Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson

Hello everyone,

It started out as a slow morning, except for all the cute Golden-crowned Kinglets that are still flitting about. We had a few Ruby-crowned too, in Bobolink Woods. A couple flocks of Double-crested Cormorants flew over and a fabulous flock of Flickers visited us too.

The highlight of the day came when we exited Bobolink Woods and walked over to check out the trees by the old tennis courts. Kristen pointed out a bird in a bare tree and we were all surprised to see a beautiful Purple Finch.  Although Purple Finches are not terribly uncommon birds, we rarely find them in Jackson Park so we were all pretty excited to see it. The bird was so occupied eating the seeds left over after the leaves had fallen that we got to watch it for a long time.  See Mike’s great photos, attached.

BIRDERS: Lucy, Mike, Marian, Cheryl, Jennie, Karin, Kristen, Gary, Chris, Jane, Leslie, Lillian, Jim, Becky, Rob, Marisa, Alex, Meghan, Nick, Bruce M., Renate.

TIME:   8:00am to 11:30am   

WEATHER: 55 degrees, cloudy, breezy

Compiler:  Cheryl

Photographer: Mike

Canada Goose   Number observed: 171

Wood Duck   Number observed: 13

Mallard   Number observed: 8

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)   Number observed: 2

Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 9

Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 23

Great Blue Heron   Number observed: 4

Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 3

Hairy Woodpecker   Number observed: 1

Northern Flicker   Number observed: 6

American Crow   Number observed: 3

Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 17

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Number observed: 4

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Number observed: 43

White-breasted Nuthatch   Number observed: 1

Brown Creeper   Number observed: 1

European Starling   Number observed: 1

American Robin   Number observed: 13

House Sparrow   Number observed: 10

Purple Finch   Number observed: 1

American Goldfinch   Number observed: 31

American Tree Sparrow   Number observed: 4

Dark-eyed Junco   Number observed: 19

White-crowned Sparrow   Number observed: 4

White-throated Sparrow   Number observed: 9

Song Sparrow   Number observed: 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Number observed: 2

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