Submitted by Jennie Strable on Wed, 05/10/2017 - 8:37pm
Event date:
Saturday, May 6, 2017 - 8:00am
Location:
-
Hello to All,
Twenty plus birders showed up for the Spring Bird Count. Mother Nature held off on providing a warm spring day with lots of insects for the warblers. We managed to find only four species of warblers.
There was a police SUV parked on the west path. When most birders had reached the South Bridge of Wooded Island, the police officer slowly drove across the Bridge. He kindly rolled down his window and called out for us to “Watch your toes.” We were so disparate to increase our bird count; I asked the officer if he had seen any “Jail Birds” lately. He got a good laugh from that old line, and said that he had seen many “Jail Birds.” But alas, Jail Bird is not a species option on eBird. It is rumored, started by yours truly, that the AOU (American Ornithological Union) is reviewing the addition of the species.
BIRDERS: 20 (1) Jennie S., (2) Lenore W., (3) Judy M., (4) Betsy F., (5) Gary M with friend from NYC (6) Bob F., (7) Bruce Mc., (8) Eric G., (9) Tracy W. – photographer, (10) Sid P. – photographer, (11) Chris R., (12) Raman S., with friend (13) Tang T., (14) Karin C, (15) Karin D., (16) Kevin V., (17 – 19) Lisle G, Iain C. & Anais C. from Britain & Australia, members of Topical Birding Tours, (20) Pat D.
TIME: 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
PLACES: Wooded Island and Bobolink Meadow
DISTANCE: Two miles
WEATHER: Mostly sunny. Cold. Windy. Temperature 48 – 50 F., Wind N 20 – 30 mph
TOTAL SPECIES COUNT: 43
Canada Goose 19 Two flocks of goslings. 4 + 6.
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 16
Blue-winged Teal 1
Northern Shoveler 2 East Lagoon. Actively feeding with spatula bill.
Red-breasted Merganser 2 East Lagoon. Male & Female.
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant 214
Great Blue Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Killdeer 1 Heard from west shore of west lagoon, across from North Bridge onto Wooded Island.
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 2
Caspian Tern 2
Chimney Swift 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 1 Female
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 4
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 2
European Starling 30
Cedar Waxwing 7 Silent. All perched in a single tree NW corner of North Bridge onto Wooded Island. Facing the morning sun.
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Common Grackle 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
American Goldfinch 5
This is a group report, with many birders contributing to the list. Most of the birds were seen by at least several or all of the birders.
Corrections, additions and comments are welcome.
Recordings are not used to attract birds.
This report will be documented on eBird as a group report for the Wooded Island Bird Walks.
The Walks are free and open to one and all. They are held year round.Newcomers are warmly welcomed.
Darrow Bridge: Darrow Bridge has been barricaded by the Department of Transportation. A high black metal iron fence has been erected on all four sides. The fence will remain in place until Darrow Bridge is completely rebuilt, which could be several years away. The Bridge has been deemed unsafe.
Saturday morning walks: Start at 8:00 a.m. covers a distance of two miles. Birders walk counterclockwise around the Columbia Basin (North Lagoon) onto Wooded Island. Exiting Wooded Island at the south end, the birders walk along the soccer field and enter the south end of Bobolink Meadow. The Meadow’s path leads to the Music Bridge and back to the East Parking Lot. In late fall, winter and early spring, the birders check for birds on the lakefront and Outer Harbor near LaRabida Hospital, and the Inner Harbor.
Metered parking is available in the East Parking Lot that is accessible from South Lake Shore Drive. There is a Stop Light at 57th Street Science Drive. This Stop Light is approximately 200 yards south of the major intersection with signs for Museum of Science and Industry. Make a turn at the 57th Street and Science Drive Stop Light towards the Museum. Turn Left (south) at the intersection of Science Drive and Columbia Drive. Go through the parking lot to the west end.
Birders meet in the southwest corner of the East Parking Lot
Parking and Lots: While restoration is ongoing, heavy equipment has taken over half of the east parking lot, off of South Lake Shore Drive, and half of the southwest parking lot which has an entrance off of Hayes Drive (63rd St.) and just east of Cornell Drive. Birders will be able to find metered parking in both lots. The East Parking Lot is preferred. There is also unmetered parking along Stony Island Avenue from 56th to 59th Street.
Best of Birding to All,
Patricia Durkin