Onward to small lakes in northern Cook County. On April 4, we joined a Chicago Ornithological Society outing to five small lakes off the Des Plaines River. Beginning at Axehead Lake, we saw more Common Loons, Lesser Scaup, some Bufflehead.

At Lake Opeka, we saw an interesting Common Loon that was not in breeding plumage.

A Double-crested Cormorant flew by.

And so did an Osprey, eventually. It’s always exciting to see the return of these birds.

And a Great Blue Heron swept by my lens. On the return trip, it was carrying a fish.

In the woods, we found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

And Yellow-rumped Warblers were just starting to appear.

The big surprise was seeing a Greater White-fronted Goose at Beck Lake. It’s a bit smaller than a Canada Goose. We rarely see this bird.

I couldn’t resist this flotilla of Red-breasted Mergansers.

Onward to Busse Woods, with more lakes on April 11. I can hardly believe I have managed to ignore all these wonderfully birdy places in Cook County. And there are so many more… A singing Song Sparrow welcomed us that morning.

Red-breasted Mergansers were a little closer, then later, I forget what flushed a lot of them but I was happy to document their take-off.

We saw Horned Grebes in breeding plumage both days, but with better light and closer views, they were really spectacular looking here. The bird at the top of the post is also one of them.

Mute Swans flew in.

We had a beautiful Vesper Sparrow, another less-common species.

American White Pelicans were in flight over the lakes.

I caught this Double-crested Cormorant in a pensive moment.

A Swamp Sparrow observed us.

Another Great Blue Heron flew past.

This Osprey was in much better light than the one the week before. I believe there is a nest platform somewhere in the area.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were here too. I love the way the plumage compliments the catkins of an Eastern Cottonwood. I also realize I never noticed these flowers before.

I managed to catch a quick Caspian Tern in flight.

For the record, Yellow-rumped Warbers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen and have been more frequent the last few days.

We have been experiencing colder temperatures, lots of wind and more rain, the exact opposite of last year. Everything is going crazy in my yard, but I will have a hard time again with clean-up as the overnight temperatures are not yet safe (50 degrees Fahrenheit or above). In anticipation of warmer weather, my first bumblebee appeared in the front yard on Wednesday or Thursday, and I was telling Linda about it as we sat on the front porch waiting for her ride home. As if on call, the bumblebee came to visit us, very sweetly hovering in front of us as if to say hello before it took off. I have encountered bees when the garden is in full bloom and they are always friendly, but this was a very special moment. I feel sometimes like I am living in a bubble or an oasis that provides not just sustenance for wild creatures and plants, but also some sort of spiritual connection between us. Life’s simplest pleasures far outweigh the manufactured ones for me.