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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: White-breasted nuthatch by Joseph Mahoney

Hello everyone,

Winter is here. We only had 17 species today so we didn’t make our winter goal of having more bird species than birders. But that’s ok, there were enough birds to keep us entertained and we still managed to walk for 2 hours.

We finally had our first Red-breasted Merganser in the lagoon – one lonely female. Our winter ducks have arrived in the area, I’ve seen them from Rainbow Beach, but they are not visiting us at the Wooded Island yet. I hope a few find their way over to us.

We spotted a beautiful male American Kestrel having a breakfast of fresh mouse. He flew away with his meal in his talons so that he could be sure that we didn’t try and steal it from him. Unlikely, but you never know…

BIRDERS: Marian, Mike, Jennie, Cheryl, Kristin, JC, Leslie, Nathan, Eric, Monica, Eileen, Alisa, Eric G., Marisa, Tracy, Renate and welcome to Mica, Ryan, Flora, Kate, Sahil and Hernan.

TIME:   8:00am to 10:00am   

WEATHER: Sunny, low 30s, light wind

Compiler: Cheryl

Photographers: Marisa and Eric

  1. Canada Goose   Number observed: 78

  2. Mallard   Number observed: 4

  3. Red-breasted Merganser   Number observed: 1

  4. Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 5

  5. Herring Gull   Number observed: 4

  6. Great Blue Heron  Number observed: 4

  7. Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 2

  8. Hairy Woodpecker   Number observed: 1

  9. Northern Flicker   Number observed: 4

  10. American Kestrel   Number observed: 1

  11. American Crow   Number observed: 4

  12. Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 7

  13. European Starling   Number observed: 7

  14. American Robin   Number observed: 5

  15. American Goldfinch   Number observed: 3

  16. Dark-eyed Junco   Number observed: 3

  17. 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.

Good birding everyone,

Jennie

This outing qualifies as a prerequisite for participating in Chicago Audubon's Birding Gear Exchange Program. Please check in with the trip leader the day of the event.

Earlier Event: November 18
Southwest Cook County Bird Outing
Later Event: December 2
Wooded Island Bird Walk