Hello to All,
The only Rare Bird Sighting on our Walk was the lingering Gray Catbird on Wooded Island.
The birders came upon a most unusual and disturbing discovery on Wooded Island. As the birders entered the Japanese Garden, I opted to skip the Japanese Garden loop and proceed slowly along the central foot path. As I walked solo along the path, I heard intermittent screams and grunts. The sounds were coming along the east path. I thought someone may be attacked, or a coyote seized a large mammal. I did not know the source, but it seemed more likely human sounds. I kept shouting out “Hey! Hey!”
Some might know, I have a bum knee. To traverse through the brush and vegetation between me and the east path meant risking twisting my knee and falling. I kept shouting back to the cries and moving closer along a parallel route. At last the other birders caught up with me. They too were alarmed. They walked through the brush to the sound. What they discovered was a white female, late 20’s to early 30’s years of age, dressed for the weather. She was wearing ear plugs, and was kicking a tree and bumping up against the tree with her shoulder, all the while making grunts and cries. The birders were able to engage the woman in conversation. She did not tell them why she was behaving in this self-abusive manner. After they left her presence she resumed the kicking, bumping and grunting.
This was abnormal behavior. I called the police and asked that a squad car come onto the Island to assess what was going on with this person. As we continued our Walk, we did not see a police car on Wooded Island.
BIRDERS: 6 (1) Cheryl M., (2) Jennie S., (3) Marian N., (4) Karin D., (5) Renate G., (6) Pat D.
TIME: 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
PLACES: Wooded Island, Lagoons, Soccer Field, Bobolink Meadow, Outer Harbor
DISTANCE: 2 miles
WEATHER: Sunny. Temperature 35 to 37 F. Wind ESE 4 to 13 mph. Thin ice covered all lagoons with small areas of open water near the North and South Bridges onto Wooded Island.
TOTAL SPECIES COUNT: 16 Wooded Island & Bobolink Meadow Hotspot, plus 7 species noted in the Outer Harbor.
Wooded Island, Lagoons, Soccer Field, Bobolink Meadow:
1. Canada Goose 59
2. Hooded Merganser 1 Female. West Lagoon.
3. Ring-billed Gull 5
4. Cooper's Hawk 1
5. Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
6. Downy Woodpecker 6
7. American Crow 46 While walking through Bobolink Meadow, a murder of crows were seen and heard in the sky NE of the Meadow. They began to land on branches on Wooded Island.
8. Black-capped Chickadee 7
9. Golden-crowned Kinglet 5 Two birders had very close views of the Golden-crowned Kinglets with its red border surrounding its golden crown. The Golden-crowned pair were gleaning, likely deceased insects, from webs underneath a bench supports. Location was a bench nearest Cornell Drive, west of Darrow Bridge.
10. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
11. European Starling 1
12. Gray Catbird 1 Seen and heard by four birders in the SW corner of Wooded Island. The sighting was made along the path that loops the border along the West Lagoon, beginning and ending from the concrete west path on Wooded Island. Randy S. gave the birders advance notice that a Gray Catbird was in this area.
13. American Goldfinch 2
14. Dark-eyed Junco 15
15. White-throated Sparrow 1
16. Northern Cardinal 1
Outer Harbor:
1. Canada Goose 20
2. Mallard 8
3. Redhead 3
4. Greater/Lesser Scaup 5
5. Bufflehead 7
6. Ring-billed Gull X
7. Herring Gull X
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.
Birders meet on the east side of Darrow Bridge.
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 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: 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
Chicago Audubon Society Representative
Wooded Island Bird Walks