I continue to trust in weather forecasts even as they struggle to get it right, so I can try to plan ahead somewhat and have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. The first thing I do upon awakening is check the weather, then I invariably weigh my options, changing plans at the spur of the moment depending on what is actually going on or not going on outside. Monday was hot and humid, and rain was in the forecast for Tuesday morning, so I decided to visit the Chicago Portage on Monday since I would not have been inclined to go on Tuesday. But I wound up going both days, as the predicted storms and rain skipped us entirely Tuesday morning. Instead we cooled down exponentially and were under a persistent cloud cover that rendered a clinging dampness.
I got to the Portage rather late on Monday, but still managed to see some activity. At first, it was all butterflies and hearing the Indigo Buntings singing. I was somewhat gratified to find a Cabbage White sitting still. The other two butterflies you have seen a lot here lately.
Pearl Crescent
Red Spotte Purple
Cabbage White
Crossing the bridge near Harlem, the first birds were predictable.
American Goldfinch
Indigo Bunting
But then as I started walking on the trail past the bridge, a sort of Juvenile Welcoming Committee assembled. It started with a few tentative vocalizations from a young House Wren.
Then a wide-eyed juvenile Indigo Bunting, also at the top of this post, landed nearby.
And finally, a juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird came to perch and see what was happening.
The hummingbird was perfectly calm and happy to sit there and pose. But I grew tired of me and decided I had taken up enough of the birds' time. I did catch the juvenile Indigo Bunting as it left.
After that, the birds I saw were much farther away. I barely captured a Cedar Waxwing or two.
And there were a few juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds carrying on in the marshy area.
Beyond that, a hot and steamy morning belonged to a damselfly and two more Pearl Crescents.
Blue-fronted Dancer female
Although I planned on staying in Tuesday morning, the cooler air was tempting. Even without light, it seemed a Tuesday morning walk at the Portage was better than no walk at all. But, no light, no kidding.
Northern Flicker
I didn't bother trying to find the Indigo Buntings in this cloud cover. I did see a few Cedar Waxwings.
It was perhaps good light for a black-and-white bird.
Downy Woodpecker
And I managed to find a Blue Jay fussing with something.
There was no point in staying any longer. The cloud cover did provide natural air-conditioning all day and overnight as well. We will remain relatively cooler than we have been, but there is no rain in the forecast for a while either. If one can believe in forecasts.
Here's one more of the juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
I still plan to assemble some posts from remaining July visits. But as juvenile birds start to emerge in numbers, the buildup to fall migration begins. Everything feels earlier this year.
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