Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson
Hello everyone,
It was a gorgeous winter morning, and although it was quite cold, the bright sunlight and low winds helped us stay remarkably warm during the walk.
Marisa found an American Kestrel by the Darrow Bridge when she arrived. Check out her photo. We found some busy and cute American Tree Sparrows and also saw a Red-tailed hawk being chased by a murder of pesky crows. We had great looks at a Downy Woodpecker – see Eric’s photo. And Steve got an amazing photo of a male Cardinal. I always say that there’s nothing prettier than a Cardinal in the snow and his photo proves it.
And Leslie finally did what the rest of us wanted to do – she made a snow angel! Fortunately, Elizabeth got out her camera quickly enough to document the event.
BIRDERS: Mike, Elizabeth, Kristin, Cheryl, Jennie, Marisa, Eric, Leslie, Steve
TIME: 8:00am to 10:15am
WEATHER: Sunny, 7 degrees, light winds
Compiler: Cheryl
Photographers: Marisa, Eric, Steve, Elizabeth
Ring-billed Gull Number observed: 5
Red-tailed Hawk Number observed: 1
Downy Woodpecker Number observed: 3
American Kestrel Number observed: 1
American Crow Number observed: 5
Black-capped Chickadee Number observed: 6
White-breasted Nuthatch Number observed: 2
European Starling Number observed: 4
American Robin Number observed: 1
House Sparrow Number observed: 5
House Finch Number observed: 2
American Goldfinch Number observed: 3
American Tree Sparrow Number observed: 4
Dark-eyed Junco Number observed: 7
Northern Cardinal 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