Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson

Hello everyone,

You can tell it’s a slow birding day when the group starts searching for House Sparrows! We heard the unmistakable chirps by the old tennis courts but couldn’t see the “spotsies”, as my father used to call them, so several birders went on the hunt.  Ah well, the Cardinals were singing so we know that Spring, and more interesting birds, will arrive soon.

We were pleased to see a Brown Creeper again this week, and White-throated Sparrows are always a nice find.  Those of us who headed back to Stony Island Ave after the walk were treated to a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk that Cheryl spotted enjoying the sun from a nice perch.

Check out Steve and Mike’s great photos, attached.

BIRDERS: Rob, Cheryl, Becky, Kristin, Marian, Lucy, Mike, Jennie, Karin, Marisa, Meghan, Bruce, Steve, Renate, and welcome to Camen.

TIME:   8:00am to 10:15am   

WEATHER: Sunny, 21 degrees, light winds

Compiler: Cheryl

Photographers: Steve (white-throated sparrow) and Mike (red-tailed hawk)

Canada Goose   Number observed: 125

Mallard   Number observed: 4

Common Goldeneye   Number observed: 1

Red-breasted Merganser   Number observed: 1

Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 2

Herring Gull   Number observed: 1

gull sp.   Number observed: 1

Red-tailed Hawk   Number observed: 1

Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 1

American Crow   Number observed: 5

Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 7

White-breasted Nuthatch   Number observed: 3

Brown Creeper   Number observed: 1

European Starling   Number observed: 2

American Robin   Number observed: 4

House Sparrow   Number observed: 5

House Finch   Number observed: 1

American Goldfinch   Number observed: 2

White-crowned Sparrow   Number observed: 3

Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 6

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