It’s been pretty quiet at the Chicago Portage lately, but that’s not surprising.
On August 5, I first noticed an Eastern Kingbird flying off with a cicada.
A Blue Jay was in flight too. Looks like it was on the cloudy side.
American Goldfinches still like hanging out in the duckweed.
Butterflies and dragonflies are having a good time, I think.
Normally Gray Catbirds are quite elusive, but this one wanted to do a photo shoot.
Back down on the ground, I saw an interesting caterpillar.
Sort of along the same color scheme, a turtle covered in duckweed stuck its head up from its shell.
I found a young Northern House Wren.
And I caught a very brief view of a Muskrat.
I had a singing Indigo Bunting, for good measure.
Hackberry Emperor butterflies seem to like bridges and walls.
I was taking not great photos of a young Northern Flicker at a distance, when it suddenly left, upside down.
Two days later, on August 7, things were even a bit quieter. I focused on a bee checking out the prairie coneflowers.
And I found a Pearl Crescent Butterfly.
A Blue Jay looked pensive and very blue behind the leaves.
Then, an Osprey flew over, carrying a strange-looking object. It doesn’t appear to be prey, but perhaps nesting material. But who’s nesting in August?
A short while later, another Osprey came flying through with a branch. I’ll never know. I think it might be nest repair, after the kids fledged and tore it up. Getting it ready for next year?
I found a juvenile European Starling and a female Red-winged Blackbird.
A juvenile American Robin flew at a distance.
Here are two Indigo Buntings, a female or more likely an immature bird, and a male.
And an Eastern Comma Butterfly for good measure.
I still have to make more room on the hard drive so I will try to be back again sooner. A new wave of extreme heat and subsequent rain should make that even more possible.
