Hello everyone,

The walk was a bit shorter than usual today because it was chilly! We were anxious to go home and have a hot beverage. As always, however, we saw some terrific birds.  A handsome male American Kestrel was perched at the very top of a tree at the edge of the Music Bridge, giving us great looks. We saw a Cooper’s Hawk chase a Belted Kingfisher over the lagoon. The Kingfisher escaped unharmed.  And we saw 3 beautiful Fox Sparrows along the center path of the island, scratching the ground looking for food.

BIRDERS: Jane, Cheryl, Marian, Karin, Eric, Jose, Matt, Renate, Marisa and Jennie

Compiler: Cheryl

TIME:    8:00am to 10:00am        

WEATHER: Mid 40s, cloudy, becoming breezy

Canada Goose   Number observed: 21

Wood Duck   Number observed: 21

Mallard   Number observed: 5

Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 17

Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 1

Great Blue Heron   Number observed: 2

Cooper's Hawk   Number observed: 1

Belted Kingfisher   Number observed: 2

Northern Flicker   Number observed: 1

American Kestrel   Number observed: 1  

Details: posing for a long time on a tree at the SE side of the Music Bridge

American Crow   Number observed: 3

Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 4

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Number observed: 5

White-breasted Nuthatch   Number observed: 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Number observed: 1

Hermit Thrush   Number observed: 2

American Robin   Number observed: 3

thrush sp.   Number observed: 1

American Goldfinch   Number observed: 23

American Tree Sparrow   Number observed: 1

Fox Sparrow   Number observed: 3

White-throated Sparrow   Number observed: 4

Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 3

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Number observed: 1

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