Exploring the Near West Preserves
Cook County, IL
Thursday 16 April 2020
43 °F
Today, I finished my work and practice early so I spent a full afternoon birding several preserves in the area: Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve, GAR Woods, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Woods, Miller Meadow Forest Preserve, and Salt Creek Nature Preserve.
As I pulled into the Thatcher Woods’ main parking lot, I spotted a pair of WOOD DUCKS in the wooded pond near the entrance and couldn’t resist photographing this beautiful floodplain specialty.
Stretch!
And here is the female:
Songbirds were out and abound in forces at Thatcher too, including EASTERN PHOEBE:
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET:
BROWN CREEPERS were so common today I saw them even before getting out of the car! Incredible views—
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. I happened to meet fellow Oak Park birder Lori Shramek who greatly enjoyed seeing a few of the birds with me. So nice to see you, Lori!
The sapsucker’s relative the NORTHERN FLICKER:
SONG SPARROW:
At one point this TURKEY VULTURE glided over:
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, which were common at both Thatcher Woods and at my next stop: GAR Woods, just a bit further south along Thatcher Ave.
Its namesake yellow rump:
One surprise in the forest was this SWAMP SPARROW, which is definitely just passing through since these sparrows prefer treeless marshland for their typical habitat.
Outta here:
Sapsuckers were all over GAR Woods too:
Next stop was Thomas Jefferson Memorial Woods south of Washington St which was almost completely quiet except for a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH:
Then, I continued on to Miller Meadow Forest Preserve where I was hoping to find more Snipe. There were more SWAMP SPARROWS, this time in a much more expected habitat for the species:
And sure enough, I flushed a total of 19 WILSON’S SNIPE from the North Meadow!
A GREAT BLUE HERON also flew over:
My final stop of the day would be Salt Creek Nature Preserve in Westchester, my westernmost stop today. I was hoping to find a Pileated Woodpecker which are uncommon residents at this preserve (probably just one pair nest here every year, if that). A Raccoon greeted me:
HERMIT THRUSH:
I LOVE seeing tiny little WINTER WRENS! So cute, like little flying mice! (they are *that* small)
NORTHERN FLICKER, a relative of the Pileated but not my target — unfortunately I missed the Pileated Woodpecker today, although I knew it was a longshot.
Still, a great day of birding! Bird-of-the-day to the Winter Wren with runner-up to the Wilson’s Snipe. Stay tuned: there is a mega-rare Ruff, a vagrant shorebird from Eurasia, three hours west of here, in Iowa City, IA — if it sticks around tomorrow, my mom and I will go chase it on saturday. Fingers crossed it sticks around for me!
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1112 Species
