Lisa Rest posted: " My last two visits to the Chicago Portage this past week have been pretty quiet. It's getting harder to find the flock, if you will. But the walk still fortifies my spirit. The photos in this brief post are from November 23 and November 25. Novemb" Goldbird Variations
My last two visits to the Chicago Portage this past week have been pretty quiet. It's getting harder to find the flock, if you will. But the walk still fortifies my spirit. The photos in this brief post are from November 23 and November 25.
November 23rd was sunny
Inevitably a Black-capped Chickadee will make itself heard if not immediately seen. But without leaves on the trees it's getting harder to hide, and they don't really try to hide anyway. I call them my Greeter Birds.
The American Goldfinches have been better at hiding lately, but I am beginning to see more of them at my thistle feeders.
I don't know what happened to the rest of this Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinals are good at concealing themselves as well.
A small group of Mallards has been hanging out.
When I thought I'd seen everything, I heard and then saw about 30 Sandhill Cranes fly over.
After trying to capture the cranes which were soon obscured as they flew over the trees, I looked down from the sky and saw an Eastern Bluebird pop into view.
Also present was a White-breasted Nuthatch who gave me the evil eye, and then the "Go-Away" look.
Yesterday, the 25th, the cloud cover was what my mother would have called "glismal." Also, being the last Saturday of the month, the volunteers were busy sawing and burning on the trail that leads to the bridge near Harlem, so I didn't walk in that way.
We seem to always be discussing American Robins now and how they tend to disappear. However, there was a flock of about 40 of them when I first arrived, if by the time I left there were only a few individuals remaining.
My photos revealed a distant Hairy Woodpecker.
I sometimes hear more Dark-eyed Juncos than I see. This one was barely visible but I like the photo anyway.
Also foraging in the vegetation were some American Tree Sparrows. I was happy to see them even if it was hard to capture them clearly.
This visit I had a cooperative Greeter Bird.
Later in the day, the sun came out, but I was already busy with housework. I noticed the Fullersburg Limpkin was reported by several observers.
Today it was snowing all morning and predicted to continue practically until dusk, which will seem much sooner and darker in the cloud cover. I just marked my calendar for the Christmas Bird Count on December 16th. The immediate forecast is for below freezing temperatures tomorrow. I'm glad I have located my long underwear.
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