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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)

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



  1. Canada Goose   Number observed: 37

  2. Wood Duck   Number observed: 4

  3. Mallard   Number observed: 21

  4. Chimney Swift   Number observed: 3

  5. Ruby-throated Hummingbird   Number observed: 5

  6. Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 3

  7. Herring Gull   Number observed: 1

  8. Caspian Tern   Number observed: 1

  9. Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 5

  10. Black-crowned Night Heron   Number observed: 3

  11. Green Heron   Number observed: 4

  12. Great Egret   Number observed: 4

  13. Great Blue Heron   Number observed: 7

  14. Bald Eagle   Number observed: 1

  15. Belted Kingfisher   Number observed: 1

  16. Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 3

  17. Hairy Woodpecker   Number observed: 2

  18. Northern Flicker   Number observed: 1

  19. Monk Parakeet   Number observed: 2

  20. Eastern Wood-Pewee   Number observed: 2

  21. Eastern Phoebe   Number observed: 3

  22. Eastern Kingbird   Number observed: 8

  23. Warbling Vireo   Number observed: 4

  24. Red-eyed Vireo   Number observed: 1

  25. American Crow   Number observed: 3

  26. Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 5

  27. Purple Martin   Number observed: 24

  28. Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Number observed: 4

  29. Barn Swallow   Number observed: 18

  30. White-breasted Nuthatch   Number observed: 2

  31. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Number observed: 3

  32. House Wren   Number observed: 1

  33. European Starling   Number observed: 16

  34. Gray Catbird   Number observed: 4

  35. American Robin   Number observed: 3

  36. Cedar Waxwing   Number observed: 6

  37. House Sparrow   Number observed: 2

  38. House Finch   Number observed: 6

  39. American Goldfinch   Number observed: 15

  40. Chipping Sparrow   Number observed: 3

  41. Song Sparrow   Number observed: 2

  42. Baltimore Oriole   Number observed: 5

  43. Red-winged Blackbird   Number observed: 1

  44. Northern Waterthrush   Number observed: 1

  45. Cape May Warbler   Number observed: 3

  46. Yellow Warbler   Number observed: 2

  47. Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 6

  48. 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

Earlier Event: August 10
Wooded Island Bird Walk
Later Event: August 17
Montrose Dunes Stewardship Workday