Birding at North Park Village Nature Center Saturday, April 30th, 2022
Chicago Audubon
The birding gods were really on our side today! I would have bet my life we’d be rained out. It drizzled a bit from time to time and at one point, when we were near the boardwalk, it started to rain with some authority. But it soon slowed and we were for the most part dry for the entire walk. It began raining hard only after our count, on the walk out to the parking lot and then for the rest of the day.
Our group was 27 at first, and we were joined by some veteran birders—Trisha and Linda––as well as a father and his young daughter. I thought the conversations today were especially warm and interesting. Folks were talking about the good birds they’d seen in the previous week and about the unfolding spring season. We missed Ryan’s sunny greeting, but we were grateful to his colleague Carl for opening the park for us and for making available the checklists and loaner binoculars.
As has been the case on these past chilly Saturdays, the birding was slow at first. Walking over to our spot opposite the pond, we saw tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets flitting in the limbs above us. A warbler or two were silhouetted against the gray sky and so remained unidentified. Our youngest birder (“the daughter”) was thrilled to see a Cardinal. Our usual Great Blue-Heron only afforded us a fly-over today, and the pond itself was very quiet. No waterfowl to be seen.
Doubling back, a Goldfinch was spotted near the bridge trail. In the mature trees to our right, we watched a Red-Bellied Woodpecker on a dead branch; another hammered nearby. As we proceeded east, we were happily surprised to see one of our best birds of the day: a Great-crested Flycatcher. It’s reddish wings and yellow underbelly flashed as it moved away from us by alighting on low-hanging limbs. To our right, just off the trail in the meadow, a couple of Black-capped Chickadees cheerfully inspected a bird house. A Hermit Thrush—they’ll be leaving soon––was seen on the path ahead.
Passing the dead tree, which usually holds a Downy, or Goldfinches, or anything, we made the turn to the hill trail. People spotted Northern Flickers and Robins in the distant trees. An uncharacteristically silent Belted Kingfisher flew across the trail. At this point we saw another of our best birds: Baltimore Orioles. Three males in all. Like the GCFlycatcher, these seemed early, though we reminded ourselves that tomorrow was the first of May. How welcome and joyous was their bright orange and black plumage on this gray day.
Just as the rain was accelerating, we began to see warblers in the branches that border the marsh. A Yellow Warbler, then the bold yellow, white, and black patterning on a Magnolia Warbler. Behind us—in the mature cottonwoods on the hill––a couple of us spied a Black and White Warbler. All three were the North Park group’s first of the season. [Later, there were even whisperings that a member had seen a Kentucky Warbler!] A Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker made a brief appearance now, and while we were busy watching all this action, a pair of Mallards were dabbling in a puddle at our feet. Some people saw a Spotted Sandpiper around this time, the second week in a row we’d seen a wading bird.
Even from the vantage point of the bridge there were few birds to be seen on the water. The Robin we saw on its nest last week—its upturned tail giving it away––was there again this morning. A couple minutes later, a pair of Wood Ducks sailed overhead and into the marsh pond behind us. As we walked west towards the woods a haunting Double-crested Cormorant flew over the length of the pond. The midwestern version of an Albatross.
Inside the woods we were treated to White-throated Sparrows on the path. Swamp Sparrows reluctantly showed themselves a bit (a good year for them one of our members remarked) as did a Chipping Sparrow. Overhead a Ruby-crowned Kinglets displayed its cute eye-ring and wing bars. A few paces more and our steadfast friends the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers were seen performing their good work.
This morning we had the time to venture to the Savannah Trail in the southwestern part of the park. Perhaps the drizzle had hurried our pace a bit. On the way there our newcomers spotted some Palm Warblers on the ground. Around the bend we saw an Eastern Phoebe hawking from low branches, its handsome dark cap made even darker by the rain. We spent a long time watching a small bird whose back was turned toward us; it turned out to be another Palm Warbler. On the final leg of the Savannah Trail our final, dramatic bird was another (the same?) Great-crested Flycatcher. Those who hadn’t seen it at the beginning of the walk saw it now.
Back in the field house Ron told us an intriguing story with a great moral: don’t disturb nature’s cycle of life. It involved an ailing Double-crested Cormorant he’d come across while on a trip to Baker’s Lake, in Barrington. A welcome newcomer shared her spooky experience of seeing a well-fed snake coiled up in a nest.
We were grateful for having had five Saturdays in April. Next week: May! More warblers and more great birds. Have a great week everyone and see you next Saturday!
Note: Starting tomorrow, North Park Village Nature Center will be open on Sundays from 9:00 to 4:00.
Species List: 41
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Chimney Swift
Spotted Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Yellow Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal