Northern Illinois Birder

1st pics of Winter birds of 2012 in Northern Illinois

2012-01-29T04:00:00.001-08:00

A winter scene from Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

I interrupt my regular scheduled series of "Birds form Southeast Arizona" to bring you photos from my first winter birding outings this January. I havn't been out as much as I'd like to (only twice), but I managed to get a couple of firsts. My first pic of a Cackling Goose (which became #358 on my life List), and the first Pine Siskin to show up in our yard (the 39th different species of bird to appear in our yard since I started keeping track two years ago). Below are photos of some of the only 30 bird species I've seen so far in 2012: American Goldfinch, American Crow, American Tree Sparrow, Belted Kingfisher, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Canada Goose, Cackling Goose, Cedar Waxwing, Dark-eyed Slate-colored Junco, Downy Woodpecker, European Starling, Fox Sparrow, House Finch, House sparrow, Mallard Duck, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Pine Siskin, Red-bellied woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Rock Dove, Ruddy Duck, Song Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

American Tree Sparrow in my yard, Rockford, IL; 1/22/2012.

The smaller goose on the left with the shorter neck and stubbier bill is a Cackling Goose. You can see the size difference from the Canada on the right, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 1/22/2012.

Cedar Waxwings sharing a meal, Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 1/16/2012.

A Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco on the backyard feeder, Rockford, IL; 1/21/2012.

Another Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco on the backyard feeder, Rockford, IL; 1/28/2012.

A female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco in our yard, Rockford, IL; 1/28/2012.

One of my surprises of this early winter is this Fox Sparrow , which I didn't expect to see until Spring, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

The same Fox Sparrow sipping from a cold stream in Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

A flock of House Sparrows like to hide in this pile of branches in our backyard, Rockford, IL; 1/16/2012.

Mourning Doves have become more numerous feeding at our backyard feeder, Rockford, IL 1/21/2012.

Northern Cardinals are frequent visitors in our yard all year long, Rockford, IL 1/21/2012.

This Pine Siskin was hanging with Goldfinches and feeding on our thistle seed feeder. It was the first Pine Siskin I have seen in our yard, Rockford, IL 1/15/2012.

Pine Siskins have been appearing almost daily at our feeders this winter, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

Another regular visitor in our yard, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, Rockford, IL 1/21/2012.

A Song Sparrow; Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 1/16/2012.

Another Song Sparrow standing in the icy stream, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

Another surprise for the winter was this Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler feeding off of some berries in Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve ... and, No, this photo is not upside down. Warblers are not winter birds here in Northern Illinois, but if one would be found it would be these guys. Rockford, IL; 1/16/2012.

A week later I saw another Yellow-rumped Myrtle, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

The same yellow-rump, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

The same "butter butt" sipping from the same stream as the Fox Sparrow (Above). They were only yards from eachother, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL 1/22/2012.

I hope you enjoyed my slight diversion of Northern Illinois January birds. Next weekend I'll return to my series of birds from my trip to Arizona in December: Fri. 2/3 - Pyrrhuloxias; Sat. 2/4 - Curve-billed Thrashers; and Sun. 2/5 - Brewer's and Clay-colored Sparrows.

Winter Birding in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, AZ

2012-01-28T04:00:00.001-08:00

A flock of birds fly along this beautiful vista from the San Pedro River Trail in the San Pedro Riparian NCA, AZ; 12/20/2011.

One of my favorite places I visited in my week in Arizona last December was the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (Above). A link to a website from the Bureau of Land Management dedicated to this area is http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/ncarea/sprnca.html .

A feeder serving its purpose, San Pedro Riparian NCA, AZ; 12/20/2011.

Upon pulling up in the San Pedro Riparian NCA parking lot, the first thing I noticed were several bird feeders outside the small visitor's center. The feeders (Above) were packed full with White-crowned Sparrows, female Red-winged Blackbirds, House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches, and Pyrrhuloxias.

A Black Phoebe, one of the many birds I saw in the San Pedro Riparian NCA; AZ, 12-20-11

During my visit to this magnificent Natural Area I saw more than 30 different tyopes of birds including: Pyrrhuloxias, American Goldfinches, Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, Common Ravens, Northern Red-Shafted Flickers, Acorn Woodpeckers, Ladder-backed Woodpecker (unconfirmed), Gila Woodpeckers, Black Phoebe, Says Phoebe (I also was sure that I saw an Eastern Phoebe, although they would be uncommon in this part of the country), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbird (female only), Curved-billed Thrasher, Inca Dove, Green-tailed Towhee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lazuli Bunting, Yellow-rumped Audubon's Warbler, Mallard Ducks, and many sparrows (Clay-colored, Song, Chipping, Baird's, Brewer's, Savannah, Vesper, White-crowned, and probably others I couldn't ID).
Some of my photos below:

An Inca Dove taking a nap in a tree, San padro Riparian NCA, AZ; 12/20/2011.

A House Finch

A female Lesser Goldfinch (Male in the background)

This Red-tailed Hawk sat in a tree above the Visitor's center for quite some time ...

... then took off and flew directly at me. I hardly had time to get it in focus before it flew over and past me.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet, which wouldn't get into the clear, but at least I was able to get its "ruby" crown.

There were many female Red-winged Blackbirds on the premises, but no males were seen.

A Says Phoebe.

A Song Sparrow.

Vesper Sparrow.

A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow.

Adult White-crowned Sparrows.

Tomorrow I will feature more photos of the Pyrrhuloxia , and next weekend the Curved-billed Thrasher and the difference between Brewer's amd Clay-colored Sparrows.

Hermit Thrush: Ramsey Canyon, AZ

2012-01-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

This Hermit Thrush popped out into full view, Ramsey Canyon, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

The only thrush that will call Southeast Arizona home year round is the Hermit Thrush (Above). These Thrushes are one of many that will migrate through my neck of the woods in Northern Illinois; however, down in Southeastern Arizona, residents here might only see two thrushes (Swainson's and Hermit), but the Swainson will migrate through, while the Hermit will spend its winters in the lower 1/3 of the U.S., and spend its summers throughout Canada, the Great lakes regions, and the Northeast and Northwest states. However they will also spend their summers in the cooler higher altitudes of the mountains. There is a small pocket here in southeast AZ and southwest New Mexico where they can be found year round.

This Hermit Thrush tries to stay hidden in the brush, Ramsey Canyon, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

I was following this thrush for a good ten minutes as it was scurrying to stay hidden in the brush (Above). Suddenly without warning it just popped out and sat on the corner of a small bench for good minute and let me take photos (Top of page and Below).

The same Hermit Thrush, as it let me carefully move around to a different angle for a photo op, Ramsey Canyon, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

Winter Birds in Ramsey Canyon, AZ: Brown Creeper

2012-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

A vista off the side of the road on our way to Ramsey Canyon. I loved the contrast of the dry golden grass of the desert prairie in front of the snow-covered Huachuca Mts., Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

While we were finding our way to Ramsey Canyon, southwest of Sierra Vista in the Huachuca Mts., I saw a raptor on the side of the road and stopped to try to get its photograph, hoping for a new bird to add to my Raptor file. It turned out to be a Red-tailed Hawk (Below), which is the most common hawk I see in Rockford, IL. While we were stopped we took some photos of the beautiful scenery (Above) - loved the view of the blue mountains with a smattering of snow on them behind the golden desert prairie grass.

The Red-tailed Hawk flew off as I came too close, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

A nice look at the tiny Brown Creeper, which usually camouflages itself quite well against the tree bark, Ramsey Canyon, AZ; 12/19/2011.

At the entrance of the Nature Conservatory, while we were chasing a Painted Redstart (My 1/15/2012 Post), I noticed a Brown Creeper on a nearby tree. This is by far the best positioning I've ever had to photograph of a Brown Creeper, so I was happy to do so (Above). He obliged by not skirting around to the other side of the tree trunk as these little guys do. During the summer, Brown Creepers can be found in the southern half of Canada and migrates throughout the lower U.S. for the winter with the exception of the Gulf Coast. I see them several times a year in my yard during winter. They can be found year round in the Northwest and the Northeast, as well as in the Rocky and Appalachian Mountain Ranges.

The same Brown Creeper, Ramsey Canyon, AZ; 12/19/2011.

Brown Creepers (Above) have a variegated brown back and wings with whitish underparts and a pale eyebrow, and its signature thin curved bill which it uses to glean insects from the crevices of the tree bark as it creeps up the trunk in a spiral type motion. It generally does not crawl down; it will fly back to a lower position of the trunk or branch of a tree, then creep upwards again.

Painted Redstart, Winter Birding in Ramsey Canyon, Sierra Vista, AZ

2012-01-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Snow on the mountains in the middle of the dessert, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

I knew I was going to spend the week before Christmas in Arizona, and one of the places I wanted to visit is the Southeastern corner of the state near Sierra Vista which is supposed to be one of America's top birding hotspots - mostly from starting in March extending through October is spectacular birding. So before our trip, I researched the area to see what would be the best places for both scenery and birding. Well, of course, it's December, not the ideal month for birding in the area, but I read enough to be satisfied that there will still be enough wintering birds to make it worthwhile (remember I live in Northern Illinois). I made my list of places that sounded promising and set out my trusty Sibley Field Guide to Birds in Western North America to pack and then promptly left them sitting on the living room coffee table at home when we left for the airport. We arrived in Phoenix late on Dec. 18th, and left early the next morning to spend two days in the Sierra Vista area (Above). It wasn't until after we checked into our Hotel did I discover I left these items at home. So that night in the hotel, I frantically tried to recall all the places and directions. I narrowed the list down to three manageable day-trips near Sierra Vista, so we could get to Tucson to visit relatives by late afternoon on the 20th. The three places I picked were Ramsey Canyon Preserve, San Pedro River Riparian National Conservation Area, and Las Cienegas National Conservation Area - all near Sierra Vsta and have good reputations for birding. Unfortunately, it is the winter and the birding isn't as great as its spring / summer/ fall seasons, but it's when I could be here, and I was hoping I could find something new to add to my Life List, which at the time was at #346 and I was hoping I could find at least four birds to bring my total to 350 before the end of 2011. So on the morning of Dec. 19, Ramsey Canyon was our first destination.

A Painted Redstart, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

On the way there, we passed a road called Ramsey Canyon Road - it was clearly well before the intersection that the directions told us the trail into the canyon would start. We decided to turn onto the road anyway. We drove a couple of miles and didn't see anything that looked like we were going the correct way, so we decided to turn around and follow the original directions. When we reached the intersection of Hwy 92 and Hereford Rd., we searched all over and didn't see anything that looked like a trail or an entrance into a canyon. We asked a few local people about a trail leading into the canyon, and were stared at like we were aliens, and when we explained we were looking to photograph birds made it worse. "It's winter, birds left a long time ago," was a response. I remembered passing a Ranger Station along our route, so we turned around to "ask a Ranger." When we reached the Ranger Station we explained that the directions I had for the location of Ramsey Canyon wasn't quite accurate. Then we explained were looking for birds, the skeptical Ranger was nice but told us that it's winter and it's better to come back in another season. We thanked the nice ranger, and headed towards Ramsey Canyon and guess what? The entrance to the canyon is on Ramsey Canyon Road (of course). We just didn't go far enough the last time. While driving up the road nearing the National Conservatory where the trail into Ramsey Canyon begins, I saw a Northern Mockingbird, a flock of Chipping Sparrows, and a Western Scrub Jay. When we pulled into the parking lot and got out, I heard and saw an Acorn Woodpecker. I thought - this is a good sign - then as we were walking to the building there was a bird I've never seen before sitting on an outdoor feeder. It was all black with white on the wings and bright red breast - a Painted Redstart. Bird #347. The problem was that it was so close my 500mm lens could not focus on it. Then it literally flew straight at me and landed on a wall even closer to me and I still couldn't focus on it. Eventually it flew far enough away for me to get a pic (Above), but it had its back to me and I couldn't get its beautiful red breast. Fortunately, Val was in a good position to get a couple of good shots (Below).

Val's photo of the beautiful Painted Redstart, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

Painted Redstarts are common in oak and pine forests along canyons, which is exactly the habitat we were in. They are found in the southern half and Southeastern corner of Arizona and southwestern New Mexico and into real Mexico. It was fortunate that we saw this one as they spend their winters in Mexico and should have left the area several weeks ago.

Val's pic of another great look at the Painted Redstart sitting on the roof, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

Despite the very great beginning of this birding outing in Ramsey Canyon, we didn't see many other birds. But we had a great hike up the canyon and I did see another Painted Redstart, more Acorn Woodpeckers and Northern Mockingbirds, a Hermit Thrush, a Brown Creeper, a Red-tailed Hawk, and several Great-tailed Grackles and Common Ravens.

At the top of the trail up Ramsey Canyon on Hamburg Trail, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

The further up the trail; we went, the more snow there was on the trail. It didn't seem like we were in Southeastern Arizona at all. In fact, there was more snow here in this part of AZ than there was in northern Illinois.

Val on the trail surrounded by snow-laden trees, on the way back down from the overlook, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Sierra Vista, AZ; 12/19/2011.

American Black Ducks, Stage Fort State Park, MA

2012-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

American Black Ducks, Stage Fort State Park, Glauster, MA; 11/12/2011.

Our final birding stop for the day (11/12/11) in search of coastal sea birds in Massachusetts was Stage Fort Stae Park in Glauster. I was hoping to see a Great Cormorant, but all I found were Double-Crested Cormorants along with quite a variety of water birds in a very pretty setting. Some of the birds which I was able to identify were Great Black-backed Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Common Eiders, Red-breasted Merganser (Below), Common Loons, Buffleheads, Mallards, and Amarican Black Ducks (Above). I was happy to have identified American Black Ducks on sight without the aid of a Field Guide because I have been under the impression that they are so similar to Mallards, that I have probably have seen them before but mistakenly assumed they were mallards. But once I saw this small flock of 4-5 ducks, I knew immediately they were American Black Ducks. They are much darker than Mallards from below the neck to their tail, with a lighter neck and head. They will be darker at the crown and have a dark eyeline with greenish/yellow bill. In the Midwest these ducks are not very common, but when they are visible they seem to be among a flock of the more numerous Mallards. But on the East Coast, American Black Ducks are more apt to travel in their own flocks. Primarily a resident of the Eastern half of the country, Am. Black Ducks will reach as far north as Northern Quebec in the Summer and as far south as Georgia in the Winter. They will spend year round starting in a midsection from southern Wisconsin and Michigan, going east to the Atlantic coast and then stretching out from North Carolina to Maine.

Red-breasted Merganser, Stage Fort State Park, Glauster, MA; 11/12/2011.

Sea Birds from the Rockport Headlands, MA

2012-01-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Fly-by Long-tailed Ducks, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

This post will not acclaim to have quality photos, but as I was exploring the rocky sea shore of Halibut Point State Park, in Massachussets, watching for Harlequin Ducks, several flocks of sea birds flew past. They were all quite far out to sea and travelling at a fast clip, and because I am not very good at identifying most sea birds by their flight pattern (yet), I wasn't certain of their identities. I just pointed my lens, tried to get them in my viewfinder, put my camera on auto-focus in "sports mode," and let it burst. At the distance, I assumed the first flock (Above) to be some more Harlequins, but upon looking at my images later in the day, I realized they were Long-tailed Ducks. Very cool, this is the first time I have ever seen a Long-tailed Duck. Below, I cropped my best image (which isn't saying a lot in this case) of these Long-tails, so you can see how unique their non-breeding plumage is with their light grayish/pinkish mask with a black cheek and wings, and a long tail trailing behind - thus its name. In summers they will keep the mask but the remainder of their head will turn black with a white swoop behind their eyes. In the top left corner of the pic (Above) ia a juvenile Long-tailed Duck. Its face is whiter without the mask and its black cheek and breast have not yet fully developed.

A close up of the Long-tailed Ducks , Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Long-tailed Ducks spend their summers in Northern Canada and Alaska, and will migrate down both the Atlantic and Pacific Coastlines to spend their winters.

A Northern Gannet, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

One of my target birds (along with the Harlequin Ducks my Christmas Day post - http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/12/harlequin-duck-ornamental-duck-for-your.html ) was the Northern Gannet which is common along the entire Atlantic seaboard during the winter months. I saw this large white bird (Above) quite far out over the ocean. It seemed too large to be a gull, so I found it in my viewfinder and burst as many shots as possible, hoping that I might get an image that will let me identify it. Sure enough, upon searching through my day's images, most of my shots from that particular series of bursts were far too blurry to know for sure what it was, but I had at least 3 images that told me it was indeed a Northern Gannet (Above). Its all-white body with black wing tips weren't the give away, but its long thick gray bill giving away to a long gape (the fleshy edges at the corners of the mouth - often looking like a smile or a frown), and its yellow tinge of color on its nape were unmistakenable. I was very happy to see a Northern Gannet, but unfortunately, it was the only one I saw during my 3-day weekend in Massachussets, and this is the best image I could get.

A flock of Surf-Scoters flew by by, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA, 11/12/2011.

The final flock of seabirds that flew by (that wern't Gulls, Harlequins or Eiders) were Surf-Scoters, which enabled me to identify all three types of Scoters (Black and White-winged being the other two. See my 12/11/2011 post - http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/12/scoters-parker-river-nationl-wildlife.html ) during my weekend. Again because they quite far out to sea away from the shore, I had to rely on hoping to get a good image from a series of burts in auto-focus. Surf-Scoters are mostly a dull grayish brown diving duck, lighter underneath and with a white verticle loral patch at the base of its bill. Females will also sport a white patch on its cheek. Surf-Sxcoters are another bird that are summer residents of the extreme north - Alaska, and Nunavut and Quebec, Canada; and will migrate along both coasts for the winter.
These three species, Long-tailed Ducks, Northern Gannet, and Surf Scoters were additions to my Life List (#342-344).

Greater Black-backed Gull

2012-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

A Greater Black-backed Gull, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Among all the sea birds I have seen off the Atlantic Coast during my November weekend in Massachussets, it probably comes to no surprise that seagulls were the most common sighting. The three gulls that dominated were the Ring-billed Gulls that are one of the most common gulls of this continent; Herring Gulls, another common gull throughout North America; and the Great Black-backed Gull (Above), common along the Atlantic Coast, and also became #337 on my Life List.

A Greater Black-backed Gull, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

The Great Black-backed Gull gets its name ffrom two obvoius traits - it's all-white except for a black back and black wings, and it is the larger of two similar gulls, the other being the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Greater Black-backs can grow up to 30" in length with a 65" wingspan, while the Lesser BB Gull will only reach a maximum of 21" with a 54" wingspan. In fact, Greater Black-backs are North America's largest gull. I often saw Black Backs floating out on the ocean waves off shore, many times with ducks, such as Eiders.

Snow Buntings for a New years Day

2012-01-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Snow Bunting in its winter plumage, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

HAPPY NEW YEARS! What better way to bring in the New Year than with the beautiful Snow Bunting. Last winter in late January, was the first time I saw a Snow Bunting - of all places in a weedy, vacant field behind Peak Fitness. As I was returning from a winter hike in Rock Cut State Park, I noticed a flock of whitish birds fly over the street and land in the field. I pulled over and stalked them long enough to get some photos, but the light was bad and I was quite a distance away, so none of my photographs were of note (but you can check out my blog post from March 31, 2011 - about winter birds in Northern Illinois - http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/03/northern-illinois-winter-birds.html ), where I posted a photo of that flock.

Snow Buntings feeding off the cliffs at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

During my fall visit out to Massachusetts, to search for mostly sea birds, I was returning back to my rent-a-car after seeing my first Harlequin Duck (Christmas Day post - ). You can Imagine my surprise when I happened upon another flock of Snow Buntings (Above), which were hanging about some grassy areas above the cliffs of the quarry in Halibut Point State Park. This time I lucked out - it was a bright sunny morning, and the flock stayed relatively close by so I could get some great photos (Top of page and Below). I didn't expct to see Snow Buntings in such an environment.

A Snow Bunting, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

But I shouldn't have been surprised as Snow Buntings will migrate as far south as Southern Idaho in the West, Central Illinois in the Midsection, and Deleware in the East for the winter. They will spend their summers in the far north of Canada on the high Arctic rocky tundra.

Who do you think you're looking at?

A Snow Bunting's winter plumage (as all of my pics show) is very pretty - mostly white with a short yellow bill and cinnamon colorings on its head, back and on a throat band. Black feathers are interspersed in its wings and back. I have yet to see a Snow Bunting in its very striking breeding plumage - all white with a black back and wing tips, and a dark bill. Maybe some day I will be fortunate enough to see their winter plumage before they migrate North, because its highly unlikely I would be visiting the Arctic Circle anytime soon.

Snow Buntings, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

A Song Sparrow living in the rocks of the Quarry at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

I also some other land birds at Halibut Point State Park, such as the ubiquitous Song Sparrow (Above) which I seem to find in all parts of the country in many different habitats and the only warbler that is likely to be seen in the winter months inside the U.S. borders - the Yellow -rumped Warbler (Below).

A Yellow-rumped Myrtle, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Common Eider

2011-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

A pair of Common Eiders, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

While visiting Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachussets, looking for sea birds that I wouldn't find in the Midwest. One of the first birds I saw was a female Common Eider floating in the the rough waters near the rocky shore. While I was focussing on this Eider, a Harlequin Duck floated right into my viewfinder (my Christmas Day post). Later while exploring the Andrews Point, only a few minutes away from Halibut Point SP, a rather large flock of Common Eiders (A pair Above) flew in and landed several yards off the shore line. The female on the left are all brown with a barred wing pattern, gray bill that extends to the crown leaving virtually no forehead. They also have a long lighter eyebrow. Males (on the right) are black and white with a yellow bill. Their heads and backs are white, with black wings and a black crown.

A fly-by female Common Eider, Halibut Pt SP,MA, 11-12-11

The Eiders stayed quite far out to sea, but the closest one came to me was a female that flew by not far off the shore (Above).

A female Common Eider and a Harlequin Duck enjoy the wave action at Halibut Pt SP,MA, 11-12-11

Wave action at Halibut Point Sate Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Eiders like the rough sea near rocky shorelines similar to the photo (Above).

A male Common Eider, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Males (Above) are black and white with a yellow bill. Their heads and backs are white, with black wings and a black crown.

A juvenile male Common Eider, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Within the flock that landed at Andrews Point, there were many adult females and males, but also some juvenile males (Above), which look similar to adult males, but their necks and heads are mostly black. During the summer, Common Eiders can be found along the extreme northern shorelines of Canada and Alaska - the Hudson Bay, Baffin Island and the other islands of Nunavut in the Arctic Circle. For the winter they will migrate a bit south along the north Atlantic seaboard as far south as Virginia, and along the Aleutian Islands and the North pacific Coast of Alaska and Canada. They can be found year round in the North Atlantic along the eastern Provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Labrador. In the States they can be found year round along the coast of Maine. As I noticed in the summer of 2008, the first time I saw a Common Eider, they may spend their summer months as far south as Rhode Island (Below).

Female Common Eiders rest on some seaweed covered rocks, Judith Point, Narragansett, Rhode Island; 7/29/2008.

Harlequin Duck - an ornamental duck for your merry Christmas

2011-12-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

A beautifull marked Harlequin Duck floating in the Atlantic, Halibut Point State Park, MA; 11/12/2011.

Merry Christmas! There is no bird (at least duck) more beautiful to feature on Christmas Day than the Harlequin Duck (Above). One of the main reasons for my wanting to visit the Massachusetts Atlantic coast

was to try to find one of these torrent ducks. After reading John Nelson's article about "Birding Hotspots Near You" in the October 21, issue of Bird Watching ( http://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/Where%20to%20go/Hotspots%20Near%20You.aspx ), I was motivated to try to get away for a long weekend to someplace interesting and with potential birding possibilities. Since I was too busy to get away during the long Thanksgiving weekend, I decided that I would try to find a place to go during the Vetrans' Day weekend, of which I had a 3-days away from school. The "hotspots" that the article featured were in Nestucca Bay NWR, Oregon; Middle Creek WMA, Pennsylvania; Merced NWR, California, and the Rockport Headlands, Cape Ann, Massachusetts. All of these places sounded interesting, but since Val has relatives in the Boston area, and one of the highlighted birds from Cape Ann was the Harlequin Duck among other sea birds that I do not get a chance to see here in the Midwest. Since Cape Ann is not more than an hours drive north of Boston, I proposed to Val a quick mini-vacation to the area. Initially, she thought I was kidding, but I assurred her I was serious. She could see her relatives who she doesn't get to visit very often, and I get to go birding in places that I would not be able to do very often - a win-win situation. At the very least, a win-lose situation - even if I don't get to see the birds I would like to, at least she would get to see her relatives, so it would not be a wasted trip. She agreed.

A fly - by Harlequin Duck, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Since most of Val's relatives were busy during the day of our arrival, our plan was upon landing at Logan Airport in Boston, we would rent a car and immediately drive up to Plum Island (Parker River NWR - see my last few posts about birds from Plum Island), spend the day there, drive back to Boston, stay with Val's Aunt (Hi Celeste), then the next day drive out to Cape Ann and visit the "hotspots" that John Nelson mentioned in his article. In his article, he said never to "gaurantee" that one will see a bird, but he mentioned that he has never failed to see a Harlequin Duck in at least one of three locations. So I thought, why not give these locations a try? The first hotspot was Halibut Point State Park in Rockport. After a short hike through some beautiful scenery past a water-filled- no longer in use quarry, we reached the ocean's coast, and within minutes I saw a female Common Eider (A bird I only have seen once before a couple of years ago in Rhode Island) riding the waves near the rocky shoreline. While I was focussing on this Eider, another water bird floated right into my viewfinder. Lo and behold, it was a Harlequin Duck (Top photo). As it bobbed into and out of view in between the 2-foot waves, I managed several good pics. Later as I was exploring the rocky shoreline, another harlequin Duck flew by at quite a clip, but I was lucky to get a bead on its flight path and burst several shots (Above), which turned out to be one of my best photos (in my opinion) of 2011.

Harlequin Ducks riding the waves crashing into the Cathedral Rocks, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

After completing our visit to Halibut Point State Park, we drove along some shoreline streets to further explore the area, and checked out two other hotspots that John Nelson recommended - Cathedral Rocks and Andrew Point. Near Cathedral Rocks, I hopped out of the rent-a-car, and ventured out onto the rocks so I could better see the ocean's shoreline. Within seconds I saw four more Harlequins (3 male, 1 female) riding the waves in a small cove (Above). They were content to let the waves push them to whereever it led them. As a wave would carry them over a rocky ledge, and when the wave subsided, the ducks would stay on the rock until another wave came along and washed them off the rocks where upon they would let the waves carry them to their next destination. This continued for several minutes until they decided they had enough of the waves and then climbed up higher onto the rocky ledge where the waves couldn't reach them (Below).

A row of Harlequins, Cathedral Rocks, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Native to Europe, Harlequins are also found in both the East and West ends of Canada in the summers, as well as in Alaska in the West and Greenland in the East, and year round in the Aleutian Islands. In winter months they can be found along both the North Atlantic and North Pacific coastlines. So my hats off to John Nelson from Bird Watchinmg Magazine for leading me to these magnificent ducks.

Dunlin & Greater Yellowlegs, Plum Island, MA

2011-12-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Vibrant colors on the Pines Trail, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

My last few posts dealt with Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Black-bellied Plovers, but I also saw another two shorebirds during my day on Plum Island, Massachusetts. The Greater Yellowlegs (Below) is a shorebird that I have seen in the Midwest, and is also found coast to coast throught Canada in the summer, and keeps itself along both coasts during the winter.

A Greater Yellowlegs, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

But it was the second shorebird that I noticed, which was separated from the other sandpipers probing the beach as a collected flock. This shore bird appeared out of nowhere. I was in the same general spot for several minutes and was surprised I didn't see it before. As I took its picture, I was thinking it seemed a bit larger than the Semipalmated Sandpiper of the similar brownish color. It certainly wasn't as white as the Sanderlings. I turned my attention back to the main flock, then looked for the lone shorebird again, but it was nowhere in sight. I was lucky to get that one photo (Below) because I didn't see it again. While sorting out my photos at day's end, I came to the image of this bird and upon seeing this shorebird with its long curved bill, I confirmed it was neither a Sanderling nor a Semipalmated.

This lone Dunlin appeared for a brief moment near a flock of sanderlings and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Again, because of my lack of identification skills of the subtle differences between many Sandpipers, I needed to check my guidebook (The Sibley Field Guide...)to identify this one. The long curved bill and the geographic area narrowed down my choices to Western Sandpipers, Dunlins, and Stilt Sandpipers. It is possible that all three of these could be found along the north Atlantic coast during their fall migration. However, it would be rare for the Western Sandpiper to be seen north of New York during the winter but certainly could be seen as it is migrating through. I decided that the bird I saw was larger than a Western Sandpiper which would be in between the size of Sanderlings and Semipalmated SP's. Stilt Sandpipers would be the right size and could also be migrating through, but their legs are yellow, so I dismissed these. Dunlins would be the most common of the three as it is a winter resident along the entire Atlantic Coast as far north as Maine. and its size and colorization seemed about right being slightly larger than a Sanderling and much larger than a Semipalmated and a Western, but the same genral color and markings. I was excited that I could add a Dunlin to my Life List (#340), and wished I paid more attention to it to get a better quality photograph.

Tomorrow and the next couple of weekends I'll feature photos of birds that I found along the Rocky Atlantic shores of Rockport and Glauster, Mass.

Black-bellied Plover and Western Sandpiper, Plum Island, MA

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

A boardwalk leading out to an Atlantic beach on Plum Island, MA, 11/11/2011.

Plum Island has a varied beautiful habitat to attract many types of birds, but shore and water birds specifically find this area a fantastic place to live or as a stopover on their migration routes. I particularly was hoping to find a Piping Plover, which calls Plum Island its summer home, knowing that by the middle of November they may already have left for their winter grounds.

Waves incoming, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

After searching several beaches, searching for some shorebirds, about all I observed were Herring Gulls so I turned my attention to the waves crashing onto the beach. While I was taking pictures of the Atlantic waves, I noticed a shore bird appear near a salt water puddle. Its short bill suggested to me that it was a Plover and not a Sandpiper.

Black-bellied Plover, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

It wasn't a Piping Plover, but it still was a new a new bird to add to my Life List, a Black-bellied Plover in its nonbreeding plumage. These Plovers are very similar to the American Golden Plover, but this bird's (Above) belly was too white to be that of an American Golden.

Black-bellied Plover, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Black-bellied Plovers are found inside the Arctic Circle in the northern shores of Alaska and Canada during the summer months. It would have been cool to see this Plover's breeding plumage as males sport a black breast, throat and face set off with white under the tail and along the sides of the neck that run up along to its forehead. In its nonbreeding plumage, they lose their contrasting white and black feathers and become more drab (Above). Their undersides become whiter, but the rest of thier bodies, become more brown, with streaked breast and a white eyebrow. They will spend their winter months along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, which of course, is where I saw this guy.

Semipalmated Sandpipers - Plum Island, MA

2011-12-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sandy Point Beach, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

While chasing after Sanderlings on Sandy Point on Plum Island, who in turn were chasing waves (yesterday's post), I noticed a bird that didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the flock. It was slightly smaller and had darker plumage on its back.

Which one of these is not like the other? Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

I must have been observing these Sanderlings for quite a few minutes, when it occurred to me that one of them didn't have the same markings, but was following and doing everything the Sanderlings were doing. I figured it looked like a Semipalmated Sandpiper or a Least Sandpiper (Both which could have been migrating through), but because I wasn't completely certain about my identification of shorebirds, I had to wait until I was able to use my bird guide and make a sure ID.

Can you spot the Semipalmated Sandpiper among the Sanderlings? Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

After a few minutes the Semipalmated Sandpiper separated itself from the Sanderlings so I could isolate it in a photo (Above). Then I noticed there were two Smipalmated SP's (Below). They are often found on mudflats feeding together with their close relatives, the Least and Western sandpipers, but in this case, with Sanderlings.

A couple of Semipalmated Sandpipers hanging with a flock of Sanderlings, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

The markings and size of these two birds were similar to both the Semipalmated and the Least Sandpipers, but the bill is what helped me determine it was a Semipalmated. The Least SP's bill is slightly longer, thinner and droops down more than the Semiplamated SPs. It was fortunate for us to see these Sandpipers while they were on their long migration route south.

A swarm of Semipalmated Sandpipers over the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada; 8/1/2008.

Perhaps the most numerous shorebird in North America, sometimes occurring by the thousands during migration, Semipalmated Sandpipers spend their summers on the mudflats of Northern Canada surrounding the Hudson Bay and the many islands of the Northwest Territories. They travel a long way during their migration route, flying all the way to South America to spend their winters. A couple of summers ago, while Val and I were exploring the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick (Canada), we had the good fortune to witness thousands of these Sandpipers, on their way North, "fishing" for insects and mollusks out in the bay. They flew in a swarm (Above) chasing the insects, changing directions all together, which made them look like a wave in the air.

A fling of Semipalmated Sandpipers, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada; 8/01/2008.

The photo (Above) is about the closest I could zoom in to get some shape of each individual Sandpiper. However, I was able to get a bit of video (Below) that captured the crazy movement the fling of Semipalmated's as they moved back and forth as a collective group, simulating a wave.

A video clip of a "timestep" of Semipalmated Sandpipers cruising the Bay of Fundy for insects on the oceans surface; New Brunswick, Canada; 8/1/2008.

The name of these Sandpipers has an interesting origin. The word "semipalmated," refers to the birds' toes, means "half-webbed." The toes are only slightly lobed at their bases and help them to walk on mud without sinking. According to Whatbird.com, a group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a "bind", "contradiction", "fling", "hill", and "time-step" of sandpipers.

A Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sandy Pointy, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings - New Wave Chasers

2011-12-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

A small grain of Sanderlings were the object of our amusement as they chased waves in and out of the beach at Sandy Point, Plum Island, Massachusetts; 11/11/2011.

As promised, today I have some fun pics of a flock of Sanderlings being the ultimate wave chasers. They would scurry out as far as the surf's edge would take them. Then as a newly formed wave merged toward the shore, the Sanderlings would hustle back away from the wave. As soon as the wave receded, they would quickly feed on the invertebrate prey that the waves deposited in the sand, and then wait for the next wave. This action was repeated for hours.

Sanderlings - running into the surf getting in position for the incoming wave, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings - running away from the incoming wave, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings - quickly feeding on the morsals left behind by the receding wave, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

....And repeat ....

Running in ... waiting for the next wave ...

...running out ...

...and quckly feeding...

This would go on for hours and the Sanderlings, busy at their feeding frenzy, soon became very accustomed to me being there, and let me get quite close. In the photo (Below two pics), I hardly needed to either zoom in with my Sigma 500mm lens, nor had to crop the photo later in photoshop.

Sanderlings, hurdling the wave's edge, waiting for their meal to be deposited at their feet, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Another pic that needed no zooming in or cropping, sanderlings, Sandy point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Some wilder wave action off the Atlantic Coast, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA

2011-12-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

A lone Sanderling feeding amongst the rocks at Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

A month ago, I had the pleasure of witnessing a grain of Sanderlings playing and feeding in the waves off of Sandy Point on Plum Island in Massachusetts. The Sanderling (Above) was a bit unusual to be on its own as they are more often found in medium to large flocks (or "grains" as whatbird.com would tell you ... http://offline.whatbird.com/obj/214/_/Sanderling.aspx ).

The rock-strewn beach at Sandy Point on the southern tip of Plum Island was a great place to find sea and shorebirds, Massachusetts; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings are among one of the worlds most distributed shorebirds as they can be found in five continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and both North & South America). In the our continent they will be found in extreme northern Canada and in the Arctic Circle during the summer months. In winter they will migrate south and will put up residence along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts on sandy beaches which produce lots of oceanic wave action.

Sanderlings flying over the Atlantic scouting out beaches to aid their feeding frenzy, Plum Island, Massachusetts; 11/11/2011.

A pair of Sanderlings flying over the Sandy Point Beach, Plum Island, Massachusetts; 11/11/2011.

This late in the year, Sanderlings will already be in their non-breeding plumage (Above), mostly white underneath with pale gray back, tail and crown, and a darker shoulder and tips of its primaries with a broad white stripe which can be seen when in flight (Above two pics). Because they spend their summer months in the Arctic, we very seldom get to see their wonderfully colorful reddish breeding plumage.

Val's late evening photo of a grain of Sanderlings in full breeding plumage, Pistol River Beach, Oregon; 7/13/2007

A few summers ago (well before I became more serious about bird photography) while Val and I were exploring the beautiful Oregon Coast and taking photos of a gorgeous sunset (Below), Val was fascinated by a small flock of sandpipers chasing waves in and out and she took some pics (Above). These happened to be Sanderlings in their breeding plumage, with reddish heads and wings giving way to a mottled gray and red near their primaries. This reddish color was beautifully contrasted by their white bellies and underneath the tails.

Tomorrow, I will feature a few photos of these fun birds chasing waves.

As the Sanderlings were chasing waves, Val and I were chasing sunsets, Pistol River Viewpoint, Oregon; 7/13/2007.

Scoters & Parker River Nationl Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, MA

2011-12-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

A boardwalk leading to an ocean beach, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Yesterday I posted about the rare sighting of a Greenland's Barnacle Goose on U.S, soil - in particular, on Plum Island near the Parker Riv NWR's Visitors' Center. A month ago, during my brief 2-day trip to Massachusetts, I was hoping to see and photograph birds that I wouldn't ordinarily see in the Midwest, my stomping grounds, and I wasn't disappointed. Immediately, I was able to see the Barnacle Goose, and during the few hours spent on Plum Island (Above: 11/11/2011), I was able to identify almost 40 bird species and net six new birds on my Life List.

A chattering flock of House Sparrows in a bush waiting to invade the Visitors' Center feeders, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

I saw a few land birds (Blue Jays, House Sparrows (Above), several finches and many PBB's - "plain brown birds" that were too swift and hidden to identify); however, most of the birds I saw were water birds - swimmers, dabblers, divers, waders, and shorebirds.

A Great Blue Heron, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Water birds identified: Canada Geese, Barnacle Goose**, Mute Swans, Mallards, American Wigeons, American Coots, Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Ruddy Ducks, Red Heads, Common Eiders, several species of Scoters (White-winged**, Black**, and Surf**) (Below), Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons (Above), Double-crested Cormorants, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers**, Black-bellied Plover**, Greater Yellowlegs, Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, and Great Black-backed Gulls**.
** denotes new birds added to my Life List.

A float of Black Scoters bouncing in the Atlantic waves off of Sandy Pt., Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

One of my Life List additions, Black Scoters (Above & Below), were fun to see as they were bouncing in and out of view out on the active Atlantic waves. Getting a quality photo was out of the question as they were tiny dots in my view finder being quite a bit off shore and constantly being hammered by 2-3 foot waves. They were true surfers riding the waves. At one moment they would be in view on a wave's crest and in the next moment disappear in the trough between two waves.

A close up of some Black Scoters, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Male Black Scoters are quite striking with their complete black jet body with a bright yellow knob (Below) on its bill, like a lghthouse lamp in the night. Females are less striking - brown overall bodies , lighter on the cheeks with a darker crown.

Another pair of Black Scoters, and a better look at the yellow knob on the male's bill, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

In the summer months, Black Scoters are found on the two extreme coasts - northeast Canada and far northwestern Alaska. In the winter, they will migrate along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

A female White-winged Scoter, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Another Scoter that I added to my Life List is the White-winged Scoter (Above & Below) which landed near the shore while I was chasing some Sanderlings (Next weekend's post).

Although not a great photo, it's a better look at the female White-winged Scoter's oval white loral patch and white patch behind its eye, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

White-winged Scoters are slightly larger than Black Scoters and like the Blacks are found along both the Atlantic seaboard and Pacific coast during winter months. In the Summer, Whit-wings are found throughout western and northern Canada and Alaska. Although I didn't locate a male of this species, they would be a treat to see with its dark brown body, white secondaries on its wings, red-orange bill tip, and a white "comma-shaped" eye patch.

Rare Barnacle Goose on Plum Island, Massachusetts

2011-12-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

A boardwalk leading to the Atlantic Ocean from the Parker River NWR on Plum Island, Massachusetts; 11/11/2011.

Smack dab in the center of this photo can be seen the back and flank of a lone Barnacle Goose in the midst of a flock of Canadas, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, Massachusetts; 11/11/2011.

Knowing that I was going to be busy during the Thanksgiving Weekend, without the chance to do any kind of travelling, I decided to to do a mini-vacation during my 3-day Vetrans Day weekend. So we flew out to Boston to visit Val's relatives and try to find birds that inhabit the Atlantic Coast that wouldn't ordinarily be found in the Midwest. After doing some research, I found that Plum Island in the Northeast corner of Massachusetts is home to one of the East Coast's most proclaimed wildlife sanctuaries. So that was our destination as soon as we landed in Boston and hopped into our rent-a-car. Only two hours after landing we pulled into the Visitors' Center of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge (Above) to get the lay of the land, a map and perhaps some tips to find birds. Immediately, one of the volunteers in the Visitors' Center told us that a rare goose has been seen in the field across the street from the Center. She couldn't remember the name of the goose, but said at the moment there are people there now looking for it. I grabbed my camera and ventured out to a small crowd of people with cameras, binoculars and spotting scopes. I soon learned that there was a Barnacle Goose sighted with a flock of Canada Geese. The geese were too far away too see without some sort of mechanical viewing aid, but a nice person with a Boston accent let me look through his spotting scope, and sure enough, there it was. It would be hardly moticable if one wouldn't be looking closely. Barnacles (at 27") are on the smaller end of the Canada's size range (25" - 45"), have a white face (compared to the Canada's black face & white throat) and black breast (compared to the Canada's dusky brown breast). Its flanks are white (compared to the Canada's dusky flanks). Both possess the black neck, black tail and white rump. The back of the Barnacle has a stronger barred pattern and is gray compared to the Canada's more drab brownish back. I tried to get a photo, and as I panned the flock with my Sigma 500mm lens, I couldn't find the Barnacle. A couple of times I had to try to line up my aim and focus with the spotting scope, but I still couldn't find it. I decided then just to pan and take a series of pictures hoping that I could identify it after zooming in on the computer. I finally thought I saw it in my focus, but by the time I snapped the shutter it dipped its head and ducked into the long grass (Above) and that became the only photo where part of it was identifiable.

John Rakestraw's photo of a Barnacle Goose (center with the white face) mixed in with a flock of Cackling Geese,

Barnacle Geese are natives of Greenland and rarely venture into the U.S. Even though my photo was undesireable, it was cool to see one through the spotting scope. When they are found on U.S, soil they are usually solo in a flock of Canadas and never in a flock of their own kind. After doing some more research of the Barnacle, and wanting to include a photo of what they look like, I found a website by John Rakestraw, who also had a photo (Above) of a Barnacle with a flock of Canadas in a similar environment of what I witnessed. In his photo, the Barnacle's white face and flanks, black breast and gray barred back are very visible. John Rakestraw is a naturalist, a freelance writer (author of Birding Oregon), and a birding guide from Portland Oregon. I thank John for giving me permission to use his photo on this post. A link to his website about the Barnacle Goose he saw is below:
http://johnrakestraw.net/2011/02/25/barnacle-goose/

Great Blue Heron Fest at Rock Cut

2011-12-04T04:00:00.001-08:00

A Great Blue Heron stalking for a meal, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 10/10/2011.

A few weeks ago while hiking aroung Pierce lake in Rock Cut State Park, I counted no less than a dozen Great Blue Herons (one Above) still hanging around our part of the woods.

A pink sunset reflecting off of Pierce lake, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 10/10/2011...

It was late in the day, so the light was drifting away and for a brief moment, the sun was setting on the western edge of the Lake (Above) while the moon was rising on the eastern edge of the Lake (Below).

... at the same time a full moon was already rising in the East.

Below are a series of Great Blue Heron pics of the day:

Another Great Blue roosting high in a tree.

As I was focussing on this Great Blue, a kayaker came by and set it to flight...

The same Great Blue making its way to another resting spot.

Yet, another Great Blue at Rock Cut SP; Riockford, IL; 10/10/2011.

Although, not a Heron, this Turkey Vulture wasn't far away from the Great Blue in the photo above this one.

Although, the late in the day hike didn't produce a high variety of birds, nor lend itself to good photography light, it still was a good day to see so many Great Blue Herons out on the prowl. Plus a nice sunset and moonrise to boot.

Snowy Owl - Horicon Marsh NWR, WI

2011-12-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

Snowy Owl seen off of Dike Rd., Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 11/24/2011.

A couple of days before Thanksgiving Day, I heard a report that there was a Snowy Owl (possibly two)seen at Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin. So I decided that, while I was driving into Wisconsin to visit relatives on Thanksgiving Morning, I would go a few miles out of the way to see if I could spot this owl. Sure enough, within fifteen minutes of reaching the Horicon Marsh NWR and turning onto Dike Road where the Snowy was sighted, I found her (Above), sitting on a muskrat mound. This is the second Snowy I've seen in two years. Last January (2011), a Snowy Owl was also found just south of the Wisconsin border in Illinois near Freeport, just west of Rockford. I drove 45 minutes West to catch sight of that female Snowy as well. Check out the link (below) to my blog post from 1/29/2011, about that Snowy Owl sighting.

http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/01/snowy-owl-sighting-in-northern-illinois.html

According to most bird guides, Snowy Owls which spend their summer months on the Arctic tundra, will migrate as far south as Southern Wisconsin (such as Horicon Marsh NWR) during the winter, and on rare occaissions might venture into Illinois. Already this year two Snowies have been sighted near Chicago (Montrose Beach Point) and with last year's Snowy near Freeport, that makes three for certain in Illinois in the past two years, and winter officially won't be here for another 3 weeks.

The same Snowy, Horicon Marsh NWR; 11/24/2011.

In fact, there were also two Snowy Owls reported at Horicon Marsh this past week, but on my visit, I only found the one (Above). This Snowy is a first year female, which sports a white face with darker spots on the cown as well as its wings and back. An adult male will be completely white with few darker feathers sprinkled throughout. I would love to see a wild male Snowy - the only one I have seen was in captivity in the Lincoln park Zoo of Chicago - link below...

http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2010/12/snowy-owl.html

UPDATE: Just yesterday, another Snowy has been reported seen near Rochelle, IL, not far south from Rockford.

European Starlings and other Land Birds in Lincoln Park, Chicago

2011-11-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

A European Starling in its perch overlooking South Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

Even though as annoying as they can be with their noisy presence congregating in huge numbers, European Starlings (Above) have a beauty of their own with their variegated pattern in their feathers, which give an irridescent glow when light hits them in the right angle.

European Starlings in constant motion gleening the ground for their midday meal, Montrose Point, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

Although a birding trip to Lincoln Park, often means searching for water birds in their various ponds, it also is a good place to search for land birds as well. In the past couple of posts, I highlighted water birds (Wood Ducks, Northern Pintails, Hooded Mergansers, etc.), but in this post I'll highlight photos of some of the land birds I came across in the first week of November. I was hoping to find some Snow Buntings or Longspurs out in the grassy area by Montrose Beach, or some more interesting migrants in the Hedge, but I only saw the usual winter suspects: Juncos, Crows, Starlings, and Sparrows (Below).

An American Crow in the wooded area surrounding the Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A male House Sparrow, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A female House Sparrow, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

An American Tree Sparrow, with two-toned bill, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

Wood Ducks on the Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago

2011-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

On Golden Pond: a pair of Wood Ducks, dabbling in the Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

Wood Ducks are always a treat to see as they are so colorful and photogenic. While Val and I were exploring the Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pond, a very beautifully landscaped area adjacent to Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, a pair of Wood Ducks (Above) landed and explored the Lilly Pond as well. The setting was particular striking as the vibrant golden foliage of the surrounding Maples reflected into the pond. I particularly liked how then pond rings created by the Woodies' motions, alternately showed off the reflections of the golden Maples with the blue sky.

The reds and greens of the colorful male Wood Duck contrasts with the golden and blue pond, Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

With all the colors portrayed in the (Above) photo, I still am enamored of the male Wood Duck's piercing red and black eyes. It is even more prominent when contrasted with a cool background, as (Below) when the Woody floated out into the open free from the Maples' golden reflections.

The Male Wood Duck, Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A female Wood Duck, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 10/30/2010.

The female (Above) doesn't posses the brilliant plumage of the male nor its bright red eye, but she has its own beauty with the gigantic white eye patch almost looking like a a white Zorro's mask, and in the right light the back and wing feathers givbe off an irridescent managerie of turquois blues and violets.

Northern Pintail, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

2011-11-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

While searching for the female Long-tailed Duck that was reported seen at the South Pond in Chicago's Lincoln Park, I spotted a pair of Northern Pintails Below), snoozing in the thicket off the shore of North Pond.

A male Northern Pintail trying to take a nap, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

Initially, although I suspected they were N. Pintails, I couldn't quite make a positive identification on these two because both were napping hidden in the brush, with their heads tucked into their wings and their necks were obscured. After a time, with the movement of other ducks surrounding them, both awoke, and the male (Above), lifted its head so I could see the tell-tale white racing stripe along the back of its neck. And the female opened its eyes (Below) to see what all the commotion was about. With this ID, I could list Northern Pintails as #334 on my Life List.

Peek-a-boo. The female Northern Pintail checking out its surroundings after waking up from her nap, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

There were actually two pairs of Northern Pintails hidden in the brush, but the two above, were the most visible for a picture. I was hoping they would eventually arise and move about so I could get more of a full-body photo, but they stayed put - must have been plenty tired. These guys must have been in the midst of their southern migration, as they come from their summer homes in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan, as well the North Central States of Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming and the entire country of Canada and as far Northwest as Alaska. Year round they can be found in the Central & Western states of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California. They will spend their winters in the southern half of the U.S. from coast to coast as well as all of Mexico.

Happy Thanksgiving with Lincoln Park Birds

2011-11-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

This Wild Turkey showed up on our front lawn this spring in Rockford,IL; 6/1/2011.

How can one have a blog about birds and on a Thanksgiving Day post not have a picture of a turkey? This past late spring, I came home after a day of final exams at school, and as I pulled into the driveway, this Wild Turkey (Above) appeared out of the bushes and started strutting around on our front lawn. I quickly ran into the house, grabbed my camera, and it stayed long enough for me to fire off a few pics before it disappeared across the street and behind a neighbor's house. This Wild Turkey became the 37th different species of wild bird that has appeared in our yard in the past two years (but who's counting?) BTW, the current number is up to 38.

Okay, now for some photos of water birds I photographed in Lincoln Park, Chicago, a couple of weeks ago:

This unfortunate American Coot had a fishing line tangled around its head and bill, South Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A Hooded Merganser with its hood up, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A Hooded Merganser with its hood partially up, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A Hooded Merganser with its hood down, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A Trumpeter Swan showing off its balancing act, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A male Ruddy Duck in its non-breeding plumage, North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

A pair of Ring-billed Gulls (Top - juvenile; Bottom - Adult) begging for handouts along Montrose Point, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

(Above) is good side by side comparison of an adult Ring-billed Gull next to one not quite into adulthood, he big difference being in the yellow bill and legs of the full-grown adult.

A juvenile Ring-billed Gull, Montrose Point, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

I also spent some time at Montrose Point scouring the grasslands along the beach for some shorebirds and hoping to get a glimpse of a Perrigrine Falcon that was reported hanging around the pier area. But all I saw were European Starlings and Ring-billed Gulls, which monopolized the beach and airways. (Above) is a young Ring-billed in its first-winter plumage of brown spotted feahers sprinkled in its white head and light gray wings, and its tell-tale pink bill with a black tip. (Below) is an adult Ring-billed, with its distinct black ring around a yellow bill, and a more pure white head. Also note the yellow legs of the adult in contrast to the more pinkish legs of the first-year.

An adult Ring-billed Gull on the Montrose Point pier, Chicago, IL; 11/5/2011.

Nygren Wetlands - Land Birds

2011-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Seeing a Dark-eyed Slate colored Junco in Northern Illinois is a sure sign that winter is just around the corner, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 10/15/2011.

Yesterday I posted pics of water birds from my October 15, visit to the Nygren Wetlands near Rockton, IL. Today I'll feature some of the land birds I photographed. Dark-eyed Slate-colored Juncos (Above) are frequent winter visitors in our area, so seeing one certainly means Winter is not far off. These Juncos are usually one of the first winter migrants to arrive and one of the last to leave in the Spring. It seems like these guys were still hanging around in late April. So they are virtually here more than half of the year. Other land birds (Below) I saw that are travelling through are: Yellow-rumped Myrtle, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrows, White-crested Sparrows, and a Lincoln’s Sparrow. Some photos of these migrants are below:

A White-crowned Sparrow travelling through on its way South, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow, making its first migratory trip, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

Another northern Sparrow traveling through to warmer climates, the White-throated Sparrow, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

Another common migrant in the Autumn and Spring is the Yellow-rumped Myrtle, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

Land birds that I observed and are present year round are Wild Turkeys, American Crows, a Downy Woodpecker, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flickers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped-Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, American Robins, Song Sparrows, and American Goldfinches. And then there were an Eastern Towhee, Eastern Phoebe, and Swamp & Savannah Sparrows that spend their summers here, but will probably soon take off for warmer southern climates.

An American Goldfinch in the process of losing its bright yellow summer colors and growing its winter plumage, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

Another Goldfinch getting ready to spend the winter in Northern Illinois, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

Black-capped Chickadees are also common year round residents of N. IL, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

A Downey Woodpecker looking for food to fatten up for the winter here in N. IL, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

Song Sparrows are the only Sparrows that live in N. Illinois year round, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011

And then there were an Eastern Towhee, Eastern Phoebe, and Swamp & Savannah Sparrows that spend their summers here, but will probably soon take off for warmer southern climates.

Eastern Phoebes will be gone soon, travelling South, but are usually one of the first song birds to return to Northern Illinois in the Spring, and are already here by mid to late March, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 10/15/2011.

A Swamp Sparrow spending its last days in Northern IL before flying south for the winter, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011.

I heard this Eastern Towhee singing its last songs before leaving us for the winter, Nygren Wetlands; 10/15/2011.

On Thanksgiving Day I'll feature water birds seen at the various ponds in Chicago's beautiful Lincoln Park.

Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL

2011-11-19T04:00:00.001-08:00

A typical October scene at the Nygren Wetlands, American Coots in the foreground, Canadas and mallards in the middleground, and a Great Blue Heron in the background; 10/15/2011.

A month ago I visited the Nygren Wetlands near Rockton to check out the migrants that may have shown up. I managed to identify 32 species of birds during my couple hour hike, but nothing new nor unusual.

List of Water and Shorebirds: Great Blue Herons, Lesser Yellowlegs, American Coots, Mallards, Canada Geese, Northern Shovelers, Pied-billed Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Wood Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Sandhill Cranes, Ring-billed Gulls.

List of Landbirds: Wild Turkeys, American Crow, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped-Chickadees, Northern Cardinal, American Robins, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Phoebe, Dark-eyed Slate Colored Junco, Goldfinches, Yellow-rumped Myrtle and a half dozen species of sparrows: Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrows, White-crested Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow.

Mallards take flight, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 10/15/2011.

Below are photos of some of the swimmers, divers, waders and shorebirds I observed during the visit:

A Great Blue Heron joins a Double-crested Cormorant on a dead branch overlooking the wetlands.

A Double-crested Cormorant cruising over the Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 10/15/2011.

A Great Blue Heron, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 10/15/2011.

A Great Blue reflecting in the still waters of a flowage, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 10/15/2011.

A flush of Wood Ducks trying to stay hidden in one of the obscure ponds in the back acreage of the grounds, Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, IL; 10/15/2011.

In my next post I'll feature photos of some of the landbirds I observed on this visit.

Fall Birding at Espenscheid and Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserves

2011-11-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

A sunset in Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 11/4/2011.

On of my favorite local places to go birding are the conjoined Forest preserves of Espenscheid and Black Hawk Springs. I like to park at Espenscheid (both entrances can be found off of Perryville Road, south of Rockford) and hike to Black hawk Springs and back again. In a long loop you can follow the Kishwaukee River to look for shore and water birds, hike through some disiduous and coniferest forest, and through prairie. In today's post, I will highlight some of my birding pics from October 1, a combination of year round residents and those that are migrating through to their winter homes.
(Above) is a Sunset from Black Hawk Springs on November 4, but don't get locked in after sunset - like I did last weekend.

A Black-capped Chickadee with a snack, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

A backlit juvenile Eastern Phoebe, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker, a year-round resident of Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

White-throated Sparrow, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker, another year-round resident of Espenscheid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

A juvenile Cedar Waxwing, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

A molting Eastern Towhee, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

Field Sparrow, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

Northern Cardinal, a year-round resident, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

A Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

The same Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black Hawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

Tennessee Warbler

2011-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

A 1st -year tennessee Warbler in Espensceid Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011.

On October 1st of this year I was hiking in Espenscheid Forest Preserve just south of Rockford hoping to see some great fall colors and do some birding. I caught on camera a yellow bird (Above), that at first I thought was a Yellow Warbler, but upon researching photos, I realize it was a 1st year Tennessee Warbler. I was happy to finally get a somewhat clear shot of this bird, since my other photos of the tennessee were not that good. This is the 3rd time I've seen a Tennessee Warbler this year. On May 8th, I identified a Tennessee (my first) in Rock Cut State Park and it became #292 on my Life List. I probably have seen them before, but didn't know I did. Then just a week later I saw another one at the Colored Sands Forest Preserve, just north of Rockford near Rockton, IL. In both Rock Cut and Colored Sands I wasn't able to get a good pic (Below).

A very soft image of an adult Tennessee Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/8/2011.

In the summer months, Tennessee Warblers are a northern warbler found in mostly in the boreal forests of Canada and in the northern edges of the U.S. (Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine). In winter they will migrate south to central America, and the northern regions of South America.
As an adult (Above), Tennessee's yellow feathers will give way to a more olive green on their back, wings, and tail. Their heads will be mostly gray with a prominent white eyebrow, as well as white underparts.

11/11/11 Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

2011-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Dew drops decorate a spider web on the floating boardwalk, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

Today I'll post more images from my early October visit to the Horicon Marsh national Wildlife Refuge in southern Wisconsin. I didn't plan this, but there are actually there are 11 images on this day of 11/11/11.

I was chasing a Palm Warbler on the floating boardwalk, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

The same Palm Warbler was playing a game of tight rope, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

Dunking Ducks, all Mallards; you can see the size differences between the Mallards and the smaller female Blue-winged Teal swimming next to them, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

A female Northern Shoveler, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

Pied-billed Grebe,Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

A Savannah Sparrow, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

White-throated Sparrow, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

A BIF of the same Yellow-rumped Myrtle. I was amazed that I was able to get a sharp image of this warbler in flight while behind the grass blades.

A painted Turtle in the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 10/2/2011.

Sandhill Cranes, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

2011-11-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

A pair of Sandhill Cranes flying by at Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin; 10/2/2011.

I never get tired of seeing and photographing Sandhill Cranes. They are residents of the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Wisconsin, and I have seen some the last three times I have visited (Spring, Summer, and Fall). It's hard not to appreciate their huge 46" long bodies taking off in flight. I have been lucky the last two visits that I have been able to get fairly close for good photos without seeming to alarm them.

A pair of Sandhill Cranes landed across the road from me while I was photographing some Greater Yellowlegs, and stayed there for quite some time, totally ignoring me, HMNWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

One of the two Sandhill Cranes which landed in part of the Marsh.

Soon a motorist drove by and sent the Sandhills to take off. I would have loved this photo if I didn't chop off its right wing tip.

The pair flew off West then circled East. They became close enough for me to get them both in the same shot.

Blue & Green -winged Teals, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

2011-11-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Blue-winged Teals landing in the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin: 10/2/2011.

As most of you know who have followed my blog, I am a big fan of Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. During my last visit a month ago, I had a good outing identifying over 30 bird species and got some good photos to boot. Here is a list of the birds I identified: Starlings, Grackles, Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jay, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Myrtle, Robins, Song Sparrows, House Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Savannah Sparrow, Goldfinches, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Bobwhite, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Phoebe, Tennessee Warbler, Ring-billed Gulls, Great Blue Heron, Northern shovelers, Blue-winged Teals, Canada Geese, Mallards, Gadwalls, Double-crested Cormorants, Great Egrets, Green-winged Teals, Pied-billed Grebes, Sandhill Cranes, Greater Yellowlegs, White Pelicans, American Coots, Solitary Sandpipers, Hermit Thrush.

I loved the colorful rings in the water this female Blue-winged Teal created, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin: 10/2/2011.

Another female Blue-winged Teal, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin: 10/2/2011.

This post will feature the Blue-winged Teal (Above & Below) which is quite common in the Midwest summers - throughout much of Canada, the northern and the south central U.S. In the winter they will migrate to the southern Atlantic and Pacific coastal states as well as the Gulf of Mexico states.

Another female Blue-winged Teal, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin: 10/2/2011.

Another Teal that I don't see as often as the Blue-wings, is the Green-winged Teal (Below), which in the summer will be found in the same general areas as Blue-wings, but its range will spread further north in Canada and Alaska. In the winter, Green-wings can be found in the southern half of the U.S. and into Mexico.

A fuzzy pic of the Green-winged Teal, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin: 10/2/2011.

It seems I am never near enough to get a good picture of a Green-winged Teal. I have only seen them from afar, across a large pond / lake or flying overhead. So thus far (above) is the best photo I have managed of these birds. Green-wings are North America's smallest dabbling duck at 14" in length (there are a couple of diving ducks smaller - the Bufflehead being one), and have very distinctive coloring in breeding season. The males have a dark rufous head with a green eye patch that extends to the nape. The remainder of their body is grayish, with a buffy breast, a black and yellow tail, and a large green patch on its wings. The duck in the photo seems to be a young Teal growing its breeding plumage (from October through June), as the green eye patch is not quite prominent.

Great Egrets, Horicon Marsh NWR

2011-10-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

A congregation of Great Egrets congregated in Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin; 10/2/2011.

While visiting the great bird sanctuary of the Horicon Marsh NWR in Wisconsin in early October, I saw more Great Egrets than I have ever seen at one time. Usually when I see Great Egrets, they are either solo or in pairs, so it was a treat to see so many together.

Egrets, American Coots, and White Pelicans enjoying a sunny afternoon at the Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

Not only did I see a huge 'heronry' of Great Egrets wading in the Marsh at the northern edge of the Refuge, but as I was walking on the floating boardwalk taking pictures of Palm Warblers and Yellow-rumped Warblers, a wedge of Great Egrets flew right by me and I was able to get a few good BIF's of them (Below).

A graceful Great Egret flew past me, HMNWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

It's a great contrast of the bright orange/yellow bill on one end with the pitch black legs on the other end separated by a large white body.

Another Great Egret flew past me for a perfect photo in the morning light, HMNWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

According to whatbird.com

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/30/_/Great_Egret.aspx

a collective group of egrets can be called a "congregation", "heronry", "RSVP", "skewer", or a "wedge" of egrets. I don't make this up, folks.

Greater Yellowlegs, Horicon Marsh NWR

2011-10-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

A flock of Greater Yellowlegs appeared at the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in early October; 10/2/2011.

I decided to take another trip to the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge four weeks ago and was rewarded with my 331st and 332nd entries onto my Life List - the Gadwall (no pics of noteworthy) and the Greater Yellowlegs (Above). A year ago I saw my first Lesser Yellowlegs in the same refuge ( my 11/7/2010 post http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2010/11/lesser-yellowlegs.html ). So it is cool that almost exactly a year later in the same location I see my first Greater Yellowlegs.

A Greater Lellowlegs, Horicon Marsh NWR, Wisconsin; 10/2/2011.

The main difference between the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs is of course its size. The Greater is larger (Hence its name) at 14" in length, compared to the Lesser's 10 1/2" length. However because the size of a bird seeing at a distance is not always obvious, esp. if you have nothing reliable to compare it to, the easier identifying trait is its bill. The Greater's bill is longer than its head and has a slight upward curve (Above), while the Lesser's bill is about the same length as its head and is straight (see my link above to my Lesser Yellowlegs post).

Another Greater Yellowlegs, HMNWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

In the summer months, Greater Yellowlegs can be found in the northern regions of Canada and the southern coast of Alaska. In the winter they will migrate south to the coastal states of the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. So my sightings of these larger sandpipers are while they are in the midst of their migration route.

Greater Yellowlegs feeding on an invertabrae, HMNWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

Greater Yellowlegs in flight showing off its yellow legs, HMNWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

Another Greater Yellowlegs, HMNWR, WI; 10/2/2011.

Great Horned Owl, Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve

2011-10-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

A rare sight of a Great Horned Owl in broad daylight, Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011

I have seen and heard Great Horned Owls all my life, but since I have taken up bird photography as a hobby, they have eluded me with all their efforts. I have never seen one close enough, unobstructed enough, nor in the daylight as I did earlier this month while hiking in the Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve (Above). I was patiently waiting for a Ruby-crowned Kinglet to show itself in a nearby briarberry bush (I think - I am not very good at identifying plants) when a large shadow crossed over me. I expected to see a crow, but as I caught a glimpse of the bird creating the shadow, it was far too large to be a crow. Its wing beats were too slow and flying too high to be a wild turkey, so I figured it was a turkey vulture. As luck would have it, it alit on an exposed branch only about 100 feet from me, midway up a tree. As soon as it landed and I had a clear view of it, I knew it was an owl, and I was excited for two reasons. One, I have never seen an owl this close in the daylight while I had a camera, and two, I do not have any good photos of owls in my collection of bird photographs. My heart beat a little faster as I moved into a position to get a good line on it, hoping it would not fly away before I could focus. It stayed put and eyed me warily, as I snapped off a few photos, and inched closer with each new click. Eventually it turned its head away from me, but stayed on the branch.

The same Great Horned Owl, Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, Rockford, IL; 10/1/2011

Great Horned Owls are very widespread, and can be found in virtually every corner of North America year round, from Mexico to Alaska, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, except for perhaps parts of the Arctic Circle. As widespread as they are, they are still an uncommon sight, especially during daylight hours, as they are basically nocturnal and like secluded spots. They are one of our larger owl species as they grow to 22" in length with a wingspan of 44". Indeed this one (Above) was probably at its optimum size; the shadow it threw as it flew overhead was enormous. I felt very fortunate to see and photograph it and I counted it as my 330th identified bird on my Life List and the 194th different bird I identified this year.

Sage Thrasher at Mono Lake, CA

2011-10-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

A Sage Thrasher checking out its territory at Mono Lake, CA; 6/16/2009

As I was chasing Violet-Green Swallows around the unique formations of Mono Lake a couple of years ago, another bird appeared suddenly scattering all the swallows off their perches. It was a Sage Thrasher (Above) which posed proudly for a few seconds before disappearing again.

The same Sage Thrasher

Its long bill and yellow eyes, a trademark of most thrashers, were very evident even while I was several yards away. This is the only time I have seen a Sage Thrasher and upon seeing it, I guessed it was a thrasher or thrush of some type. After getting a better look at it on my computer, I was able to identify it in my Sibley Guide. Sage Thrashers are fairly common in the sage brush plains of Wyoming, Nevada , Utah, and Colorado, as well as further north into Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and slightly into Western California. I probably saw this guy in its farthest western range. During the Winter months it will migrate into southern Texas, Arizona, and the Baja Peninsuala and much of Mexico.

The unique calcium-carbonate spires of Mono Lake, CA; 6/16/2009.

While researching places to visit during our trip to Yosemite Nat. Park, I came across images of Mono Lake, and knew right away that I didn't want to miss this area with its unique towers (Above) made of calcium-carbonate. I certainly wasn't disappointed. it was a very photogenic lake.

The snow-streaked Sierra Nevada Mountains prove to be a great backdrop for the spires of Mono Lake, CA; 6/16/2009.

Rock Wren

2011-10-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

A Rock Wren, Petrified Wood State Park, Utah; 6/11/2009

While hiking in Escalante country, where I was doing some canyoneering, I kept hearing a series of ringing buzzes fo quite some time before I finally spotted what was making the sound. It was a Rock Wren which landed briefly on a rock (of course) next to me on the trail. Rock Wrens (Above) are another Desert Wren, but not as common as yesterday's post of the Cactus Wren. This wren is found more in the higher altitudes and in the mountains, often on the rocky talus slopes. It is also one of the larger Wrens at 6" in length and its buzzy sound is known to carry over a great distance. Rock Wrens aren't as colorful as the Cactus Wren and is more in tone with its smaller cousins - House and winter Wrens - with their drab grayish brown bodies, but like all wrens also sports a long bill.

Cactus Wrens

2011-10-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

A young Cactus Wren in the Sonoran Desert hasn't grown its buffy flank and belly feathers yet, Tuscon, AZ; 12/27/2009

Cactus Wrens (Above) are common in the desert. Almost every time I visit the Southwest, I see them. They can be found in the southern halves of Arizona and New Mexico, extreme South California and the Baja Peninsula, as well as the western half of Texas and into Mexico.

This Cactus Wren posing in the McDowell Mts. Regional Park, Phoenix, AZ;

Cactus Wrens are the largest of the North American Wren family growing to 8 1/2" in length; whereas, most of the other Wrens range from 4" to 6" in length. Their earth tone colors contrast beautifully from their reddish brown crown set off with a long white eyebrow, to their buffy belly and white breast which are spotted with dense dark brown markings. Their brown wings and tails are crisscrossed with white and darker markings almost like a checkerboard pattern.

Another look at a Cactus Wren in the McDowell Mt. Reg. Park, Phoenix, AZ; 12/30/2009.

Because of its size and noisy disposition, the Cactus Wren (Above) was so visible and creating so much noise with its rattling song (almost like a gigantic cicada sounding insect) that I totally didn't even see the Black-throated Sparrow that was perched directly below it in the same bush (Below) until I was viewing my photos later in the day.

The very visible Cactus Wren on the top of the bush takes the focus away from the smaller Black-throated Sparrow perched just below it, McDowell Mts., Phoenix, AZ; 12/30/2009.

Verdin

2011-10-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Verdin, Phoenix, AZ;12/25/2009

On an early Christmas morning in Phoenix, a couple of years ago, I was walking back from the neighborhood golf course in Phoenix, a place where I go to check out lots of great water birds in the water hazards, I saw a flock of small birds scatter from the ground and hide into a small tree along the sidewalk. I wasn't sure what they were, so I waited patiently for a few minutes to see if they would eventually show themselves, which they did. One came out from the thick branches and landed on an open branch and stayed put long enough for me to get a couple of good pictures (Above). I still wasn't sure what it was, but knew it waasn't a usual bird that I would see back home in Rockford, IL.

Verdin, Phoenix, AZ;12/25/2009

After reviewing the images on my memory stick later in the day, I had to look up this little guy, which turned out to be a Verdin (Above). Verdins are fairly common in the southwest (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and into Mexico. They can be usually found in brushy habitats. They are a small (4 1/2" long) gray bird, lighter underneath with a yellow head and a small red wing patch. They are similar to chickadees and bushtits.

California Condor

2011-10-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Val's photo of a California Condor in the Vermillion Cliffs, near Page, AZ; 12/22/2009.

Two winters ago, Val and I decided to spend a few days in Northern Arizona and check out the Lake Powell area near Page, AZ. This was to be a trip all about the scenery and trying to get a few pictures of the beautiful high desert and the Lake. On our first morning there we were planning to make the 100+ mile drive out towards Monument Valley, when we were met with heavy fog (Below) and a fierce snow storm which forced us to turn back before we had gone even 30 miles. Being in Arizona, I figured the snow would be temporary and we could drive through it, but it didn't stop or even lighten up; it became heavier with each mile. I never thought snow would accumulate so quickly in Northern Arizona, even in December, but both the snow and fog were thick, and with our little rent-a-car, we knew it wouldn't handle the conditions and reluctantly turned around and headed back to Page.

A lonely windmill peaking through the thick fog, Page, AZ; 12/22/2009.

Snow on a Prickly Pear Cactus, Page, AZ; 12/22/2009.

By the time we returned to Page, the snow stopped, but it was still foggy, and we needed an alternate plan. We decided to go in the opposite direction and head for the Vermillion Cliffs to try to get some photos showing the contrast of the snow on deep red rocks (Below) and desert vegetation (Above).

Snow on a "headless Sphynx-looking" rock formation in the Vermillion Cliffs; 12/22/2009.

Red cliffs showing through the lifting fog near Horse Shoe Bend, AZ; 12/22/2009.

Even though we didn't get to see the beautiful Vermillion Cliffs glowing in the sun, the fog and snow made for some cool dramatic photos (Above). While we were exploring the Vermillion Cliffs area we came across the Navajo Bridge spanning across the Colorado River. It was constructed in 1929, and is now a pedestrian bridge with a newer auto bridge constructed alongside it in 1995. We stopped to walk across the bridge in hopes of getting some cool Colorado River pics, so I just brought my 18-55mm and wide angle lenses with me. When we reached the other end of the bridge I spotted a huge black bird sitting on the cliff side and knew it wasn't a vulture and far too large for a crow or raven. It turned out to be a Condor (Top and Below) and I immediately regretted not bringing my 200mm lens with me.

A California Condor with a number tag (#4) on it, Vermillion Cliffs, AZ; 12/22/2009.

I managed a couple of long distance shots, hoping one might be worth keeping. The best I managed was a soft photo (Above) that I had to zoom in on the computer just to be able to see what it was. Val had her Tamron 18-270mm lens and some nice photos of a Condor with a #17 tag on it (Top of page in which I cloned out the tag in Photoshop). We weren't sure what was up with the tags but upon returning to our hotel in Page and doing some research, it wasn't hard to figure out that the birds we saw were California Condors, which were reintroduced in Southern California and the Grand Canyon in 1992 after being on the brink of extinction with less than 100 left in the wild by 1970. California Condors are the largest flying bird in North America at almost 4 feet long and a wingspan of 9 feet. For more information check out the link to a National Geographic article below...

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/california-condor/

These magnificent birds are mostly black in their juvenile stage, which are the Condors we saw and as they mature, their heads become a brilliant orange and grow white underwing coverts. I would love to see an adult California Condor some day, but felt very fortunate to see a couple of them in the wild as a great treat to what I thought was just a sight seeing trip.

Snow melting off some desert vegetaion, Page, AZ; 12/22/2009.

White-headed Woodpecker & Black Bears on North Dome Trail, Yosemite Nat. Park

2011-10-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

Val's photo of a White-headed Woodpecker on the North Dome Trail, Yosemite National Park, CA; 6/21/2009.

Two years ago while hiking on the North Dome Trail in Yosemite National Park, I kept seeing an interesting woodpecker with a white head along the trail, but by the time I could get a focus on it, it was gone. After that hike, wherever we went hiking in the park, I kept an eye open hoping to get another chance to see this woodpecker. But didn't see another one for the week we spent in Yosemite. Since we were tent camping (with no electricity), we couldn't always have access to see our photos, so some evenings we went to a local lodge to plug in our laptops and check out our photos. A couple of days later while Val and I were looking at our pictures, I noticed she had a couple of photos of the White-headed Woodpecker (Above and Below).

Another of Val's photo of the White-headed Woodpecker.

White-headed Woodpeckers are not very common, but when they are observed, they are usually seen in mature coniferous woods. They are found mostly in the Northwest and California. They have a black body with a ... guess what ... a white head and a white patch on their wings. Val took a photos of the female, as the male looks the same except with a red crown.

Val on the North Dome Trail, Yosemite National Park, CA; 6/21/2009.

The North Dome Trail was a great trail with super scenery and vistas (Above). On our return back to the trail head there was a couple from Norway that was a good hundred yards ahead of us. About midway back I noticed that we were gaining on the couple, even though we ahdn't picked up our pace. I figured they stopped for a snack or to take photos and that slowed them up. Pretty soon I noticed that, not only were we gaining on them very quickly, but they were actually coming back towards us. When they reached us, they told us there was a mother bear and her cubs on the trail, and were afraid to walk past it. I suggested that we all walk past together. The general rule of thumb is that bears will not attack a party of three or more, and since there were four of us, that was pretty good odds. As we approached, the bear was feeding next to a fallen log (Below) not more than a few feet off the trail, and its two cubs had climbed up the sides of two separate tree trunks behind her, probably from orders of their mother for safety. As we walked past the bear, she didn't even give us a look - just kept feeding. I assume that as long as her babies were behind her, they were protected and she felt they were safe from us. It would have been a different story if we happened to get in between her and her cubs - that's when mother bears get aggressive - if they feel their cubs are in danger. As we walked past, I tried to get a few photos without actually stopping because I didn't want the mother to feel threatened.

A mother black bear on the North Dome Trail in Yosemite Nat. Park; 6/21/2009.

Even though the bear above is brown, it is still considered a black bear, not a grizzly (which are cosidered the brown bear). Many black bears, especially those in California are lighter and more on the brown side than black. It's cub however was more on the black side (Below) and would probably turn lighter as it matured.

One of her cubs clinging to the side of a tree trunk. I didn't get a photo of the the other club, as I felt it wasn't in our best interest to loiter around the area.

Nothing makes for a good hike than great scenery and the added plus of wildlife. The bear and her cubs weren't the only bears we encountered on this hike. I took another interesting photo of a bear (Below).

It looks kind of like a bear head, doesn't it? North Dome Trail, Yosemite Nat. Park; 6/21/2009.

Actually it wasn't a real bear. It was a tree that had a growth on it's trunk that seemed to be in the shape of a bear's face (Above). I love nature!

Acorn Woodpecker

2011-09-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

An Acorn Woodpecker, Yosemite, National Park, CA; 6/17/2009.

One of our best trips within the past few years took us out to the iconic Yosemite National Park. Within minutes of getting out of the car on our first day in Yosemite Valley, a woodpecker (Above) landed in a dead tree just yards from where we were admiring Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. I had no idea what kind of woodpecker it was. Later, after returning to our campground, I pulled out a copy of my National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, I figured out that it was an Acorn Woodpecker.

The same female Acorn Woodpecker in Yosemite Valley.

As one can see by the numerous tell-tale holes bored into this dead tree (Above), it must have been a favorite spot for this Acorn Woodpecker. These woodpeckers are found along the Pacicic Coast States of Oregon and California, as well as in Arizona, New Mexico, the extreme Southwest corner of Texas and into Mexico. They are year round residents in these states as they do not migrate. Both males and females have a glossy bluish/black body with a white belly, black breast, yellow/white throat, a white wing patch and rump, and the wide bold white eye ring. Both have red crowns, however, the male's stretch all the way to the its white forehead, while the female's red crown doesn't connect with the white forehead but is separated by a black forecrown.

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, the view we were looking at, when the Acorn Woodpecker entered my life; Yosemite Nat. Park, CA; 6/17/2009.

Cliff Swallows and more from Spring Green, WI

2011-09-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Barn and farmland from Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's home property in Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

Val and I visit Spring Green every summer to see plays from the wonderful outdoor theatre, American Players Theatre ( http://americanplayers.org/ ). This summer we decided to make a long weekend of our visit when we saw three plays in three consecutive evenings. During the day, we visited many attractions in the area: Tower Hill State Park, House on the Rock, Taliesin ( http://www.taliesinpreservation.org/visitors-guide home of and Architect School founded by Frank Lloyd Wright ), and try to get some birding in to boot. It is a beautiful part of Wisconsin, complete with rolling hills, farmland, stone cliffs, woodland, parks, and quaint towns.

A BIF of a Cliff Swallow, Wisconsin River near Helena Marsh, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

Between birding in Tower Hill State park, Helena marsh, and the grounds of Taliesin and the Spring Valley Hotel (which is a great little hotel in a beautiful rural setting not far from the American Players Theatre), I managed a few decent photos. Among the birds I was able to identify were Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, House Sparrows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Mourning Doves, House Wren, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Cliff Swallows (Above), Barn Swallows, Baltimore Orioles, Gray Catbirds, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood Peewee, American Robins, Crows, Goldfinches, Chickadees, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, White-breasted Nuthatches, and a Great Blue Heron.

A juvenile Cliff Swallow, Helena Marsh, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

Another Cliff Swallow, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

A Northern Leopard Frog, Helena Marsh, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

Beautiful summer colors in Helena Marsh, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

I am not sure what the sign submerged in the water said , but what is visible is " ... --- Carefully In --- Zones..." Wouldn't it be ironic if it said "Drive carefully In Flood Zones." Helena Marsh, WI; 7/1/2011.

As I was searching out birds Helena Marsh near the Wisconsin River shoreline, I noticed a sign lying in some shallow water off the side of the gravel road we were on. I couldn't quite make out what the sign said, but it seemed like a possible interesting story. I looked further for a submerged automobile, but couldn't find one - maybe it was underneath the sign.

A young Mourning Dove on the trail in Tower Hill State Park, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

While hiking in Tower Hill State Park, near Spring Green, we saw a flightless bird (Above) trying to escape to safety when we almost stepped on it on the trail. I wasn't sure immediately what it was, but after some research, concluded it was a young Mourning Dove that either fell out of its nest or made its initial flight out of the nest but wasn't strong enough to go any further. There was a 100 foot cliff next to the trail that was the most likely origin of its nest I hope it learns to fly quickly otherwise it will surely become a meal for a local fox or badger.

More wildlife from Helena Marsh, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

A Chipping Sparrow, on the grounds of Spring Valley Hotel, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

A Song Sparrow on the Taliesin grounds, Spring Green, WI; 7/1/2011.

Purple Martins

2011-09-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

A colony of Purple Martins at Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 8/3/2011.

The only time I have seen Purple Martins was in and near man-made bird houses, so in early August, I was pleasantly surprised to observe a moderate sized colony of these martins in the more natural state of Rock Cut State Park. They were swooping down over Pierce Lake gleening insects off the water surface and roosting in a couple of nearby trees (Above). This is also the first time I have seen Purple Martins in Illinois. During the summer months, they are found throughout the Eastern half of the U.S. and in spotty regions out West as well as in Canada. In winter they will migrtae as far south as the middle of South America. In the East they most exclusively nest in man-made Martin Houses; however, in the West they are more likely be found in natural cavities such as holes in trees and in the sides of cliffs.

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rockford, Illinois

2011-09-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

A Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rockford, IL; 8/29/2011.

As I was busy searching out and taking photographs of the Mississippi Kites (yestreday's post) who have called Rockford home for the past four or five years, I saw another rather good-sized bird land in a low branch of a nearby tree. Initially I assumed it was another Mississippi Kite, so I zoomed in on it and saw that it wasn't one of the Kites. It was darker and a bit smaller, about the size of a dove or pigeon. It stayed on its perch for quite some time to allow me to get some photos, but unfortunately it stayed in the dark shadows of the tree (Above). It was too small to be a Red-tailed Hawk, which is the most common raptor in our area. It had the look of a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, but also seemd too small for that.

The same Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rockford, IL; 8/29/2011.

After researching and looking at photos, I concluded it must be a Sharp-shinned Hawk, which is a smaller version of the Cooper's Hawk. Fantastic, I never identified a Sharp-shinned before, so It became #328 on my Life List.
Also I noticed several swallow-shaped birds flying back and forth high in the sky above the the trees. They behave like a swallow, but were too large to be a swallow and had white bars on the undersides of their wings, which no swallow that I knew would have. My initial thought was a Nighthawk. Upon returning home and looking at my photos, which were distant, blurry, grainy, and unworthy of a blog pic, but had just enough definition in them for me to confirm my initial guess of a Common Nighthawk, which became #329 on my Life List. It was a good day - three great birds.

Another local neighborhood resident lounging on its deck, Rockford, IL; 8/29/2011.

Sunset of the Day

A jet trail adds to a great sunset, Rockford, IL; 4/24/2006

Mississippi Kites in Northern Illinois

2011-09-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Mississippi Kite, hanging in Rockford, IL; 8/29/2011.

Last fall (2010) a good birder friend and former teacher colleague of mine, John Longhenry, who takes awesome bird pics, told me about a pair of Mississippi Kites hanging around the Bloom Elementary School neighborhood. I thought it was unusual for a southern raptor to be in Northern Illinois, and wondered where it was migrating from ... certainly not from north of here. Well, at the time I didn't find the time to go out to get a look at them. Then earlier this past summer I finally did see my first Mississippi Kite on my sister's property in Texas ( http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/08/mississippi-kite-texas-birds.html ). Then just a couple of weeks ago I heard that the Mississippi Kites were back in Rockford in the same neighborhood as last year, and this time I made the effort to drive out to find them.

A juvenile Mississippi Kite ruffling its feathers, Rockford, IL; 8/29/2011.

When I pulled up to the Bloom School parking lot to begin my search, another former teacher friend of mine, who happened to live in the neighborhood was walking his dog and spotted me. I told him why I was there (I supposed a weird middle-aged man with a big camera might look suspiscious at an elementary school), and he told me that people with cameras are always camped out taking pictures of these southern raptors, since they started arriving and nesting here 4-5 years ago. That answered my question about where on earth they might be migrating from. It also seems to point out how global warming has changed many birds' migration and nesting habits. Mississippi Kites are traditionally a southern bird, found in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and along the Southern Atlantic Seaboard States as well as along the Southern Mississippi River in Tennessee, Kentucky and Southern Illinois (hence its name). So their nesting in Northern Illinois for the past half decade is clear indication about the change in climate and temperature and how it affects wildlife.

My friend told me that this summer the M. Kites raised two young and also what tree they like to perch in. After he continued his dog-walking chore, I started to scout out the place, and within minutes I caught sight of a large bird with a high-pitched whistle fly low over the school's playground and alight in the exact tree. This was indeed a Mississippi Kite - in fact a juvenile (Above). It was fairly high up in the tree and was only able to get a few underneath shots. It flew off and a few minutes later I spotted two adult M. Kites hovering in the sky. One of them landed in the same tree (Top and Below) that the juvenile vacated, while the other flew out of sight.

"Only the Shadow knows" pose by a Mississippi Kite, Rockford, IL; 8/29/2011.

Mississippi Kites are a small to medium sized raptor, only growing to be about 14" in length. They have a very unique appearance as they are light grayish on the head and wing tips, with darker wings and belly, and a black tail. Their pale gray head is offset by a dark eye mask and red eyes which help with the mysterious "Shadow" appearance (Above) as I caught it posing like the old 1930's radio and comic book hero, The Shadow, ( http://at-the-bijou.blogspot.com/2011/02/fabfebfilmfest-shadow-knows-talent.html ). Juveniles are less clean in their look as they have coarse dark reddish streaks on their breast, belly, back and neck (two photos Above).

Another look at an adult Mississippi Kite ready to take off from its perch, Rockford, IL; 8/29/2011.

I am glad I took the time to find these magnificent birds, not only because they are rare in Northern Illinois and it allowed me to get better pics of them than the one I photographed in Texas, but it also opportuned me to see two new birds that happened to be in the area: The Common Nighthawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk (which became #'s 328 & 329 on my Life List), which will be the subject of my next post.

Sunset of the Day

Migrating birds resting in a tree at dusk near our home, Rockford, IL; 4/1/2011.

Whooping Cranes in the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin

2011-09-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Val's photo of a pair of endangered Whooping Cranes find a home in the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 8/13/2011.

On our way home from our trip to Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota, we stopped at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Central Wisconsin, to see if we could find any interesting birds in mid August. In our two hour exploration of the 44,000 acreage, I identified 26 different species, but the best of the bunch was our first look at Whooping Cranes in the wild (Above - Val's photo of two Whooping Cranes making a landing in the distance). Last summer we saw Whooping Cranes at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI, but these were in captivity (below), albeit in a very nice habitat. But seeing them in the wild a month ago was a treat, especially since they are an endangered species. They became #327 on my Life Bird List and my 52nd new bird added to the list this year - 2011.

A Whooping Crane at the International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, WI; 7/31/2010.

Another Whooping Crane at the International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, WI; 7/31/2010.

The best photo I could manage of a wild Whooping Crane, Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

While I was searching out other birds, I heard some Sandhill Cranes cackling in the distance. Their sounds were soon joined by some other bugling that I knew weren't Sandhills and was hoping were Whooping Cranes, which are sometimes sighted at this Refuge. I was probably over 100 yards away when I heard the Whoops of the Whooping Cranes and I saw a pair of them flying low over the grassland prairie I tried to follow them with my camera and snapped a few photos before they landed out of sight. Coupled with a cloudy day and far distance, and me not having the capability of auto focus (which I prefer to do with BIF shots), the photo quality was not very good (Above was probably my least worst of the bunch). When my 1.4x extender is on my 500mm Sigma Lens (5-6.3), my auto focus becomes disabled, which, of course is a huge disadvantage when trying to get pics of birds in flight (BIF). I am not quick enough to manually adjust my focus on a moving target, especially when my subject is over a hundred yards away.

Val's photo showing a boardwalk trail in one of the marshes of the Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (Above) is a fantastic place to do birding. It has a great variety of habitat: woodland, marshes and bogs, meadows and prairie, open water, and boasts that it is not only a nesting ground for Whooping Cranes but home for other rare species such as the Blanding Turtle and the Gray Wolf. For more info about Necedah NWR, here is a link: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/necedah/

Brown Thrasher, Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

Identified Birds from Necedah NWR on 8/13/2011: Great Blue Heron, Sora rail (heard several), White Pelicans (two squadrons adding up to 4 dozen), Sandhill Cranes (at least 4), Whooping Cranes (2), Mallards, Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gulls, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, American Robins, Blue Jays, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood Peewee, American Goldfinch, Cedar Waxwings, Brown Thrasher (Above & Below), Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, Mourning Dove, Song Sparrows, Savanah Sparrows, Tufted Titmouse, Gray Catbirds, American Crows, and a Red-winged Blackbird (juvenile female). Also we saw a mother White-tailed Deer with twin fawns. Below are more photos:

Brown Thrasher, Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

A juvenile female Red-winged Blackbird, Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

A squadron of White Pelicans, Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

Val's photo of White Pelicans coming in for a landing, Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

Twin White-tailed Fawns, Necedah NWR, WI; 8/13/2011.

Sunset of the Day

Although it's not technically a sunset, this dramatic sky was taken from my brother's front porch, after a tornado threat swept through Poynette Wisconsin; 6/6/2006.

Sandhill Cranes, Black River State Forest, WI

2011-09-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I am busy with school again, I will limit my posts to one or two on weekends, instead of my daily summer posts. Thank you to all who follow my blog.

Sandhill Cranes, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 5/29/2011.

On our way to Rockford, IL, from the Boundary Waters, MN, we split up the 9+ hour drive with a stop in Black River Falls, WI. Approaching the exit to Black River Falls, I saw a Bald Eagle getting harassed by a flock of what I thought were Eastern Kingbirds and I immediately saw that as a good sign for birding in the area. Indded, There was a fantastic 67,000 acre State Forest only minutes away from town. It was already fairly late afternoon on a cloudy day, so I knew bird photography would not be at its premium, but I decided to take the 15 minute drive to check it out. Black River State Forest ( http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/trail/sites/blackriver.htm ) turned out to be quite nice - a good number of hiking trails, forest, grassland and lots of flowages, so the varied habitat made for good birding. Within minutes of hiking down a grassy trail leading to a flowage, I came across three Sandhill Cranes, which took off as soon as I crested a hill and they startled me as much as I startled them. They flew right over my head bugling their rattling cackle. I didn't even have time to raise my camera. Upon further exploration of different areas of the State Forest, I ran into no less than two more pairs of Sandhills. In less than an hour, I counted seven Sandhills and heard several others that I couldn't see. Because of bad light, my photos of these creatures were not very good, but (Above and Below) are photos of a couple of Sandhills that were on a trail I was hiking at the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge (not far from the Black River State Forest) in late May of this year. This pair of Sandhills were very close and didn't scare off very easily. I took a few photos and left them alone, suspecting they might have had a nest nearby.

A Sandhill Crane patiently but warily waiting for me to vacate the area of a probable nest, HMNWR, WI; 5/29/2011.

A Field Sparrow, Black River State Forest, WI; 8/12/2011.

Other birds that I heard or spotted in the Black River State Forest were Song Sparrows, Field Sparrows (Above), Barn and Tree Swallows, a Downy Woodpecker, Canada Geese, Mallards, Wood Ducks, a Tufted Titmouse, an Eastern Towhee, Blue Jays, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, American Crows, and American Robins. This area also boasts as one of its signature residents, the Timber Wolf. I think I will definitely take a trip up here in the future in better birding circumstances. But a word of warning for anyone hiking here or anywhere else for that matter, watch out for ticks. After my first 100 yards hiking the grassy trail where I saw the first sandhills, I pulled no less than a dozen ticks off of my legs. That is by far the most ticks I have ever had on me at one time.

Birds at Blue Fish Bay, Minnesota

2011-09-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Morning clouds over Lk. Superior, Blue Fish Bay, MN; 8/12/2011

On our way back south from the Boundary Waters, we made few stops that looked promising for some early morning Lake photos. One of the stops was Blue Fish Bay (Above), where the sun was rising over a cloudy Lake Superior horizon. While taking in the view, I noticed a sparrow rummaging around the grass near the beach. Everything pointed to it as being a Vesper Sparrow (below); the only trait I wasn't sure about was its bill seemd too dark.

Vesper Sparrow, Blue Fish Bay, MN; 8/12/2011.

Mist over the coast of lake Superior, MN; 8/12/2011.

A bit later we found an overlook (Above) which gave us a great view of the mist rising over the Lake Superior coast. There was a nice little hike through a forest to get to the overlook, which was teeming with White-throated Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows (Below), Cedar Waxwings and a Downy Woodpecker.

Swamp Sparrow; 8/12/2011

A Cedar Waxwing and its young; 8/12/2011.

I am not sure what she was saying to her young one, but it sure took off quickly; 8/12/2011.

Sunset of the Day

Sunset at Miner's castle, Lake Superior, Upper Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; 5/25/2007.

Lincoln Sparrows at Lutsen Ski Resort, MN

2011-09-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of Lincoln Sparrows were hanging around the wet grassy slopes of the Lutsen Ski Resort, Mn; 8/10/2011.

In early August, we spent three days at the Lutsen Ski Resort. We used it as our base to go on day trips in the area. One late afternoon, after spending the day hiking in the Boundary Waters and then exploring the Grand Marais Marina, I explored the ski slopes at Lutsen. There was some bird activity, mostly sparrows, especially Lincoln Sparrows (Above) who were hanging around the wet grassy slopes. There also seemed to be a fair number of White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and Chipping Sparrows. I was hoping to see my first Clay-colored Sparrow, but none that I could identify. Other birds that graced the grounds of the ski slopes were American Crows, Blue Jays, Downey Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and Cowbirds.

A creek in the Lutsen Ski Resort grounds, MN; 8/10/2011.

I hiked down a steep slope and bushwhacked through some thick brush in a heavily forested valley and came upon a very pretty stream (Above) cutting through the trees - but no birds. By the time I hiked back up the hill to the resort, the moon was up and I decided to try to use my new 1.4 extender with my 500mm Sigma lens to see if I could get a good shot of the almost full moon. I couldn't remember the correct settings to get a crisp moonshot that detailed its terrain, so I experimented until I came up with the capture (Below).

Moonrise of the Day

An almost full-moon rising above the Lutsen Ski slopes in Minnesota; 8/10/2011.

A couple of days later, Val used my same extender and lens to shoot a full moon, which she posted on her photo blog. Link below...

http://vals366.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20letter%20M

Herring Gulls in Grand Marais, MN

2011-08-31T04:00:00.001-07:00

The red of the rocky shoreline with the blue of Lake Superior makes for some colorful land/seascapes , Grand Marais Harbor, MN, 8/10/2011.

Herring Gull, Grand Marais Harbor, MN, 8/10/2011.

A juvenile Herring Gull, Grand Marais Harbor, MN, 8/10/2011.

After we returned from our hike up Eagle Mt, the highest point in Minnesota, which is in the Boundary Waters National Canoe Wilderness, I decided to check out the marina in Grand Marais hoping to see some shore birds. Again, maybe it's too early in the year yet, but there wasn't much for migratory birds. I did see lots of Herring Gulls (Above) a few Mallards, and a pair of Common Mergansers (Below) in the water.

Either a female or juvenile male Common Merganser, Grand Marais Harbor, MN, 8/10/2011.

A Song Sparrow found a home in a small spit of forested land off the coast of lake Superior in Grand Marais Harbor, MN, 8/10/2011.

In a treeline on the shore, there were Common Crows and Song Sparrows (Above), but not much else.

Some artistic cairns dotted a section of the shoreline in Grand Marais Harbor, MN, 8/10/2011.

Another pic of the red/blue contrast of the rocky shoreline, Grand Marais Harbor, MN, 8/10/2011.

Sunset of the Day

Another Lake Superior sunset from the Pictured Rocks National Shoreline, Upper Michigan; 5/25/2007.

Boreal or Black-Capped Chickadees? Temperence River State Park, Minnesota

2011-08-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Temperence River in its namesake State Park, MN; 8/11/2011.

We hiked one of the most beautiful river hikes that I have ever taken. The trail followed the Temperence River for most of the 7 mile round trip hike. One could almost follow the trail "on" the river by boulder hopping. It was full of gorgeous cascading falls and swimming holes. As a matter of fact, I am glad we left on this hike early in the morning to get good pictures of the river, because in the late morning / early afternoon upon our return, the river was full of people swimming in the river - it must be local hot spot for swimming.

As you can see, one could almost boulder hop the entire river, Temperence River State Park, MN, 8/11/2011.

The Temperence River winding its way through the State Park, MN; 8/11/2011.

Again, like our Eagle Mt. hike, this was not a good birding hike. Again I dipped on finding a Black-backed Woodpecker and warblers were not out and about. Although I definitely saw and heard Boreal Chickadees, the photos (Below) I took were inconclusive whether I photographed a Boreal or a Black-cap. They were juveniles and hard to tell apart.

Is this a juvenile Boreal or Black-capped Chickadee?, Temp Riv SP, MN, 8/11/2011.

Boreal or Black Cap?

Hairy Woodpecker, Temp Riv SP, MN, 8/11/2011.

Other than chickadees, I also identified another Hairy Woodpecker (Above - my second of the summer), American Crows, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, and another Yellow-rumped Myrtle. Below are more photogenic pics of the Temperence River.

I love the vanishing point in this pic, Temperence River State Park, MN; 8/11/2011.

One of the many waterfalls and cascades on the Temperence River, MN; 8/11/2011.

Blue sky and green foliage add to the colors of the red rocks in the reflections of the Temperence River, MN; 8/11/2011.

Sunset of the Day

A Lake Superior sunset goes well with a beach campfire in the Porcupine Mts. Wilderness, Upper Michigan; 5/24/2008.

Birds on Eagle Mt, Boundary Waters, MN

2011-08-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

View of the Boundary Waters from the top of Eagle Mt, highest point in Minnesota. Taken with a wide angle lens, Boundary Waters, MN; 8/10/2011.

Val and I hiked the 7 mile round trip trail up Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota. It was an easy hike, and took less than two hours to get to the top. I was hoping to catch sight of some birds that I would not find in Illinois during the month of August. In particular, I was hoping to find a Boreal Chickadee, a Black-backed Woodpecker or any of a various number of wood warblers.

Whale Lake, one of the many lakes found in the Boundary Waters, MN; 8/10/2011.

As it turned out, it wasn't a particularly good bird hike. I definitely heard Boreal Chickadees, but they were mixed in with some Black-Caps, and I couldn't tell the difference between them in the brief glimpses I had of them - no luck on the Black-backed Woodpecker either. But here is the list of birds that I did identify: American Robins (Photo Below), Blue Jays, Yellow-rumped Myrtles (Photo Below), Chickadees, White-throated Sparrows, American Redstarts (Photo Below), American Crows, Downy Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwings, Vesper Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and White-breasted Nuthatches.

Female American Redstart, Eagle Mt., MN; 8/10/2011.

Juvenile White-throated Sparrow, Eagle Mt., MN; 8/10/2011.

Juvenile American Robin, Eagle Mt., MN; 8/10/2011.

Yellow-rumped Myrtle, Eagle Mt., MN; 8/10/2011.

An interesting little peninsula in the Boundary Waters from Eagle Mt., MN; 8/10/2011.

Sunset of the Day

Another Lake Superior sunset, Porcupine Mts., Upper Michigan; 5/24/2008.

Yellow-bellied & Olive-sided Flycatchers: Birding on the Lake Superior Coast, MN

2011-08-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011.

Continuing our trip up the beautiful coast of Lake Superior in Minnesota, we stopped in the small town of Two Harbors to check out a Light House (Below bottom), and to my delight there was a fantastic trail running along the bluffs overlooking the Lake Superior, and had many birds calling this area their home. I was mostly searching for shore birds and warblers, which are species sorely lacking on my Life List. The only warbler I could find was a juvenile Yellow-rumped Myrtle, and the only shore birds I saw were Herring Gulls, both of which I have seen plenty of in my birding life. However, I did manage to add two new birds to my Life List: the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Above) and the Olive-sided Flycatcher (Below top), #'s 322 and 323 on my Life List.

Olive-sided Flycatcher,Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011

The Light House in Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011

We travelled further north up the coast and stopped to check out several more scenic areas, such as Gooseberry Falls State Park, Silver Bay Marina, and Split Rock Light House State Park (Photos Below), neither of them added to my bird photography but they added some nice images to my natural scenery photography files.

A man-made breakwater leading out to an island, Silver Bay, MN; 8/9/2011.

Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN; 8/9/2011.

Lake Superior in the background, Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN; 8/9/2011.

Split Rock Light House, MN; 8/9/2011.

Bird List from the Northern Coast of Lake Superior in Minnesota: American Crows, Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Cnada Geese, Mallard Ducks, Turkey Vulture, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, American Robin, Black-capped Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings (below), Song Sparrows, Savanah Sparrows, Lincoln Sparrows, American Goldfinches, House Finches, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

Ceadar Waxwing, Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011.

Another look at the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher looking at me; Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011.

Sunset of the Day

What better sunset to show than a Lake Superior sunset from the Porcupine Mountains Rec. Area in Upper Michigan; 5/25/2008.

Hiking and Birding in the Boundary Waters, Minnesota

2011-08-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Lake Superior as seen from the top of Gooseberry Falls, Minnesota; 8/9/2011.

I took a short trip up to Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters area in Northern Minnesota for a short break before the school year commences. I love Lake Superior - it is my favorite Great Lake, and it is always cool to explore the region. So we booked three days at the Lutsen Ski Resort and used that as our headquarters to start our explorations. As a secondary plus, I thought that I might get lucky and add to my Life List of birds in three categories: Shore birds, Raptors, and Warblers.

Upper Gooseberry Falls, Minnesota; 8/9/2011.

Instead of making the 9+ hour drive in one shot, we spent the night in Rice Lake, WI, to break up the drive. In the few hours we were in Rice Lake, we went out to one of the nearby parks to check out a hiking trail along a lake: We were there for only minutes and we already heard a Common Loon yodelling in the distance. I spotted him on the far side of the lake (too far for a good picture in the evening light). Other water fowl were the typical Canada Geese and Mallards and lots of Tree Swallows skimming the water surface for their meals of hundreds of insects. Other notable birds were Crows, Cedar Waxwings and a Flycatcer that I couldn't quite identify, but I suspect was an Eastern Phoebe.

A Remote-Controlled airplane doing its tricks, Rice lake, WI; 8/8/2011.

But it was another flying object that took center stage from the birds. While we were hiking along this lake, I heard a buzzing in the distance that would vasilate between being close then far away. Out of the corner of my I caught a glimpse of a good-sized flying object. I finally put two and two together and realized that someone was flying a remote-controlled airplane (Above) over our heads. The owner was doing some tricks with his plane - dives, loops, etc. After a few minute of watching the plane swoop, dip and roll, I turned my attention to the potentially dramatic developing sunset. After taking a few pics of the sunset (Bottom of the page), I heard the RC-plane buzz over my head, move off into the distance, then a "crunch" and the buzzing stopped. I turned and saw the poor RC-plane crashed into a row of trees (Below) and the owner swearing up a storm running across the field toward the accident site.

The remote-controlled airplane no longer airborn. The owner was very sad as he climbed the tree to claim his property.

Below are some of the birds that I captured with digital film on our various stops as we travelled through Northern Wisconsin, and the Superior Coast in Minnesota on our way to the Lutsen Ski Resort:

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Superior, WI; 8/8/2011.

A juvenile Ring-billed Gull, Duluth, MN; 8/9/2011.

Ring-billed Gull, Duluth, MN; 8/9/2011.

Lincoln Sparrow, Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011.

Savannah Sparrow, Sparrow, Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011.

Song Sparrow, Sparrow, Two Harbors, MN; 8/9/2011.

Sunset of the Day

Sunset in Rice Lake, Wisconsin (used a wide angle lens); 8/8/2011.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, again - Texas Birds

2011-08-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird looking for the perfect spot to land, Texas; 6/22/2011.

Today I am featuring a series of photos taken in burst mode of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird circling a feeder on my sister's property in Texas, then making a landing.

He spots its desired perch...

...and makes his approach....

... hones in on his spot...

...and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird has landed, Texas; 6/22/2011.

Sunset of the Day

Part 2 of yesterday's sunset from the car window, Michigan; 8/7/2008

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Texas Birds

2011-08-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Texas; 6/22/2011.

Hummingbirds are always fun to watch as they buzz around flower gardens and Hummingbird feeders. My sister in Texas, had a hummingbird feeder which she filled with sweetened beet juice. It sure worked. Not long after she filled it and hung it up, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Above & Below) found it and spent much of the hot afternoon drinking the beet juice. Ruby-throats are the only Hummingbird we have in Illinois, and in Texas it is one of two (along with the Black-chinned) that are common in Texas.

A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding on beet juice, Texas; 6/22/2011.

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Superior, WI; 8/9/2011.

Female Ruby-throats (Above), actually don't possess the brilliant red throat A couple of weeks ago while travelling up to the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota, we stopped at a lakeside park off of Lake Superior in Superior, WI, there was a bouquet of Ruby-throats hovering around a flower garden in this park.

Sunset of the day

Sunset photo taken from out of the car window in Michigan; 8/7/2008.

Eastern Bluebirds - Texas Birds

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Eastern Bluebird, Texas; 6/22/2011.

Bluebirds are always fun to spot and watch. A pair of Eastern Bluebirds (Above) made their home in a birdhouse on my sister's property in Texas. Every mourning, you could see them flying back and forth between the bird house and the garden.

Eastern Bluebird, Rock Cut State park, IL; 4/9/2011.

Earlier in the spring, I caught a good pic of an Eastern Bluebird (Above) in Rock Cut State Park, near where I live in Northern Illinois.

Sunset of the Day

Illinois sunset on Pierce Lake in Rock Cut State Park; 6/14/2007.