Tag Archives: Indigo Bunting

Tadziu Sent Me

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I went out for a walk at the Chicago Portage this morning. That would not be so unusual, except for the fact that I have been staying inside all week due to the heat wave, and using my recovery from carpal tunnel surgery last Wednesday as further incentive to take it easy.

It rained last night, which brought down the overnight temperature, and we are promised more rain – in fact I heard thunder as I started to write this, threw on my gardening clothes loosely and went out to bring in the feeders just in time. I much prefer thunderstorms to fireworks.

My last time out was on June 28, the day my dressing came off my right wrist. I took the Sony RX10 camera with me, just to start getting used to the feel of it after years of neglect. I captured a Mallard swimming in the duckweed and turtles.

I ventured a photo of a distant Ruby-throated Hummingbird and an Oriole that I think might be the Orchard I heard singing so beautifully – that long, black tail doesn’t evoke Baltimore Oriole to me.

Thia morning, I was greeted by a “red carpet” of seeds strewn over the paved trail, and then while walking in on the dirt and gravel trail, I was stopped by a downed tree that had fallen across the trail during last night’s storm.

So I retreated back to the paved trail, stopping to observe one of several Red-winged Blackbirds.

I must have startled a Green Heron along the way.

By the little bridge, two Osprey flew over. I was able to capture only one at a time, but that’s better than nothing.

My greatest reward this morning was standing on the side of the little bridge, listening to an Indigo Bunting that at first I could not see. But he kept singing, and he was in Tadziu’s tree, so I waited patiently to find him. He dropped down to where I could see him and I got several photos, including the one at the top of the post. If I see this bird again, I will try to record a video.

For those of you who do not know of Tadziu, here’s a link to a post from years past that serves as an introduction. For what it’s worth, Tadziu knew every birder I encountered at the Chicago Portage. He presided over his territory for years. He did not return last summer, but one of his offspring did. Now I have to figure out if this is indeed another Tadziu Jr.

https://musicbirdblog.com/2022/06/08/cool-and-cloudy-at-the-portage/: Tadziu Sent Me

I’ll be back with something else. This short post seem appropriate with so much going on these longer days.

Scenes from Riverside

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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.

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.

Cedar Waxwings at the Chicago Portage

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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.

Mourning Dove on the bridge near Harlem
Warbling Vireo
American Goldfinch
Two Great Egrets flying in the distance
A Blue Dasher Dragonfly
Another Monarch Butterfly capturing my attention
A juvenile Indigo Bunting
A Northern Flicker and an American Robin
A juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker

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

Meanwhile Back at the Portage

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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.

I think this is a Hobomok Skipper
Female Pondhawk

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.

American Dagger Moth 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.

Pearl Crescent

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.

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.

Lately Lazy Summer Days

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It has been disorienting to wake up every morning wondering whether I should go for a walk or not, and if not, how to plan the rest of the day. I have become such a creature of habit, if I don’t have a plan, it’s depressing, so I try to have likely alternatives for the next day sketched out before I go to sleep. It may sound simple, but the overwhelming heat has made it somewhat daunting. It’s not that I don’t have other things to do. But a walk in the woods or by the river centers and grounds me in a way that helps to make everything that follows fall into place.

Here are some photos from three recent visits to the Chicago Portage, starting with June 17, a bunny rabbit and a cabbage white butterfly.

We always hear Common Yellowthroats singing, but rarely see them. I believe there are two males with distinct territories at the Portage. I was standing at the top of the “hill” looking over the marsh and the water down below and heard one of them singing not too far away. It was not easy to capture his image, but that he was visible at all was remarkable, and he was so enthusiastic.

I captured a couple Red-winged Blackbirds in flight through the marshy area, and caught a glimpse of a deer.

A Northern Flicker seemed interested in the nest hole used last year, and I managed to see the Indigo Bunting I now call “TJ”.

On June 19, an American Goldfinch stood out for a moment.

I saw a couple Cedar Waxwings. I’ve been on the lookout for them.

The Common Yellowthroat at the top of the post is also below, where he was perched and sitting quietly not far from the bridge near Harlem. This is the second male. As I walked around and got to the opening in the fence, I took a peek at the water levels by the river after recent rain.

A male Red-winged Blackbird was hamming it up on the little bridge at the other end of the dirt trail.

I saw some Indigo Bunting action in the vegetation. I was unable to capture a female well, but the males were on display.

I wonder if this is the same turtle that I always seem to see covered in duckweed.

I got good looks at a Yellow Warbler, but I think it was the last time. I suspect they are still here but I have not heard or seen them lately. No doubt they are busy raising families.

One more American Goldfinch sat still.

On June 24, the first bird I found was an Indigo Bunting singing his heart out.

Two Pearl Crescent butterflies appeared: one with badly damaged wings, another in fine shape.

I caught a glimpse of a Red-winged Blackbird female in the marsh.

As I walked back along the paved trail, I found a female Orchard Oriole. I haven’t seen a male in a month or more, but this gives me hope.

A Great Blue Heron flew over.

I have taken to sitting on the picnic table placed under a tree by the water. Often enough, when I am sitting there looking for activity or just chilling, a bird comes into the tree above me and visits for a while. This time was no exception. A juvenile White-breasted Nuthatch offered its company.

Here’s one more photo of an Indigo Bunting. I like this photo because it shows off the blackness of his otherwise blue-appearing feathers.

I will be venturing out less frequently for walks in the next couple of weeks, thereby modifying my routine. One reason is the weather. The other reason is that it is time to try to clean up and contain the immense overgrowth in my front and back yards. I inadvertently have added incentive to do this work, as I found a citation from the city on Friday in my mailbox, demanding my appearance in municipal court on July 16. What convenient timing! I talked with my new alderman today to voice my concerns and sent him a copy of the citation. He will investigate and get back to me. In the meantime, I am enjoying seeing the fireflies in the early evening, and also welcoming back other insects and pollinators as well, even as their numbers seem greatly reduced. I did my part to insure their survival by not cleaning up my yard any earlier this year. I doubt I will have an opportunity to educate the magistrate at my hearing about climate change and the environment, but I am still glad I have a habitat to offer the birds, butterflies and bees.

Fireflies in the front yard

Indigo Bunting Footnote

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I somehow never managed to add an Indigo Bunting to the last post. I guess I was so distracted by the potential finding of a rarity that I lost track. As it turns out, the rarity was discounted by the eBird police, so the bird was likely just an unusual-looking female Baltimore Oriole, which was what I thought it was originally until I consulted my Sibley app. What rabbit holes we birders can go down! This will be a brief post, starting with the return (or not) of one Indigo Bunting in particular.

For the past four years, the Indigo Bunting I named Tadziu returned to the same spot at the Chicago Portage. It had gotten to the point where I could recognize his song. Last year, I noted that one of his likely offspring was singing a lot like him. This year, Tadziu did not come back to his territory. But there is an Indigo Bunting with a territory just down the trail from Tadziu’s, who sits and sings for us just like Tadziu did. Below the photos of the current Indigo Bunting I am calling “Tadziu Junior” or TJ for short, I have posted my last recording of Tadziu and a new recording of the present bird.

Note: Indigo Buntings sing in paired phrases. Both recordings below also have American Robins singing in the background.

Tadziu’s Song 5/23/24
“Tadziu Jr” song 6/12/25

And now for something only slightly different – on June 8, I decided to visit Ottawa Trail North to see what was going on there. It’s part of the same corridor as the Portage, close to the Des Plaines River.

Des Plaines River viewed from the trail

The first bird I photographed was an Indigo Bunting as blue as the sky.

Baltimore Orioles were easy to see, even at a distance.

I photographed a resting Barn Swallow.

I barely managed to see this Blue Jay take off with nesting material.

I found a Red-bellied Woodpecker trying to sit up on an incline.

All the birds were far away, like this Great-crested Flycatcher. That’s because the construction of the levy, on top of which the trail extends, eliminated a lot of trees close to the previous foot trail closer to the river.

I have noticed a reduction in swallow activity over the last week and a half. I did manage to capture a Northern Rough-winged Swallow and later, over the lawn by the parking lot, a Cliff Swallow.

I caught a glimpse of an Orchard Oriole.

A Brown-headed Cowbird took off.

And a Red-winged Blackbird flew by.

Toward the end of my walk, I caught an interesting interaction between two House Sparrows.

And across the river I found a Canada Goose family. The goslings blend in with the rocks, making them very hard to see.

That’s all for now. It’s been quite a week. On Friday, I got the news that Ed O’Brien, who was leading the Oak Park Bird Walks with me during migration seasons, died the day before. This is a terrible shock and an incredible loss to all of us who knew him. I felt like I was just getting to know him better, and now as he’s constantly in my thoughts, I already miss his companionship, birding expertise, good vibes and great sense of humor. Almost as if saying goodbye, Ed made a comment for the first time on my “Farther Afield” post a little over a week ago. Rest in Peace, Ed O’Brien.

Past Two Days

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I continue to trust in weather forecasts even as they struggle to get it right, so I can try to plan ahead somewhat and have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. The first thing I do upon awakening is check the weather, then I invariably weigh my options, changing plans at the spur of the moment depending on what is actually going on or not going on outside. Monday was hot and humid, and rain was in the forecast for Tuesday morning, so I decided to visit the Chicago Portage on Monday since I would not have been inclined to go on Tuesday. But I wound up going both days, as the predicted storms and rain skipped us entirely Tuesday morning. Instead we cooled down exponentially and were under a persistent cloud cover that rendered a clinging dampness.

I got to the Portage rather late on Monday, but still managed to see some activity. At first, it was all butterflies and hearing the Indigo Buntings singing. I was somewhat gratified to find a Cabbage White sitting still. The other two butterflies you have seen a lot here lately.

Pearl Crescent
Red Spotte Purple
Cabbage White

Crossing the bridge near Harlem, the first birds were predictable.

American Goldfinch
Indigo Bunting

But then as I started walking on the trail past the bridge, a sort of Juvenile Welcoming Committee assembled. It started with a few tentative vocalizations from a young House Wren.

Then a wide-eyed juvenile Indigo Bunting, also at the top of this post, landed nearby.

And finally, a juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird came to perch and see what was happening.

The hummingbird was perfectly calm and happy to sit there and pose. But I grew tired of me and decided I had taken up enough of the birds’ time. I did catch the juvenile Indigo Bunting as it left.

After that, the birds I saw were much farther away. I barely captured a Cedar Waxwing or two.

And there were a few juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds carrying on in the marshy area.

Beyond that, a hot and steamy morning belonged to a damselfly and two more Pearl Crescents.

Blue-fronted Dancer female

Although I planned on staying in Tuesday morning, the cooler air was tempting. Even without light, it seemed a Tuesday morning walk at the Portage was better than no walk at all. But, no light, no kidding.

Northern Flicker

I didn’t bother trying to find the Indigo Buntings in this cloud cover. I did see a few Cedar Waxwings.

It was perhaps good light for a black-and-white bird.

Downy Woodpecker

And I managed to find a Blue Jay fussing with something.

There was no point in staying any longer. The cloud cover did provide natural air-conditioning all day and overnight as well. We will remain relatively cooler than we have been, but there is no rain in the forecast for a while either. If one can believe in forecasts.

Here’s one more of the juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

I still plan to assemble some posts from remaining July visits. But as juvenile birds start to emerge in numbers, the buildup to fall migration begins. Everything feels earlier this year.

Lazy Days at the Chicago Portage

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Heat. humidity and bugs are making even early visits to the Portage less inviting, if not quite prohibitive. In spite of shorter visits, I have managed to see a few interesting birds as they navigate their summer residence. What’s even more interesting lately is seeing more juvenile birds.

Walking in Thursday morning rather late, I heard a fracas in the trees which turned out to be two young Cooper’s Hawks that had just landed.

I observed them for a moment or two while they tried to figure out what they were doing there.

It was a cloudy morning, not ideal for photographs, but I managed to see a young-looking Baltimore Oriole.

Then I spotted a juvenile Gray Catbird.

A young Northern Cardinal lurked in the branches.

Most lovely was a female Indigo Bunting who stayed on a nearby branch long enough to check me out.

I also saw a juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee.

Even the rabbits were youngsters.

On the way out, I saw a House Wren hanging off its nest tree.

When I got home, I checked the front yard briefly. We’d had a little rain. That’s a Red Admiral butterfly on the Joe Pye Weed and two of several Wild Petunias in bloom.

Two days later, it was only partly cloudy. I stopped to take a photo of some Tall Bellflower which is blooming all around the Portage. I have some in my backyard as well.

Red-winged Blackbirds are seen sporadically as their young start to leave the nest.

I caught a very brief look at a Cedar Waxwing from far away.

I had a somewhat closer look at a Blue Dasher Dragonfly perched on a stump off the bridge near Harlem.

Just as I was on my way out after not seeing much else, a Black-crowned Night-heron flew in and disappeared into the vegetation. I reminded myself that for all the times I don’t see these birds they could easily just be hiding. I did relocate it briefly when someone flushed it and it took off.

I found an American Goldfinch checking out the profuse duckweed.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker flew by

Tadziu, the Indigo Bunting, made an appearance in his tree and sang for me.

And I got a rare look at a Blue Jay.

My very last photo was of a young American Robin taking a break as the heat started to build.

There’s more to come. I’m starting to see some more birds in Riverside as well. The prospect for an early morning walk is a toss-up weather-wise, but if I can’t go for a walk I could find more time to address my backlog of photos.