Two days at the Chicago Portage last week turned out to be good for birds as they get ready for migration. I thought I'd cram the photos from both days into one post but there were just too many of them. Sound familiar? Here's the first batch from August 17.
The first bird I saw that day turned out to be rare for that date, if my identification is correct. I determined it was an Alder Flycatcher. It's notoriously difficult to tell the empidonax flycatchers apart unless they vocalize, but with all the photographic references and the Merlin app available, when I didn't exactly recognize it right off the bat but needed to call it something, Merlin headed me toward Alder Flycatcher and then, I checked more references to help me decide. Since I wasn't able to photograph the front of the bird, its bold wingbars played an important part of the decision.
Next I found an enterprising male Downy Woodpecker.
And then another bird that I see only during migration showed up. I wasn't able to get sharp photographs, but I don't know when I'll have better ones, so here is a Yellow-throated Vireo.
An upside down White-breasted Nuthatch appeared.
And after not seeing Blue-gray Gnatcatchers for quite a while, although they breed at the Portage, I saw the one below.
Next I found a Red-bellied Woodpecker.
A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was perched rather far out in the marshy area.
And a bedraggled-looking Song Sparrow appeared there as well.
Here's a juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker.
It was a good day for young Baltimore Orioles, including the one at the top of the post.
I am not sure if I followed the same Baltimore Oriole, but the one below became intent on finding something in the dead leaves.
I guess I was expecting the Northern Flicker below to do something more, but it didn't.
Then a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk flew over. That was fun.
Yet another Red-bellied Woodpecker. Sometimes they're everywhere and other days you never see them.
That may have been the last time I saw one of the rabbits that were hanging out on the paved trail.
The interesting tiny insect below is a Ailanthus Webworm Moth.
My last photo from that day is of a female Red-winged Blackbird and a male Indigo Bunting.
I expect to be back shortly with the photos from August 18, now that it's easier to sit still and stay cool indoors. Our high temperature today is 94 degrees F. with a heat index of 104. I walked in Riverside this morning when there was some cloud cover and it was cooler. The dry heat is cooking plant life and the river is so low, I saw a fisherman standing in the middle of it. Afterward, I was thankful for a swim in cool water, now that the fitness center pool has reopened. It feels like fall can't come soon enough.
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