I kept trying to get caught up with April, but it’s already May and there are more birds showing up despite some really chilly, windy weather. The other thing is the days keep getting longer and yet there aren’t enough hours in one day. But I can stay inside today after singing two services with the choir this morning, and take some time to recap the last two days of birding before they too become ancient history.
Yesterday morning, the Oak Park Area Migration Bird Walkers (that is such a mouthful, but I think this is the Official Name) met at Columbus Park. It was chilly and partly cloudy, but we found birds. Here are a few photos of some of the birds we saw.
As we stood on the lawn looking over the larger water area, the Great Blue Heron at the top of this post flew in for a landing. Its choice of location was too close to a pair of nesting Red-winged Blackbirds, and I caught some of the action as the male blackbird tried to get the heron to relocate.
I then captured the top photo and the one below as the heron left for another location.
We saw a few Tree Swallows. They were easier to capture perched. I suspect they weren’t catching much for taking so many breaks.
While we saw Palm Warblers in numbers, it took a while before we started to see a few other species across one of the tributaries of landscape architect Jens Jensen’s “Prairie River.” As birds were foraging around near the bank, it was nice to see a male Black-throated Blue Warbler in particular.
A male Common Yellowthroat was more difficult to see.
There were a few Yellow Warblers. Although we heard some singing, I believe the bird below is the first female Yellow Warbler I have seen this season.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were showing off for us.
And we heard and saw at least two individual male Baltimore Orioles.
Here’s a token Palm Warbler.
I noticed a singing Warbling Vireo.
A pair of Canada Geese swam by with goslings in tow.
Toward the end of the walk, we got some furtive glimpses of a Cape May Warbler.
I will team up again with the Oak Park group in two weeks. As for now, looking back to Friday morning in Riverside, my walk was pretty tame but eventually rewarding. It only takes one unexpected sighting to make my day. Starting off more predictably, I got close views of a Mourning Dove and a Common Grackle.
As I walked on the paved Swan Pond trail, a Yellow-rumped Warbler was busy trying to catch bugs.
A Pine Warbler sang and sat rather still.
A sidewalk Chipping Sparrow appeared.
I saw a Hermit Thrush after a while.
After I crossed the river and started walking in Riverside Lawn, I was pleased to see a Great Egret across the river and a Double-crested Cormorant as it flew by.
Then suddenly, almost out of nowhere, my surprise bird showed up: a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird. She appeared to have some nesting material in her bill.
I caught a glimpse of a Nashville Warbler, and then the Nashville with a Tennessee Warbler. I didn’t realize I had captured the Tennessee until I developed my photos.
I expect things to get much crazier in the days ahead. That said, yesterday morning around 6:00 AM I was delighted to see one, and then another, beautiful, healthy-looking opossum in my backyard. I went back inside the house to grab the camera and the opossums apparently felt safe enough hanging out by the fence while I took their pictures. You can barely see the second opossum on the left of the third photo.
I know I always say this, but I will try to be back soon with some older photos before I whisk them away to make room for more spring migration.
There is water enough to bathe in as this female Red-Winged Blackbird was finding out.
Tennessee Warblers and Orange-Crowned Warblers often get confused in the spring but these two made it easier for me.
I almost thought I had missed all the Indigo Buntings but there were still a few youngsters left.
The Des Plaines was so low, this Great Egret was wading out into it quite a ways from the shoreline.
After hearing and rarely seeing Eastern Wood-Pewees all summer, it was nice to get good looks at this one.
I wonder if the Common Grackle below could be a molting adult, without its long tail.
Magnolia Warblers have been coming through for weeks.
On the 29th I saw this presumably female Wilson’s Warbler, below, at Lake Shore East Park, and am glad I had pictures to prove it to ebird – apparently it’s late in the season to see a Wilson’s. Others reported seeing them too, in the area.
