Hello everyone,
It started out as a fairly slow morning, bird wise. The swallows, Chimney Swifts and Purple Martins are still here and we’re happy that they are. Once again Osaka was standing sentinel in the Japanese Garden. We commented that he/she is surely the most photographed bird in Jackson Park, and perhaps in the city of Chicago, after the Montrose Piping Plovers, of course.
We had a nice, close look at a beautiful Great Egret who posed for us just off shore in the Garden. Two Monk Parakeets flew by – we have had more sightings of them in the neighborhood recently so I wonder if they’re tired of suburban living and are moving back to Hyde Park. On the center path of the Island we found a female hummingbird flying back and forth in what looked like the courtship flight that male hummers perform for females, but this was definitely a female so we speculated that she must have been catching bugs. Maybe the local flycatchers taught her how.
The next part of the walk was pretty quiet, until we got to the Music Bridge when all of a sudden, the birds came out to visit. There was a Cape May Warbler and we got a close look at a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher. Two White-breasted Nuthatches were gleaning insects on a tree and a couple Baltimore Orioles made an appearance. A Chipping Sparrow parent was being followed around by two juveniles who were begging relentlessly. A Belted Kingfisher flew across the lagoon. Then, a big flock of excited Canada Geese noisily flew into the lagoon. We soon discovered why they were so upset – a juvenile Bald Eagle flew over! It’s always very exciting when we have a Bald Eagle sighting.
BIRDERS: Cheryl, Mike, Marian, Jennie, Leslie, Roger, David, Jack, Gary, Luther, Mark C., Kristin, Eric, Tyler, Marisa, Christy, Andy, Pam, Renate and welcome to Bill and Melissa.
TIME: 8:00am to Noon
WEATHER: Low 70s, cloudy, and it started pouring rain as the walk ended.
Compiler: Cheryl
Photographers: Marisa, Leslie, Gary, Eric
Canada Goose Number observed: 37
Wood Duck Number observed: 4
Mallard Number observed: 21
Chimney Swift Number observed: 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Number observed: 5
Ring-billed Gull Number observed: 3
Herring Gull Number observed: 1
Caspian Tern Number observed: 1
Double-crested Cormorant Number observed: 5
Black-crowned Night Heron Number observed: 3
Green Heron Number observed: 4
Great Egret Number observed: 4
Great Blue Heron Number observed: 7
Bald Eagle Number observed: 1
Belted Kingfisher Number observed: 1
Downy Woodpecker Number observed: 3
Hairy Woodpecker Number observed: 2
Northern Flicker Number observed: 1
Monk Parakeet Number observed: 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee Number observed: 2
Eastern Phoebe Number observed: 3
Eastern Kingbird Number observed: 8
Warbling Vireo Number observed: 4
Red-eyed Vireo Number observed: 1
American Crow Number observed: 3
Black-capped Chickadee Number observed: 5
Purple Martin Number observed: 24
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Number observed: 4
Barn Swallow Number observed: 18
White-breasted Nuthatch Number observed: 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Number observed: 3
House Wren Number observed: 1
European Starling Number observed: 16
Gray Catbird Number observed: 4
American Robin Number observed: 3
Cedar Waxwing Number observed: 6
House Sparrow Number observed: 2
House Finch Number observed: 6
American Goldfinch Number observed: 15
Chipping Sparrow Number observed: 3
Song Sparrow Number observed: 2
Baltimore Oriole Number observed: 5
Red-winged Blackbird Number observed: 1
Northern Waterthrush Number observed: 1
Cape May Warbler Number observed: 3
Yellow Warbler Number observed: 2
Northern Cardinal Number observed: 6
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.
Good birding everyone,
Jennie
Photo: Great Egret by Bruce E Wendorff