Photo: Eastern Bluebird by John Larson

Hello everyone,

A lovely fall day it was. A change from last week was that we had significantly fewer Juncos. I guess “our” group moved on but I’m sure that another flock will come in and join us for the winter.  Similar to last week, we had lots of Golden-crowned Kinglets.  I think we heard more than we saw. Hermit Thrushes were plentiful; they are so pretty with their cinnamon-colored tail. We also had 4 Winter Wrens and 4 juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons.

We had two special highlights.  The first was a late Red-eyed Vireo which caused much discussion because it didn’t look exactly like a Red-eyed Vireo, at least from our perspective. Tracy got a great photo, attached, which confirmed the ID.  We also had a Hooded Merganser in the East Lagoon, hanging out with two Wood Ducks.  We could tell it was a juvenile male because its full adult plumage hadn’t completely come in yet, but there was enough to tell it was indeed a male.

BIRDERS: Leslie, Kristin, Marian, Jennie, Cheryl, Jane, Mike, Jeff, Lillian, Karin, Tracy, Rob, Meghan, Nick, Renate

TIME:   8:00am to noon          

WEATHER: sunny, 50s, no wind

Compiler: Cheryl

Photographer:  Tracy 

Canada Goose   Number observed: 221

Wood Duck   Number observed: 14

Mallard   Number observed: 4

Hooded Merganser   Number observed: 1

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)   Number observed: 2

Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 31

Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 6

Great Blue Heron   Number observed: 5

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Number observed: 4

Cooper's Hawk   Number observed: 1

Belted Kingfisher   Number observed: 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Number observed: 1

Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 2

Northern Flicker   Number observed: 2

Eastern Phoebe   Number observed: 2

Red-eyed Vireo   Number observed: 1

American Crow   Number observed: 5

Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 11

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Number observed: 1

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Number observed: 19

White-breasted Nuthatch   Number observed: 1

Brown Creeper   Number observed: 2

Winter Wren   Number observed: 4

European Starling   Number observed: 4

Hermit Thrush   Number observed: 9

American Robin   Number observed: 1

House Sparrow   Number observed: 5

American Goldfinch   Number observed: 31

Fox Sparrow   Number observed: 1

Dark-eyed Junco   Number observed: 9

White-crowned Sparrow   Number observed: 4

White-throated Sparrow   Number observed: 15

Song Sparrow   Number observed: 7

Red-winged Blackbird   Number observed: 2

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Number observed: 1

Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 7

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.

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