Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson
Hello everyone,
Winter returned with a vengeance this morning – it was uncomfortably cold on our walk but we had some nice sightings anyway.
The water was open and we found a large flock of Mergansers, both Red-breasted and Common, and the Commons were performing their mating display. Two Wood Ducks returned to the lagoons and it was nice to see them again. We found a beautiful Fox Sparrow, plus a Song Sparrow and two Kildeer.
A highlight was the view of two Red-tailed Hawks at the East lagoon. One was walking around on the shoreline and the other was perched in a tree above the first one. We haven’t seen two hawks together for a while so this was a treat.
BIRDERS: Chris, Leslie, Cheryl, Mike, Marian, Eric, Jennie, Lucy, Kristin
TIME: 8:00am to 9:50am
WEATHER: 15 degrees, sunny, breezy, brrrrr.
Compiler: Cheryl
Canada Goose Number observed: 21
Wood Duck Number observed: 2
Mallard Number observed: 8
Common Goldeneye Number observed: 3
Common Merganser Number observed: 4
Red-breasted Merganser Number observed: 22
Killdeer Number observed: 2
Ring-billed Gull Number observed: 9
Herring Gull Number observed: 1
Red-tailed Hawk Number observed: 2
Downy Woodpecker Number observed: 1
American Crow Number observed: 7
Black-capped Chickadee Number observed: 2
American Robin Number observed: 32
House Sparrow Number observed: 2
House Finch Number observed: 2
American Goldfinch Number observed: 1
Fox Sparrow Number observed: 1
Dark-eyed Junco Number observed: 2
Song Sparrow Number observed: 1
Red-winged Blackbird Number observed: 5
Northern Cardinal Number observed: 7
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