Feb 22 2015

Winter 2015: Chicago snow birds (ducks who migrate south to spend the winter in balmy Chicago)

All photos taken in Hyde Park (Chicago) during the last few weeks.

Common goldeneye shows off his best courtship move. See more in video below.

Male common goldeneye in upright position

female common goldeneye

White-winged scoters sometimes show up near shore during the winter months. In the video below, watch one bird with a goody (crustacean?) get chased.

common mergansers

canvasback duck

female long-tailed duck

female red-breasted merganser

How big are these ducks compared to a herring gull? White-winged scoter (juvenile) at 2:00. Other ducks are scaup.

How big are these ducks compared to a herring gull? Adult herring gull and first winter herring gull are in the background. Left to right in front: scaup, white-winged scoter, and common goldeneye

Windy and cold at the lake

Raccoon prints with keys for scale

Full moon setting

tree sparrow

black-capped chickadee

white pigeon

Sep 7 2014

Green herons growing up, Great Egrets hanging around

All photo were taken in Hyde Park area during the last couple of weeks.

An American Dagger moth caterpillar

Young green heron hatched in the Osaka Garden still has a little baby fuzz left

A question mark on a butterfly bush

A good look at a hooded female merganser’s feet.

A female hooded merganser

We’ve had a couple of great egrets hanging around this past week.

Green Darner dragonfly–Large dragonfly that migrates south for the winter. Color of lower abdomen and tail changes color from purple to blue to silver depending on ambient temperature.

bullhead catfish

Painted lady on thistle

American lady on Queen Anne’s lace.

How to tell the difference between a painted lady and an american lady butterfly, from bugguide.net

Aug 20 2014

Mostly bluebirds and butterflies

All these photos were taken in Hyde Park during the last couple of weeks except when noted.

red spotted purple

tiger swallowtail

tiger swallowtail on sow thistle

tiger swallowtail

crayfish

orange sulfur

black swallowtail

hummingbird

bluebird (photo taken May 4 in Palos)

juvenile bluebirds

juvenile molting into adult plumage

another juvenile molting into adult plumage

juvenile bluebird

juvenile bluebird with touch of blue

another juvenile starting to get adult plumage

green heron (downy young stage)

rabbit in clover

young cooper’s hawk (young hawks have vertical rather than horizontal stripes) who lost his/her tail

Hackberry emperor

Hackberry emperor

Question mark (or is it a Comma?) on butterfly bush

From http://www.gardenswithwings.com

Looks like a eastern comma

sunrise on a foggy day

Aug 10 2014

Sunrise walk and more butterflies/moths

All these of photos were taken in the Hyde Park area during the last couple of weeks. Feel free to join us on a nature walk/moon watch tonight at 6 pm. We will start at the east entrance of the Museum of Science and Industry.

red spotted purple butterfly

bunny at 47th Street and Cornell

monarchs mating

indigo bunting eating grass seeds

white underwing moth– forewing pattern provides camouflage IF the moth is resting on a birch tree

sunrise

sundog- bright spots in the sky caused by refraction of sunlight by tiny ice crystals

juvenile double crested cormorant-The feather structure of cormorants decreases buoyancy so they are better able to catch fish underwater. This feather structure also makes their feathers less waterproof than other water birds’ feathers and so they spread their wings to help them dry faster.

green heron

juvenile black-crowned night heron

purple martins lining up– thinking of heading south?

Aug 4 2014

Mostly herons and butterflies

All photos taken in Hyde Park during the last couple of weeks. Baby raccoon video was taken in Indiana but a raccoon family was spotted in Jackson Park this past Saturday.

The next nature walk/ moon watch is this Sunday, August 10. We’ll meet at the east door of the Museum of Science of Industry at 6 pm for the nature walk and meet at the Field house on the Point for the moon watch at 7:30 (moon rises at 7:43).