Hello everyone,

The glorious fall day brought out the birders as well as the birds. And we were all rewarded with some wonderful birds.

The highlight of the day was the sighting of 2 Common Redpolls and 3 Orange-crowned warblers in the meadow.  We don’t see the Redpolls very often in Jackson Park and Orange-crowned warblers are always a treat.

We had our first of season Hooded Mergansers and a brief look at a flyover Northern Harrier swooping across the lagoon. A Red-tailed Hawk nicely posed for pictures in a tree at the north end of the meadow.  All in all a great day!

BIRDERS: Megan, Laura, Steve, Cheryl, Marian, Jane, Eric, Marisa, Karin, Antonio, Adriana, Mike Lindsay, Cara and Jennie

TIME:   8:00am to 10:30am   

WEATHER: Sunny and mild, upper 50s to mid 60s

Compiler: Cheryl        

Canada Goose   Number observed:171

Wood Duck   Number observed:4

Mallard   Number observed:2

Hooded Merganser   Number observed:7

Ring-billed Gull   Number observed:2

Great Blue Heron   Number observed:1

Northern Harrier   Number observed:1

Red-tailed Hawk   Number observed:1

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Number observed:1

Downy Woodpecker   Number observed:8

American Crow   Number observed:2

Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed:9

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Number observed:1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Number observed:1

Hermit Thrush   Number observed:1

American Robin   Number observed:6

Common Redpoll   Number observed:2

American Goldfinch   Number observed:11

Dark-eyed Junco   Number observed:27

White-throated Sparrow   Number observed:6

Lincoln's Sparrow   Number observed:1

Details: Seen by large group as part of Jackson Park Wooded Island/Bobolink Meadow bird walk. Medium size Sparrow with Buffy breast and flanks with very distinct fine black streaks. White belly and broad gray eyebrow. Smaller, slightly peaked head with a fine pointed bill. Hanging out in the Meadow with a couple of Redpolls.

Orange-crowned Warbler   Number observed:3

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Number observed:1

Northern Cardinal   Number observed:4

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. 

Saturday morning walks: Start at 8:00 a.m. and cover a distance of two miles.  Birders walk from the meeting spot counterclockwise 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. After crossing the Music Bridge birders walk through the parking lot and around the Columbia Basin (North Lagoon) and return to our meeting spot.  In late fall, winter and early spring, the birders check for birds on the lakefront at the Outer Harbor near LaRabida Hospital and the Inner Harbor after the Wooded Island walk.

Meeting Spot:  Birders meet on the west shore of the Columbia Basin (North Lagoon).  Park on Stony Island Avenue near 59th Street, walk east across the parkland area, then cross Cornell Drive to reach the spot.

Good birding everyone,

Jennie

Photo: Canvasback by Walker Golder