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