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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,

What a lovely day it was!  Sunny, warm, and we had 63 species – not bad at all!

The Canada Geese chicks have hatched so we had several small, yellow, fuzzy creatures running around.  There were a lot of American Redstarts, Yellow Warblers and Warbling Vireos; so many that I almost began to get tired of them but their songs really make the Island come alive so their presence is very welcome. We had a Vireo trifecta with the above-mentioned Warbling Vireo, plus Philadelphia and Yellow-throated too.

The Green Herons have returned and were actively flying about, hopefully looking for a good nesting spot. The awards for the most beautiful birds of the day go to the gorgeous Black-throated Blue Warbler and the stunning Scarlet Tanager in his crimson and black coat.

BIRDERS: Jennie, Marian, Mike, Becky, Leslie, Mark, Eric, Hal, Lucy, Jeff, Ari, Emily, Audrey, Stefan, Ezra, Kaumudi, Pam, Renate, Julie, Steve, Karin, and welcome to Silky, Singh, Deniz, Clara and Allison.

TIME:   8:00am to 12:30pm   

WEATHER: 74 degrees, sunny, light wind

Compiler: Cheryl

Photographers: Eric, Leslie and Steve

Canada Goose   Number observed: 19

Wood Duck   Number observed: 7

Mallard   Number observed: 6

Mourning Dove   Number observed: 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   Number observed: 5

Spotted Sandpiper   Number observed: 2

Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 6

Caspian Tern   Number observed: 2

Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 1

Great Blue Heron   Number observed: 2

Green Heron   Number observed: 3

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Number observed: 2

Turkey Vulture   Number observed: 3

Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 2

Northern Flicker   Number observed: 1

Eastern Wood-Pewee   Number observed: 1

Willow Flycatcher   Number observed: 1

Least Flycatcher   Number observed: 2

Eastern Phoebe   Number observed: 2

Eastern Kingbird   Number observed: 6

Yellow-throated Vireo   Number observed: 1

Philadelphia Vireo   Number observed: 2

Warbling Vireo   Number observed: 7

American Crow   Number observed: 3

Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Number observed: 4

Purple Martin   Number observed: 16

Tree Swallow   Number observed: 4

Barn Swallow   Number observed: 31

Cliff Swallow   Number observed: 4

White-breasted Nuthatch   Number observed: 2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Number observed: 37

House Wren   Number observed: 1

European Starling   Number observed: 2

Gray Catbird   Number observed: 15

Swainson's Thrush   Number observed: 1

Wood Thrush   Number observed: 1

American Robin   Number observed: 29

Cedar Waxwing   Number observed: 4

House Sparrow   Number observed: 7

American Goldfinch   Number observed: 11

Chipping Sparrow   Number observed: 3

White-crowned Sparrow   Number observed: 1

Song Sparrow   Number observed: 5

Orchard Oriole   Number observed: 4

Baltimore Oriole   Number observed: 16

Red-winged Blackbird   Number observed: 35

Brown-headed Cowbird   Number observed: 6

Common Grackle   Number observed: 3

Black-and-white Warbler   Number observed: 2

Tennessee Warbler   Number observed: 2

Common Yellowthroat   Number observed: 3

American Redstart   Number observed: 15

Northern Parula   Number observed: 2

Yellow Warbler   Number observed: 35

Chestnut-sided Warbler   Number observed: 1

Black-throated Blue Warbler   Number observed: 1

Palm Warbler   Number observed: 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Number observed: 1

Wilson's Warbler   Number observed: 1

Scarlet Tanager   Number observed: 1

Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 2

Indigo Bunting   Number observed: 1

 

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