Spring Visitors

With our June wedding just around the corner, I have had little time to visit my favorite bird/wildlife sanctuaries this spring. Fortunately, last week, I was able to squeeze in a couple of birding adventures. The weather was not especially spring-like with temperatures in the teeth chattering 40's. The birds didn't seem to mind the chilly temps and gusty winds along Lake Michigan, as I saw most all of the regular spring visitors.  Below are many beautiful feathered friends often seen in Chicago during March and April.

A striking Blue-winged Teal dabbles in the calm, cool pond

A beautiful Fox Sparrow rests atop a fallen tree limb

A Yellow-rumped Warbler sports spring breeding feather finery

A colorful Horned-Grebe surfaces after diving in the teal blue harbor waters

A well-camouflaged Brown Creepers spirals up the tree

A handsome Northern Flicker scans the nature preserve

A Northern Rough-winged Swallow rests momentarily from its swooping, fluttery flight

A red-eyed American Coot pauses after dipping underwater for a repast of aquatic plants

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drills shallow tree holes to access sticky sap (note the many small round holes bored into the bark of this tree)

A Hermit Thrush hunts for insects amongst grass and fallen leaves

Sitting pretty on the fence ~ American Robin

The misplaced Cinnamon Teal is still enjoying the surroundings at North Pond

Cinnamon Surprise

The recent mild temperatures in the Midwest has brought many a smile to winter-weary Chicagoans. I was fortunate to spend a couple of beautiful days visiting a few of my favorite birding spots. Though I mostly viewed the common winter visitors (White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers), I was in for quite a surprise at North Pond in Lincoln Park. After making the rounds of the pond, a gentleman approached me and excitingly inquired if I had seen the red duck. I had seen many Lesser Scaup, Mallards, Canada Geese and 3 Greylag Geese, but no red duck. I was intrigued. He kindly offered to show me the red feathered beauty and off we trod to an area where there was a large congregation of Canada Geese. There, swimming at a very rapid pace and skimming the water with its long bill was a most stunning creature, a Cinnamon Teal. Its rich ruddy hues, brilliant red eye and lovely iridescent blue and green wing feathers created quite the breathtaking sight. We both observed the little busy teal, captivated by its beauty.

Upon further research, I discovered that Cinnamon Teals are most commonly found in marshes and ponds of western North and South America. Its migration route does not include the Midwest. Where did this lovely dabbling duck come from?

This blog features many of the beautiful sightings seen on a few March outings.

A most unique pond visitor ~ Cinnamon Teal

A striking Red-headed Woodpecker excavates a deep cavity

An attractive Mallard pair wade in North Pond

A common doe-eyed winter visitor ~ Tufted Titmouse

Putting on quite the display for a fellow White-breasted Nuthatch

A Ring-billed Seagull admires its reflection from the edge of the ice

The sightly profile of a Red-bellied Woodpecker

Glorious Sandhill Cranes in flight

On this day, I was fortunate to view hundreds of migrating Sandhill Cranes ~ I heard their raucous trumpeting calls the entire 2 1/2 hours I spent birdwatching ~ I observed smaller groups of cranes at various altitudes come together and form one massive, incredible flock

The magnificent colors of a male Wood Duck

A Lesser Scaup delights in the sunny day

Exquisite feathers ~ Cinnamon Teal

Cinnamon beauty

One last look at the stunning Cinnamon Teal

Winter Wonders

Here in the Midwest, winter's inclement weather has not been very conducive to nature photography. We have seen little of the bright, glorious sun, thus days are gray and appear monochromatic. So far, this season, the Chicago area has received over 50 inches of snow, making it very difficult to wander through nature preserves and bird sanctuaries. Frosty temperatures have also kept me indoors, as my fingers seem to be especially sensitive to the cold. Even though the weather has not been very pleasant, the birds have been most plentiful at our feeders. It's always a joy to observe the busy Black-capped Chickadees, tree scaling White-breasted Nuthatches and lovely Dark-eyed Juncos delighting in sunflower seeds. For this post, since I have had very few photo opportunities, I decided to look back into my archives to see what feathered beauties I was photographing last year at this time. Enjoy!

A sleek White-breasted Nuthatch surveys the buffet table

A sightly Tufted Titmouse perches amid bare branches

A Black-capped Chickadee selects the perfect cracked corn kernel

A pretty Red-bellied Woodpecker goes seed shopping

A curious Downy Woodpecker awaits my offerings

A solitary female Northern Cardinal on a cold winter day

The brilliant scarlet feathers of a Red-headed Woodpecker

Decisions, decisions ... which seed to choose? ~ Blue Jay

A well-camouflaged Brown Creeper spirals its way up the tree trunk in search of food

The lovely profile of a Dark-eyed Junco

Shelled peanuts are this White-breasted Nuthatches snack of choice