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Wooded Island Bird Walk

  • Wooded Island, Jackson Park Meet at the west side of the Columbia Basin Chicago, IL, 60637 United States (map)

Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson

Hello everyone,

As it is every year it seems, May 15 is the magic day when all of the warblers arrive, and all of the warbler lovers show up too. With 34 birders we had plenty of eyes to spot all the wonderful warblers and other spring migrants. In addition to all the warblers, highlights were the gobs of Baltimore Orioles, another heron trifecta, a flock of Pine Siskins, and Columbia, our resident juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. It was a great morning!

BIRDERS: Kaumudi, Rob, Jofi, Grace, Rackley, Jeremy, Elise, Marshall, Joanne, Gary, Marian, Hal, Leti, Bruce, Jennie, Judy, Kristin, Mark, Cheryl, Karin, Eric, Vinay, Ka Yee, Nigel, Aarushi, Martha, Chris, Brendan, Marisa, Barbara, Cathy, Pam, Leslie, Liz

TIME: 8:00am to 11:45am                 

WEATHER: 50s, cloudy, rain later in the morning

Compiler:  Cheryl

Canada Goose   Number observed: 20

Wood Duck   Number observed: 8

Mallard   Number observed: 5

Chimney Swift   Number observed: 14

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   Number observed: 2

Spotted Sandpiper  Number observed: 1

Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 17

Caspian Tern   Number observed: 1

Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 2

Great Blue Heron   Number observed: 2

Green Heron   Number observed: 2

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Number observed: 2

Red-tailed Hawk   Number observed: 1

Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 2

Empidonax sp.   Number observed: 2

Eastern Phoebe   Number observed: 1

Eastern Kingbird   Number observed: 3

Warbling Vireo   Number observed: 4

Red-eyed Vireo   Number observed: 2

Blue Jay   Number observed: 3

American Crow   Number observed: 5

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Number observed: 7

Tree Swallow   Number observed: 2

Barn Swallow   Number observed: 35

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Number observed: 2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Number observed: 5

European Starling   Number observed: 7

Gray Catbird   Number observed: 17

Brown Thrasher  Number observed: 2

Eastern Bluebird   Number observed: 1

Veery   Number observed: 3

Swainson's Thrush   Number observed: 3

Wood Thrush   Number observed: 1

American Robin   Number observed: 17

Cedar Waxwing   Number observed: 1

Pine Siskin   Number observed: 24, conservative count

American Goldfinch   Number observed: 5

White-crowned Sparrow   Number observed: 7

Savannah Sparrow   Number observed: 1

Song Sparrow   Number observed: 3

Baltimore Oriole   Number observed: 19

Red-winged Blackbird   Number observed: 15

Brown-headed Cowbird   Number observed: 3

Common Grackle   Number observed: 3

Northern Waterthrush   Number observed: 2

Black-and-white Warbler   Number observed: 3

Tennessee Warbler   Number observed: 1

Mourning Warbler   Number observed: 1

Common Yellowthroat   Number observed: 3

American Redstart   Number observed: 17

Northern Parula   Number observed: 1

Magnolia Warbler   Number observed: 4

Bay-breasted Warbler   Number observed: 1

Yellow Warbler   Number observed: 15

Chestnut-sided Warbler   Number observed: 9

Blackpoll Warbler   Number observed: 1

Black-throated Blue Warbler   Number observed: 1

Palm Warbler   Number observed: 5

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Number observed: 3

Wilson's Warbler   Number observed: 1

Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 5

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Number observed: 2

Indigo Bunting   Number observed: 4

           

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