Tag Archives: Green Heron

The Portage Lately – and Ottawa Trail North

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It’s been an up-and-down spring. As we approached the summer solstice, I found myself craving shorter days so I don’t feel quite so guilty about resisting an earlier rise. This is a mix-up featuring a few takeaways from several visits to the Chicago Portage and one visit to Ottawa Trail North.

On May 24, I found an Eastern Wood-Pewee and an Olive-sided Flycatcher. I had been seeing the latter species over a couple weeks during migration and this was likely my last encounter.

On May 26, I noticed an American Robin busy gathering nesting material, a Green Heron and an Indigo Bunting. Notice how much darker the bunting’s color is when compared to the bird at the top of the post. It’s all about the light with these guys as their feathers are actually all black, but the reflection as blue is in the available sunlight.

On May 28, I found an Eastern Phoebe, a Red-eyed Vireo and a Tree Swallow.

On June 4, the two Green Herons who have been showing up lately got into some interesting interactions.

On June 9, I spotted a Black-crowned Night-heron and the two Green Herons.

Other birds on June 9 were a bit more subdued. A Brown-headed Cowbird female, a singing Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

That brings me to Ottawa Trail. We had a terrific storm on June 10 and when I got to the Portage on the 11th, it was closed because so many trees had come down and crews had to deal with all the fallen. Here’s a couple photos I took with my phone on my next visit.

Ottawa Trail North can be an interesting spot if you walk along the levy which abuts the Des Plaines River. You’re up high which gives a different perspective of the river and also great open views of the sky. The first thing I noticed was two Great Egrets in the trees across the river. They were at quite a distance, but I haven’t seen any of these birds in Riverside lately so I was delighted to see them here. I then found they had flown down into the marshy area below the levy, where I usually see Green Herons.

I got nice views of a Red-tailed Hawk.

I noticed a Common Grackle, a Green Bottle Fly on thistle and a White-tailed Deer doe cooling off by the river.

I found the Green Herons well-camouflaged in the marsh. I didn’t see the second one in front until I uploaded this cropped photo.

As I was walking back, I barely caught a Blue Jay flying away.

House Sparrows don’t get enough credit for their ventures into the wilderness.

I am about to hear more about my surgery appointment, and I seem to be in the mood to get more rest ahead of it, as many things as I want to accomplish beforehand. Rain was graciously in the forecast today which allows me some time to get household chores done. I hope to be back soon.

P.S. Somehow I missed the image selection for the top of the post in Facebook, my apologies to FB readers if I don’t figure out how to fix it.

A Little Columbus Park Review

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Looking back at three visits to Columbus Park with the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers, plus a little extra visit to the Chicago Portage after the last visit.

On April 25th, spring migration was just sort of beginning with Palm Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers predominant.

A Caspian Tern or two will show up at this spot and it’s a delight to see them, particularly when one catches a fish.

Tree Swallows were seen more often earlier. I haven’t seen them at all the past couple weeks.

We had a Pied-billed Grebe that day. I can’t resist trying to photograph them, they are too cute.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet could still be found.

Wood Ducks are usually seen here, but that doesn’t make them ordinary.

On our next walk, May 9, we had to deal with more leaves. It was a bit tricky finding this Canada Warbler.

A confident-looking Eastern Kingbird posed for me.

This may be the only Black-and-white Warbler I managed to photograph well enough this spring.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were showing up.

Luckily for us, Black-crowned Night Herons like this spot and we saw at least three that day. This is the same individual at the top of the post. Here the heron was making use of the turtles’ vantage point.

We always see a Great Blue Heron eventually.

Somehow I caught this Baltimore Oriole in flight.

On May 23, I was happy to see a Wilson’s Warbler with his little black cap, and also an American Redstart in flight.

A Caspian Tern wasted no time getting down to business.

Black-crowned Night Herons were available.

A Green Heron emerged in flight from out of nowhere or wherever it had been undetected.

When I went to the Chicago Portage afterward for a little more action, I found two Green Hrtons.

And I had a special visit with another Canada Warbler.

Typing one letter at a time with my left hand is tedious and therefor slows down my thought process, but maybe that isn’t entirely such a bad thing. Thinking of it sort of like a typing meditation. I would be a lot worse off right now trying to write with pen and paper. But I will commit myself to a list in block letters of things I need to get done before my surgery in 10 days.

We are also in the midst of a cooler and at times rainier spell, which is a welcome change from the heat but presents its own challenges. Gardening with my left hand is trickier than I expected, and the jungle is taking over. My favorite pruning shears broke. There are worse things, I know. And some much better things as well. Maybe not so bad to have to think out of the box to solve problems for a change.

Early May at the Chicago Portage

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In spite of life’s challenges, confirming existence itself, not to mention sometimes extreme ups and downs in the weather, spring migration continues to inspire hope and reassurance that not everything is over yet. A lot has been happening, lately with a lot of singing, at the Chicago Portage.

On May 2, the Baltimore Orioles were arriving, perched far away. I was leading my annual auction walk for the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. We stopped along the trail to listen to the orioles and several other singers, many of which we could not see, but the birdsong was entertainment in itself.

A Cooper’s Hawk flew over.

At one point later in the walk, an Eastern Warbling Vireo came right down in front of us and started gathering nesting material.

On May 5 before I left for the Portage again, I took a photo of one of the White-Crowned Sparrows that had been spending a few weeks in my backyard.

It was rather quiet at the Chicago Portage when I got there, but I was delighted to see a Wood Thrush sitting in a tree right beside the unpaved trail.

Then I found a Black-throated Green Warbler.

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were everywhere. They still are omnipresent, but less visible as they are busy nesting.

On May 12, I saw a Northern Waterthrush.

An Osprey flew overhead, and a Great Egret made an appearance.

I was able to get a better view of a male Baltimore Oriole.

I was very happy to see a Blue-headed Vireo.

I caught glimpses of a Barn Swallow and a Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

On May 14, I found an enthusiastically singing Northern House Wren.

The Green Heron at the top of the post was back.

I saw a Veery and a Swainson’s Thrush.

I managed to capture a couple Eastern Warbling Vireos.

A Bald Eagle flew over rather distantly, but was still easy to capture with the 400mm lens.

I’d forgotten about this flycatcher which Merlin seems to think is a Least Flycatcher.

Chestnut-sided Warblers were all over the preserve that day. I wish I’d thought to record them as they were singing like crazy.

I found a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

It’s been a little harder to see White-breasted Nuthatches lately. I suspect they are very busy.

Indigo Buntings are arriving. I expect to see them a lot more frequently the next week or two.

Every migration season is unique or so it seems, with the appearance of certain predominant species varying. We seem to have a boom in Canada Warblers this spring and I will be back with them and others in my next post.

I am feeling hopeful and much better since my diagnosis of carpal tunnel was confirmed – add in some arthritis – and I expect to get a date for the outpatient surgery soon after the holiday weekend. It’s tremendously encouraging to know relief is on the horizon. And while I’m still being careful and trying to avoid pain, I am finding it just a little easier to type. That’s a relief in itself.

Longing for a Calm Walk at the Chicago Portage

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I discovered there’s a name for this stuck-inside summer malaise: Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder (SSAD). I spent most of today inside, expecting rain from the forecast that virtually never happened. But working in the muddy yard after rain we had the night before when half the tall plants were knocked down and spread out sopping wet was not attractive to me, so I stayed inside, got my cleaning done and a little cooking, and then, looking at photos from my last two visits to the Chicago Portage, I realized I miss it terribly. So I plan to go there tomorrow morning, as it’s been over a week. Here’s what I saw on my last two visits.

On July 15, there was ample sunshine.

American Robin

I spotted an American Goldfinch contemplating the duckweed.

On the dirt trail, I noticed the Squirrel-tail Grass where it appears every year.

It was a good morning to see Indigo Buntings.

These days, by the time I get around to the paved trail and the picnic tables that have been placed close to the water, I have made this a destination to sit and observe whatever. And that morning, a Green Heron arrived. At first it was farther away, but then it came to see what was happening directly across the water from where I was sitting. It stayed quite a while, but didn’t catch anything and so it took off eventually.

Beyond that, I barely saw a Song Sparrow.

On July 17, there was some cloud cover.

Red-winged Blackbird

I was pleasantly surprised to encounter an immature Yellow Warbler. I haven’t heard or seen any adult males in quite a while since they were busy displaying and setting up territories earlier. This bird seemed rather curious.

I haven’t seen many Red Admiral butterflies, so I took note of this individual.

An Amerioan Goldfinch took on the green of the leaves surrounding it.

A young rabbit was on the paved trail.

I managed to barely capture a Barn Swallow flying over the duckweed.

Here’s one more of the Yellow Warbler.

I don’t know what awaits me tomorrow morning, but it should be a little cooler early, and it will be good to get out and stretch my index finger on the shutter button. I have new prescription lenses which should make it easier to focus.

Back at the Portage

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I visited the Chicago Portage a couple times last week. I expected things to be quiet, and they were, but there were still a few interesting things.

I am always excited to see the muskrat. and on July 3rd, it was present. At first it appeared to be eating something. Then I saw it take off, shopping for foliage, and in the photos below you might see where it disappeared behind a log and then emerged swimming off with its bounty.

As I was standing at the bridge near Harlem observing the muskrat, a Brown Thrasher briefly came into view in the distance.

Later, I found a female Orchard Oriole again in the marsh.

American Robins, young and old, are always busy.

I had a chipmunk on the paved trail.

And I saw an Indigo Bunting just barely in the grasses.

An American Goldfinch was enjoying the duckweed.

And a juvenile American Robin was overhead.

July 8 started off as usual, with an American Robin on the paved trail. Robins are getting a lot more notice these days.

An Indigo Bunting was singing.

And then I encountered a family of Orchard Orioles that had gathered in a tree. After seeing the female foraging several times, it was nice to finally see the male and his offspring.

I caught a glimpse of a Warbling Vireo.

Then I was treated to a couple male Indigo Buntings, both of which are in the first photo of the post.

Young Red-winged Blackbirds were at the edge of the water.

As I sat on the picnic table waiting to see if someone else showed up, a Green Heron arrived.

Here’s one more of the male Orchard Oriole.

Early July always feels like an unwanted milestone for me. My reward for surviving the fireworks is to add another year to my existence. It’s a peculiar business, getting older. I planned on finishing this post days ago, but I have been preoccupied with a celebration of life ceremony for my dear friend and sister alto Amanda Thomas, who joined her ancestors on May 21. Those of us in the choir who were able to attend the short rehearsal on Wednesday evening were joined Saturday by additional choir members and people from other choirs in the area who sang with Amanda and under her direction. The service was over two hours long. I finished watching the video recording this morning to better see the speakers and the faces of Amanda’s friends in the sanctuary. It was an amazing tribute to an even more amazing woman. She left a lasting, loving impression on every life she touched.

I went to Goose Lake Prairie in Grundy County on Sunday morning. I will try to be back with a recap of that excursion next. In the meantime, here’s a little long shot from the backyard that I took this morning while working in it. I confess to loving the green, tropical shadiness of it all in the summertime.

Looking Back a Bit

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While I’ve been stuck inside, more or less, during the heat wave, it’s been almost refreshing to look back at photos from the end of April still on the laptop. Spring migration was starting, and even though many of the trees did not yet have leaves and the temperatures were chilly, birds were on the way.

But first, I found even more photos I didn’t know I still had, from April 17 at the Chicago Portage. Below, an American Robin sneaking nesting material, and a late American Tree Sparrow.

Northern Flickers were coming back.

An Osprey flew over.

A Song Sparrow was checking out the marshy area.

On April 21 in Riverside, Yellow-rumped Warblers were easy to find.

A Northern Cardinal, a Song Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow made the cut.

On April 24 at the Chicago Portage, I found two American Robins preoccupied.

Yellow-rumped Warblers were easy to find.

I noted the return of a Green Heron.

Blue-winged Teal had been at the Chicago Portage for weeks.

Palm Warblers were showing up too.

Palm Warbler

On April 28 in Riverside, I saw an Eastern Bluebird. While they were setting up a territory, I saw the bluebirds quite frequently, but now that they are busy raising young I haven’t seen them lately at all.

An interesting fungus

Palm Warblers were showing up everywhere.

A pair of Northern Cardinals were enjoying the sunshine.

And a Great Blue Heron was in the river.

Then on April 29, back at the Chicago Portage, I had a Field Sparrow.

Warbling Vireos were arriving and claiming territories.

One of several Palm Warblers…

A Yellow Warbler was most likely heard first and then seen. There are at least two if not three breeding pairs at the Chicago Portage this year.

A Green Heron first appeared in a tree and then flew down to the water.

An Osprey flew over.

Then, the surprise bird at the top of this post, a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I don’t believe I have seen one since. If they are nesting here, they are extremely well hidden.

White-throated Sparrows didn’t seem to be as plentiful this spring.

Just before the leaves would make them nearly impossible to see, Warbling Vireos were singing and reminding me they were going to be everywhere.

I managed to go for a walk yesterday before the heat increased again. We did get some rain last night and we’ve cooled off a bit, so I will go for a soggy walk by the river and then immerse myself in the pool. I will be back with more current reports, and I still have a lot of notable leftovers from spring warbler migration to share.

Lately at the Chicago Portage

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The Green Herons are back. I’d been seeing one on occasion the last few weeks, but now I have seen at least one at the Chicago Portage regularly.

In addition to the Green Herons, it’s been interesting to see the summer residents now that they have moved into their territories and are busy raising families. Here are photos from two visits last week. June 3 started out quietly. The European Starlings are nesting in the statue’s cavities, I spied a baby rabbit, and a distant Ruby-throated Hummingbird sat on a dead branch.

An American Goldfinch was among the cottonwood seeds.

A female Red-winged Blackbird had a peaceful moment.

I encountered a chipmunk on the trail and spotted a female Yellow Warbler.

I noticed an interesting-looking Oriole which I assumed was a Baltimore Oriole until I started writing this post, looked up Baltimore Oriole on my Sibley app, and found that I had photographed a hybrid Baltimore Oriole-Bullock’s Oriole. I added the species and photos to my eBird list. Another rarity.

I was photographing the Eastern Kingbird below and didn’t notice until later that a Green Heron was sitting directly underneath it in the reeds.

Brown-headed Cowbird males are all hanging out like guys on street corners.

We have noticed lately that House Sparrows have taken to the wild as well.

Two days later, on June 5, I thought this American Robin was worth noting.

I barely caught a distant Gray Catbird in flight, but I think it makes an interesting image.

From the bridge, I saw an American Goldfinch and an Eastern Kingbird.

I also saw some iris virginica or Blue Flag Iris, a native species.

I identified the Cliff Swallow below later in my photos.

I never turn down a female Northern Cardinal.

A Great Blue Heron flew overhead and landed in a tree for a moment before taking off again.

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers aren’t easy to see now that leaves are in the way, but I got a bit of luck with this one.

More views of the Eastern Kingbird, and some turtles.

I wondered if the Eastern Phoebe below was a juvenile.

An Osprey flew overhead.

I noticed a Muskrat and, later, I just barely made out a Common Watersnake in the reeds to its left.

Then the Green Heron was posing.

And later, as Bob and I were walking out along the paved trail, the Green Heron joined us for a closer view.

I have a lot more observations from the past week, not to mention the past month. I’m also busy preparing to play a little piano on Saturday for two friends who are renewing their vows. I am improvising on a melody and a rhythm that I’ve been living with for the past couple of weeks. The birds are helping me with it as I have an aversion to writing anything down. I value their input and encouragement.

Herons at the Chicago Portage

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The last time I was at the Chicago Portage was on Thursday morning. We were experiencing a brief respite from the heat. Soon after I started walking, I was surprised to see a Black-crowned Night-heron fly overhead.

I was hopeful, but never knowing what to expect, I first checked the spot on the water where herons like to fish and saw nothing. I walked back to the bridge closest to Harlem and apparently flushed another Black-crowned Night-Heron that was likely right near the bridge.

As I walked along the trail trying to spot a heron, I found other creatures. I haven’t seen this butterfly in a long time and it was pretty far away, but I managed to get an image.

Great Spangled Fritillary

American Robins are now starting to show up not just as adults, but offspring as well.

Backtracking here for a moment, I memorialized European Starlings were guarding their nesting spot on the statue when I first arrived.

When I did my list, I thought I had not seen or heard a Great-crested Flycatcher, but I found one in my photos later.

Other residents made brief appearances: a Northern Cardinal and a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

But when I got around to the heron spot again, on my last trek past it, I found a Black-crowned Night-Heron after all. It could have been either of the two I saw before or perhaps a third. The first photo below might give you an idea of how far away I was standing with my 400mm lens.

I was tempted to go back this morning, but after I went outside to fill the feeders, I determined it was already too hot. We may get some storm activity later this evening and things will cool off a bit. We could sure use some rain along with that.

The last time I saw herons at the Portage was way back on June 6. As I started walking the trail, I found a Green Heron that was close but difficult to photograph through the tall grasses.

A male Baltimore Oriole was doing his best to stay hidden.

Common Whitetail dragonflies have been abundant all month.

But just as it seemed not much more was happening, a Great Egret flew in.

Soon it became apparent that the Red-winged Blackbirds were going to be a problem for the Great Egret. I started walking away.

As I walked past where the egret had finally claimed a spot, I was able to barely capture it through the vegetation.

I did also have a Great-crested Flycatcher that day.

And a Northern Flicker flew by for good measure.

It was still party time for Brood XVII of the periodical cicadas. They are pretty much over by now.

Every day feels like starting over with this hot weather. While the over-the-top temperatures are disorienting to my routine, I don’t have to read too many articles about heat-related deaths and the dangers of heatstroke to remain cautious and stay inside. There are still plenty of things to do. I might be back sooner than later. Stay safe wherever you are.

Green Heron Bliss at the Portage

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Thursday was a quiet day at the Chicago Portage. I met Bob on the trail and we looked for birds while wondering what Chicago Portage Day was going to be like two days later. I will be back with a little report on that event soon. But Thursday turned out to be a magical encounter with a Green Heron and it deserves commemoration.

Song Sparrows are still singing. The one on the left appears to be a juvenile.

We encountered an Eastern Wood-Pewee, albeit backlit. I am happy to report that I have heard this bird all summer and have seen it on several occasions.

It was a good day for butterflies.

Hackberry Emperor
Monarch
Silver Spotted Skipper
Pearl Crescent

Juvenile Indigo Buntings are starting to appear.

And now we are getting glimpses or better of Baltimore Orioles again.

Just when we thought we had seen everything, while we were standing at the bridge closest to Harlem looking out into the swamp, if you will, I saw something move. Directly below us on a narrow log or branch was a Green Heron. Even though it was quite close, it appeared small to me.

We watched it as it fished for dragonflies and aquatic creatures. Occasionally it would pull something small out of the water. I was trying to be quiet and careful not to disturb the heron with the camera lens.

Suddenly one of those Common Whitetail dragonflies appeared within reach. The heron caught it.

It took some extra maneuvering before the dragonfly went down the hatch.

The most amazing thing about this entire encounter is that the Green Heron seemed totally unfazed by our attention. After some people walked by and it did not react, I was able to get a better view at the end of the bridge. Then Bob suggested I try shooting a video. Below is my short movie. (Bob was sorry not to have his own camera handy but he did take a video with his phone.)

Bob was also kind enough to loan his binoculars to a couple young women who stopped to see what was going on at the bridge. An experience like this could turn them into birders. By the way, the heron appeared larger with its neck outstretched.

I was too worn out from yesterday’s festivities to go birding this morning, but I did some work in the yard early. I’d like to go back outside to see if I can capture a hummingbird at the feeder, although it’s turning cloudy and the bugs are biting. Rain is in the forecast the next day or two. I will have to play it by ear. Here’s a quick look at my favorite color combination outside the back door, and though I rarely cut flowers, I had a couple sprigs of Ironweed that begged to be trimmed.

Three of a Kind

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My last visit to the Chicago Portage gave me a chance to see not just one Green Heron, but I believe I saw three different individuals after perusing my photographs. That’s because they each seemed to be of a different age and therefore plumage.

The easiest one to photograph was the juvenile I saw last. In addition to being really streaky-looking, notice how grayish the legs and feet are.

But the first bird I saw, not all that well but at a distance in poor light, appeared to be an adult.

So what else could there be? The bird below is somewhere in between the other two individuals. That would make it a First Summer Green Heron.

I don’t purport to be any kind of expert about this, I just looked up the juvenile on my Sibley app and noticed that there was yet another category.

Beyond that, on July 25 I saw the adult Green Heron below at quite a distance.

These photos are from 3 visits, July 25, July 27 and July 29. Actually the only photos I took on July 27 are of the Pearl Crescent Butterfly below. It was so hot, the birds were all cooling off in the trees and therefore unavailable.

The 25th was a better day overall. Below are a few furtive shots I took of a young Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

The light was good for a photo of Tadziu the Indigo Bunting.

I keep seeing young Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

I noticed what looks like a Downy Woodpecker feather stuck in a bit of web.

Do you suppose the rabbit and the robin are talking about me?

Another American Robin

I noticed two Monarch Butterflies in the Red Milkweed.

And when I got home I noticed a Monarch on the Common Milkweed in the front yard.

On the 29th I had a backlit Indigo Bunting (not Tadziu, incidentally).

Trying out the asphalt, a young-looking female Brown-headed Cowbird and an American Robin.

It’s such an occasion lately to see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird I took the photo below, even though you can barely see it.

More numbers on trees. I am even more puzzled by the first tree that has two different numbers on it.

And two more from the front yard. Another Monarch Butterfly and my Nodding Onions have finally opened.

I went back to Riverside yesterday for the first time in over a week. I will go back to the Portage on Thursday. I went farther afield this morning and it was a welcome change of location and pace. I’ll be back with more juvenile birds.