Tag Archives: Great Egret

Looking Back a Bit

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I had to make room for some photos from yesterday, so I am skipping back a bit to early October in Riverside before I banish these photos to external storage, which in the long run is likely nothing more than another type of clutter. But when you can’t see it piled up it’s easier to ignore. And some of these photos seemed just too pleasing to look at before I send them off to organized oblivion.

On October 1, it was still common to see Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons on the river.

A Bald Eagle was sitting perched south of the swinging bridge.

In Riverside Lawn, I found a Carolina Wren

A couple White-throated Sparrows emerged from the leaves.

And not surprisingly, I saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Perhaps the surprise was actually seeing its yellow rump.

I caught glimpses of a Black-throated Green Warbler.

It has been a good year to see Chestnut-sided Warblers.

I found a Tennessee Warbler as well.

And another Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Two days later, it was more of the same, but somewhat different. A Killdeer was bathing on the rocks by the no longer existent dam.

A Great Blue Heron was stretching by the wall.

I saw a Blue-headed Vireo that morning.

I also got some decent looks at a Northern Parula.

A Great Egret was still in the reflection of the water.

A Red-tailed Hawk flew in by the bridge and landed on a favorite raptor perch

In Riverside Lawn, I saw this Magnolia Warbler, which is also at the top of the post.

I got several looks at a Nashville Warbler.

And I found a Blackpoll Warbler as well.

I had an engaged Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

And a second Great Blue Heron gave me the eye.

After a very pleasant little warmup the last two days, the weather has returned to more seasonal temperatures. The leaves are falling off the trees at a more rapid rate, and winds are blowing from the north. I tried to stay out longer with hopes of catching some Sandhill Cranes migrating, but in spite of the sunshine, it was simply too chilly. It was a good day for baking another loaf of banana bread. I’ll be back soon with some more recent sightings.

Following the River

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I haven’t seen an Osprey lately, which makes me wonder if they have left. Despite the fact that it still feels like summer around here, the days are getting shorter and migrating birds have schedules to meet, even in confusing weather. While I have been obsessed with the short spurt of warbler migration we have had the past couple weeks, I am taking a little break from those sightings with this post from September 12 near Riverside.

I first saw a Great Egret dancing across from the Hofmann Tower, near the wall left by the old dam. The river has been getting lower and lower, and the forecast for rain over the next ten days is nearly nonexistent.

Also that day, I spotted a Killdeer on the rocks.

I took one more look at the Great Egret before I crossed the street to walk along the river.

On the paved trail, I took note of a spider web and a Monarch Butterfly on boneset

A Great Blue Heron was fishing nearby.

A Common Grackle stood out from his perch.

I encountered another Great Egret in the river.

And then, the Osprey came looking for a meal.

I took several shots as the Osprey soared backlit against the clouds, but I am publishing just these two. The one below marks that incredible 63-inch wing span.

Crossing the swinging bridge, I took the view gazing north around the bend in the river.

There’s always a Mourning Dove or two by the swinging bridge, but that day there were several.

In Riverside Lawn, I saw a Gray-cheeked Thrush.

A Chipmunk also posed for me.

And a flower I did not recognize – it may be a Wingstem. The leaf looks particularly unusual.

Without anything else of note happening in Riverside Lawn, I was back at the Hofmann Tower, talking to my friend Gregory who sometimes fishes there, when first I saw a juvenile Great Blue Heron.

And then, the Osprey came in for some wonderful acrobatics. This time, the light was perfect. Unfortunately for the Osprey, as much as I appreciated the show, there was nothing for it to catch.

I have seen an Osprey on the river once or twice since, but this one day when little else was happening was a real treat and I wanted to share it with you before I return to confusing fall warblers. I will be back in Riverside tomorrow morning, as much as I dread seeing the river as it ebbs even lower. Some people mention they have never seen it this low. At home, I am grateful for my rain barrels which allow me to water my chiles and refill the birdbaths two or three times a day.

Great Egrets on the Des Plaines

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I had two days on the Des Plaines River last week with a lot of Great Egret action. First, on August 29, I counted a total of 23 Great Egrets. There were 19 south of the Hofmann Tower and I found 4 more fishing along the river as I walked. It wasn’t possible to get all 19 of the first group in a decent photograph, but here’s a look at 8 of them at once.

A Great Blue Heron was also present.

But the Egrets stole the show.

There were also a couple Mallards and a Mourning Dove.

This Great Egret flew over me.

An Osprey was hunting on the river that day, too.

On my way out of Riverside Lawn where not much was happening, I saw a Swainson’s Thrush.

Two days later on the 31st, Egrets were still present, but there were fewer of them. There’s also a Great Blue Heron farthest left in the tree shot below.

By the Hofmann Tower, one Great Egret was closer.

I noticed a lone turtle.

Then a Great Egret came flying down the river.

As I walked along the paved trail in Riverside, a Northern Flicker caught my eye and I had some unusual views.

I found only one Cedar Waxwing perched pretty far away.

A juvenile Song Sparrow caught my eye.

Back on the River, a Double-crested Cormorant took off.

A group of six young-looking Mallards were still together. I think I recall them as ducklings.

A Great Egret north of the swinging bridge struck a pose, and then started flying around.

For butterflies, I saw a Cabbage White and Pearl Crescent.

Here’s one more Great Egret flying by…

Fall warblers have begun showing up a bit more regularly the last few days. I will try to be back soon with photos of some of them. Tomorrow morning, Henry will be leading his first walk of the season in Columbus Park, and I suspect there will be many more birds to see. I will be trying to get my lens on them. There are still a lot of leaves on the trees, but it will be less windy than it was today.

What’s Up, McGinnis?

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I’ve been to McGinnis Slough only twice this season, once on June 15 and then more recently on August 22.

On June 15, the story was swallows and Wood Ducks. There were a few Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. It was a day for the breeding passerines as well, with Red-winged Blackbirds and Baltimore Orioles.

Great Blue Herons

Northern Rough-winged Swallows were busy catching insects, I suspect to feed offspring planted in a spot of dirt on the lawn. There were also some Tree Swallows like the one at the top of the post.

A Great Egret was busy preening all those plumes.

I’ve had luck all season with flying Killdeer.

Wood Ducks were present in their favorite spot, which was reassuring.

A Great Egret was hanging out with the Wood Ducks, and a Great Blue Heron flew out over the marsh.

An Eastern Kingbird looked pensive.

And a female Red-winged Blackbird gave me a piece of her mind.

A male Baltimore Oriole was not shy.

I followed this Great Egret’s decision to change locations.

On August 22 which was last Friday, I decided to visit the slough before I took my last swim in the Orland Park pool. Now two months later, the story was an interesting moth, enthusiastic dragonflies and swamp rose mallow. Only Blue-WInged Teal and Mallards were close enough to photograph. There were a lot of Great Egrets and a few Great Blue Herons, but they were too far away.

The first creature I paid attention to was a Clover Looper Moth. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before.

The Swamp Rose Mallow gets me every time.

Five Blue-winged Teal flew in and around, and stayed briefly.

The Mallards in the first two photos below appear to be in eclipse plumage. The others appeared to be serenely enjoying the space that was taken up by the Wood Ducks in June.

An Osprey flew over just as I had returned to my car.

Blue Dasher Dragonflies were everywhere in various poses and light situations. The one in the last photo below looks really battle-worn.

And last, I noticed a Ruby Meadowhawk. I have never photographed this species before.

I have been out birding with friends to a couple places in Chicago that are closer to the lake over the weekend, and I can attest to the fact that fall passerine migration has begun. It was a matter of running into small mixed flocks for the most part, although I have seen a few individuals around here the last two days. I already have a lot of catching up to do. I welcome Migration Madness as a divine distraction.

Return of the Osprey

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Along the river and beyond, this is the part of summer I always look forward to. I have seen Osprey more frequently the last two weeks, and now that they are hunting over the river in the morning, it’s sheer bliss.

Last Friday morning began auspiciously enough with a Great Egret fishing by the wall left after the dam removal, across from the Hofmann Tower.

As I started to walk along the paved trail, a Northern Cardinal came decidedly into view, perhaps emboldened by his state of molt and the fact that he hasn’t been a constant object of attention lately.

Then, as soon as I got past the trees, an Osprey began flying over the river. It’s hard to decide which photos to include in this post, but rest assured there were way too many of them.

As the Osprey moved behind the trees, I caught a few interesting maneuvers.

Meanwhile, a Great Egret was busy preening on a dead branch sticking up from the middle of the river. The water levels have been quite low lately.

Then, much to my surprise, I encountered a juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron tucked under the trees by the bend in the river where I step off the paved trail to walk through the grass behind the library. This is the first Black-crowned Night-heron I have ever seen on my walks along the river. My friend Chris has frequently told me he sees them periodically, but I had never seen one until Friday.

My walk through Riverside Lawn was uneventful after all that excitement.

The Osprey had taken to sitting on top of a distant dead tree overlooking the river. Since those grainy backlit photos aren’t worth reproducing, I will leave you with two more closer views of the Osprey flying over the river.

I’ll be back soon with more of this sort of thing. Fall migration has already started for shorebirds, and nesting season is coming to a close. We are finally getting some rain, which is good for everything even though it will embolden my jungle which I have to try taming a bit today.

A Three-Walk Roundup

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I was hoping to make this post manageable and not too long. These are some of the birds from the last three spring migration walks of the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers, starting with Thatcher Woods on Thursday, May 30. We got a glimpse of the Great Blue Heron by the Trailside Museum.

Last Thursday was yet another challenge in flycatcher identification. If only it were possible that when these guys all show up at once, they at least announce themselves vocally. We got very distant looks at what turned out to be an Alder Flycatcher. Henry actually heard it.

There was also a Willow Flycatcher.

And I am thankful for Eastern Wood-Pewees having long, fluted tails.

For the record, an American Robin and a Northern Cardinal.

A pair of Blue Jays showed up and put on a little show.

It was a cool and cloudy morning but the lack of light did not dim the plumage of an Eastern Bluebird.

The now-Northern House Wren blended into its preferred surroundings.

We had a somewhat obscured view of a Great-crested Flycatcher, matching the colors of the branches and leaves.

The next day we were at Miller Meadow. Ir’s a huge expanse dominated by non-native, extremely invasive teasel. Somehow the birds tolerate it, even if it frustrates us. We saw one or two Willow Flycatchers.

The wide open expanse often makes this location a favorite of raptors. We had a pair of American Kestrels. They appeared to be using a nest box.

An Indigo Bunting provided a brief glimpse in the teasel.

Wide open spaces are good for Eastern Kingbirds as well.

And a Song Sparrow serenaded us as we walked by.

We had an Eastern Bluebird here too. This is the same individual at the top of the post.

I followed a Killdeer as it flew by.

Someone’s excellent spotting led to the discovery of a female Orchard Oriole by a nest, which I did not see, but I did manage a couple photos of the male when we caught up with him.

And a Red-shouldered Hawk made an appearance at the end of the walk.

The last gathering was on May 31 at Columbus Park. I saw a rather conspicuous Great Egret.

There was a Red-shouldered Hawk here too, perched on the fishing line recycling station by the larger body of water.

A Double-crested Cormorant was drying off its feathers.

We had a first-summer Black-crowned Night-heron in addition to a few adults.

The Great Egret started flying and landed in a tree.

We found a Black-crowned Night-heron in a tree as well.

We had a Least Flycatcher, conveniently identified after the Merlin app heard it first.

Here are two more Black-crowned Night-herons.

We will resume the Oak Park Migration Bird Walks at the end of August. Now that Henry is back in town, I will get a break from leading most of the Saturday walks, but I will likely join the group for most of them.

We are experiencing pleasant temperatures, but have also been under an air quality alert due to the Canadian wildfires. I try not to think about the added pressure on the migrants heading in that direction.

In spite of the anticipated quiet during breeding season, there are still a lot of birds we don’t get to see in the colder months, and I will continue to try to keep up with them. To be continued.

Back to McGinnis Slough

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Besides wanting to go somewhere else other than my usual stomping grounds, McGinnis Slough was on my mind the past week or so since my health club announced the pool will be closed this coming week. The logic here is that McGinnis Slough is on the way to another health and fitness center operated by the same enterprise and I can purchase a week’s membership to use their pool. I might visit Orland Grasslands too. Or any one of a number of places to find birds in the Palos area.

Anyway on my visit last Sunday, I first spotted a young Eastern Kingbird.

Then Cedar Waxwings appeared, with one in particular hogging my lens.

The slough is completely overgrown. As is everyplace else.

The Swamp Rose Mallow is blooming.

Some young-looking Mallards took flight as I walked to see what was in or near the only open water, where I found some more Mallards. I was surprised there were no Wood Ducks as I have seen them in this location other years.

Then a Great Egret flew right overhead.

Soon, Great Egrets were the focal point of my visit.

There was a distant large group of Great Egrets and some Great Blue Herons. A Little Blue Heron has been reported but I did not see it.

Only one Great Blue Heron stood out from its tree perch.

I caught a glimpse of a Blue Jay before it took flight.

And a Double-crested Cormorant flew over, for good measure.

On my way back through to the other end of the trail, more Swamp Mallow caught my eye

A Coyote and its mate ran out into the woods from the little stream that hugs the trail.

With nothing to see at the lookout over the large part of the overgrown slough, I headed back in the other direction, and inadvertently flushed a young Cooper’s Hawk who flew over my head and then sat for a while.

I’ve seen a few interesting birds over this week and I intend to get caught up with them before I run out of room and time. At least I am not leading any bird walks until the last Saturday of the month. I was confused and thought the walks started this weekend but it turned out to be my phone calendar lying to me, or perhaps I to it. More social events loom, with choir practice starting on Wednesday. Everything will fall into place as long as I keep swimming three times a week and playing piano for the birds every afternoon. And right now we are enjoying some blissfully cool weather.

Here’s one more of the Cooper’s Hawk, simply because I took too many.

Briefly at the Chicago Portage

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Getting up early Sunday morning, after Saturday night’s successful Spring Music Festival, was not so easy, but contrary to the gloomy forecast there was a little sunshine and I decided to take a brief, brisk walk around the Chicago Portage before taking off to go back to Unity Temple for the service and a meeting of the congregation.

My intent was to do this quickly and be back later with a lot more from other recent visits. Unfortunately it has taken me all week to just say hello. This week is turning out to be a very busy chapter. So here we go with Sunday morning’s quick start.

A distant Hermit Thrush was for once living up to its name. This individual did not run toward me as if to answer a question.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets are still here and there.

An Osprey appeared, and then had fun flying for the camera.

This is the second time I have seen an Osprey at the Portage in the last week or two.

This White-throated Sparrow didn’t mind having its picture taken as long as there was some vegetation to hide behind.

I caught a Song Sparrow in a quiet moment…

Sometimes Mourning Doves behave like they cannot be seen. This one was trying to blend in with the gravel path.

I heard the fabulous song of a Brown Thrasher and then managed to find the bird perched high up in a tree. This is the first Brown Thrasher I have had this spring.

I found a busy Red-bellied Woodpecker in the spring sunshine.

A slightly windblown American Robin caught my eye.

It was a short but pleasant walk, making it much easier to spend the rest of the day inside and out of the deteriorating weather which became rainy and colder.

Temperatures have since warmed and more birds are showing up. This morning I added four species to my FOY list. I look forward to Riverside tomorrow morning.

Suffice it to say that I am a bit verklempt – I have been working in the yard all week trying to plant some new perennials while removing invasive species. And now that overnight low temperatures are no longer, I have a mountain of cleanup work to do. It is wonderful to be outside in the garden, but it’s also exhausting. Spring at last.

More Birds on the River

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As exciting as it was to see the Osprey featured in my last post, there was even more going on last Wednesday on the Des Plaines River by Riverside, such as a rather unusual confrontation between a Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret. It was surprising enough to see them together, but they were getting along until they weren’t. It has been so dry, the river is way down and I imagine the search for prey getting more contentious. Below is a series of photographs I took leading up to the one above.

The river was so low this past week, almost anyone could wade into the middle of it. Perhaps that was the animating force behind the Great Egrets moving around, trying to find the best place to fish when there was so little water. I captured the egret below perched on this debris-adorned rock after it had chased off the Mallard that was sitting on it.

Later on from the foot bridge I took this sequence of a Great Egret capturing its prey. This was several feet from the shore.

Cedar Waxwings are showing up everywhere lately. They’re about the only birds not on the river itself.

The Killdeer have been hanging out on the rocks by the Hofmann Dam all summer. They have multiplied.

Also on the rocks by the former dam, a Great Egret.

Seeing Common Grackles again down by the shore. This one was sporting several colors.

The Rock Pigeons caught my eye – flying in formation.

Canada Geese are starting to show up again.

Even House Sparrows were getting into the act in the river.

Mallards could stand in the middle of the water too.

Mourning Doves were noticeable above the river.

A few flight shots from two Great Egrets.

There were a couple Spotted Sandpipers with the Killdeer on the rocks but I was unable to capture them. However I did manage to zoom in on this one by the shore not far from the footbridge.

For a change of pace, a confusing juvenile bird which I determine to be a young Northern Cardinal.

These Blue-fronted Dancers are simply everywhere.

I think that about takes care of everything else on that day. I went back on Friday morning and the water was still low. We have since had some rain and I hope the river will look a bit fuller tomorrow morning when I plan to visit again.

One thing I am enjoying very much in my retirement and more-relaxed state of mind is encountering strangers and making new friends as I walk these places more often. Whereas before when I was working I was in a mental hurry to cram in as much birding as I could manage in my free time, weather permitting, I now feel freer to engage in conversation. I meet some lovely humans, learn some interesting things, and hope I am being a good ambassador for the birds.

(A Little) Riverside in July

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I visited Riverside only twice in July, specifically July 7 and July 20. I’m not exactly sure why I made it to this near location only twice last month, except that when I look at my “drivel” which is a monthly accumulation of journaling, it seems I thought about it often enough. Perhaps it had more to do with the weather – did it rain the night before, was it particularly hot? – or other things that come up and compel me to action or inaction.

There were not a lot of birds on either occasion, but I managed some interesting captures anyway. The light on the 7th was full of stark contrasts. The pose of the Great Blue Heron below intrigued me as he emerged from a dark background.

When I moved and took his photo again through some vegetation he appeared a bit brighter and still looked as if he was laughing or trying to say something. Maybe he was just hot.

Later, a Great Egret was also available for a distant pose.

There were some Common Grackles on the shore. This may have been the last time I saw them.

House Sparrows rarely pose for a picture, so when this one posed, I obliged.

I don’t remember exactly when we had the big storm that knocked down the trees but it was back in June. In any event, a couple large logs remain on the trail. I am able to scale the one below, and the other one is now a walk-around, unless the river gets really high as the detour runs very close to the water.

There has been a Mallard hen and her ducklings tucked into one of the little inlets by the Riverside Lawn trail and I have been monitoring their progress. Here’s what some of them looked like on the 7th.

Red-winged Blackbirds were scarce. I barely recognized the darker one.

But it was a good day for turtles.

This was not the most beautiful background for an Eastern Comma Butterfly, but I took its picture anyway. I’m just happy to see any butterflies these days.

On the 20th, a Great Blue Heron was present again. The water levels were low that day.

I counted three Great Blue Herons that morning. The one below is fond of this spot on the Indian Gardens side of the river.

It was another day of bright and dark contrasts.

Brown-headed Cowbirds

This White-tailed Deer was in the tall grass close to the paved walk in Riverside.

The shallow water left a raised area out near the middle of the river where it turns a corner, and there was a lone Killdeer foraging in the mud.

There are usually a few Mourning Doves near the foot bridge…

Mourning Doves

A view from the foot bridge yielded distant birds standing in the shallow water.

Canada Geese were lounging on another rocky raised area.

And at the end of my walk, a Mallard, still a bit wet, was walking out of the water.

As of this morning, I have been to Riverside four times already this month and have seen more birds, so I hope to be back soon with more photos. And as long as my knee holds up and the weather is nice, I will continue to go out every morning. Because you never know what you may see.