Thatcher Bird Walk
River Forest, IL
Friday 22 May 2020
61 °F
This morning I led an Oak Park Bird Walk at Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve for six wonderful birders. We started off with a female SCARLET TANAGER just off of Thatcher Ave:
And a BALTIMORE ORIOLE:
Inside the preserve, we came upon a nice pocket of warblers just south of the Trailside Museum including this beautiful CANADA:
The flock also included vireos. Here is a WARBLING:
And a RED-EYED:
Unfortunately, no Worm-eating Warbler as we had hoped for (one had been seen here yesterday and the day before). So, I decided to take the remaining birders on a caravan to see if we could find a Red-shouldered Hawk nest on the 900 block of Clinton in River Forest, which would be quite noteworthy if found.
And find it we did — immediately! There were even two (maybe three) RED-SHOULDERED HAWK chicks on the nest:
The adults were around too. This was the highlight of the walk for the remaining birders — to see a Red-shouldered in River Forest alone is a good sighting, but to find a nest is pretty amazing! Hope the chicks fledge successfully.
Then, I saw a report of a Connecticut Warbler — the last species I need for this spring — up in Senior Citizen Memorial Park in Bucktown. So, I met my friends Simon & Peter there and we began searching. There were certainly warblers in this small pocket park, including a dashing CAPE MAY:
Female BAY-BREASTED:
And LEAST FLYCATCHERS:
But unfortunately, no Connecticut. Another day, I guess!
Bird-of-the-day to the Red-shouldered Hawks with runner-up to the Canada Warbler. STAY TUNED: tomorrow I am covering northern Indiana in a “half big-day:” I hope to break 115 species!! And, I will be covering Cowles Bog and several other locations with my friend Kim Habel. Yay!
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1115 Species
