A Week of Migration & 2nd ILYB Thatcher Woods Walk!
Saturday 23 April 2016
56 °F
This week has proved to be an intense week, with everything from an AP psychology final exam to this spring's first real wave of migrants coming through Oak Park. This post also includes a recap of today's young birder walk I led at Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve.
Here is a male EASTERN TOWHEE, a nice migrant species to see in the neighborhood:
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, one of the early migrant warblers to come through in April:
Male RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. See the ruby crown?
VERY early SWAINSON'S THRUSH - usually I don't see this species until the first week of May:
HERMIT THRUSH, the much more expected species of thrush to come through in April:
Female YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, the most common warbler in April:
Here is a male:
Another ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER:
Male NASHVILLE WARBLER, another species that usually doesn't arrive until at least the first week of May:
Female YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER:
A pretty Fox Squirrel, less common than the ubiquitous Gray Squirrels usually seen in Oak Park:
Here is the rump of a DARK-EYED JUNCO, a bird typical of winter so hopefully this is the last time I see it this year!
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER:
Male AMERICAN GOLDFINCH:
Today (Saturday, April 23), I led a joint Illinois' Young Birders Club - Oak Park Kids Bird Walk at Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve. A nice group of people, including about six families, showed up for this very successful walk.
We found a few woodpeckers, including this female RED-BELLIED:
4 WOOD DUCKS:
At least 6 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were the highlight of the walk. Here is a female:
This SOLITARY SANDPIPER was a nice surprise, my first sandpiper of the year:
SONG SPARROW:
HOUSE WREN:
Bird-of-the-day to the Rusty Blackbirds, and runner up to the Solitary Sandpipers. The full list of species from the walk this morning is attached below.
For more information about Oak Park Bird Walks, visit: https://sites.google.com/site/opbirdwalks/home
I'm so happy spring migration is here!
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 884 Species (no recent life birds)
31 species (+1 other taxa):
Canada Goose 2
Wood Duck 6
Mallard 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
hawk sp. 1 Heard strange call, could not identify.
Solitary Sandpiper 3
Ring-billed Gull 2
Mourning Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 2
Black-capped Chickadee 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 25
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Rusty Blackbird 6
Common Grackle 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 1
Posted by skwclar 10:36 Archived in USA Tagged me children trees animals birds sky
Sounds like a successful walk with really good birds, and very nice photos. I'm looking forward to joining you on May 1st!
by Jonathan B.