Submitted by Jennie Strable on Mon, 05/14/2018 - 7:44pm

Event date:

Saturday, May 12, 2018 - 8:00am 

Location:

-

Hello to All,

What a wonderful spring morning for birding! The weather was not the most pleasant for us humans, but bad weather means good birding, and there were so many birds that we didn’t know where to look next. We had warblers, thrushes, grosbeaks and more.

BIRDERS: Eric, Karin, Marian, Liz, Catherine, David, Naomi, 2 of David and Naomi’s friends from Michigan, and new birder Jeremy. I have probably forgotten someone – my apologies – I didn’t write down names and I have a terrible memory.    

TIME:   8:00am to noon        

WEATHER: temperatures in the 40s, rain and first, then clearing 

X = commonly seen and/or not counted. Many thanks to Eric for compiling a list.

6 Canada Goose

7 Wood Duck

X Mallard

1 Hooded Merganser -- Male

X Double-crested Cormorant -- At least 500

2 Great Blue Heron

7 Black-crowned Night-Heron

2 hawk sp.

X Ring-billed Gull

1 Herring Gull

1 Caspian Tern

2 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)

5 Chimney Swift

2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

1 Belted Kingfisher

3 Downy Woodpecker

1 Least Flycatcher

1 Empidonax sp.

3 Eastern Phoebe

1 Eastern Kingbird

1 Blue-headed Vireo

4 Warbling Vireo

1 American Crow

5 Purple Martin

2 Tree Swallow

X Barn Swallow

4 House Wren

X Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

1 Veery

2 Swainson's Thrush

X American Robin

X Gray Catbird

3 Northern Waterthrush

1 Blue-winged Warbler

2 Black-and-white Warbler

3 Tennessee Warbler

1 Nashville Warbler

4 Common Yellowthroat

X American Redstart

2 Cape May Warbler

X Magnolia Warbler

1 Blackburnian Warbler

X Yellow Warbler

4 Chestnut-sided Warbler

X Palm Warbler

X Yellow-rumped Warbler

3 Black-throated Green Warbler

2 Canada Warbler

3 Wilson's Warbler

1 Clay-colored Sparrow

X White-crowned Sparrow

3 Song Sparrow

2 Northern Cardinal

10 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

1 Orchard Oriole

X Baltimore Oriole

X Red-winged Blackbird

X Brown-headed Cowbird

1 Common Grackle

X American Goldfinch

1 House Sparrow

Number of Taxa: 62

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.

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 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.

Directions:  Exit Lake Shore Drive at Science Drive, which is the stoplight just south of the major 57th Drive intersection by the Museum of Science and Industry.  Turn Left (south) at the stop sign at the intersection of Science Drive and Columbia Drive. Go through the parking lot to the southwest end.  Metered parking is available and birders meet in the southwest corner of the east parking lot.

Good birding everyone,

Jennie