-looking Dark-eyed Junco showed up. I have had as many as six Juncos in my backyard under the feeders.

The American Goldfinch invasion is on and continues. I am always happy to see them return for winter sustenance.

It wasn’t easy to take a clear photo of the Red-bellied Woodpecker through the back windows, but she visits regularly. The Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers are also fond of this feeder. I did see a female Downy that day.

I also have a White-breasted Nuthatch that shows up frequently. In fact, it was the nuthatch that informed me the upside-down suet feeder was getting empty yesterday morning.

Here are a couple other forms of testimony to the colder weather from my cell phone. The first photo was the ice on the windshield that greeted me on Monday.

The second is a French Onion Panade that I made last Sunday. i put half of it away in the freezer for future consumption. I love to make this once a year since it’s a great way to make use of extra bread. And when I don’t feel like going to much trouble for dinner, this makes a nice meal.

It’s been kind of a mishmash beginning to the new year. Dealing with more layers of clothing seems to be taking more energy than I have left. But we are plunging back into the deep freeze with temperatures in the teens tomorrow and single digits by Wednesday, so I am grateful to have the energy to complain about it.

Year-End at the Chicago Portage

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Before we got so cold this week, a lot of gloomy, foggy days were the warm-up, so to speak. In contrast, the New Year got off to a frigid start when the lights came on. I’ll return soon with some sunshine, but here’s a last, longing look at December’s gloomy end.

On December 15, the landscape was less than welcoming. Fog was the order of the day.

I managed to photograph an American Tree Sparrow and a Brown Creeper.

I also barely captured a female Downy Woodpecker.

A mixed flock contained an American Goldfinch, a Northern Cardinal and a House Finch.

My last reward was a White-throated Sparrow. I haven’t seen so many this fall.

On December 19, I reported 6 species to eBird, but took only one photo. There are no birds in it.

On Christmas Day, there was a little bit more activity, if not light.

Ring-billed Gull

American Goldfinches were still around. Lately with the cold plunge, more have been at my feeders.

A male Downy Woodpecker was close enough.

I was surprised to find a Red-winged Blackbird in the mix.

One day later, there was nothing much to see but a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

And on December 28, 2024, my last visit to the Chicago Portage for the year, a Downy Woodpecker was again easy to see.

This was the last time I saw Mallards on the water.

The Red-tailed Hawk that’s been hanging out lately made a distant appearance.

And a female Hairy Woodpecker was busy if a bit far away.

Here’s one more photo testimony to the gloom.

I have been pretty well-insulated against the cold the last few days and, like everything else, I guess to some extent one gets used to it. I try to tell myself that dealing with all the layers of clothing is another form of meditation.

I may stay home tomorrow morning and try to get some photos of the birds in the yard. Unfortunately the forecast is for clouds and not the sunshine we had today, but that’s also why I might just try to make the best of it by staying closer to home with temperatures in the teens. In the meantime, here’s what the Cooper’s Hawk who checks on my yard every day looked like this morning.

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.

Winter Solstice at the Chicago Portage

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The weather was bitter, bright and cold yesterday morning. Walking and looking for birds has been iffy lately, but I wanted to go for the walk at least, so I went to the Chicago Portage for the shortest day of the year. In spite of the bitter cold, there was no perceptible wind and the sun was warm, so it was actually quite pleasant. And perking up the scenery was some evidence of the previous day’s snowfall.

Muskrat Estates had a little snow cover and the water had turned to ice.

A Song Sparrow ventured out into the open for a moment.

A couple Northern Cardinals offered somewhat obscured views.

Another view of the snow and ice on the water.

A young Red-tailed Hawk came in and sat with its back toward me. I watched its back too long.

The Red-tail outsmarted me by refusing to move until my lens was drawn to some distant Canada Geese.

A small portion of the geese in flight

I doubled back along the paved trail, seeing nothing until I came around toward the parking lot and found a couple female Northern Cardinals foraging on the ground.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker, the same individual at the top of the post, was in the treetops.

By the statue, a European Starling appeared.

Then I noticed American Tree Sparrows foraging in the plantings that were installed by the foot of the statue this past year.

Dark-eyed Juncos also were there.

It’s hard to believe that the days will start getting incrementally longer now, but we are already looking forward to it. In the meantime, there seem to be enough ways to get through the cold weather. This morning the Unity Temple Choir sang with the Chalice Singers, the children’s choir, and we will sing Tuesday night for a candlelit service.

I have been enjoying my new oven. The first thing I did was bake four loaves of Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Bread on Tuesday night. On Thursday after grocery shopping, I made some roasted veggies.

Roasted veggies!

While standing on the back porch waiting for the new oven delivery, I watched a Red-bellied Woodpecker on the peanut feeder.

I hope to be back with more photos of winter birds and maybe a recording or two. I wish you warm, loving and peaceful holidays.

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.

Cranes and Colder Weather

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I envisioned writing this post for days only to discover when I finally sat down to do it that I never even developed the photographs for it. I guess life has been more hectic and exhausting lately. But it’s still worth going back to the end of November and early December, as the cold finally started to descend upon us and the Sandhill Cranes were flying south overhead. I apologize for the photo overload, but I wanted to get all the crane flocks in.

Photos are from four visits to the Chicago Portage. On November 23, the weather was still quite warm. I wasn’t seeing too much. but the water was still clear.

A younng buck posed

Some of the regulars were visible, although that may have been the last time I saw a Song Sparrow.

American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker

On November 26, it was still warm in the sunshine.

Red-bellied Woodecker

The water was quite clear, the last vestiges of duckweed visible here and there. I keep taking photos of the muskrat nest, but the muskrats make no appearances, at least not while I’m there.

Mallards were still in the water.

I managed to capture a few images of a male House Finch.

And at least one male Northern Cardinal sits still for me these days.

I caught a glimpse of a Downy Woodpecker.

I couldn’t resist this European Starling. I would otherwise expect them all to be in large flocks this time of year.

Speaking of individuals apart from large flocks, American Robins are sometimes difficult to find.

But wintertime is Dark-eyed Junco season, full stop.

And that day, there were Sandhill Cranes flying over just before I left.

On November 30, I noticed the Muskrat Nest in a little bit of barely frozen water.

The sunshine blessed the Northern Cardinals.

And more Sandhills flew over.

Back on the ground, I noticed a Fox Sparrow.

Also well-camouflaged, a White-throated Sparrow.

And I barely managed an American Robin as it left its perch.

Black-capped Chickadees always seem to be cheerfully busy when I see and hear them.

The Portage was looking quite cold and barren as the cold settled in.

A Dark-eyed Junco was foraging on the paved trail.

And an American Tree Sparrow was busy blending in.

I paid attention to this female Downy Woodpecker.

When I got home and out of the car, more Sandhill Cranes were flying overhead.

Lastly, on December 3, the winter cold had taken over. I didn’t see any Sandhills that day.

But a Red-tailed Hawk that’s been hanging out lately was distantly visible.

The Portage was more subdued, even in the sunlight.

And the last photos I tried to get were of two deer. See if you can detect the rack on the buck in the first photo below, as he blends in with his surroundings. The doe was with him.

Thanks for making it through this post. When I’m not seeing many birds, it may seem crazy to take so many photos, but this time of year anything and everything can grab my attention.

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.

Briefly at the Chicago Portage

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Visits to the Chicago Portage will likely be brief these days as the weather has turned colder, often gloomier, and the birds are not always easy to find. But there are other things to watch for as well.

“Welcome to Muskrat Estates.” I wish I could post a sign stating this on the bridge near Harlem because the muskrats have now built another sizable nest. I took these photos last Friday, November 22. A few Mallards could still be seen enjoying Muskrat Estates.

A bit later I found a few more Mallards feeding where there was still duckweed. The duckweed is receding i the colder weather.

At the top of the hill, such as it is, in the goldenrod, I found an American Tree Sparrow blending in nicely.

House Finches were nearby.

I spotted a Dark-eyed Junco.

A distant view of the Portage from above.

Then a moment later, I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in a faraway tree.

A Downy Woodpecker caught my attention.

The Red-tailed Hawk flew in to a closer perch.

And then the hawk was on the move again.

I spotted a Downy Woodpecker on the ground.

And a female Northern Cardinal didn’t seem to mind my attention as she perched long enough for me to take her picture.

An American Goldfinch was taking a water break on the paved trail.

I found another American Tree Sparrow.

The Red-tailed Hawk was on the move again.

And then I heard Sandhill Cranes overhead. I barely managed to capture a few of them behind the trees in the cloudy sky, but it was nice to hear and see them.

I am spending a quiet Thanksgiving Day at home with the birds. I’ve been having fun in the kitchen lately trying new recipes and improving upon old ones. Our temperatures are about to plunge for the weekend, so I may as well keep cooking: this is definitely soup and bread weather. There’s also something peaceful and restorative in preparing food.