Song Sparrow Singing

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Pileated Woodpecker at Woodford

A Pileated Woodpecker flew from one side of the trail to the other, so quick I just barely caught him before he disappeared in the trees on the other side of the slough.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Green Heron at Woodford

This Green Heron kept flying 20 or 30 feet ahead of us as we walked the trail at Woodford SFWA last Saturday for the Spring Bird Count, giving us lots of time to watch and photograph him.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Indigo Bunting singing at Woodford

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Woodford Flood Line

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Scott is showing how high the water was at the highest water stage. He is 6' 1", so you can see it was over 8 feet deep at one point!

Robert Allerton Park

Along the trail from the Last Centaur to the Sun Singer. The forest floor was carpeted with Blue Bells and Blue-eyed Mary, as far as you can see across the flood plain and up the bluff on the other side of the trail.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Purple Trillium in a bed of Blue-eyed Mary.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

I found two Summer Tanagers at Allerton.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Blue Bells carpeted the forest floor in blues and greens.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Barred Owl at Allerton

I found two Barred Owls at Allerton. One along the Schroth Interpretive, and this one near the Lost Gardens, both on the East side of the Sangamon River.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Catbirds were everywhere I went at Allerton on Monday morning.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Three Eaglets!

There are three eaglets in the nest again this year. Apparently that is very uncommon; most eagles successfully raise one eaglet. These guys have had three eaglets two years in a row! Babb Slough off the Illinois River must have loads of fish (and ducks)!

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Cooper Park: A Wetland Oasis

Cooper Park provides a great habitat for migrating birds. It is a tiny strip of wetland/bottom woodland between the industry along IL 116 in East Peoria and the river.

A tree with a lop-sided smile!

A White-tailed Deer peeking over the boardwalk.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Swamp Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow in the willows, which are making a come-back after the beaver demolition over the icy flooded winter.

White-throated Sparrow foraging on the debris washed in by the floods over the winter.


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Originally uploaded by jward199

House Wrens Nesting at Cooper Park

I watched this little wren climb the locust tree to the top where it is hollow. Wrens have nested there in past years. I think they have a nest up there again!

See how tiny she is? She is sitting on one of the thorns, not a branch.

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Warblers at Cooper Park

Many little birds were on the ground and up in the trees, but they were fast and hard to see clearly. Here are a few that I was able to capture with my camera:

Yellow-rumped Warbler came briefly into view.

Palm Warbler foraging along the floor of the woods at Cooper Park. Click the photo to see the larger version.

I thought this bird was a Tennessee Warbler, but it turns out it is a Warbling Vireo!

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Originally uploaded by jward199

Tree Swallow and Rough-winged Swallows

The Rough-winged Swallows were flying low over the stream leading away from the beaver pond. The tree swallows were flying higher around the tops of the trees. This guy took a break and posed for me.

Originally uploaded by jward199

Birds at Forest Park

20-30 Yellow-rumped Warblers were flitting from tree to tree at Forest Park on Saturday afternoon.

Tennessee Warblers were mixed among the Yellow-rumped.

A female Northern Cardinal posed prettily for me in the Red-bud tree.

One of the warblers looks like a Nashville Warbler.

Black-capped Chickadees were chattering and feeding on seeds and bugs in the prairie remnant at Forest Park.

Originally uploaded by jward199

No Morels at Jubilee . . .

Maidenhair Fern poking its head up in the ravine where the creek runs through.

Dryad's Saddle.

Eastern Towhee at Jubilee State Park.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Forest Park. Something is wrong with his beak.

Originally uploaded by jward199

Virginia Blue Bells carpeted the floor of the forest at Forest Park.

Virginia Blue Bells, just before the bells open and turn blue.

Purple Violet, one of the many flowers along the trail.

Yellow Violet at Forest Park Nature Center.

Tooth Wort is about to open its blossoms.

Spring Beauty at Forest Park.