Chicago

On Saturday, October 15th, Chicago Aududon’s Pat Durkin picked me up from iit and took me to the Wooded Island Birdwalk in Jackson Park where we were joined by at least another ten birders. We spent nearly three hours walking a route that has been surveyed almost weekly for over 30 years! Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls were numerous and we saw a good number of Red-tailed and Sharp-shinned hawks migrating through the area. I also got to see Swainson’s Thrush for the second time this year and had good views of a Palm Warbler, a bird I had dipped on at Keno Springs at the start of the year. I added four birds for the year on the walk, but was in the wrong place when a Field Sparrow showed itself. A warbler made a quick visit high above our heads, flitting about very briefly. I saw yellow under the tail and black streaking on the flanks, perhaps a Blue-throated Green Warbler. But the views weren’t conclusive enough for me to claim a lifer.

Downy Woodpecker

Returning to iit I ran into a large flock of White-throated Sparrow on campus; this was another bird I had missed out on during the bird walk. Waiting to take the CTA Green Line train into the city, I glimpsed more of the hawk migration from the elevated 35-Brownsville-IIT station with a Peregrine, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Turkey Vulture in quick succession!

 _________________________________________

In the afternoon I walked from the city along the lake shore to 31^st street, adding Dark-eyed Junco and Magnolia Warbler in the trees near the Soldier Field stadium, pale Song Sparrows in the weedy side of the Sledding Hill and then had luck at the McCormick Bird Sanctuary with Cooper’s Hawk, Swamp Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Hermit Thrush and an obliging Eastern Phoebe. I totaled 32 species for the day including three more year birds in the afternoon taking my year’s total to 552 with 309 in the U.S. 

__________________________________

I awoke on Sunday October 16th to find it drizzling outside and I spent an hour-and-a-half birding through the windows, seeing two more Downy Woodpeckers and several Golden-crowned Kinglets. I added White-crowned Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler to my trip list. When the rain stopped I took a quick stroll across campus and ran into a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a bird I had missed the day before. Several Chimney Swifts also flew around.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I headed to Lincoln Park where I birded the North Pond area which had many Wood Ducks. I added Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, Brown Creeper and Fox Sparrow. I joined my boys at the Zoo and saw House Finch and Cedar Waxwing. This took my trip list to 44 and my yearly tally to 555 with 310 in the US.