Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson
Hello everyone,
Many thanks to Marian and Cheryl for leading the walks in my absence. And additional thanks to Cheryl for writing such terrific reports!
It was a Kinglet and Junco day! We were surrounded by Kinglets – mostly Golden-crowned -- and Dark-eyed Juncos. They were in the grass, in the trees and flying back and forth. It was pretty cool to see. I think that Cheryl’s “official” count of these birds might be a bit low because it seemed like they were everywhere. The presence of a large number of White-throated Sparrows is not unusual for our area but they are always nice to see and hear.
We also had an unusually high number of Winter Wrens – obviously a flock was migrating through. They are so adorable and fun to watch. The sightings of a Fox Sparrow and two Orange-crowned Warblers were nice surprises.
BIRDERS: Mike, Marian, Cheryl, Jennie, Kristen, Leslie, Chris, Jane, Karin, Lillian, Becky, Lindsey, Bobby, Marisa, Meghan, Nick, Renate
TIME: 8:00am to 11:30am
WEATHER: Sunny, 50s, very fall-like
Compiler: Cheryl
Canada Goose Number observed: 131
Wood Duck Number observed: 27
Mallard Number observed: 2
Ring-billed Gull Number observed: 7
Double-crested Cormorant Number observed: 1
Great Blue Heron Number observed: 7
Great Egret Number observed: 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron Number observed: 1
Red-tailed Hawk Number observed: 1
Belted Kingfisher Number observed: 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker Number observed: 2
Downy Woodpecker Number observed: 3
Hairy Woodpecker Number observed: 1
American Crow Number observed: 2
Black-capped Chickadee Number observed: 17
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Number observed: 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet Number observed: 23
Red-breasted Nuthatch Number observed: 1
Brown Creeper Number observed: 4
Winter Wren Number observed: 7
European Starling Number observed: 2
Eastern Bluebird Number observed: 1
Hermit Thrush Number observed: 1
American Robin Number observed: 14
American Goldfinch Number observed: 11
Fox Sparrow Number observed: 1
Dark-eyed Junco Number observed: 23
White-crowned Sparrow Number observed: 1
White-throated Sparrow Number observed: 36
Song Sparrow Number observed: 5
Swamp Sparrow Number observed: 1
sparrow sp. Number observed: 4
Orange-crowned Warbler Number observed: 2
Palm Warbler Number observed: 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler Number observed: 7
Northern Cardinal Number observed: 2
If you’d like more information about a bird, check out the All About Birds ID guide:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/
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