Backyard Cooper's Hawk

A juvenile hawk, which I believe is a Cooper's Hawk, swooped down and captured a small bird, then landed on the neighbor's fence to eat it. After that he captured a pigeon and returned to the fence for his feast. He was there for over an hour hunting and eating. This is one juvenile hawk who has learned to hunt!

 

Black-crowned Night Heron flushed as I walked Path 2 (Pumphouse Road)at the Emiquon Preserve.

 

 

Chimney Swifts

Chimney Swifts funneling into the neighbor's chimney.

 

 

 

 

Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk at Funk's Grove

Juvenile Hawk, formerly thought to be a Sharp-shinned but now known to be a juvenile Broad-winged (please see comments below for an explanation). He is eating a large bug, possibly a praying mantis. I hope he has learned to hunt other prey, as those bugs will be gone before long and he has to feed himself this winter. If you click on the bottom photo to see the larger picture, you will see that there are little heart shapes on his legs, making it look like he's wearing valentines boxers or pantaloons!

 

 

 

I lightened this photo to show the pattern on the tail. So, what do you think, Red-shouldered or Broad-winged?

 

Midewin Tallgrass Prairie

A panoramic view across the prairie from the trail off Explosives Road.

 

Explosives Road Trail at Midewin.

 

 

 

 

North Access at Chautauqua Lake

Great White Egrets, Eurasian Tree Sparrows, and Red-headed Woodpeckers were among the many birds last weekend at the refuge.

 

 

 

 

Eastern Kingbird catching flies.

 

 

 

 

Lesser Yellowlegs at Emiquon

Lesser Yellowlegs on Pumphouse Road (Path 2) at Emiquon.

 

 

 

Birds of Chautauqua Wildlife Refuge

An American Avocet was foraging along the back edge of a grassy mudflat along with hundreds of pelicans, some gulls, and a few other shorebirds.

 

 

Three juvenile Turkey Vultures were soaring over the North Pool at Chautauqua near the Pelicans on the mudflats. They would swoop down to the surface of the water and then back up, circling around, and beating their wings to gain altitude. I think they were taking something off the surface of the water, but couldn't see anything. A dead pelican was near by but they didn't seem to notice it. They soared in this manner along the dike between Chautauqua and Clear Lake, at the Goofy Ridge Access point.
P.S.
I thought at first that they were Black Vultures. I had never seen Turkey Vultures behave this way, and I guess I have never seen juveniles up close, so I thought I had Black Vultures, but alas, they were not. I'll keep looking at vultures, in case one or two wander up this far north!

 

American White Pelicans at Chautauqua Wildlife Refuge

Pelicans are migrating through the Illinois River Valley. I went looking for them on Sunday and found large numbers on the North Lake at Chautauqua Wildlife Refuge. To get a good view I had to walk out on the dike to the other side of the lake. It was a long, hot, sunny walk! But I was rewarded with some nice flyover photographs. I noticed another large group of birds across the lake, but I was too tired to go looking for them then. However, I did go back the next day, this time to the Goofy Ridge (yes that is the name of a town!) access point. Hundreds of pelicans were resting or milling around on a large mudflat with some gulls and shore birds.

A couple of American Avocets were in the mix, but I could not photograph them, not with my 400mm lens. They were too far away. A nice gentleman let me view the birds through his scope, so I was able to add this distinctive shore bird to my Life List!

Oh and chiggers got me on both walks! I didn't expect them up on the dikes. I wasn't walking around in tall grass or anything, but the little buggers found me!

 

Hundreds of Pelicans were gathered on the mud flats.

 

 

Pelicans flew dirctly over me as I walked out on the dike.