A Snowy Excursion
Happy Halloween!
I guess northeast Illinois decided to dress up as a ghost this year - it's covered in a white blanket of snow! It started late last night and has been coming down ever since. In spite of the weather, I made a quick trip to the Spring Bluff Forest Preserve. Unsurprisingly, I only saw a couple of dabbling ducks:
I wasn't expecting to see anything at all in those snowy and windy conditions (which are much worse that close to the lake). I went anyway because I knew the wetlands covered by the season's first snow would be a sight to see.
From there I went a few blocks down to the North Unit of Illinois Beach State Park:
I didn't even make it 50 yards past the entrance gate when I saw a pair of American Robins (Turdus migratorius). You might assume this species is common here, but these were the first robins I've seen since I started birdwatching for eBird. They're a migratory species and there must not be many that stick around here for the colder months.
I spent another hour in the park without much luck. The only other birds I saw were around 8-10 American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis). I'm really starting to love this species. They're interactions with one another and behavior when foraging for seeds is so fascinating to observe. Plus, they're quite photogenic and have some of the most delightful calls.
Even though I didn't see many birds today, my snowy excursion was a lot of fun. I also got to add another species to my eBird list. Now I'm off to shovel my walkway for any trick-or-treaters that are planning to brave the weather tonight. I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!
Male and female mallards (Anas platyrhnchos)
I wasn't expecting to see anything at all in those snowy and windy conditions (which are much worse that close to the lake). I went anyway because I knew the wetlands covered by the season's first snow would be a sight to see.
Spring Bluff Forest Preserve (a section of the Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain Ramsar site)
From there I went a few blocks down to the North Unit of Illinois Beach State Park:
I didn't even make it 50 yards past the entrance gate when I saw a pair of American Robins (Turdus migratorius). You might assume this species is common here, but these were the first robins I've seen since I started birdwatching for eBird. They're a migratory species and there must not be many that stick around here for the colder months.
I spent another hour in the park without much luck. The only other birds I saw were around 8-10 American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis). I'm really starting to love this species. They're interactions with one another and behavior when foraging for seeds is so fascinating to observe. Plus, they're quite photogenic and have some of the most delightful calls.
Even though I didn't see many birds today, my snowy excursion was a lot of fun. I also got to add another species to my eBird list. Now I'm off to shovel my walkway for any trick-or-treaters that are planning to brave the weather tonight. I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!
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