Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson
Hello everyone,
By far the most exciting highlight of the day was the sighting of 6 flyover White Pelicans! Pelicans are rare visitors to our area, even as flyovers, so their visit was a special treat. See Tracy’s great photo, attached.
Other highlights were a first year male Orchard Oriole, a beautiful Indigo Bunting perched in the usual Bunting tree in the middle of the Island (see Gary’s photo), and some gorgeous Cedar Waxwings. Our resident juvenile Red-tailed Hawk met us by the Darrow Bridge and then flew over to the lawn to try and catch lunch. We don’t think he/she was successful, unfortunately.
In the interesting bird behavior category, we watched a male Mallard vigorously chasing a female Mallard, on foot, all around the area near the Columbia Basin. Then another male, who appeared to be the female’s mate, took the first male to task by biting him on the neck and holding him down for a while. The first male retreated and the female rejoined her knight in shining armor. A happy ending!
BIRDERS: Becky, Kristin, Marian, Mike, Cheryl, Jennie, Lucy, Jane, Leslie, Gary, Stefan, Ezra, Tracy, Paul, Thomas, Marisa, Peter, Tyler and welcome to Judith, Lisa, TJ, William, Lori, Sara and Seth.
TIME: 8:00am to 11:00am
WEATHER: Sunny, 50s, light wind
Compiler: Cheryl
Photographers: Gary (Indigo Bunting) and Tracy (all others)
Canada Goose Number observed: 69
Wood Duck Number observed: 3
Mallard Number observed: 7
Chimney Swift Number observed: 9
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Number observed: 2
Ring-billed Gull Number observed: 2
Caspian Tern Number observed: 1
Double-crested Cormorant Number observed: 4
American White Pelican Number observed: 6 , F Flyover (Observed)
Great Blue Heron Number observed: 4
Green Heron Number observed: 3
Black-crowned Night-Heron Number observed: 2
Red-tailed Hawk Number observed: 1
Downy Woodpecker Number observed: 1
Northern Flicker Number observed: 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee Number observed: 2
Willow Flycatcher Number observed: 1
Eastern Phoebe Number observed: 1
Eastern Kingbird Number observed: 3
Warbling Vireo Number observed: 8
Red-eyed Vireo Number observed: 3
American Crow Number observed: 3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Number observed: 2
Purple Martin Number observed: 22
Tree Swallow Number observed: 2
Barn Swallow Number observed: 15
Cliff Swallow Number observed: 61
Red-breasted Nuthatch Number observed: 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Number observed: 8
House Wren Number observed: 2
European Starling Number observed: 4
Gray Catbird Number observed: 3
Eastern Bluebird Number observed: 1
American Robin Number observed: 13
Cedar Waxwing Number observed: 7
House Sparrow Number observed: 6
American Goldfinch Number observed: 1
Chipping Sparrow Number observed: 3
Song Sparrow Number observed: 4
Orchard Oriole Number observed: 3
Baltimore Oriole Number observed: 12
Red-winged Blackbird Number observed: 33
Brown-headed Cowbird Number observed: 4
Common Grackle Number observed: 3
Mourning Warbler Number observed: 1
Common Yellowthroat Number observed: 5
American Redstart Number observed: 2
Blackburnian Warbler Number observed: 1
Yellow Warbler Number observed: 23
Blackpoll Warbler Number observed: 1
Northern Cardinal Number observed: 4
Indigo Bunting Number observed: 2
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