Forest Park Nature Center

Northern Cardinal with Mulberry. He greeted us as we parked the car at Forest Park Nature Center last Wednesday.

This little deer was lying by the side of the Valley Loop trail. He just sat there pretending to be invisible. His mother was not around, at least where we could see her.

Wild Turkey. A small flock of wild turkeys at Forest Park last week made its way down the bluff and across the prairie remnant. I followed this guy for quite a while. Then . . .

Show Down! He turned around and started walking towards me! I backed away.

The Hen.

Band of Brothers.

Ruffled Feathers.

Prothonotary Warbler playing hide and seek with me at Cooper Park, East Peoria, Illinois.

Prothonotary Warbler on the wing.

Prothonotary Warbler out in the open at last.

Black-capped Chickadee.

Cedar Waxwing.

American Goldfinch.

Fledgling Eastern Phoebe.

Eastern Phoebe in flight.

Female Red-winged Blackbird.

Bell's Landing at Banner Marsh

Silo at Banner Marsh. Scott and I looked for the Orchard Oriole that the Goodners reported seeing last week at Bell's Landing, the southern access area at Banner Marsh. We walked down the grass covered road leading away from the parking lot by the boat ramp towards the levee on the south side of the marsh. This levee must run between the marsh and Copperas Creek.

We did not find the Orchard Oriole, but we did find Eastern Bluebirds, a Yellow-breasted Chat, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and at least 8 Baltimore Orioles. The Baltimores seemed to be every where in the trees on the far side of the levee. I'm sure the Orchard Oriole was hiding in there, but we didn't see it.

We drove to where the road leads up to the main dike and waked down to the cement silo to get another look at the nesting Osprey. On our way back, a Great Horned Owl swooped down out of the silo flying past us while attended close behind by many purple martins and swallows. He flew into the woods between the dike and the river. We also passed a tree with many holes and a couple of little Tree Swallow heads kept popping out of the lowest hole.

Osprey nesting high up on the electrical tower behind the cement silo at Banner Marsh.

Osprey in their nest.

Helicopters flying by. UH-1 Hueys.

Monarch Butterfly on Common Milkweed.

Banner Dike, lush and green in early June.

Great Blue Heron.

Great Blue Heron, preening.

Airplane. Piper Cub L-5, Military Spotting Plane.

Baltimore Oriole.

Baltimore Orioles in a tree.

Butterfly Thistle.

Yellow-breasted Chat.

Eastern Bluebird.

Fly away!