Tag Archives: Eastern Bluebird

Signs of Spring

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I’d been trying to come up with another post, but as luck would have it, this morning’s brief walk in cloudy gloom by the Des Plaines River produced a few nice little surprises which, when combined with the birds I saw on Friday morning, make up this one.

There have been a pair of Canada Geese that like to stand on the wall by the Hofmann Tower for ages, and today they were joined by two more. But as I started to walk, there were only a few Mallards in the river.

i had been expecting to see waterfowl this morning, but the land birds surprised me instead. A few other things were on my mind too, like memorizing the lyrics to Christopher Tin’s “Baba Yetu” while walking. I could sing softly and try to get the Swahili to roll off my tongue in time for Wednesday’s choir rehearsal. On the paved trail, as I was coming to the bend in the river, a couple Eastern Bluebirds came to greet me. The first one flew in and held his ground even as another human came up behind me as I tried to focus the camera in gloomy light. I can only wonder if my singing had anything to do with it, because these Bluebirds were downright friendly. By that time, I was no longer singing, but praising them as they sat for the camera.

When I got to the swinging bridge, there were hardly any birds in the water, but flocks of geese were in the air.

In Riverside Lawn, I might have sung for a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

And its frequent sidekick, a White-breasted Nuthatch…

There were a couple Brown Creepers flitting about, but they were hard to capture.

The last bird to check me out was a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Friday was a different story. Most of the birds were on the water or in the air. Standing on the swinging bridge, I got some close photos of Red-breasted Mergansers I had been seeing but only at a distance.

Farther north from the swinging bridge there were a lot of what looked to be mostly Common Goldeneye. Next time if I see that many birds in the water, I think I’ll try walking a little farther.

There was nothing worth photographing in Riverside Lawn on Friday. The trail was still muddy from melting snow and ice, but the parking lot puddles I usually wash off my boots in were dried up, so I walked down to the river’s edge to wash my boots and as I stood in the water, a couple small flocks of Sandhill Cranes flew in the distance.

My thanks goes to the Bluebirds for giving me something cheery to write about, a change from the cold and snow. We have warmed up a bit, but the forecast for the next couple of days is for rain and possibly some wet snow, so maybe I will get back to those birds from the last week or two and it won’t seem too out of context.

Sunny December Days in Riverside

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Even though the rain had pretty much subsided after last night, it was still hanging in the air, making all day chilly, cloudy, and I had planned a few household chores this morning, so I did not go for a walk. I did manage my last swim of 2023, though. Anyway, it’s nice to look back to earlier days in December when there was some sunshine. Here are a few photos from December 8, 11 and 13.

The Des Plaines River on 12/8, looking south from the Hofmann Tower

I first saw three Canada Geese standing on the wall near the Joliet Avenue Bridge. Then a bit later I saw 26N, a male banded on 7/14/2016.

And there were some Rock Pigeons atop the Hofmann Tower. Nothing new there.

On the 11th I saw 26N again with 54H, a female banded 7/7/2015.

I’ve seen American Robins off and on all winter here and there, but I have not always had an opportunity to photograph them.

A Blue Jay was enjoying the bright sunshine.

Dark-eyed Juncos were made more interesting by their surroundings.

But on that day when I approached the turn in the river, where I normally look forward to crossing the swinging bridge and walking through Riverside Lawn, a crew was busy sawing and burning trees and vegetation around the telephone pole that has been designated a future Osprey nest.

So I went back along the paved trail and crossed the Joliet Avenue bridge to walk into Riverside Lawn at the other end for a while, staying clear of the destruction. I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker…

a White-breasted Nuthatch…

and a White-throated Sparrow.

On the 13th, there was an abundance of more bright sunshine. Below is the same view of the Des Plaines River as the one above, and another look across the river at the continuing clearing.

An American Robin or two caught my eye.

And a Downy Woodpecker was foraging low.

But the biggest surprise was seeing an Eastern Bluebird. It wasn’t particularly close to it, but I managed to get a few photos before it took off. Actually as I look at these photos, I think there were two individuals, with the first three photos of a female and the male in the last photograph.

I took this view of the Riverside Lawn trail below, suspecting it might be the last time I see it after all the clearing is done.

Four Mallards took off, heading upstream.

And here’s one more of the Dark-eyed Junco at the top of the post.

The calendar has messed up my swimming routine, and the weather has interfered with the walking one. I have gotten out of bed every morning not knowing exactly what to look forward to. Just playing it by ear. A little snow is promised for New Year’s Eve. That might be nice for a change.

I wish you a peaceful New Year. I hope to be back to this page soon…in 2024.

Riverside Lately

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As fall migration has waned and winter’s grip descends, searching for birds takes on a different cadence. Maybe in the cold you could use to walk a little faster, but then you might miss that brief view of the only bird you will have seen for the last five minutes.

These photos are from three walks along the Des Plaines River on November 9, 11 and 14. The 14th was the only morning with a little sunshine, so those gray skies are quite real. The 9th was the last time I saw the Great Blue Heron and not all that well.

Mallards predominate, predictably. The drakes’ deep green heads gleam in sunshine. Or even in cloud cover.

There were two Red-bellied Woodpeckers interacting on the 9th and one showed off its red belly.

This is the Des Plaines River looking north from the Joliet Avenue bridge, with a low water level, framed in the filigree of tree branches that have lost their leaves.

I guess the Golden-crowned Kinglets were easier to see without leaves in the way.

It’s also deer season again.

Dark-eyed Juncos are abundant but not always easy to photograph, especially being gray birds on gray days.

Of course there are plenty of Canada Geese too. This group must have attracted my attention as they stood in the river looking as if they were trying to figure out where to go next. I also liked the lone goose taking a one-footed nap with one eye open on me.

Here’s a sunnier look to the south from the Joliet Avenue bridge.

After crossing the foot bridge on Monday the 14th, I caught a brief look at a Carolina Wren.

I also had a Song Sparrow perched for a moment.

American Goldfinches are still busy eating all they can before they start relying on my backyard feeders. I look forward to them giving the House Sparrows a little competition.

I was surprised to see an Eastern Bluebird on the Riverside Lawn side. I don’t know why I can’t decide on just one photo. Probably because I took too many of them.

Here’s what the trail looked like on Monday. Not quite barren yet. And I have passed by that fallen log a million times without looking at it very closely. I suppose with less distraction the landmarks will become more evident.

I have chosen to stay in this morning. There may be a light freezing drizzle. The previously predicted snow is not exactly happening, now described as a “wintry mix.” I’ll go for a swim midday when I perceive the pool to be less crowded. Then I need to practice the line dance before tonight’s choir rehearsal. It’s just one of those days. I’ll get back to wandering around with the camera tomorrow.

Around Riverside

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I heard the Osprey first on Monday morning, as I was halfway across the footbridge. It was squealing with delight, I suspect, as it tore apart its fish catch. I looked up and found the juvenile Osprey perched in a tree overlooking the river. I took several photographs until two women crossing the bridge flushed the Osprey. I missed its take-off because I was looking at the women, one of whom said, “Sorry.”

But I did manage to capture the Osprey flying with its catch in search of a place to continue breakfast. It landed in a different tree on the other side of the bridge where it was farther away and backlit.

It’s late for these birds to still be around so the sighting was rare. I just wonder how this one managed to find a fish with the river so low.

Here’s how the Des Plaines River looked on Monday facing north from the Joliet Avenue bridge.

And here’s what the river looked like looking south from the Hofmann Tower. That’s a Great Blue Heron standing on the exposed tree trunk.

When I walked the paved path along the river in Riverside, I saw two Eastern Bluebirds.

I didn’t see a lot of species but it was a lovely day. A few Ruby-crowned Kinglets were still around.

This Northern Cardinal was trying to hide but with the leaves gone it’s a bit harder.

Seeing more Mallards like this one, lately, standing up in the middle of the river.

Here’s what happened to one of those carved pumpkins from a couple weeks ago.

Here’s one more of the Osprey with its right foot securing its catch.

The Rock Pigeons are back roosting on the Hofmann Tower

Later that evening I was playing piano and noticed the moon shining through the living room windows. I grabbed my camera to take a photo or two. I found out last night at choir rehearsal from one of my sister altos that much later there had been a lunar eclipse. I was sorry I was unaware of it and missed it – maybe blame it on the midterm elections dominating the news cycle – but I don’t think I would have been inclined to get up at 2:00 in the morning to see it anyway. I will now have to wait until March 13, 2025.

We had a shorter rehearsal after our efforts on Choir Sunday, and then several of us stayed to practice a line dance we will perform on November 20 when we join the children’s choir known as the Chalice Singers. I took a video of the moves so I can practice, but I don’t know where in the house I will do so as I don’t have that much floor space. Not to mention it would drive the birds a little nuts if i practiced in their domain. Maybe the basement…

I have lots more to catch up on now that things have slowed down a bit outside. Today marks the last of our flirtation with summer temperatures as we will plunge into a comparative deep freeze by Saturday. I’ll be back.

Feeling Warmer in the Sun

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I went to the Chicago Portage on Monday morning, the last time we had full sunshine, and I met a lot of birds and some people too. It was cold, but the sunshine gave a little bit more than the illusion of warmth. In all it was good to go slowly and watch the birds, but I took way too many photographs. I wonder how I will manage to get through warbler migration at this rate.

After stopping and talking to some people on the trail and mentioning that Golden-crowned Kinglets had started showing up when they asked me if there was anything new, I encountered about half a dozen of the birds and managed to capture one who volunteered for a lot of clicks.

It was almost worth it to memorialize the blue sky background.

Somewhere next to the trail by some spindly young hackberry trees I saw this very thorny plant that had the only green leaves in the entire preserve. I am not familiar with this at all. I welcome identification from any botanists out there.

I kept waiting for this Northern Flicker to fly so I might capture its golden shafts but it was definitely not going anywhere.

I never know when I will see a pair of Northern Cardinals. In this case I think she was waiting for him.

I spent the longest time behind this bird photographing it without identifying it. Backlit and alone on the path in front of me, it seemed unfamiliar. I have now decided it’s a Brown-headed Cowbird. I think I have never seen one in the cold before – in other words, it was so fluffed up I couldn’t recognize it.

There are a few American Goldfinches at the Portage. Here’s one, early on in my walk, looking rather cold.

If you stood in the right spot on the trail where I suspect asphalt will be going in, it was possible to see American Tree Sparrows everywhere. At some point one sat and started singing, and I tried to record him over a lot of noise. I did manage to get a couple recordings, as faint as they are, and they are below this photograph. I heard one singing earlier this year and compared it to the recording on my Sibley cell phone app which was made in Alaska, where they breed.

I did manage to take too many pictures of American Tree Sparrows fading into their surroundings.

I almost forgot, a Killdeer landed in the marsh and this was the best I could do through the vegetation.

I was delighted to find a Fox Sparrow in my photographs. I don’t remember taking these pictures. My camera remembered well, though.

I couldn’t help but notice the duckweed staging a comeback.

Messing around in the marshy area were a few female Red-winged Blackbirds.

And I was taken with this pretty little Song Sparrow.

On the way out, I saw the pair of Eastern Bluebirds again, only this time there was better light. They were quite far away for the most part but I tried to at least capture some of that blue.

The closer photos were of the female who is drabber in plumage but I think she is lovely nonetheless.

Perhaps the birds of the day were the American Tree Sparrows. I suspect that with the warmer winds we are now experiencing, they will be moving up north and this could have been the last time to see them.

I was going to add some photographs from March 15 – but other than the fact that it was not a sunny day, which clashes with the theme, this seems like quite enough for now. It’s rainy today and we have one more rainy day tomorrow, so I am going to try to finish taking care of some things that I keep putting off and I will be back as soon as I can get it together.

One more of the Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Sunshine Returns

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It’s very cold today and it looks like tomorrow will be the same – below freezing in the morning – but the sun is shining and it’s not too windy, so that makes up for almost everything. I haven’t put my long underwear away quite yet. And it was good to be wearing more substantial boots this morning as they are warmer than the hikers.

The view from the bridge
The shallow water is a bit frozen

Things started out pretty slow with a couple Song Sparrows on the trail. There were a few Northern Cardinals behind too many branches to bother with.

When I approached the marshy area on the other side of the second bridge, which is the path that has been marked by the surveyor, I saw a lot of American Tree Sparrows – at least 20 – and that also seemed to be where the Red-winged Blackbirds were hanging out too. I concentrated on the sparrows.

On my way back heading out, I saw a pair of Eastern Bluebirds.

They were nearly too far away to photograph but I kept trying and took too many photos.

That was about it for this morning, save a pair of Canada Geese in the icy water.

By contrast, ten days earlier there was less light. Here are some leftovers from March 17. It was the last time I saw the Lesser Scaup.

I had a Brown Creeper that morning. I’m surprised the camera picked it up at all, it blended in so well.

I also had a very cooperative Black-capped Chickadee.

I got lucky with this Dark-eyed Junco who almost seems to be smiling.

No Mallards today, but I had a shiny drake on the 17th.

I will likely go back to the Portage again tomorrow to see if there are any changes. I had the place all to myself save one man who was walking and talking on his cell phone. I would like to think that no matter how many improvements they make, the Chicago Portage will still be an escape-to place and I won’t have to travel too far from my backyard.

Two Visits to Riverside

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My mother always used to call March the Adolescent Month. She must have been referring to the weather. It’s as if it is on the cusp of indecision – stay in winter or grow up into spring.

I went to Riverside on March 2 which was on the beginning of a brief warm front, and then back again on March 9. On the first visit it wasn’t particularly warm in the morning, but the winds were blowing from the south. I saw the Eastern Bluebird briefly.

There’s nearly always a Black-capped Chickadee somewhere. This one was close enough to photograph.

The sky wasn’t too encouraging.

This Blue Jay tolerated me long enough to focus on those few parts of him that weren’t obscured.

The Des Plaines River is flowing again.

Waterfowl are here and there now, the large groups of Canada Geese and Mallards have dispersed. Below is a female Common Merganser.

With the strong shift in winds from the south, Sandhill Cranes were taking advantage of a free ride. I saw the larger flock when I came back to my car in the health club parking lot after swimming the same day.

When I went back on March 9, the skies were clearer but the temperature was colder.

This Red-bellied Woodpecker was showing off against the blue sky background.

I took note of a River Birch tree. There are several on the Riverside side by the paved trail. The bark fascinates me. They are logical trees for a flood plain.

The foot bridge was clear and clean-looking that day.

Here’s another Red-bellied Woodpecker on the Riverside Lawn side of the river.

My biggest treat this past Wednesday was the Song Sparrow singing, below. It took me a little while to locate him but he was facing me, singing away, when I did. After taking his picture and recording his song, he starting singing a different song, which I also recorded. You can hear both songs below the photographs. I have never witnessed this before. I know Song Sparrows have a reputation for singing a lot of songs but I don’t believe I have never heard the same bird sing two distinct songs. It’s as if he knew he had a good audience. It also reminds me of the Shanahan New Yorker cartoon below, which is my favorite cartoon as it seems to sum up my life.

Song Sparrow – First Song
Song Sparrow – Second Song

Mr. and Ms. Mallard were elegant on the water.

The clear blue sky provided a perfect backdrop for an adult Bald Eagle as well.

When I got back to my parking spot I was greeted by a Canada Goose standing on one foot.

But before I could get into my car, two Red-tailed Hawks started flying over, showing off. I didn’t manage to get them both in the same frame but a small sampling of the many photographs I took is below.

The last and most distant capture was of this hawk’s back against the sun.

Spring continues to push forward. We had some snow last night but it was a minimal accumulation. Even though it’s quite cold, the sun has by now removed all the snow from the sidewalks. As much as I am tempted to wonder what is the meaning of life these days, it seems to make as much sense, if not more, to just take note of as much of it as I can.

Riverside in Real Time

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Who needs sunshine? I went for a walk this morning in Riverside. Of course the sun came out after I got back home, but it was considerably warmer than it has been, not too windy, not raining, not snowing…if anything, melting ice was the only weather effect I had to deal with.

My first bird was actually in Lyons by the Hofmann Tower, a Northern Cardinal singing his heart out. There’s a recording of his song below the photo.

Here’s how the river looked from the Lyons spot. No ice left.

Over on the other side of the bridge there were three Common Mergansers. I tried to get a halfway decent shot of the hen sitting on a rock before they started swimming downstream.

I finished crossing the Joliet Avenue bridge and got over to the paved path which was primarily clear, save a few deceptive patches of black ice to watch out for. There I encountered a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos but could not photograph any of them. However, the male Eastern Bluebird at the top of the post and below. I have seen him here before. He came and sat for me, proclaiming his territory. I look forward to seeing a lot more of him in the warmer months.

Looking across the river I focused on two tree stumps that looked like raptors sitting – but weren’t.

Of course there were Mallards but without much light it was hard to find a reason to photograph them, except for the beautiful feather patterns on the backs of these birds.

On my way to the foot bridge I noticed the gargoyle atop the library entrance.

I took the obligatory photographs of the foot bridge.

There were no birds to photograph over on the Riverside Lawn side of the river, but there was a lot of melting ice. I proceeded slowly.

So other than a couple more standard views, the river and the tower, I am done for the moment but I wanted to honor the appearance of the Eastern Bluebird and the song of the Northern Cardinal as the promise of spring continues.

It was good to get out for a walk and, weather permitting, I intend to continue doing so…while attending to the backlog.

Riverside Wildlife

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I encounter a suitable number of people walking their dogs on the Riverside trails and lately the dogs have drawn my attention to other wildlife through their people. Last week I met a woman whose dog seemed interested in something off the path … which turned out to be the beaver below. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a clearer shot but it was wonderful to see.

Before that on November 29 which I think might have been the first time I took the mirrorless camera with me, I noticed a man standing with his two dogs on the foot bridge, looking at something. It turned out to be a relaxed Coyote lolling on what is a temporary beach on the other side of the river.

That cloudy morning at the end of November made for a beautiful sunrise, such as I saw it far away from the lake over the tops of houses.

I have seen this Eastern Bluebird a few times, just off the paved path, and managed some photos on the 29th (first below) and then again in better light with the old Canon lens last week (second group below). Either way, I have been excited to see this bird so often, gives me hope to see more in the spring.

A Yellow-rumped Warbler and the Eastern Bluebird

Those indefatigable Mallards make excellent use of the low water levels in the river.

Along with the photograph at the top of the post, here are some more of the two Downy Woodpeckers I encountered on December 8 as they were foraging peacefully together and then not so peacefully.

Fungus, unusual tree bark and uprooted trees intrigue me.

Another one of those ground-feeding Dark-eyed Juncos.

It was still quite chilly on the 8th, enough for some small ice formations in the river.

A Downy Woodpecker and a Fox Squirrel from 11-29.

A female Northern Cardinal, fluffed up against the cold.

A barely visible White-breasted Nuthatch…

Hofmann Tower through the trees…

As luck would have it, I am stuck inside on this beautiful Sunday morning when I had intended to go out for an early walk, but because my repaired lens is on a FedEx truck somewhere “out for delivery” I have to sit here and wait for its arrival “by end of day.” After all this, I don’t dare take the chance to sign indirectly for it and have it left on the front porch.

Yesterday I was going to have my trees trimmed, but due to gale force winds of 45-50 mph which kept knocking over one of my empty rain barrels even though I had put several weights on top of it to keep it stable, the tree trimming has been postponed until tomorrow morning, so that will be one more good birding morning spent inside. You are right to question why I am writing about this when I could be having Real Problems.

It will be great to get my many trees trimmed after I put it off for so long, they need it badly. And as I sit here hanging out with my indoor crowd, I’m thinking I have a lot to be thankful for and a couple days missed in the wilds of suburbia are not forever. … By now you are probably praying for me to go back out and take enough pictures to keep me silently slaving over them. I hope you are safe and well, wherever you are, and cheerfully caught up in holiday distractions.

Looking Back to Spring Forward

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I started writing this post to coincide with setting the clocks forward, and now it’s taken me over another week to get back to it. But when considering all the photographs were taken a year and a month ago – on April 19th, 2020, to be exact – and I never got a chance to finish processing them until now, it’s taken even longer! I hope it’s kind of a sneak preview of what to expect in the coming days and weeks as spring unfolds at the Portage.

One of my first encounters was a pair of Downy Woodpeckers exhibiting their exuberant version of courtship behavior. At first I thought they were arguing! I have never witnessed this before so I’m glad I was able to capture it. If you click on the right panel and keep going you can see the sequence.

It appears I had way too many photographs from this excursion which might explain why I never managed to post them. Still it’s nice to revisit them, like the female Northern Cardinal below.

Below, often the first warbler to visit, a Myrtle Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

Surprised to find this photograph in the mix – likely my first sighting of an Eastern Bluebird last year.

An Eastern Phoebe, dreaming of flying insects, perhaps.

Another Downy Woodpecker.

Song Sparrows…

Red-winged Blackbirds…

I don’t think there’s enough water on site anymore to attract herons, but there is plenty nearby so I should still see them flying over on occasion.

A Northern Flicker showing just a little of its golden shafts.

There were two Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers on this tree and one flew away.

A Black-capped Chickadee showing off.

  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
A singular turtle…

An assortment of early fungus, moss and flora.

A singing American Robin

Here’s a Golden-Crowned Kinglet – unfortunately the lighting didn’t do its colors justice.

This Brown-headed Cowbird was foraging on the ground.

Canada Geese and the clouds…

  • Chipping Sparrow

Robins often seem like they want to engage in a conversation.

A Wood Duck drake in a tree. I remember trying to get this shot after I saw him land, with a lot of branches between us.

Mallards…

Blue-winged Teal…

So the Portage will still be slowly coming to life, but we’re warming up, the days are getting longer and migration has begun. Springing forward with hope.