To say this post is a mixed bag would be to do an injustice to mixed bags. This is more or less a representation of spring and what I've seen well, like the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) above.
I stopped at the Lake Springfield Beach House several times before the end of school, after shorebirds and warblers. Instead, I got many insect-eating birds, like this Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), but apparently it's been a not-as-good year for warblers in central and southern Illinois.
Still, I'll take what I can get. For instance, I saw thousands of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) pass by on their way north, many resting on power lines.
The Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) and I watched migration pass us by, both taking a respite to live here for the summer before going south in the fall.
The Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) also arrived, and I wonder if this year they'll stay at the Beach House all summer or not. They did last year, but I don't know about this year.
The Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) arrived about two weeks early, and in great numbers for April. (Yes, I know this is getting published in late May.)
Cliff Swallows harvest mud off the beach, and then go and make nests under the bridge using that mud. At times dozens can be seen getting mud off the beach, like an orange and blue feathered construction crew.
Meanwhile, other signs of spring began to show, including this baby Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) at Marine Point, dodging the waves.
In the trees above, Palm Warblers (Setophaga palmarum) watched, at least at the time. They have since moved north, as one of the first warblers to go.
So too have the Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata).
Yet some remain. The Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), for instance, still darts at flies even now on Marine Point. As long as there's lots of insects and lots of people to yell at, it's happy.
"All hail me, the Kingbird!"
A surprise migrant was this Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia), in among the rest.
Another surprise was a Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) with an injured wing sitting on the beach. I'd imagine it was not long for this world, but I never went back to check.
Northern Waternsnakes (Nerodia sipedon) have emerged around the lake, but I haven't yet found any Graham's Crayfish Snakes... still, time to keep looking!
Also out and about are Common Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis), including this reddish one.
A friend of mine reported a Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) from a spot near Pawnee, so I found it, a lifer bird. This is the nineteenth warbler species that I have seen in my life, and there's a lot more to go! (I'm up to 24 now, I believe, having added three in the Ozarks and one more in IL.)
So did I, as I ran over to Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary. I found an excellent Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) posed in a tree, and took several photos of it.
Blackbirds of all colors, (Red-winged Blackbird [Agelaius phoeniceus]and Eastern Meadowlark [Sturnella magna]) called at Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary, but I was after a Camassia plant in flower, so I mostly ignored them.
A Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) called from another nearby tree, as I fought off a swarm of buffalo gnats. Then I found my target:
Several Camas (Camassia scilloides) plants bloomed throughout the hike, all surrounded by a protective cloud of Buffalo Gnats. These are one of the few "spring bulbs" native to Illinois.
They were worth all the gnat bites I got, in my opinion!
Nearby, a couple of Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) called to this female. I hope they eat all the gnats, but I have my doubts. Perhaps they should call in a Gnatcatcher or two.
Gnat-free, I wandered other places, spotting White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Eventually, Mother's Day rolled around, and we were eating dinner in my grandparent's home. This showed up:
I love Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus). and this brings me to the end of what I've seen lately, the best find in the last month (or at least tied with the Yellow-throated Warbler.) Get ready for a lot to do with the Ozarks!
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