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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: Black-crowned night heron by Derrick Johnson

Hello everyone,

Announcement: The July 8 bird walk is cancelled because most of the area in which we walk will be blocked off for a concert that’s taking place on the soccer field. The walks will resume on July 15.

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The lovely bird family moments continue. A mama Orchard Oriole was seen feeding her young, and we had a couple sightings of Yellow Warblers feeding their fledglings. They’re so cute! There were three Caspian Terns flying around and calling a lot. One of them was a bit smaller than the others so we thought it might be two parents teaching their kid how to fly and fish.

There was a large flock of Purple Martins flying in front of the MSI south portico, with many birds landing on the ledges above. Our resident Black-crowned Night Heron was once again standing guard in the Japanese Garden. Locating it is like a fun game of “Where’s Waldo” every week.

We had not one, but two Great Crested Flycatchers making their distinctive “wheep” call. The members of the heron trifecta were lined up in a row along the east shore of the Wooded Island, posing for us. And Pam got a quick look at a large bird with a long tail that flew into a tree and she thought, hmmm, that looks like a Cuckoo. And then Merlin picked up the Yellow-billed Cuckoo call!

BIRDERS: Kristin, Marian, Cheryl, Mark C., Jennie, Nathan, Dennis, Leslie, Larry, Tracy, Pam, Lucy, Peter and welcome to Kylah.

TIME: 8:00am to 11:15am                 

WEATHER: Low 70s, cloudy, light rain for about half the walk

Compiler: Cheryl

Photographer: Rob

1.       Canada Goose   Number observed: 110

2.       Wood Duck   Number observed: 11

3.       Mallard   Number observed: 17

4.       Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)   Number observed: 3

5.       Mourning Dove   Number observed: 1

6.       Yellow-billed Cuckoo   Number observed: 1

7.       Chimney Swift   Number observed: 13

8.       Ruby-throated Hummingbird   Number observed: 2

9.       Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 4

10.   Caspian Tern   Number observed: 3

11.   Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 1

12.   Great Blue Heron   Number observed: 5

13.   Green Heron   Number observed: 3

14.   Black-crowned Night-Heron   Number observed: 2

15.   Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 3

16.   Northern Flicker   Number observed: 1

17.   Eastern Wood-Pewee   Number observed: 1

18.   Great Crested Flycatcher   Number observed: 2

19.   Eastern Kingbird   Number observed: 5

20.   Warbling Vireo   Number observed: 8

21.   American Crow   Number observed: 5

22.   Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 2

23.   Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Number observed: 5

24.   Purple Martin   Number observed: 21

25.   Barn Swallow   Number observed: 12

26.   Cliff Swallow   Number observed: 2

27.   Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Number observed: 1

28.   House Wren   Number observed: 3

29.   European Starling   Number observed: 65

30.   Gray Catbird   Number observed: 5

31.   American Robin   Number observed: 14

32.   Cedar Waxwing   Number observed: 3

33.   House Sparrow   Number observed: 2

34.   House Finch   Number observed: 4

35.   American Goldfinch   Number observed: 9

36.   Song Sparrow   Number observed: 3

37.   Orchard Oriole   Number observed: 5

38.   Baltimore Oriole   Number observed: 5

39.   Red-winged Blackbird   Number observed: 13

40.   Brown-headed Cowbird   Number observed: 2

41.   Common Yellowthroat   Number observed: 2

42.   American Redstart   Number observed: 2

43.   Yellow Warbler   Number observed: 17

44.   Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 5

45.   Indigo Bunting   Number observed: 3

 

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