Submitted by Jennie Strable on Sun, 05/14/2017 - 8:32pm
Event date:
Saturday, May 13, 2017 - 8:00am
Location:
-
It was a great morning for birding! Our summer residents and a specular looking migrating male Scarlet Tanager waited for us to catch a glimpse of them on Wooded Island.
BIRDERS: 25 (1) Liz M., (2) Gary M., (3) Marian N., (4) Kevin V., (5) Bruce Mc., (6) Jennie S., (7) Tracy W., (8) Cheryl F., new birder for group, (9) Simi S., - new birder to group, (10) Emilie S., - Northwestern student in journalism, studying birds and birders, (11) Ken E., (12) Tim T., (13) Eric G, (14) Tobias G., (15) Roger F., (16) Ben H., (17) Christina H., (18) Karin C., (19) Karin D., (20) Bill D., (21) Renate G., (22) Cole J., (23) Morgen M., (24) Aaron T., (25) Pat D.
TIME: 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
PLACES: Wooded Island
DISTANCE: 2 miles
WEATHER: Partly Cloudy. Temperature 60 – 68 F. Wind WSW 10 – 15 mph
TOTAL SPECIES COUNT: 50
Canada Goose 12
Wood Duck 3 2 males & 1 female together.
Mallard 7
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Green Heron 1 Along east central shore of Wooded Island. Spotted by Morgen.
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Cooper's Hawk 1 Hidden in a tree on the east side of east path, near center of Wooded Island. When the hawk flew out, with crow escort and empty talons, a few small birds became unfrozen and thereafter, flew out of the tree. When a hawk is near, and life threatening, birds that are aware of the danger freeze in place, until the threat is gone.
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Ring-billed Gull 4
Caspian Tern 1
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Eastern Kingbird 5
Warbling Vireo 6
Blue Jay 1 Heard by Eric G.
American Crow 6
Purple Martin 7
Barn Swallow 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Near Darrow Bridge.
House Wren 1 Wooded Island. East side.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 On Wooded Island.
Eastern Bluebird 1 Reported by Eric G.
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 6
European Starling 1
Cedar Waxwing 1 Reported by Eric G.
Black-and-white Warbler 1 On Wooded Island SE area.
Common Yellowthroat 1
American Redstart 2 Male & female together.
Yellow Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Eastern Towhee 1 Reported by Tobias G.
Scarlet Tanager 1 Male. SW area of old Rose Garden. In same dead sapling alternately occupied by Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Seen by some birders.
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 Male & female pair together.
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 8 Male/female pairs
Baltimore Oriole 6 Saw a male near a new nest, south of "Sky Landing" installation - Wooded Island.
American Goldfinch 12
House Sparrow 1
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.
Photo of Male Scarlet Tanager downloaded from Wikepedia.
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