Tag Archives: American Redstart

‘Round Riverside

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Warblers have been coming in all the colors of the browning leaves. Here are some photos from Riverside from September 17 and September 22. Since then we have had a heat wave of sorts, but migration has been steady if slower. We had hardly any rain in September. On the 17th, the story was still primarily Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons.

On September 22, the Des Plaines River was even lower. Several Great Egrets were still gathering south of the Hofmann Tower.

When I got out of my car, I noticed a young Cooper’s Hawk hunting for house sparrows in the yews by the condominium complex.

I watched a Great Egret fishing in the shallows by the former dam.

Then, when I entered Riverside Lawn, I was greeted by a Hermit Thrush.

Warblers were next, starting with a Magnolia Warbler.

After a brief rain a day or two earlier, a Chicken of the Woods fungus sprung up on the log where I often sit.

I found a Blackpoll Warbler.

I have seen a lot of Gray-cheeked Thrushes this fall, and this day was no exception.

I got a brief look at a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in a small patch of Jewelweed (impatiens capensis), which also has the common name of Touch-Me-Not. Years ago, when the Chicago Portage had a lot of this stuff growing, it was a magnet for these hummingbirds in migration. I can remember walking in on the trail one day and seeing what must have been 100 hummingbirds.

I saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler on the 22nd. This is another species I have seen fairly frequently this fall.

American Redstarts were present. Below is a second-year-or-better male.

It has been good for seeing Cape May Warblers too. The one below is a different individual from the one at the top of the post.

I found a couple Tennessee Warblers.

Here is another Magnolia Warbler from that day. This one appears to be a female.

There was a more dramatic looking Chicken of the Woods mushroom on a tree stump. This is apparently edible. I could almost be tempted.

The Cape May Warbler below is the individual at the top of the post.

And here is yet another Blackpoll Warbler.

I saw a couple more American Redstarts.

The bird below is.a female American Redstart.

And for good measure, I saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I think this is a first-winter male.

I have many more photos to share with you. I was not so optimistic a couple weeks ago, but now things have picked up again, and with a cold front coming in and rain (finally!) expected tomorrow night, I had better make more room on the hard drive.

For what it’s worth, I found some photos from August 20th when we must have been getting more rain. You can see the difference in the water level of the river. I also had one of the last male Indigo Buntings and about 40 European Starlings, some of which you can see in the bare tree against a cloudy sky.

Fall Migration at the Chicago Portage

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For the most part, it’s been a sluggish fall migration season, but I have been glad to see the birds when they show up. Here are some photos from three September visits to the Chicago Portage: September 18, September 23 and September 25. I have been there thrice since. It’s a challenge to keep up with even this.

September 19 started out with a Song Sparrow, a Gray-cheeked Thrush and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

A look across the creek

I caught a Gray-cheeked Thrush in flight and stopped to check out some milkweed beetles. Then had one more look at the thrush,

A Downy Woodpecker caught my attention

And then a Black-and-White Warbler emerged. I grew hopeful.

Soon, I saw an American Redstart, and I had a brief look at a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Next, a Tennessee Warbler emerged, matching the green leaves.

Another, more yellow Tennessee warbler was also present.

A Blackpoll Warbler volunteered.

And another American Redstart that looks like a first-year male.

I had a brief encounter with a Red-eyed Vireo.

Here’s another American Redstart. This is the second-year or better male at the top of the post.

On 9-23, it was cloudy, but I took my chances. It actually started raining in earnest about an hour after I got there and I had to leave. That was the last time we had some rain. In any even, I first saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler.

I found a Cedar Waxwing and a Downy Woodpecker on the same twig.

I found another first-year male American Redstart.

I was happy to find an Ovenbird. I’ve seen these birds a few times over the past couple of weeks. I even had one briefly in my yard.

I got distant views of a Black-throated Green Warbler.

And as I gave in to the steady rain shower, I found a Box Elder Bug on Snakeroot.

On 9-25, things were quieter still, with a Gray-cheeked Thrush…

a Rose-breasted Grosbeak,,,

and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The sight of a Yellow-rumped Warbler usually indicates we are nearing the close of fall warbler migration.

I found a Magnolia Warbler.

A Gray Catbird barely emerged from the foliage.

And my last photos were of an Eastern Wood-Pewee.

There’s still a lot more to report and I hope to get ahead of it soon. There are a lot of other things going on this month, but I will still be birding every morning that I can.

Fall Warblers at the Chicago Portage

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I’ve had some luck with warblers at the Chicago Portage this fall migration season, and now that we should be in the middle of peak warbler migration, it seems only fitting to do this post. Here are warblers and a few others from September 9, and then a week later on the 16th. It’s been a matter of coming across a mixed flock. But sometimes one bird close to the trail will alert me to more activity down the road.

On September 9, I encountered this Blackpoll Warbler.

I caught a glimpse of a Black-throated Green Warbler.

Cape May Warblers were the Bird of the Day. You may occasionally see that they also have yellow on the rump, but they should not be confused with Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Another individual Cape May is below…

and yet another. This bird is at the top of the post.

I caught a distant glimpse of a Black-and-White Warbler behaving like a nuthatch, gleaning insects from the tree bark,

Below is an American Redstart which appears to be a female. I say that because sometimes they are confused with first-year males, but the shade of yellow is generally paler and less orangey on the female.

Other birds noted on the 9th – a European Starling and a Cedar Waxwing.

And I briefly saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The first photo isn’t in focus but it includes the more representative field mark.

Then on September 16, I had a bird that defied description until I figured out it had to be a Pine Warbler. At first I thought it was a Blackpoll, but it didn’t quite fit and I could not find any photos with pinkish feet. Pine Warblers can be confused with just about anybody in the fall. In this case, the wing bars won me over.

I caught a glimpse of a Black-throated Green Warbler, again.

Bay–breasted Warblers came in several different options.

Here’s another individual.

I had a Blackpoll Warbler that day as well.

Other birds that day, nothing spectacular. An American Goldfinch, of which there are many this time of year, and a Double-crested Cormorant flying over the river in the distance.

I also had some unusual looks at the features of a Red-bellied Woodpecker. You can see the “red” belly in the second photo.

I will be back with more fall warbler photos among others, as we seem to be approaching the “now-or-never” part of fall warbler migration. Due in large part to unusual weather and dramatic temperature variations, it seems more birds have kept going than stopped to refuel, at least around here. But I read Bill Hilton’s post yesterday and he is experiencing the same lack of migrants in North Carolina, and even he is stumped by it. He suggests that it’s probably too early to draw any conclusions and to see how the migration patterns sort out in a few more years. Birding will always be looking for the next bird…

Fall Warblers and Others

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The fall warblers are trickling in. Here are a few warblers to get started with from morning walks in Riverside and the Chicago Portage. On August 27 in Riverside, I saw a female American Redstart.

Also present was a Cedar Waxwing. I included the middle photo because if you look closely at the yellow tip of the tail, it appears to have a serrated edge.

I caught a Chimney Swift and a Double-crested Cormorant in flight.

A Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret were available for long views.

On September 1 at the Chicago Portage, I briefly saw a Blackburnian Warbler.

I also had a Cape May Warbler, but only got a glimpse-and-a-half.

The next day, September 2, at the Chicago Portage, I had only a Nashville Warbler.

But I did get an interesting photo of a young Hairy Woodpecker.

And I made the acquaintance of a Chickweed Geometer Moth.

Back again on September 4 at the Chicago Portage, I had an American Redstart that could be a young male.

I then saw a Bay-breasted Warbler.

And I got some fair looks at a Magnolia Warbler or two.

I also had Tennessee Warblers.

I caught a glimpse of a Gray-cheeked Thrush.

And a Field Sparrow sat still for a moment.

Also that day, Bob and I saw a Broad-winged Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk. They were both in the air at the same time, and then the Cooper’s Hawk made a return solo visit.

Broad-winged Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk

In Riverside on September 5, I saw the Chestnut-sided Warbler who is also at the top of this post.

I also had an American Redstart, again, a young male.

Great Egrets were here and there..

On my walk through Riverside Lawn, I came across a Green Heron perched by the river close to where I was walking.

And I heard and then saw a Northern Waterthrush.

I just had a very interesting morning at the Chicago Portage, so I think I will be back with that recap as soon as possible before I go back a little bit to the five days in between. Anything can happen during fall migration, even when it’s least expected.

‘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.

Fall Migration Continues…

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It’s been a busy birding week and fall warbler migration is only getting started, but I’m already having a hard time keeping up. To add to my confusion, with the pool closed, the break in my routine is making it harder to figure out what day it is. But I have started getting up earlier to join bird walks and I will start leading Saturday walks tomorrow through the second week in October. It’s beginning to look like fall, even if it doesn’t feel like it just yet.

These photographs are from August 31st at Riverside, and I have also added the rest of the birds from August 26th at the same location.

I was happy to see a very cooperative Northern Waterthrush on Wednesday.

American Redstarts are the most numerous and well-distributed fall warbler species so far. I have seen them every day. The one immediately below looks like a first-year male.

Also fairly common are Magnolia Warblers like the one at the top of the post and below.

I discovered something about Blackpoll Warblers I never realized before. Apparently they all have orange toes – so when stumped by a decision between whether you are looking at a Blackpoll or a Bay-breasted, if you can see orange toes, that solves the problem. I was delighted to find photos showing beautiful orange toes. This is nearly impossible to see in the field, however.

I have also seen Golden-winged Warblers all week, starting on Tuesday morning at Columbus Park with Henry G.’s walk. They seem to have all come into the area at once and I have seen them everywhere I have been. I’m sneaking this photo in from Tuesday as it is the best one I have of the whole bird.

Below is another Golden-winged I just barely captured the next morning at Riverside.

Cape May Warblers seem to be numerous this season.

And not a day goes by without a Tennessee Warbler.

Below is a barely-captured Black-and-white Warbler

Thrushes are starting to appear as well. This is a Swainson’s Thrush.

Juvenile Gray Catbirds can’t get enough of the camera. They demand attention.

I don’t think this molting Northern Cardinal wanted to be seen like this but I couldn’t help myself.

In answer to the question, “Where have all the blackbirds gone?”, I have seen huge flocks all week at Riverside.

And Cedar Waxwings are on the move in flocks as well.

I have a feeling House Wrens will be gone soon but the youngsters are still around.

And Great Egrets are busy fishing. The water level has improved in the river.

I will try to come back sooner and more frequently, as the birds just keep coming. I also have some stored surprises still to share. We are starting out very warm going into the Labor Day weekend, with a promise of cooler weather after tomorrow. We could see a lot more warblers with winds from the north.

Warbler Overload – Part III

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Warbler migration always seems to be defined by the appearance of “Maggies” and Redstarts. Magnolia Warblers are generally abundant in migration, and they always seem to cheerfully accept their fate as lens subjects.

The male Magnolia Warbler has that big bright white wing patch. The female Magnolias do not have the wing patch and their black streaks don’t form a “necklace” or thick black streaks.

More male Magnolias…

And some females…with one paler male snuck in below.

Just a couple more…

The American Redstarts are somewhat harder to capture. This is at least a two-year male. The first year males look a lot like the females in that they do not have the bold orange and black coloring.

These birds tend to forage more frenetically than some other species.

I think this is a first-year male. It’s sometime hard to tell, but the yellow on the breast is a bit orangey-er than the yellow on the females.

These birds may appear dull but they make up for it with their active foraging. Two days later when the leaves filled out on the trees, it was much harder to see them.

This bird lost its tail!

A few more of what I think is a first-year male American Redstart, sometimes affectionately referred to as a “yellowstart.”

There are still a few Yellow-rumped Warbers around and they have the same colors as the Magnolias, just arranged differently.

Wilson’s Warblers are among my favorites. But as of this outing they managed to hide their trademark black caps almost entirely.

If you click on the photos in the gallery below you might be able to see only a hint of a black cap in one or two of them.

So there are a few more warblers I have yet to cover – not as many photos of each species (whew!) – and some other birds seen as well, and then plenty more migration madness to continue. I am convinced the male Northern Cardinals are enjoying being basically ignored by us warbler-hungry photographers.

I am very tired from going out to hear a friend perform last night and then getting up early to do the spring migration walk in Columbus Park, so I may not have much to say for a little while. But I will be back with the review of Tuesday’s birds, and there are so many more I have seen since then.

Fall Warblers – Getting Ready for Spring

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I had planned on this post days if not a week ago… This could be my last ancient fall warbler photos post. Even though we will still have some cold weather to deal with, spring and the longer days are gaining attention from the birds. It won’t be long before the trees leaf out and warblers start to arrive. Red-winged Blackbirds have already started setting up territories as of March 1.

So here are a few reminders of what the warblers looked like in the fall. Below and at the top of the post is a Bay-breasted Warbler.

Below is one quick capture I managed of a Northern Parula.

Yellow-rumped Warblers like the ones below will look quite different in the spring.

Male Nashville Warblers have a tiny red spot sometimes visible at the crown. If you click on the first image below you might be able to see a hint of red on this one.

One sought-after warbler that I saw a few times but didn’t manage to photograph until a later visit in October was this male Black-throated Blue Warbler.

There were a lot of Black-throated Green Warblers this past fall.

And many Blackpoll Warblers were available for observation.

I will never tire of Magnolia Warblers although they were ubiquitous this past fall. I really think they like to flirt with the camera lens.

Not a warbler, but there was a very well seen Cooper’s Hawk that day.

Things are getting a bit more interesting as spring approaches and I will be back as soon as I can with more photos and reflections. Life goes on. Sometimes surprisingly so.

Oops, I almost forgot the obligatory American Redstart.

Looking Back to Late August – Part I

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It’s another cold, cloudy day with snow in the forecast. The birds have not been flocking to the feeders this morning so much as I expect they are anticipating weather. The thaw was brief and if the ice at the bottom of my back porch stairs is any indication, it’s likely still quite icy at the Portage, so I sat through today’s half-planned walk, sifted through some late summer photographs and will go swimming later.

Late August at the Portage was full of immature birds and a few early fall migrants. These photos are from August 28. Below are two American Redstarts. The paler one could very well be a first-year male, or a female. I tend to forget that some American Redstarts breed in Illinois, they don’t all go farther north, because I have only seen them in migration. But then it’s logical to see them before the other warblers start making their way south. In any event I look forward to seeing them again in the spring.

Juvenile American Robins like the one at the top of the post come in spotty plumage,

American Robin and a Chimney Swift

August is the time of year for spider webs like the one below.

The deer were a lot younger…

and the Portage was lush and green everywhere…

The Yellow Coneflowers were in full bloom, and the Blue Dancer Damselfly was not in a very photogenic location.

I must have gone to the backyard after I got home to see if I could capture any of the birds there. So I managed a shy female Northern Cardinal, a Mourning Dove and what appears to be a Hairy Woodpecker.

But most frustrating of all was trying to capture a Ruby-throated Hummingbird visiting a feeder from too far away. I look forward to more opportunities this year. It might be a little easier to see them now that I’ve had the trees trimmed, but it also might be a little more difficult to hang the feeders!

I will have to decide in the spring how much of this Tall Ironweed I can handle before it takes over the entire backyard.

I have one more post of photos from late August and then there’s still a lot of fall warbler pictures that I took in September – when I had just begun testing the retirement waters with my toe. The days are getting longer…

A Walk in the Neighborhood

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There’s a huge park in Berwyn — it takes up several blocks! — that I always thought was much farther away than it actually is. I have not been walking as much as I used to the past five years, and definitely feel the need to get out and walk without having to drive somewhere first. So I walked over to Proksa Park a couple times last month and found a few birds to photograph. The round trip is about three-and-a-half miles which only half a mile less than the total mileage I used to walk every day when I worked closer to the lakefront.

I was happy to see a crow flying over on my first visit. I keep hoping to see more crows at home.

There are a lot of native plants and you can always count on American Goldfinches to take advantage of them.

The park has some nice water features that attract Mallards.

And the occasional heron, like this Great Blue Heron in the distance on my first visit.

Spacious, paved paths for walking and running…

I saw a few Magnolia Warblers here as I did almost everywhere last month.

And an American Redstart or two.

Below is a Blackpoll Warbler.

I almost forgot this lovely Gray-Cheeked Thrush. I have corrected the identification thanks to Vera’s comment – I thought it was a Gray-Cheeked to begin with but it was late and I was tired (or that’s my excuse for now). The heavy spotting gives it away and I don’t think the eye-ring is Swainsony enough.

This is a very pleasant destination and I will be visiting off and on throughout the year when I feel like getting out for a good walk.

One more of a Magnolia Warbler.

We just had a downpour, with more rain to come. This is very welcome indeed since I have been removing plants and planting new ones around the yard and the house. We are long overdue for a good soaking. I’ll have to check the river later in the week and see if it made any difference.