Migration continues in earnest

Chicago, IL

Monday 3 May 2021 81 °F

The last few days of migration here in Chicago have seen a significant uptick in avian activity, but I am truthfully so behind in uploading photos that I am only just now posting photos from bird walks and adventures a couple weeks ago. Before I go any further, here are links to two recent concerts with Tian and my family — the reason why I have been so behind in posting! Hope you enjoy some of the beautiful music we have been working on this year.
https://youtu.be/ZIpxxUMID8M
https://youtu.be/lqCOJ6LZ67M

A walk a couple weeks ago yielded a few surprises including a lone PINE SISKIN:

And WARBLERS, yay!! Here is an ORANGE-CROWNED:

And a PINE:

MOURNING DOVE:

NORTHERN CARDINAL:

A bit of herping with Simon, Peter, and Oliver yielded two lifer snakes a couple weekends ago: this stunning Smooth Greensnake, a prairie species!

And a huge Queensnake:

The Oak Park Bird Walks keep getting birdier and birdier as we progress toward the peak of migration. Here is a BROAD-WINGED HAWK from last week’s walk:

Flyover GREEN HERON which was a new Oak Park species for me just earlier this spring:

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET:

NORTHERN FLICKER:

I was overjoyed to find this BLUE-HEADED VIREO when out birding by myself one afternoon in the neighborhood:

As well as a plethora of warblers! YELLOW-RUMPED:

BLACK-AND-WHITE, my first of the year:

Another FOY, the male BLACK-THROATED GREEN:

And a nice vibrant NASHVILLE:

I was lucky to snap this shot of an ORANGE-CROWNED which is actually a fairly dull-looking bird; however, I loved the setting of this bird among the flowers.