Hello everyone,

It was another beautiful fall morning but the presence of around 50 Dark-eyed Juncos tells us that winter will be here before we know it. They were foraging in the lawn east of the north lagoon and there were so many that it looked like the grass was alive.

Highlights of the day were the sighting of 2 Belted Kingfishers, 2 hawks, and a raccoon hanging out in a hole in a tree on the island. He was right at the front of the hole and watched us as we watched him. After a couple minutes he got bored with us and curled up to continue his nap.

BIRDERS: Marian, Cheryl, Karin, Mark, Bruce, Marisa, Thomas, Michael, Renate and Jennie

TIME:    8:00 am to 11:00am     

WEATHER: Sunny, in the 60s rising to the 70s. Beautiful!

Compiler:  Cheryl

1. Canada Goose   Number observed:27

2. Wood Duck   Number observed:9

3. Mallard   Number observed:14

4. Chimney Swift   Number observed:12

5. Ring-billed Gull   Number observed:6

6. Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed:3

7. Great Blue Heron   Number observed:2

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

              Details: 1 juvenile in the Japanese Garden

1. Cooper's Hawk   Number observed:1

2. Accipiter sp. Number observed:1

3. Red-tailed Hawk   Number observed:1

4. Belted Kingfisher   Number observed:2

5. Red-bellied Woodpecker   Number observed:1

6. Downy Woodpecker   Number observed:2

7. Hairy Woodpecker   Number observed:1

8. Northern Flicker   Number observed:2

9. Empidonax sp.   Number observed:1

10. Eastern Phoebe   Number observed:1

11. American Crow   Number observed:5

12. Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed:9

13. Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Number observed:3

14. Brown Creeper   Number observed:1

15. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Number observed:1

16. European Starling   Number observed:10

17. Gray Catbird   Number observed:2

18. Gray-cheeked Thrush   Number observed:1

19. Hermit Thrush   Number observed:2

20. American Robin   Number observed:11

21. thrush sp.   Number observed:4

22. American Goldfinch   Number observed:2

23. Dark-eyed Junco   Number observed:50

Details:Conservative count

1. White-throated Sparrow   Number observed:11

2. Song Sparrow   Number observed:1

3. Yellow-rumped Warbler   Number observed:3

4. Northern Cardinal   Number observed:2

5. passerine sp.   Number observed: 9 

Details: flyover

 Corrections, additions and comments are welcome.

Recordings are not used to attract birds.

The Walks are free and open to one and all. They are held year round. Newcomers are warmly welcomed. 

Saturday morning walks: Start at 8:00 a.m. and cover a distance of two miles.  Birders walk from the meeting spot counterclockwise onto Wooded Island. Exiting Wooded Island at the south end, the birders walk along the soccer field and enter the south end of Bobolink Meadow. The Meadow’s path leads to the Music Bridge. After crossing the Music Bridge birders walk through the parking lot and around the Columbia Basin (North Lagoon) and return to our meeting spot.  In late fall, winter and early spring, the birders check for birds on the lakefront at the Outer Harbor near LaRabida Hospital and the Inner Harbor after the Wooded Island walk.

Meeting Spot:  Birders meet on the west shore of the Columbia Basin (North Lagoon).  Park on Stony Island Avenue near 59th Street, walk east across the parkland area, then cross Cornell Drive to reach the spot.

Good birding everyone,

Jennie

Photo: Double-crested Cormorant by Sujata Roy/Great Backyard Bird Count