Ottawa Trail Woods | Goldbird Variations

White-Tailed Deer, Ottawa Trail Woods

The weather has suddenly changed to hot, humid and sunny, and with it the landscape, but I don’t want to forget the last two weeks entirely as all the water has officially taken us off the drought list.

Flooding IMG_5793_1

So two weekends ago, I went to Ottawa Trail Woods after having been detoured in that direction, trying to get to the Chicago Portage. These pictures are some that I took on that expedition.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Yellow-Rumped Warblers were everywhere, enjoying the flooding. The trail was intact, but there was water everywhere else! There were also still a lot of Kinglets.

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

It was a great day for swallows, and I managed to get some flight pictures, which I always consider a worthy challenge. Both Northern Rough-Winged Swallows…

Northern Rough-Winged Swallow

Northern RW Swallow IMG_5985_1

and Tree Swallows

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallows IMG_5955_1

Tree Swallow IMG_5953_1

Tree Swallow IMG_5945_1

Sapsuckers have mostly moved on, but they can still be seen here and there. The one below is a brightly-colored male. You can almost see the yellow on the belly…?

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Always room for a Black-Capped Chickadee and another Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

BC Chickadee IMG_6056_1

YR Warbler IMG_5888_1

And this Robin looks relieved to have a dry spot to sit in.

American Robin IMG_6105_1

Perhaps my bird of the day was the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. With no leaves up high in the trees to hide in, he was very accessible for a second or two.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

I look forward to visiting here again, when it’s a little less flooded…

Flooding IMG_5991_1

Portage IMG_4961_1

The picture above was taken on April 14 at the Chicago Portage. There had been some rain, but the deluge was yet to come. The colors were still muted, with hardly any green. After the Portage, I continued on to part of Ottawa Trail Woods for the first time, searching for signs of spring.

Female Ruddy Duck

I was a bit surprised to see this lone female Ruddy Duck at the Portage, napping. A little farther down stream were Blue-Winged Teal. Perhaps this couple was looking for a nesting spot.

Blue-Winged Teal

The Canada Goose below was sleeping peacefully on her nest, incubating her brood. But I am afraid she has probably been washed out by all the rain that followed.

Canada Goose on nest

An early female Red-Winged Blackbird was sitting quietly off to the side.

Female Red-Winged Blackbird

Ruby-Crowned and Golden-Crowned Kinglets were everywhere. This particular Ruby-Crowned seemed to be having a little trouble controlling his crown in the wind. But in the second photo it really looks like a Crown sitting on top of his head.