Photo: American Robin by Darlynn Lydick/Audubon Photography Awards
Hello everyone,
We had a wonderful morning with more birds than we expected for a mid-summer day and we also welcomed several new birders!
The most amazing sight of the day was the large flock of Cliff Swallows that was flying around behind the museum. There had to be at least 100 of them and it was wonderful to watch them swoop and land on the museum façade to perch.
We had a surprisingly high count of Great Blue Herons (10!) plus 3 Great Egrets, which is also a high number for our area. An Egret and a Great Blue Heron had a squabble over fishing rights at the base of the waterfall in the Osaka Garden. The heron won and the egret moved to another spot until the heron left, at which point he promptly moved back to the base of the waterfall.
We had several babies again this week including Kingbirds and Barn Swallows.
BIRDERS: Trevor, Madeline, Marian, Jennie, Kristen, Gary, Bob, Helena, Mike, Imad, Cheryl, Jane, Renate, Bruce Mc., Jiwon, Jess, Sara, Marilyn, Laurie, Kaumudi, Julia, Eric, Marisa, Karin, Karen, Citali, Joana, Rachel, Silvia
TIME: 8:00am to 11:45am
WEATHER: Cloudy, about 65 degrees
Compiler: Cheryl
Canada Goose Number observed: 39
Wood Duck Number observed: 24
Mallard Number observed: 8
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Number observed: 2
Ring-billed Gull Number observed: 3
Caspian Tern Number observed: 2
Great Blue Heron Number observed: 10
Great Egret Number observed: 4
Green Heron Number observed: 3
Black-crowned Night-Heron Number observed: 3
Turkey Vulture Number observed: 2
Belted Kingfisher Number observed: 1
Downy Woodpecker Number observed: 1
Northern Flicker Number observed: 2
Empidonax sp. Number observed: 1
Eastern Phoebe Number observed: 1
Eastern Kingbird Number observed: 7
Warbling Vireo Number observed: 5
Black-capped Chickadee Number observed: 3
Tufted Titmouse Number observed: 1 , heard only
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Number observed: 4
Purple Martin Number observed: 35
Barn Swallow Number observed: 41
Cliff Swallow Number observed: 97 Conservative count
White-breasted Nuthatch Number observed: 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Number observed: 2
House Wren Number observed: 4
European Starling Number observed: 37
Gray Catbird Number observed: 4
American Robin Number observed: 9
Cedar Waxwing Number observed: 8
House Sparrow Number observed: 8
House Finch Number observed: 1
American Goldfinch Number observed: 7
Song Sparrow Number observed: 7
Baltimore Oriole Number observed: 1
Red-winged Blackbird Number observed: 7
Brown-headed Cowbird Number observed: 1
Common Yellowthroat Number observed: 3
Yellow Warbler Number observed: 3
Northern Cardinal Number observed: 3
Indigo Bunting Number observed:
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