Another bird walk

This appears to be the Clymene Haploa Moth

The bike path at Les Arends Forest Preserve

I think this is a baby Baltimore Oriole

This baby bird looks like it just came out of the water.

A pair of baby Cowbirds.

Red-winged blackbirds are in abundance.

Juvenile Canada Goose
Look how the markings of the head are beginning to show up.

Parent feeding a juvenile.
Tree Swallow

Turtles sunning themselves on the Fox River.

Baby Red-winged blackbird

The geese were moving right along.

Juvenile Mourning Doves

Male Red-winged Blackbirds.

Woodland Sunflower

Milkweed

Great Spangled Fritillary

Song Sparrow singing his heart out.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Coreopsis

There is another Heron Rookery a bit north of where we live.
I got the opportunity to check it out.  I know there were a lot more nest that we saw before the Spring, but I only saw this one today.
Does not look like any of these have fledged yet either.
Soon.
Have a great day.
Mary

Fox River, Saw Wee Kee Park

Decided to take a ride out to Saw Wee Kee Park on Tuesday.  It was a beautiful day, after all the snow we had had over the weekend.  There is one place just before the entrance to the park that was full of male and female Cardinals.  They were beautiful to watch

All the birds were in a posing mood.

Black-capped Chickadee.
There was another area in the park by one of the parking lots that I stayed at for over an hour.  There was a lot of activity, as someone had put bird seed on a park bench.  The birds were loving it.

Several Blue Jays came to visit.

White breasted  Nut-hatches were flying back and forth between trees.

Blue Jay's were into posing as well.

Red-bellied Woodpecker was flitting between two trees, and put on quite a show.

Caught him in flight.

Peek a boo!

Dark-eyed Junco's came to visit too.

A couple of Song Sparrows came to visit as well.

As well as Mourning Dove's

Blue Jay's and Cardinals

Blue Jay and female Cardinal

The gangs all here.

Female Cardinal posing

Blue Jay

Pair of Cardinals

Song Sparrow and Junco

Female Cardinal

Song Sparrow

Female Merganser

Canada Geese are on the move.

There was sun, and what seemed like a bit of warmth.
No new birds today, but all that I saw looked beautiful against the snow.
Chicago had it's 5th worst snow storm on Sunday.
More is coming.

Let it snow, let it snow

This morning the birds and us woke up to a lot of snow
We are thinking we have about 10 inches at least and more coming.
This mourning dove seemed to be hunkered down on a branch waiting for the other birds to scratch seeds to the ground.

Junco's were checking out the suet.

Sparrows were not having a problem hanging on to the feeders.

What our little backyard looks like this morning.

Success, the Junco's are able to feed on the suet.
It is afternoon, and the windows are getting covered with snow. The pictures I took this morning are all through our kitchen sliding doors.
As you can see, there are pine trees all along our back, so the birds have plenty of protection from the blowing snow.
It is a winter wonderland out there.
Mary

Lets start the new year with birds. 1-3-2014

We still have a pair of cardinals coming to our feeders.  I am having to take the photos through our kitchen window.

Charlie, our kitty is hiding from me behind the plants.  He likes to nibble on them.

With this really cold weather, I went out to put feed in the feeders.  Within an hour mourning doves found a seat on a planter to enjoy the fair.

House finch and a sparrow enjoying the feast.

American Tree Sparrow

And look what else flew into the yard.  The sun was setting and this robin showed up.  I know there are robins in a forest preserve about 4 miles  from our house, So where has this fellow been hiding.  He did not stop at the feeder, just sat on the branch above it.
What a great start for the new year.