One Month Ago

Posted on July 27, 2026 by Lisa Rest

I’ve grown fond of going out lately with the little Sony camera as I become more used to what it will or won’t do. It’s now been a few days over a month since my carpal tunnel surgery. But I was still using the Canon body and lens last month and have a few photos from that time period to share. And since I have been stuck inside during a long-awaited thunderstorm, it seems like a good time to finish this post. Starting on June 15th, I saw Cliff Swallows by the bridge at Joliet Avenue.

Common Mergansers, albeit uncommon this time of year, were again in the river that morning.

A Great Blue Heron was looking for a meal, and then a Red-winged Blackbird demanded its departure.

I have seen so few butterflies this summer, I had to document this Hackberry Emperor.

Every once in a while I see enough parts a male Northern Cardinal.

Gray Catbirds were more vocal earlier in the season, more often heard than seen. So this was a nice encounter.

Then on June 19, I noticed this Common Grackle shining in the sunlight by the HofmannTower.

I also found this Barn Swallow taking a break for a photo.

What appeared to be juvenile Cliff Swallows were flying by the walls of the former Hofmann Dam.

Two common river occupants were still worth noticing: a Double-crested Cormorant and a Mallard.

Here are two more views of the Cedar Waxwing at the top of the post.

An Indigo Bunting appeared briefly to be behind bars.

A distant view from the swinging bridge revealed a pair of Common Mergansers and a Great Blue Heron.

I am always delighted to see the return of the Blue-fronted Dancer Damselfly.

Then, another pose from a Gray Catbird on that day.

After experiencing extremely dry conditions – I ran out of water in both rain barrels over a week ago – we have finally gotten some rain today. I was beginning to wonder where it could be coming from with all the hot and dry conditions to the west of us. The fronts have been threatening with severe thunderstorms since late morning. The birds and I have been lucky, but it’s been an afternoon of anticipation as to what will happen next. Earlier, the emergency broadcast system on the radio was not a test, but the real thing. The Zebra Finches always yell when they hear the test. And then later, the actual test was run, I guess just to make sure. We yelled again. A turned around day indeed.

Busy Birds Along The River

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Lisa Rest

So this is some of what I was going to post earlier. Last month, I was still able to see the breeding birds that visit our area getting busy. The Baltimore Oriole at the top of the post is from June 10. The photos below were from two days earlier. I was particularly intrigued by the female oriole finding what looks like the perfect ingredient to add to her nest construction. Suffice it to say that by now, the orioles have gone silent and disappeared from view. They must be busy rearing young.

Going back even earlier, on June 3, there were the Canada Goose families.

Also on the 3rd, I saw this buck crossing the river.

Great Blue Herons have been here and there, but I haven’t seen them too often lately. The one below is monitored by a Common Grackle.

A Barn Swallow will usually show up by the Joliet Avenue bridge, where they nest.

I noticed a Common Grackle looking interested in a turtle.

A Ring-billed Gull flew in and later flew out with something.

I normally refrain from photographing dead creatures, but this scene was so bizarre I couldn’t help myself. The raccoon was on the side of the trail in Riverside Lawn.

On June 8, I found a willing Cedar Waxwing.

On June 10, I also had this Barn Swallow taking a break to preen.

I’ll be back later with a few interesting encounters from June 15, but here’s a brief aside from June 22. I saw and was able to photograph and report a Canada Goose tagged 98H. I submitted my observation and got my Certificate of Appreciation back from the USGS almost immediately, I’m sure thanks to AI. She is a Large Canada Goose who was banded in Brookfield, Illinois on July 7, 2015 when she was still too young to fly. I haven’t seen her since, but I will be interested to see if she shows up again.

The last few days, it was impossible to be outside for very long with the wildfire smoke. I donned a mask while I was outside for just a few minutes. Whatever rain seemed possible, it skipped us and we are still warm and humid although the ground is dry. Maybe the birds have gone more quiet from the heaviness in the air. I have noticed that people are a lot quieter in my neighborhood than in previous, more normal summers. I never thought I’d miss the noise.

Scenes from Riverside

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Lisa Rest

The heat wave has begun. I was contemplating a walk by the river this morning, but at 7:00 AM it was already uncomfortably hot in my backyard, which is always cooler anyway because of all the trees… so I have reluctantly decided to stay inside. The thought of starting the car to drive for a walk seems like adding insult to injury. And, as good as I feel right now, I need to remind myself that I am still recovering from surgery.

So this is the first of a few retrospective posts featuring earlier walks by the Des Plaines River. I’ll start with an Indigo Bunting I found in Swan Pond on May 18.

On May 25, I happened to focus upon a Red-winged Blackbird as he was photo-bombed by a Mourning Dove,

On May 29, I took note of some late Mallard ducklings, two Double-crested Cormorants, and a Ring-billed Gull.

An Osprey also flew over.

And I was drawn to a Common Grackle in iridescence.

A doe calmly stared me down.

The month of June began inauspiciously. From June 1, a Double-crested Cormorant, a well-camouflaged Killdeer, a Song Sparrow and a Least Flycatcher.

I’m skipping ahead to June 22 when Cedar Waxwings were busy catching insects off the river.

I will be back with more selections, seeing as how I have conscripted myself to basically staying indoors these next few days. We are promised the beginning of a cool-down on Friday with forecasts for rain, of course. But I should not complain. I am healing well. I am managing to take care of my indoor birds and get some things done around the house. There are glimmers of promise as my wrist feels better and I turn less blue.

Cedar Waxwings at the Chicago Portage

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Lisa Rest

Although I have seen a Cedar Waxwing here and there over the last couple months, I’m just now starting to see them in numbers as they organize feeding flocks comprised of adults and juveniles. A lot of other species are doing the same sort of thing, but none have been quite so obvious as the waxwings over the last week or so.

These photos are from two visits to the Chicago Portage, August 14 and August 18. While things have been generally quiet and slow, there always seems to be something to look at.

Before I left the house on the 14th, I noticed a Monarch Butterfly on my Joe Pye Weed.

When I got to the Chicago Portage, standing overlooking the bridge closest to Harlem, I noticed a small duckweed-adorned turtle.

American Robins have been less frequent, although I still see a few. They’re congregating elsewhere, but they’ll be back. Here’s a young one I spotted.

The Cedar Waxwings I saw that day were on the young side too. You can tell by the streaked breast.

One field mark often clinches it for me: that yellow tip of the tail.

On the insect-side of things, below, a female Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly, one of several Pearl Crescent Butterflies, and an orb-weaver spider web.

The Indigo Buntings were still singing, if somewhat less enthusiastically.

I caught a glimpse of a White-tailed Deer.

On the woodpecker side of things, a Northern Flicker, a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Downy Woodpecker.

Barn Swallows were flying overhead

On the 18th, when I walked in, I was greeted by a feast of green.

Cedar Waxwings were present, but in distant groups.

Most of the birds were far away in the bare branches of the treetops, like these Northern Flickers.

Two Blue-winged Teal flew in over the water.

And then by the bridge near Harlem again, I found an American Goldfinch…

and one of the Blue-winged Teal.

Here’s another Monarch Butterfly. I hope to keep seeing them, even if they’re only one or two at a time and here and there.

I’ve been swimming elsewhere this week while my pool is receiving its annual cleaning. Meanwhile, the temperature and air quality are heavenly compared to previous weeks, so it’s pleasant enough to go for a walk even if there aren’t a lot of birds to see. It will be more comfortable working in my backyard jungle too.

It was very, very quiet – even quieter than it has been – at the Chicago Portage this morning. Hardly a peep out of anyone, and even fewer birds to see. Sort of reminds me of a too-long intermission when you’re just waiting for the next act.

Here’s a quick summary of this morning’s characters. A sort of post post-script, if you will.

Another Monarch Butterfly capturing my attention

A Northern Flicker and an American Robin

I’ve been to and have plans to visit other places. I’ll be back soon.

Cool and Cloudy at the Portage

Posted on June 8, 2022 by Lisa Rest

In case you didn’t get to meet this Indigo Bunting last year, allow me to introduce Tadziu – I have given him the name that is pasted on the back of the “Bike Path” sign on which he sits in this photograph – as yesterday morning he sat and sang and posed for me. Last year I often saw him singing from the tree that hangs over the entrance to the bridge which facilitates the bike path referred to in this sign. I would also see him sitting on the bridge itself and singing, as well as on the sign. He is the most enthusiastic advocate for a territory I have ever seen.

A snippet of his song is below. I recorded it last week. I realized yesterday that although all Indigo Buntings basically sing the “same” song, it seemed I could distinguish his when he sang it. Or it may just be that I know where to expect to hear him. Either way, he always sings in my presence and we are friends.

Indigo Bunting

Here’s a few more of Tadziu being a ham.

I was very happy to see a male Orchard Oriole, however briefly. I saw another later but did not manage to photograph it. I hope this means they are nesting at the Portage. I have seen them only occasionally every year. But I have to keep reminding myself that the more I go out, likely the more I will see.

Here’s how the Chicago Portage looks now.

I expect to hear Yellow Warblers but I don’t always see them. I waited for this one to emerge because I could hear him quite clearly. If you’re hopping around in the treetops and you’re bright yellow, eventually you will be seen.

Also seen, but silent, was a Downy Woodpecker exploring a beautiful round hole.

Just as I saw a Green Heron perched over the water, it flew and I followed it with the camera, then found it again later where it was sitting.

I walked back along the gravel road by the MWRD for a bit to see what was going on there.

I found a Cedar Waxwing with its back toward me and managed to get it to turn around slightly.

There was a pair of Eastern Kingbirds sallying about for insects.

There’s a lot – a terrible, horrific lot – of Poison Hemlock growing in several spots and it stinks to walk through. One does not have to touch it and I certainly don’t for obvious reasons. But another plant that takes over the wetter areas – Butterweed – is a more welcome sight.

I found this Indigo Bunting in the hemlock of all places.

Another invasive that has been battled for years is Burdock. This tiny, colorful fly looked even tinier on a huge leaf.

Young American Robins are starting to show up on their own while adults keep a watchful eye.

Another view – this of the “island”.

Here are two more photos of the Yellow Warbler who, with Tadziu, brightened up my morning.

We are still cool with lows in the 50’s, which is very comfortable to me, but it looks like temperatures will start to heat up next week. We have been getting some rain, but I wonder how much we will get later. I think we are still making up for last year’s drought. I’ll be back.

More Warblers and Others

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Lisa Rest

This is the last of the fallout warblers from Tuesday morning but I have added a few more to my migration sightings, so I will have to round those up next. I suspect that after feasting most if not all the warblers I encountered on Tuesday resumed their journey to their breeding grounds, with no interruption from the weather to slow them down. And some of the Yellow Warblers will be staying.

There were only a few Black-throated Green Warblers.

Warbling Vireos are abundant but will not be so easy to see once the leaves take over.

The White-breasted Nuthatches have been noticeably quiet, so I can’t count them until I see them.

There was still enough water left in the fluddle for the two Solitary Sandpipers that were hanging out,

Scarlet Tanagers are always noticeable. I have seen them several times this season so I will be back with more captures.

Remember Palm Warblers? I think they are probably all gone but there were still several on Tuesday.

A few more of the last Palm Warblers…

Here’s the female Blackpoll Warbler that Vera identified after it snuck in with the Palms. Thanks, Vera!

A warbler I don’t see very often, a Northern Waterthrush, is a likely bird around the river.

Below is the last Pine Warbler I saw. They were earlier than other species but now are considered late. According to my Sibley app this is a likely first-year female.

Gray Catbirds have been very easy to see this spring. They’ve been quite vocal too.

Finally there’s food for flycatchers.

There were two Eastern Kingbirds sallying for prey from high perches over the river that day.

It was nice to see a couple Cedar Waxwings. While I once say them kiting for insects in large numbers, more likely I will see them congregating in fruiting trees later.

I’m always up for a Blue Jay if it’s sitting still.

I will be back with more warblers and other species as spring migration continues. In a way I am thankful things have slowed down a bit.

Falling Back

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Lisa Rest

Blizzard conditions are keeping me inside and I am tired of winter, so now I have some photographs from last September 16 at the Chicago Portage.

Before I continue, here’s what it looked like yesterday late afternoon in my yard. The birds quickly got over their spring fever and came back to the feeders in the driving snow.

The sun is shining almost too brightly this morning and the freshly-fallen snow is reflecting it. After putting the feeders back out and shoveling the accumulation that was left, I was not eager to go out for a walk in the bitter cold. I will get enough cold tomorrow at the Gull Frolic.

Back in September, there were some fall warblers, like the Nashville Warbler below complementing the Goldenrod.

Even the “regulars” looked better in September.

Cedar Waxwings were all over the pokeberries.

Looking forward to the transformation back into this below.

I was a bit amused by this Red-eyed Vireo who seemed to be contemplating making lunch out of what I think was a spider.

Indigo Buntings below – a female, and then what appears to be a transforming male.

I am curious to see what warbler species will predominate this year. There were a lot of Bay-breasted Warblers last fall.

I can expect to see American Redstarts this spring.

After trying to no avail to convince myself that I should be feeling better, go out, brave the sunshine for a brief walk and maybe swim earlier, something seemed to be pulling me back. A few aches and pains? Maybe, but that hardly ever stops me. I sat down on the futon with some coffee to assess my mood and continue with this post. Then I heard a thud as a Zebra Finch fell out of a hut onto the top of a cage. This is not normal. Birds don’t fall. It was a hen who seems to be unwell and she will likely go quickly. It didn’t take the males long to figure out she was compromised and they tried to take advantage of her. I jumped up to rescue her and scooped her up easily enough by hand as she wasn’t really able to fly. I held her close to my heart for a moment and then put the poor girl in the bottom of the former budgie cage which is a smaller space for her to rest in peace, so to speak. Maybe my lack of resolve this morning was a response to her waning energy. Whatever it is, I was glad to save her from torture in her last hours. She has since left the cage but is defending herself against assault: I will keep my eye on her. My coffee is getting cold.

Two Days of Retirement

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Lisa Rest

To celebrate August 31st being my last official day of work, I went to the Portage two mornings in a row, to look for the first signs of fall migration. I didn’t see an awful lot of species on either visit, but there were some nice looks. Best of all was feeling really free to take my time and not worry about checking my work email. I still have to get used to waking up in the dark, though, because I have walks to lead every Saturday in September and October.

Of course the obvious draw this time of year is the fall warblers passing through on their way south from their breeding grounds in the north. I didn’t see a lot of species and missed a couple, but so far I have seen a few warblers each day. They behave differently on their way back to their wintering grounds. They are not foraging in flocks and they are in less of a hurry. So while they may be harder to spot at times, it’s easier to concentrate on one bird at a time. Below are a couple American Redstarts.

I felt lucky to find this Bay Breasted Warbler in my photographs.

Magnolia Warbler, also at the head of this post

One of my favorites, a Chestnut-Sided Warbler, was being rather coy.

Not a warbler, but a nice to see Red-Eyed Vireo both days. The bottom photograph was taken the second day when the Vireo was eating poke berries with the Cedar Waxwings.

Thursday morning I managed to capture enough photographs of the Orange-Crowned Warbler below to justify my claim that I had seen one, since it’s very early for this species.

I just barely captured this Nashville Warbler.

Wednesday was cloudy.

Large flocks of Cedar Waxwings were present on both days.

Some closer views of the Waxwings Thursday, when they were busy eating poke berries.

Below is a beautiful wasp’s nest. I have a slightly smaller one in my crabapple tree this year as well…

Something else that I had a lot of in my yard before I removed nearly all of it, below, is Common Beggar Ticks which is native, and an annual – but doesn’t bloom until now.

On the first day I did manage to capture the Swainson’s Thrush below. I also saw a Wood Thrush but that photograph isn’t presentable.

Robins are looking scruffy this time of year. Most of them are juveniles.

When I first walked in on Thursday, there was a deer at the end of the paved path, and then a Cooper’s Hawk with prey landed in a tree above me, but I didn’t see what it had captured.

Unfortunately this Ruby-Throated Hummingbird was completely backlit in bright sunshine but it was still nice to see it perch right in front of me.

There were still a couple Indigo Buntings around.

For once, there were more than one or two Monarch Butterflies. I realize this is probably the last I will see of them but it was nice while it lasted.

Below is a Chipmunk foraging in a tree.

A few scenes of the Portage and one quick look at the Des Plaines River where not much is happening at the moment.

Black-capped Chickadees are around all year but I don’t always see them. Sometimes I don’t even hear them. This one didn’t mind being seen or heard.

I am trying to navigate this new feeling of almost endlessness. Well, it doesn’t last for long. There is much to do, but less of a feeling of urgency or hopelessness as my work duties have all but vanished. I have agreed to remain with the firm as an independent contractor to help out with various projects while they still try to find and train my replacement. My stipulation was to assume any given morning with nice weather would be off limits for my attention as I will likely be out looking for birds somewhere.

Cloudy Days and the Christmas Bird Count

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Lisa Rest

I participated in the Christmas Bird Count on December 19th. It was a cloudy, cool day. Not great for photographs, or for a lot of birds either, at least where I was, but it was good to see more people participating. I took both cameras with me, not knowing what I expected to do with either one of them.

If I start thinking about how long it has taken me to get back to finishing this post I won’t do it, so strike that thought and keep going. Below is a look at how the Fox River looked that morning.

I started out with the mirrorless and managed to get a rather nice view of this Red-bellied Woodpecker. Actually all the bird pictures in this post were taken with the little camera. I didn’t have to fuss around with adjusting for no light as much.

At some point we had stopped to listen for birds and saw this amazing honeycomb hanging from a tree.

We had Downy Woodpeckers (below) and a Hairy as well.

It was almost not worth taking these photos of flying geese but you can appreciate just how dark and gloomy it was.

Learning more tree bark – this is a cherry tree, which the person who identified it said it looks like “potato chips.” I guess.

The fungus on this tree looks like a staircase to me.

The Cedar Waxwings were the most cheerful sight.

It’s hard to motivate myself to do anything beyond the have-to’s, these days. In particular, after the coup attempt – which is hard not to take personally – as much as I want to continue hoping I can exude a positive vibe that will land somewhere it’s needed, it’s hard to fight sheer exhaustion. But this comes and goes in waves. It’s been cold and gloomy too, which does not help. Time to get up and do something! I need to play some piano every day for the birds. Music is life.

I’m adding this White-Breasted Nuthatch that somehow didn’t make it into a Portage post of October pictures. Another mirrorless capture.

I’m not making any promises about when I’ll be back, but sooner or later I’m sure I will. It’s been confusing to be anywhere lately. Everything has a veneer of unreality to it. Maybe it’s just time to start asking the old questions again, even if we still can’t answer them.

Finally, Pine Siskins

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Lisa Rest

After reading about the irruption of Pine Siskins for weeks, I kept wondering how I could have possibly missed seeing them. The species showed up in my yard for the first time in January of this year and I fondly remembered their cheery presence. I thought I might have seen one or two last week but I couldn’t be sure, and had to discount it as wishful thinking. Then last Sunday morning as I stood on the back porch, there they were. Only two of them, but they were all I needed to restore my faith in something. They didn’t stay long. Maybe they were playing hooky from some large flock somewhere.

The House Sparrows outnumber everybody else, of course.

Last Saturday was the first time I dared go out with my usual camera setup. The camera weighs two pounds and the lens is another three and a half. It doesn’t sound like a lot of weight but it’s dense and massive. Then there’s the issue of adjusting the focus with my left hand. My fingers are still slightly swollen and stiff, and I can’t maneuver entirely without pain. But I am in the painful stage of physical therapy now so I may as well enjoy my suffering and take pictures.

I had come to see if there were Sandhill Cranes – and there were, a few – but the skies were dominated by Canada Geese. Unfortunately the owners of the surrounding farms were hunting them. I didn’t see any fall from the sky but I wasn’t looking either, it was bad enough to hear the gunshots. Something else to think about when I visit this place in the fall.

Some flora caught my eye.

The first two birds I saw on the trail going in were Cedar Waxwings.

It was nice to see this young White-crowned Sparrow.

So there were some Sandhills. I won’t be able to get back up there this year to see hundreds or thousands that sometimes come through, but I did have a good time talking with a crane enthusiast who visits there a lot and knows their habits. He said he was waiting for a big push of cold weather from Wisconsin and that would bring down a lot of cranes. He is hoping to see a Whooping Crane this year.

Not a lot of land birds but it was a beautiful morning. I was surprised to see the Blue Jay arrive and announce himself, and pose for a couple pictures.

I always see Crows here and that makes me happy.

Below are the last pictures I took the previous Saturday morning at the Portage, with the mirrorless camera. It takes nice photographs, but I haven’t figured out how to get it to focus all the time.

So I was frustrated when I saw the Blue-headed Vireo below so well, but I couldn’t get the camera to see it as clearly as I did.

My closest shot of one of the Sandhills from Goose Lake Natural Area…

Between work, physical therapy, waking up to this, that, or the other pain, trying not to let the news cycle interrupt a deeper thought process, there have been moments of peace and flashes of contentment, even a little creativity. I have missed seeing more birds and autumn color. This is usually my favorite time of year. I am looking forward to setting the clocks back so there will be more light in the morning. My indoor birds are good sports. They are helping me write a song about looking for an answer to a question I haven’t figured out yet.

Goldbird Variations

Why Birds Sing in Key with Music, or how I finally put perfect pitch to use.

Tag Archives: Cedar Waxwing