Tag Archives: Orchard Oriole

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

Last Sunday after the Rain

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It was a little chilly and quite gloomy last Sunday morning after the rain overnight, but I went for a walk anyway at the Chicago Portage, getting there early enough to encounter no other humans for quite a while. From the parking lot, I caught a European Starling leaving the statue where the starlings are nesting in the throat and the sleeve of the cloak. A male Baltimore Oriole was messing around in the grass between the start of the paved trail and the fence.

It was quiet walking to the bridge near Harlem, where I stopped to take a look and see if there was any activity. I found an Eastern Phoebe.

The Merlin app said it heard an Olive-sided Flycatcher. I found this intriguing as I had seen the species with the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers at Thatcher Woods the day before. As if by command, I soon found the Olive-sided perched on a twig not too far from the trail. It didn’t vocalize, but it was unmistakable. After taking way too many photos of this very cooperative bird, I tried to move just a bit farther left to get a better frontal view, but that was when the Olive-sided decided it had seen enough of me and left. Still, I will treasure this close encounter with a bird I have rarely seen, and hope to call upon my memory of it in the future to more quickly identify the next one I might see.

Next, I found what appeared to be a fledgling Red-winged Blackbird – already! It has none of the color associated with the female so I think this is indeed a very young bird.

Also, well-hidden by vegetation, I found a Song Sparrow.

And then, as if in defiance of the weather and the late date and everything else, I encountered a flurry of activity high in the tree tops along the dirt trail that runs parallel to the chain link fence separating the Chicago Portage from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD). It has occurred to me while I’m sitting here writing that a map would be helpful. I was unable to find a drawn map, but I managed to take a screenshot from Google Maps of the Chicago Portage and some of its surrounding area, which I have inserted below. The “Portage Creek” and “Portage Trail” labels show the preserve and its location next to the Des Plaines River, the MWRD, train tracks and surrounding development. That little purple crown is next to the parking lot.

Peering up into the treetops, I managed to make the camera see what looks like a female Bay-breasted Warbler.

Then I found a female Blackpoll Warbler.

A male Bay-breasted Warbler came into view.

And another Blackpoll Warbler.

A female Yellow Warbler was not too shy.

I found yet another Blackpoll Warbler.

Then a Red-eyed Vireo appeared overhead.

I caught a brief look at a Gray-cheeked Thrush by the chain link fence.

And then I started to see a Canada Warbler.

A Gray Catbird was sitting in the barbed wire, which somehow seems appropriate for this species.

There was yet another Bay-breasted Warbler.

And one of those interesting-looking first-summer male American Redstarts.

I briefly saw a female Blackburnian Warbler. By the way, here’s a thought about why the female warblers are all showing up late. For the most part, the male warblers have already gone farther north to establish their territories. I suspect the females want everything in place before they have to get down to the hard work of choosing a mate, nest-building and egg-laying.

Then I caught up with the Canada Warbler, up close and personal. I have seen some other individuals over the last week or two and their images might eventually make it to this page, but this was the longest look I got this season of a particular individual, and I am grateful (after being greedy).

I had a brief and rather distant view of a male Indigo Bunting. I haven’t seen a female yet but I suspect several have arrived for the summer.

Briefly, a Least Flycatcher. I heard this one, too, with i’s “cheh-BECK” call.

Another Yellow Warbler turned up.

I have seen some deer lately.

This looks like a young Great-crested Flycatcher. Already!

Another first-summer male American Redstart was singing.

And a Swainson’s Thrush made an appearance.

As if all that were not enough, on my way out along the newly paved section of trail that hugs the marsh, I found a male Orchard Oriole. This is exciting, so even though the photos aren’t completely clear, I’m adding them all anyway.

So far this week, nothing has compared to Sunday. Things have slowed down quite a bit. As it happens, I was supposed to get up early and over to Columbus Park this morning to join Henry and the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers at 7:00 AM, but the walk was called because of rain. As it has been usual lately, the rain is not a downpour but a steady drizzle-to-droplet routine that will be over this afternoon. I am embracing the extra rest – my cold or whatever it is seems to be diminishing, however gradually – and it has been fun writing this post, this morning. I’m going swimming shortly, and I’ll be back again.

Annual Visit to Goose Lake Prairie

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Saturday morning was absolutely beautiful. In anticipation of its cooler weather, I got up a bit earlier so I could drive to Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area for my annual July visit. If I can believe my eBird checklists, I have been visiting every July since 2012. This place has rarely seemed to be anyone else’s destination for the 4th of July weekend, so I was not too surprised when I drove into the empty parking lot. The visitor’s center is not open on holiday weekends. But I go there for the trails, so it doesn’t matter.

I took a photo of the trail map so I would have a better idea what direction I was headed in. Starting out, the “Interpretive Trail” shown with numbers on the map is easy enough to follow, but I wanted to walk back to the water, or the Goose Lake, if you will, without getting lost because even if you can see the Visitor Center in the distance, it can get a little difficult to gauge distance and direction.

A phone photo of the Visitor Center

Right off the bat I saw a rabbit on the trail, and then followed a Barn Swallow to its perch behind the Visitor Center.

I then encountered a pair of Brown Thrashers. I was delighted to see them as I don’t seem to see this species all that often.

There were many more Tree Swallows than I could photograph.

I found a Willow Flycatcher close to the trail.

On the way to Cragg’s Cabin, I saw an Eastern Comma Butterfly.

I did not walk behind the cabin to see the windmill as I have in previous years. I did sit down on the bench that looks over a pond next to the cabin where I have seen birds before, but there was nothing to report. So I continued on the Interpretive Trail and encountered a Song Sparrow.

By this time on previous occasions I would have heard and seen fairly well at least a couple Dickcissels, but this time I was surprised by the lack of them. I did manage to barely capture one far away on his thorny perch.

Two Eastern Meadowlarks appeared briefly. Unfortunately they were distant and backlit.

There seemed to be more Common Yellowthroats everywhere, though not quite as easy to capture as they had been in Hebron. I could let most of them go.

But then, I was quite surprised to see a Bell’s Vireo. This is a bird that’s often very difficult to see. Although this one was at some distance, it did me the favor of staying pretty much in the same place long enough for me to capture its image. It seemed that almost every time I had passed by a bush I heard a Bell’s Vireo’s scratchy-sounding little song, never for the bird to appear, but now I was actually seeing one.

I then reached the water, where I found only Tree Swallows and an Eastern Kingbird flying around after my approach flushed a Great Blue Heron.

I encountered a closer Bell’s Vireo.

Then a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly caught my attention. Bergamot is very attractive to butterflies.

The vegetation in this location is notable. It is the largest remaining stand of Tall Grass Prairie in Illinois. I made note of some old favorites and others I don’t recall seeing before.

St. John’s Wort
Great Mullein
Little Bluestem
Rattlesnake Master
Rudbeckia and Raspberries

I found an American Goldfinch with nesting material. The bird flying away in the last photo appears to be a different individual, however.

Then I encountered a first-year male Orchard Oriole.

And caught a brief glimpse of a Baltimore Oriole.

Red-winged Blackbirds were everywhere but not posing. I did manage to capture what looks like a female on the left and a juvenile on the right.

A young Gray Catbird popped out to see what was happening.

And I got a closer look at an Eastern Kingbird.

I finally caught a glimpse of some of the Field Sparrows I had been hearing, only these appeared to be juveniles.

And then the most exciting part of the visit occurred when I saw a flash of a goldfinch-sized yellow bird with an insect in its beak. Since goldfinches don’t eat bugs, I wondered … could it possibly be a Yellow-breasted Chat, a Nemesis Bird if there ever was one, the most annoyingly elusive grassland species one hears 99.9% of the time but nearly never sees?

Much to my delight and for whatever reason, the Chat decided to come out from behind its cover and show off its catch.

I can’t help myself. This is the best birthday gift I’ve had in a long time.

Young Field Sparrows flew in and I checked them out while the Yellow-breasted Chat was still there.

After that, I was done for the day. Thanks for making it through this long-on-photos post. Here’s one more of an Orchard Oriole.

McGinnis Moments

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Nearly two weeks ago, on a beautiful Tuesday morning, I set out as usual for a walk at the Chicago Portage only to find the gate was closed.

This doesn’t happen very often, but I had inadvertently noticed that Ottawa Trail Forest Preserve, close by and also with an entrance on Harlem, was closed, which could only mean that the person designated to open up these locations was somehow otherwise detained. I waited for a few minutes and then decided to go to McGinnis Slough instead, as I hadn’t been there for too long.

The first bird I saw was a Cedar Waxwing.

Then I found a first-year male Orchard Oriole who was singing in a tree nearby, off the lawn near the center of the parking lot.

I managed to record his song somewhat. There’s a few other birds in the background, as usual.

There was also a Common Grackle posing.

Perhaps most unexpected and a bit frustrating was the Pileated Woodpecker that swooped in to a tree right in front of me suddenly, just after I turned around to start walking the mowed trail. When he saw me he didn’t stay long, but I managed a few captures through the leaves.

It occurred to me later that a Pileated Woodpecker has been reported at this location enough times this year, so maybe I can hope to see him again. In the last photo above, he took off for the other side of the slough.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement, a very large bird suddenly flew over my head, the trees, and beyond, chased by a Canada Goose. It turned out to be a Trumpeter Swan. I will have to go back soon to see if the Trumpeter Swans are trying to raise a family on this side of the slough as they did before during the drought.

Then a pair of Eastern Kingbirds started frolicking in the grass. The photo at the top of the post was taken right as they turned their backs on each other.

Beyond that, there was the inevitable Warbling Vireo in the confusing pose below.

I barely saw Wood Ducks in their usual spot.

I was happy to see a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

The main part of the slough was heavily overgrown with vegetation. We are getting more rain, so that might change things a bit. I’ll have to go back and see how things are going for the summertime occupants. I did hear Marsh Wrens but did not see them. Of course there were plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds.

Today has been rainy and rather chilly. Some warmer weather is coming, but then more rain with it. Cicadas are everywhere. Yet it’s still good to go out and find the real world, still there.

Checking in at the Portage

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I went back to the Chicago Portage Thursday morning to see what, if any, progress had been made. As far as I can tell, the blacktop entrances to the bridges are being replaced with cement. Only one was completed.

So I walked past the sign after I determined it was safe to do so and no work was being done that day. But I am sure if I visit on a day when work is being done, I will not be able to walk any part of the trail.

After the rain, the duckweed has disappeared. I saw no birds in the water.

I heard a Common Yellowthroat singing from across the water and I was able to spot him, but he was too far away for a photograph. Perhaps you can detect the little yellow and black blob just to the right of center below. That’s him.

Except for several American Robins and a few Indigo Buntings, most of the birds I saw were too far away for decent photographs.

An American Goldfinch perched overhead.

But then I looked out toward the marshy area and saw a male Orchard Oriole. I had been looking for this bird since I last saw one on May 25. I am thrilled to know he stayed. Now I can hope to see some offspring in the not-too-distant future.

The images are very small as these were taken at quite a distance. I included the very last photo which is not exactly in focus but I thought it was interesting to see how the plumage colors arrange themselves as the bird flies away.

There were two male Indigo Buntings that posed for me. Neither one was Tadziu, but I heard him and all is well.

Also in the marshy area where the Orchard Oriole was seen, were a few Red-winged Blackbird females and offspring.

I don’t think I’ve seen Spiderwort here before. I like this flower, even if it tends to sometimes show up in inconvenient spots in my yard.

Now that I have an Elderberry growing in my backyard, I have to pay homage to this one that takes up practically the entire “island.” It’s also a reminder to watch how quickly mine grows and to keep it from taking over the neighborhood.

I hadn’t been over to Riverside yet to see how full the river was, but I noted the bottomlands were flooded next to the Portage.

Not a lot of butterflies, but this Cabbage White made itself available.

Not the most attractive spot for a Red Admiral, but it seemed content to be there.

I visited Riverside on Friday, on my way to the pool, and it was good to see the Des Plaines River full again. I will be back with a short report.

The Birds Are Back: I

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I have been out every morning, even a few times in the rain, anticipating arrivals. Nearly every day has produced another species. And with warmer weather the last few days, I have seen 40+ species in either of my most-frequented locations.

These photos are from May 4th at the Portage, with the exception of the Baltimore Oriole at the top of the post who perched right in front of me yesterday and insisted on having his picture taken. A lot has transpired since May 4 but I figure I have to start somewhere.

Yellow Warblers have been abundant lately.

Warbling Vireos are recognized more often by their song. They’re not always easy to see. So I was particularly happy to capture this one somewhat.

Even before the Baltimore Orioles began arriving, I saw this male Orchard Oriole. I saw one again yesterday and now I’m wondering if perhaps there will be a breeding pair.

It was a little tricky following the Nashville Warbler below.

At some point I will devote more space to some better Yellow-rumped Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet photos, but these were just in the sampling for this day.

Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

It wasn’t until I got home and took my pictures off the camera that I realized there was a Green Heron sitting to the right of the Great Egret.

Turtles are back, enjoying the sunshine.

Perhaps one could imagine a conversation between the Great Egret and the turtles.

I’m always happy to see a White-throated Sparrow. It’s been even better to hear them sing lately.

Chipmunks are sometimes curious enough to sit still.

I don’t try to get photos of Red-winged Blackbirds too often now that they are everywhere but I happened to capture this one in flight.

Below is a Song Sparrow in a quieter moment.

The Portage is very green now, over the burn.

It’s wonderful to see swallows again. Tree Swallows are everywhere.

Somehow I captured this Northern Rough-winged Swallow. I like the reflections in the water.

Barn Swallows were swooping low over the water too.

It took the Palm Warblers just a little while to get here but they are quite comfortable showing up everywhere and taking their time about it, which the photographer greatly appreciates.

European Starlings do well at the Portage. Some are nesting in the mouth of the statue.

A Brown-headed Cowbird atop the statue

Meanwhile back at the bungalow, the indoor crowd is cheering me on. After the Spring Music Festival, suddenly I have several non-paying gigs, so to speak, for which I have begun to learn a lot of new music. I am accompanying a soprano for the choir talent show. Linda the flutist and I are playing for the first Sunday service in July and I am also playing for the second service. I blame it all on the birds. Now that they expect me to play piano every single day, they have convinced me I can play everything.

I am trying to look at this philosophically. If I started playing piano at 2, it’s only fitting I go out the same way I came in.

I will be back with Lots More Spring Migration Photos: I hope sooner than later.

Summertime at the Portage

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I haven’t been out birding since Sunday morning and I likely will not get to do so until the middle of next week, but that’s okay, I am having a wonderful visit with Linda G., my closest friend since we met in junior high. Birds are occupied with their most important breeding activities which tend to make them hard to see anyway: we might get around to a walk but don’t count on it. But that’s okay, I have a backlog of photos from outings last week and before. These photographs are from last Thursday, June 23.

The forecast was for partly sunny, but this was plenty of sun for me. The temperature was not too hot so I think the birds were enjoying it too.

Baltimore Orioles were in the mulberries. The photograph in the upper left corner of the panel below is of a female.

I was following a bird later that was down low in the grasses and it turned out to be a female Orchard Oriole. You can see how she appears “greenish” compared to the female Baltimore Oriole in the previous panel. I am so happy to know Orchard Orioles are breeding at the Portage.

Indigo Buntings are everywhere – at least the males are still easy to spot. I haven’t seen a female that I could capture lately, but as the summer continues I should start seeing them and the juveniles. I have been seeing Tadziu on both sides of the bridge lately. Here he is perched in his original spot.

And now he also likes the very tippy-top of a tree on the other side. I confess I recorded him three times. He basically sang the same song in all three recordings but I just couldn’t help myself. I can recognize his song from a distance as I approach his territory.

So below are Tadziu’s greatest hits.

The Indigo Bunting below is an entirely different individual. He wasn’t singing for me so I couldn’t record him to compare, but he’s beautiful. I love the way the light plays with these guys.

There isn’t a lot of Squirrel-Tail Grass and I suspect it doesn’t last very long but it was looking good that day.

Below is some variety of sedge I have never seen before and cannot identify, so I welcome any suggestions. At least I think it’s a sedge.

When I got across the south bridge as I walked in, I noticed workers applying herbicides. I had seen what I think was a Forest Preserves truck in the parking lot. I asked one young woman if they were going to tackle the poison hemlock, and she said she didn’t know about that yet, but that they were discouraging Mugwort, which is in the photo below right. Apparently it’s considered an herbal remedy by some but it’s also very invasive, native to Europe and Asia. I think the strategy is to prevent it from flowering and producing seeds, which apparently can be as many as 200 seeds per plant, but it also has a rhizome root system, so stopping seed propagation is only one step in control. I didn’t dare ask what herbicide they were using, but if I see them working again I will get over my prejudices temporarily and try to be a better reporter.

I encountered a young rabbit that day.

I haven’t been able to identify this yellow flower yet but it seems to be a new one at the Portage. I will pay closer attention to the foliage on my next visit and see if I can figure out what it is. It’s so easy to be lazy…

This Chipmunk was nibbling on something.

Downy Woodpeckers are becoming a little bit more visible lately although they are still pretty quiet.

I haven’t seen a lot of European Starlings but these two youngsters were present.

House Wrens are ubiquitous but not always easy to see. I caught this one in a rare moment of silence.

Sometimes I get lucky with swallows, and this day had a few Barn Swallows swooping low over the duckweed.

American Goldfinches are also fond of the duckweed-covered stream and I think it’s a perfect background for this female.

Red-winged Blackbirds are harder to see, but this one was sitting so still I had to commemorate the occasion.

I will try to get back sooner than later but Linda will be staying with me several more days and we have a lot of catching up to do.

Cool and Cloudy at the Portage

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In case you didn’t get to meet this Indigo Bunting last year, allow me to introduce Tadziu – I have given him the name that is pasted on the back of the “Bike Path” sign on which he sits in this photograph – as yesterday morning he sat and sang and posed for me. Last year I often saw him singing from the tree that hangs over the entrance to the bridge which facilitates the bike path referred to in this sign. I would also see him sitting on the bridge itself and singing, as well as on the sign. He is the most enthusiastic advocate for a territory I have ever seen.

A snippet of his song is below. I recorded it last week. I realized yesterday that although all Indigo Buntings basically sing the “same” song, it seemed I could distinguish his when he sang it. Or it may just be that I know where to expect to hear him. Either way, he always sings in my presence and we are friends.

Indigo Bunting

Here’s a few more of Tadziu being a ham.

I was very happy to see a male Orchard Oriole, however briefly. I saw another later but did not manage to photograph it. I hope this means they are nesting at the Portage. I have seen them only occasionally every year. But I have to keep reminding myself that the more I go out, likely the more I will see.

Here’s how the Chicago Portage looks now.

I expect to hear Yellow Warblers but I don’t always see them. I waited for this one to emerge because I could hear him quite clearly. If you’re hopping around in the treetops and you’re bright yellow, eventually you will be seen.

Also seen, but silent, was a Downy Woodpecker exploring a beautiful round hole.

Just as I saw a Green Heron perched over the water, it flew and I followed it with the camera, then found it again later where it was sitting.

I walked back along the gravel road by the MWRD for a bit to see what was going on there.

I found a Cedar Waxwing with its back toward me and managed to get it to turn around slightly.

There was a pair of Eastern Kingbirds sallying about for insects.

There’s a lot – a terrible, horrific lot – of Poison Hemlock growing in several spots and it stinks to walk through. One does not have to touch it and I certainly don’t for obvious reasons. But another plant that takes over the wetter areas – Butterweed – is a more welcome sight.

I found this Indigo Bunting in the hemlock of all places.

Another invasive that has been battled for years is Burdock. This tiny, colorful fly looked even tinier on a huge leaf.

Young American Robins are starting to show up on their own while adults keep a watchful eye.

Another view – this of the “island”.

Here are two more photos of the Yellow Warbler who, with Tadziu, brightened up my morning.

We are still cool with lows in the 50’s, which is very comfortable to me, but it looks like temperatures will start to heat up next week. We have been getting some rain, but I wonder how much we will get later. I think we are still making up for last year’s drought. I’ll be back.

McGinnis Magic

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There wasn’t an awful lot going on at McGinnis on my last visit, but the sight of two Sandhill Cranes foraging in the lawn right off the parking lot automatically made it a special day.

I guess McGinnis is always good for a Great Blue Heron or two. But I’m surprised I haven’t seen any Great Egrets lately.

It’s really dry..

Not a lot of swallows that day but I managed to capture this Tree Swallow.

Not sure I have seen these Irises here before. Nice.

This Song Sparrow was almost completely hidden. We compromised.

Common Grackles are here and there.

Perhaps the second nicest surprise was to see a first-year male Orchard Oriole right before I left.

The lack of light didn’t offer much contrast with these raptors flying overhead.

  • Red-Tailed Hawk
  • Osprey

While I was kind of hoping to see a colt or two with the Sandhills, which I never have here, I did see two Canada Geese in the same spot as the Sandhills were earlier – and they were carefully watching one lone gosling.

Providing additional interest, a Red-Winged Blackbird trying to make sense of a piece of ice cream cone.

I am always impressed by a Robin taking a pose.

I haven’t been able to think about much besides work lately. That – and the burrowing rats in my yard. I just removed all the feeders except for the hummingbird and oriole feeders – for 10 days. The city has provided an exterminator to discourage the rats, and I can only hope for elimination as up until the pandemic, they were never around. But adding insult to injury is the drought. I take it personally, I don’t know why – but the thought of weather like Phoenix, Arizona has never been attractive to me. Nothing against anyone who loves hot, dry weather. It has its place. But not here.

Thanks for letting me rant. I do have more cheerful posts in store and what should be a fun event I will share with you in the next few weeks.