I don't recognize these ducks. I thought they might be hybrids, but it looks more like they are molting mallards.

I'm just not sure about this guy.

We heard some tiny sounds coming from a stump near the boardwalk.

Baby Wrens. I looked inside the hole to find two little open mouths. You can see one in this photograph.

Mother Wren stood by waiting for us to leave.

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!

Forest Park Nature Center and Lorentz Ave Park

Downy Woodpecker. One of the many birds we encountered on a short walk through Forest Park on Wednesday morning.

White-breasted Nuthatch in the woods close to the Ranger Station.

Baby Downy.

Downy Woodpecker followed closely by her baby.

Downy Woodpecker Mom feeding baby.

Turkey Tom 1. In the wooded area between the main trail and the prairie remnant at Forest Park.

Turkey Tom 2. Crossing the open prairie.

Turkey Tom 3. Off in the woods behind the prairie.

The Wood Chippers at work on the main trail at Forest Park. They created such a racket that we cut our walk short. But not before spotting a lone Tom Turkey, some Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, and numerous other birds outside the ranger station.

McCluggage Bridge panorama. While looking around the little park at the end of Lorentz Ave, it suddenly grew extremely quiet. We looked and saw there was no traffic on the bridge. I took a quick panorama to mark the event. Soon the cars and trucks returned with the usual background roar.

Graffitti (and no anchor or dredging, please!).

McCluggage Bridge viewed from under the electrical tower.

Canada Geese on the beach at the end of the Lorentz Street Park.

Northern Flicker at the nest in the woods by the park at the end of Lorentz street.