Last bird walks of the season

Oak Park, IL

Wednesday 1 June 2022 77 °F

THURSDAY, MAY 26 — finally caught up on all of my May posting, just 6 days late!

After a day of cancelled bird walks due to wet weather, thursday brought two bird walks: a kiddie walk for a local Montessori school and an evening Oak Park Bird Walk. The school wasn’t in a great location for finding migrants but thankfully the kids were plenty excited over the common birds around like starlings:

Honestly maybe this is the first starling picture I’ve ever posted on here? Or at least the first in a very long time. Lol!

And robins:

The kids were super sweet, though, and very receptive to my bird presentation, too. After a quick dinner at home, it was time for my last Oak Park Bird Walk of the spring where the highlight was finding this BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER nest on my block! If you want to look for it, it is on the west side of Elmwood Ave about 30 feet up in a tree in the parkway, just a bit south of Iowa Ave. Listen for the Gnatcatchers’ nasal calls.

And here are the adult gnatcatchers:

We also enjoyed watching a TENNESSEE WARBLER:

And an EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE:

Juvenile Eastern Cottontail:

And to end the walk, I was amazingly able to get everyone on a tiny female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD sitting near the top of a tall tree. So cool!

Bird-of-the-day to the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and their nest with runner-up to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. This will be my last post from the Chicago area for a long time as up next for me is Washington DC. A brief highlight of my summer plans:
May 27-June 5: Washington, DC — performing the Count in Marriage of Figaro
June 6-June 23: Bergerac, France — French art song & opera festival
June 25-August 13: Chautauqua, NY — performing the Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen
August 13-August 22: Idaho!!!
August 22-Sept 1: Chicago
Sept 1 — back to NYC

In terms of birds, I expect no birding to happen in DC as the rehearsal schedule is extremely intense, and it will be similar in France though I may pick up a few lifers there as I have never been to the southwestern part of the country. In Chautauqua, I believe I will get out just about every sunday with some local birders who bird atlas in the area, and finally, Idaho is always all about birds! So stay tuned for more — if I can get my life list to just 1140 after France I will be happy.

Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1131 Species

Posted by skwclar 14:55 Archived in USA