Birding with my Girlfriend
Sunday 22 July 2018
85 °F
You know I’ve found someone special when she tolerates birding with me — last week Maddie and I visited Skokie Lagoons and Ryerson Conservation Area in search of woodland bird species.
GREAT BLUE HERON:
Painted Turtle, I think:
Female WOOD DUCK:
WARBLING VIREO:
Male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER:
Monarch:
NORTHERN FLICKER:
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER:
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE:
Male AMERICAN GOLDFINCH:
CEDAR WAXWING:
Male RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, nice! 
After dropping Maddie at her dance class, I visited Montrose Point in hopes of finding a Piping Plover.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW:
Alas, I dipped on the plover but this SPOTTED SANDPIPER offered some photogenic consolation:
Bird-of-the-day to the uncommon Red-headed Woodpecker with runner-up to the photogenic Spotted Sandpiper, common but beautiful.
Stay tuned — this week I am leading two Cook County birding tours, on Sunday I leave for my annual trip to Idaho for opera camp, and then birding and hiking once the camp ends! Then, on August 22 I will go to college at the Manhattan School of Music! Exciting times!
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 950 Species
Another Oak Park mom and I get a kick out of your birding blog. We always wanted to go on one of your walks - are either of the birding tours you’re leading this week for the general public? If so, could you share the time & place?
Either way, best wishes as you head off to college!
by Anne Bowhay