Horned Lark

A Horned Lark in the light of a setting sun, near Cherry Valley, IL; 2/25/2012.

Horned Larks (Above) are common year round residents of Northern Illinois; but it seems that they are more easily located in the winter months. They like to forage for food out in vast sparsely vegetated areas such as plowed fields and on the edges of airport runways. Because of this, they are often not visible as they are far out from our immediate viewing pleasure. However in winter months when their feeding grounds are under a blanket of snow, they look for food along road edges that have been plowed free of snow.  This makes them more visible. That's where I saw a flock a year ago, while driving the rural farm roads outside of Cherry Valley, IL (Below).

With their usual feeding grounds covered under snow, Horned Larks, forage for their dinner at the side of a road that is snow-free, Cherry Valley, IL; 2/25/2012.

Horned Larks can be found throughout the country from coast to coast from Mexico to Canada.

The same Horned Lark near Cherry Valley, IL; 2/25/2012.

The Horned Lark (Above) was in the middle of the road as I drove by, hopped to the side of the road and stayed in clear view as I slowly inched my way past him and allowed me to snap a few pics.

Bald Eagles in Northern Illinois

This adult Bald Eagle soared past me while I was on Beehive Lookout, Starved Rock State Park, IL; 2/19/2012.

Bald Eagles have been making a comeback in the Northern Illinois area for over a decade now. The best place to look for them is in Starved Rock State Park near Utica, Illinois. They arrive there to fish along the Illinois River for the Winter. For the past three winters I have made the hour plus drive south from Rockford to get a glimpse of these majestic raptors.  Usually I have to be content to see them perched in distant trees or soaring high above me. A year ago while I climbed up Beehive  Lookout, an adult flew right past me. I only had 4-5 seconds to lift my camera find it in my viewfinder and snap one burst series before it was already hidden by trees. Out of the few pics that resulted from the burst, I managed two that I thought were pretty good (Above and Below).

The same Bald Eagle, Beehive Lookout, Starved Rock State Park, IL; 2/19/2012.

I couldn't have been luckier - in the right spot at the right time.

Other than Starved Rock State Park, Bald Eagles can be found in moderate to large numbers during Winter months along the Mississippi River, especially near Lock & Dams where water is not frozen over. In the Spring most of these Eagles will return north to their Summer hunting and breeding grounds in Canada and along both oceanic coasts. However, it has been less rare to find Bald Eagles sticking around our area year round. We've had at least two Bald Eagle nests along the Kishwaukee River last summer. Several times over the past year I have spotted Bald Eagles while hiking along the Kishwaukee and in Rock Cut State Park near Rockford.

Red Admirals and Green Frogs

BRUSHFOOTS AND AMPHIBIANS

A Red Admiral Butterfly, Schoenbrun Nature Conservatory, Door County, WI; 6/20/2012.

This Summer I started making a point to do more Butterfly photography, which in the past was haphazard at best. As I became a little more versed in my butterfly identification I found that the Red Admiral (Above) was one of the more common members of the Brushfoot family to find in the Midwest.

Red Admiral, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/1/2012.

One of the best places for "butterfly hunting" seemed to be in two of my favorite Forest Preserves , Deer Run and Blackhawk Springs, both having excellent wildflower prairies and dark forests - both good habitats for finding butterflies. I found Red Admirals mostly in forests and forest edges many times near streams or ponds, but also had good luck finding them along roadsides with wildflowers.

A Red Admiral and Bullfrog, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/1/2012.

While hunting dragonflies at Deer Run Forest Preserve, the erratic flight of a Red Admiral caught my eye. I followed its flight pattern as it landed on a log across a murky pond. I zoomed in for a few pictures. I decided to pan back to capture it in its environment. As I was checking my LED screen to check on my settings, only then did I notice that there was a Green Frog (at least I think it's a Green Frog, not a Bullfrog) less than a foot from the Red Admiral (Above). This Green Frog totally escaped my detection until I saw it in my images.

A closer look at the Red Admiral in the sightlines of a hopeful Green Frog, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/1/2012.

After discovering its presence, I put more of my attention on the Green Frog which was definitely focused upon the Red Admiral. I am sure the Green Frog was thinking about a convenient midday meal. I tried to focus on the two to see if I could capture a strike ...

This Green Frog blended in perfectly with the log it was sitting on, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/1/2012.

I was wondering if the Red Admiral was even aware that the Frog was there as it perfectly blended in with its surroundings, and how close it might be to ceasing to exist.  I wasn't sure how close prey had to be in order for a frog to make a successful strike. I waited for a couple of long minutes and neither amphibian nor butterfly made a move. I was guessing that Mr. Green wasn't close enough to throw its sticky tongue at the butterfly and was also waiting for Mr. Red to make a fatal move closer within striking range. Unfortunately my arms were getting heavy from holding up my Canon Rebel D7 with Sigma 150-500mm lens attached. As I lowered my equipment, the Red Admiral flew off. Both I and the Green Frog missed our opportunity.

Another Green Frog, which was eyeing damselflies, Rock Cut State Park; 7/17/2012.



Another Red Admiral, Dee Run Forest Preserve, Cheery Valley, IL; 4/22/2012.

A good look at a Red Admiral's colorful wing pattern (Above), which is pretty much unmistakable, as no other Midwestern butterfly has these fiery red-orange bands and white spots on an otherwise all black wing span.

North. IL Summer Warblers: Black-throated Green Warblers

A Black-throated Green Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, IL, 5/20/2012.

Another summer warbler that resides in the Rockford area of Northern Illinois, is the Black-throated Green Warbler (Above), which I was fortunate to find at Rock Cut State Park last May. At first I didn't recognize its song because I never heard one before in the wild. The only other time before this when I saw one of these warblers was in Mexico two winters ago (Below), but it wasn't vocalizing.


A black-throated Green Warbler, Puerto Morelos, Mexico; 12/24/2010.

Then this past June while I spent a couple of days in Door County, Wisconsin, I heard Black-throated warblers all over the place, but they stayed hidden deep in the trees and I couldn't get one to find itself in my camera's  viewfinder.

Northern Illinois Summer Warblers: Yellow Warbler

OLD YELLER

Yellow Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/5/2012.

The ubiquitous Yellow Warbler (Above) is perhaps the most common and widespread of all warblers, as its summer range spreads across most of the North American continent. These bright yellow birds usually show up in the Northern Illinois area in the first week of May.

A different Yellow Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/5/2012.

From May 1 - 4, while I was out and about in my favorite birding and hiking haunts, there was nary a sign of these warblers, then suddenly on May 5, they were all over the place. They descended overnight. In early April, I saw many Yellow Warblers in the southeastern corner of Arizona. So it took these guys about a month to reach our end of the state.

Yet another Yellow Warbler, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/5/2012.

It seemed that every 20 yards or so I saw a new 'Old Yeller." Probably during a couple hour hike at Rock Cut State Park, I saw and/or heard 50 of these guys (an unofficial count).

Northern Illinois Summer Warblers: Common Yellowthroat

A male Common yellowthroat showing itself briefly in Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL: 7/1/2012.

Of the 46 Wood-Warblers listed in The Sibley Field Guide to Birds in Eastern North America,  less than half of these will call northern Illinois their summer home. The 19 listed in Sibley's are:

Summer Warblers in N. IL: Common Yellowthroat* (Above), Yellow-breasted Chat*, American Redstart*, Louisiana Waterthrush*, Ovenbird*, Northern Parula*, and those with "warbler" ending its names: Blue-winged, Yellow*, Chestnut-sided, Cerulean*, Pine*, Prairie, Yellow-throated*, Black & White*, Prothonotary*, Kentucky, Worm-eating*, Mourning, and Hooded*. Obviously birds do not read the field guides to tell them where they should be in certain times of the year, so boundaries and territories are flexible. Warblers that I have seen in the summer in the Rockford area which are not listed in Sibley's as summer residents are: Tennessee, Nashville, and Black-throated Green.  Of this list, I have seen 14 of them (marked above with an *), however, not all of them marked with the * have I seen in the Northern Illinois area. It just means I have seen them in other states (i.e. the Worm-eating and Hooded Warblers I saw in the Smoky Mt. Nat Park, but have yet to see them in Illinois). The 5 Warblers that have avoided my camera's viewfinder are the Blue-winged, Chestnut-sided, Prairie, Kentucky, and Mourning Warblers.

A female Common Yellowthroat, Deer Run FP; 7/1/2012.

One of the more common and visible warblers in our area is the Common Yellowthroat (Above). They are actually very common throughout the U.S. and Canada, in weedy, brushy and marshy habitats. Their sing-song sound is unmistakable which is often described as "wichety, wichety, wichety," coming from out of the long weeds. They like to hang low in the brush but will pop up and show themselves often enough.

Another male Common Yellowthroat, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/20/2012.

(Above) another shot of a male Common Yellowthroat from earlier this past spring.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies and Pondhawk Dragonflies

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red River Gorge, Kentucky; April, 2006.

One of my very early photos of a butterfly, taken more than six years ago, long before I decided to try to do Butterfly photography.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Rock Cut State Park, IL; 8/2/2009

Then again, three years ago, I captured another Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Above) in Rock Cut State Park.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, North Branch, Nippersink, McHenry County, IL; 6/10/2012.

(Above) is one of my latest shots of another Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.  It seems all of my older photos of butterflies, seem to have been these types of Swallowtails because they are easy to spot and very striking with their yellow and black tiger stripes.

Eastern Pondhawk Dragonflies
In addition to butterflies, I have also started to try my hand (finger?) at dragonfly photography.

Male Eastern Pondhawk, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/1/2012.

Another Eastern insect with wings happen to be the Eastern Pondhawk (Above), one of the Midwest's more common dragonflies. The series of photos below will show the different shades of blues and greens that these Pondhawks will come in. Some males will have a green upper body (thorax) and head, with a blue tail and abdomen Like the one pictured (Above). Other males will be exclusively blue, some darker blue and some lighter blue.

Close up of a Male Eastern Pondhawk, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/1/2012.

Same Dragonfly

A bluer male Eastern Pondhawk, Rock Cut State Park, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 7/6/2012.

• 

A lighter colored Male Eastern Pondhawk, Rock Cut State Park, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 7/6/2012.

Female Eastern Pondhawks (Below) are mostly green with some browns and light greens on their abdomen.

Female Eastern Pondhawk, Rock Cut State Park, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 7/6/2012.

Female Eastern Pondhawk, Rock Cut State Park, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 7/6/2012.

Pondhawks feed off of other insects. This female Eastern Pondhawk (Above) took the easy route. Instead of chasing down other insects, she was feeding off of insects that were caught in a spider web, like a buffet.

Sandhill Cranes and Ebony Jewelwings

BIG AND SMALL

Sandhill Cranes, Horicon Marsh, WI; 6/16/2012.

The Big: Sandhill Cranes are one of North America's largest birds ( with a wingspan of over 6 feet) and a good place to see them are at the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin. It is very rare when I visit the Horicon Marsh area that I do not see a couple a couple of these cranes. If I don't see any, I almost always hear a few cackling away in the vast vegetation of the marsh.  This pair (Above and Below) was very close to the trail of the Wisconsin DNR section of the marsh.

The same pair of Sandhill Cranes, Horicon Marsh, WI;  6/16/2012.

Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

and now for the small...

A male Ebony Jewelwing, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 7/6/2012.

On the flip side, one of our smallest winged creatures are Damselflies. The very first damselfly that I was able to photograph this summer were one of the most the common damselflies -  Ebony Jewelwings which are anywhere from 1.5 - 2.5". Most damselflies can usually be found near ponds and lakes; however, Ebony Jewelwings  are most often found near forest streams. And it was in the dark woods where I found my first Ebony Jewelwings. They have very dark colorings with black wings, metallic bluish green head and thorax and a dark abdomen in certain light also looks metallic greenish/blue, but in the shadow looks black or dark purple. Because they are very dark and found in dimly lit environments, it took me several attempts to finally find one in good enough light to get a decent photo (Above).

A pair of mating Ebony Jewelwings, Rock Cut State Park; 7/6/2012.

Females have lighter wings - in many descriptions are said to be dark gray, but the ones I saw had reddish brown wings with a white spot at the tips. I was able to catch a pair of Jewelwings in their mating position (Above) - called the "wheel position" because they form a circle.  The male (on the right) uses the forked tip (tail) of its abdomen to hold onto the back of the neck of the female (on the left) which curls her abdomen underneath the male's thorax to connect to his genitals. Later the female will deposit her eggs inside the soft stems of plants found in the water. The eggs will hatch into larvae called naiads. When the naiads are fully grown, they will crawl out of the water and molt, leaving their old skin behind. Once the molting is complete and the Jewelwing is dry enough to fly, it will immediately go out to look for a mate.

A male Ebony Jewelwing, Rock Cut State Park; 6/15/2012.

(Above) is one of my first pics of an Ebony Jewelwing sitting on a leaf.  Even though the photo is soft, I liked how the light glinted off its wings to show off the texture of the wings.



Sora Rail and Checkered White Butterflies

SORA RAILS ONLY OFFER A GLIMPSE

Sora Rail, Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, WI; 6/16/2012.

Until a month ago, I've only managed to see a Sora Rail once. It was over two years ago in a marshy area in Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, IL. And despite my many efforts, I never saw one there again. That marshy area has not been much of a wetland for the past two years, so it's no wonder that Soras would not stay there as a breeding ground. I've heard their whinny-like call emanating from marshes in several other areas (mostly Horicon Marsh and Necedah Wildlife Refuge - both in Wisconsin), but not in Illinois. So on June 16, while I was hiking in the Horicon Marsh, on a narrow spit of trail sandwiched between the large marsh, I heard the sharp call of a Sora Rail and it sounded very close. I scanned the reeds to try to locate where the sound might be coming from, but to no avail I couldn't spot it. After a few minutes I no longer heard it and decided to move on. As I turned, I saw some movement in the reeds on the other side of the trail. And there high-stepping through the shallow water was a Sora Rail (Above).

The same Sora escaping into the reeds, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 6/16/2012.

I was able to get a couple of pics before it slipped into the thicker cattail reeds (Above).

The last glimpse of the Sora, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 6/16/2012.

It only made its appearance for a matter of seconds before it was swallowed up by the cattails and gone from sight. That is the same thing that happened when I saw my only other Sora at Rock Cut SP - I saw it for a couple of seconds and then it melted into the reeds.

BUTTERFLY OF THE DAY * CHECKERED WHITE *

A male Checkered White, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/12/2012.

As promised, I am including pictures of butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies in my posts for the remainder of the summer. Today's butterfly is the Checkered White (Above). I almost ignored these guys thinking they were the same as the Cabbage Whites (yesterday's post) that I have been seeing for the past several weeks. As I was trying to search out some Grasshopper Sparrows (which I failed to find - only heard), I noticed that these little white butterflies seemed to have different markings on their wings than the Cabbage Whites. So I gave them closer attention, took some pics, and sure enough, they were indeed a different species.

A female Checkered White, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/12/2012.

The females have a bit fancier markings on their wings (Above).

A male Checkered White with its wings spread, Deer Run Forest Preserve, Cherry Valley, IL; 7/12/2012.

Like Cabbage Whites, the Checkered Whites can be found across the U.S., however unlike the Cabbages, which are common all over, the Checkereds are more common West of the Mississippi River, and into Mexico and Florida. So it was cool that I was able to see them in a less common area.

Warbling and Red Eyed Vireos in Northern Illinois

One of many Warbling Vireos making themselves known in the Rockford, IL. area this Spring; 5/5/2012.

Vireos are a weak species on my Life List, probably because it is a species that I am not totally confident with my ID skills - but not the Warbling Vireo (Above). These guys are easy to recognize with their rambling run-on song. Warbling Vireos arrived in Northern Illinois in early May, and it seems all of them stayed here as they seemed to be every place I have birded. In the Summer months, Warbling Vireos are common throughout much of the U.S. save the Southeast corner (Florida, Georgis, Alabama, and the Carolinas) and most of Texas and Louisiana. They will also stretch their Summer range well into most of Western Canada and along the Great Lakes. In the Winter you can find them in parts of Mexico and Central America.

A Red-eyed Vireo in its typical 'high in the upper branches' position, Rock Cut State Park; 5/12/2012.

Another Vireo that is common in our area is the Red-eyed Vireo (Above), which arrived in the Rockford area in Mid May. I have learned to recognize this vireo's song this Spring, a song which is a rather non-descript series of  three syllable phrases and not a strikingly catchy tune. But once I learned to recognize their song high in the upper branches of large trees, they became much easier to find. Before this, I always saw them high above me and almost always only saw their underbellies; therefore, it was hard to ID. But now that I know their song, I find them all the time.

A White-eyed Vireo in its usual spot in Espenscheid Forest Preserve for the past couple of years - but has been absent this year; 5/30/2011.

The only other Vireo that I have had luck with identification is the White-eyed Vireo, but I have yet to see or hear any this Spring / Summer. I've noted that other Norther Illinois birders have not been avidly reporting White-eyes either. Their song is more rythmic than the Red-eyes, and is easier for me to recognize.
There are five Vireos that call Northern Illinois their Summer home (and another two migrating through), and I have only 3 on my Life List. So one of my goals for this year and subsequent years is to do a better job at finding and recognizing Vireos.

"Free Beer!" Alder Flycatcher - another Mid May Arrival to Northern Illinois.

"FREE BEER!"

An Alder Flycatcher, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 5/13/2012.

Free Beer!? Where is this "free beer?" Well, it was in the small grove of trees next to the water by the floating boardwalk on the northern boundary of the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Now that I gave away the spot, please do not go foraging in this south central region of Wisconsin in the hopes you'll find some of this beverage that Wisconsin is well-known for brewing. The "free beer" that I am talking about is the song that the Alder Flycatcher (Above)  calls out. It sounds like someone yelling "free beer." So when I was walking on the short trail through this stand of trees and heard all the "free beer" calls, I was happy, not because I like beer, but because, first of all, I recognized it being the Alder Flycatcher (from my bird song recordings), and then secondly, it was a Lifer for me (# 394 at the time. I finally broke 400 last weekend).

Another Alder Flycatcher, Horicon Marsh NWR, WI; 5/13/2012.

These Flycatchers were all over this grove of trees - but mostly in the top branches. It still took some patient waiting before a few of them showed themselves at a lower level so I could get some decent photos (Above).  These Alder Flycatchers might be staying here for the summer as Horicon Marsh is at its most southern edge of its summer range. More than likely, they were passing through to their more common summer residences in North Central Wisconsin and further north into Canada, stretching East into Michigan and the Northeastern States. In Canada they can be found from coast to coast.

Early May Arrivals: Gray Catbirds and Wood Thrushes

One of many Gray Catbirds that arrived in Northern Illinois in the first week of May, Espenscheid Forest Preserve, IL; 5/4/2012.

Suddenly overnight Gray Catbirds (Above) descended upon the Rockford, IL,  area. It seemed that while I was hiking in the Espencheid and Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserves, I couldn't walk 50 steps without hearing another Catbird squawking and mewing in the bush.

Another Gray Catbird, Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/20/2012.

Gray Catbirds have been so abundant this Spring that I have had little trouble finding them in the open (Above). It seemed to me that in previous years, I have had a hard time getting photographs of these guys as they stayed hidden in the thickets. This year they have seemed to be showing themselves more frequently, unless I have either been lucky this year or just unlucky in the past.

A Wood Thrush in a rae moment of visibility, Morton Forest Preserve, IL; 5/

Another bird that I hear all the time, but very seldom can find in the open for a good photograph is the Wood Thrush. These Thrushes, in my opinion,  have one of the most beautiful songs of the Bird Kingdom. They sound like two first chair floutests playing a duet, as the Wood Thrush is able to create two pitches simultaneously. The Thrush (Above) happened to be sitting on a low branch near the ground level, and I was lucky to find him. Although he was at quite a distance away, he stayed put long enough for me to get his portrait. Usually I hear Wood Thrushes high up in the upper tree branches thoroughly hidden by thick foliage. Very seldom do I get a chance to see one. So to find this guy on the open ground was a treat for me.

Early May Water Birds Arrive in Northern Illinois

MAY DAY! MAY DAY!

A Green Heron with its fierce watchful eye, waiting for a meal to happen by, Rock Cut State Park; 5/5/2012.

The first week of May saw many more new birds arrive in Northern Illinois. Granted, many of the birds I have listed below may already have been here in April, but it wasn't until May when I first witnessed their presence. 

Water Birds: Spotted Sandpipers (Bottom), and Green Herons (Above & Below). Land Birds listed at the bottom of this blog post.

A Green Heron stalking prey, Espenscheid Forest Preserve; 5/26/2012.

The same Green Heron ready to strike, Espenscheid Forest Preserve; 5/26/2012.

I happened to have the opportunity to watch a Green Heron stalking small prey a couple of weeks ago, while hiking in Espenscheid Forest Preserve. Initially I though it was catching frogs, but whatever it was catching and gulping down in one swallow, were too small to be frogs.

A Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Cut State Park, 5/8/2011.

Some of the early May Land Birds were: American Redstarts, Baltimore Orioles, Barn Swallows, Black-throated Green Warblers, Cerulean Warblers, Gray Catbirds, Harris Sparrows, Indigo Buntings, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Northern Waterthrushes, Ovenbirds, Pine warblers, Warbling Vireos, Wood Thrushes, Yellow-throated Warblers, and Yellow Warblers.
Tomorrow I will post about Catbirds and Thrushes, Sunday I will feature Swallows, and next week I will feature some of the Wood Warblers that I have seen in the Rockford area during May.