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Here is a link to the original of today's blog: REVERSE MIGRATION
Here
in Illinois the offspring of the local Bald Eagles have just fledged.
During the next 4-6 weeks they are expected to begin following their
parents on fishing and hunting forays. By the time the cold weather
arrives their proficiency should have improved to the point that they
will strike out on their own. Depending upon the severity of the
winter, they may move southward, joined by many more of their kind from
the far northern reaches of the species' range, following along the Fox
River to find open water, with many congregating downstream along the
Illinois River to its confluence with the Mississippi River system.
On May 18,
one of the two eaglets was in the nest. It may have already fledged,
but it is common for them return to the nest to be fed:
The
Bald Eagles that nested near our Florida home did not breed
successfully this year. If they had, their young would just now be
polishing their hunting skills in preparation for a migration in the
opposite direction. As temperatures increase in the waters of Florida
lakes, fish seek the cooler depths. Young eagles find it easier to see
and catch fish in the cooler lakes and rivers to the north. Many move
up the east coast to the Carolinas and the Chesapeake Bay area, and
some have been tracked into the extreme northeastern US.
You
may recall that the original male of the the pair lost his mate in late
October, 2014, and found a new companion in early December.
Although they mated, their union did not produce any young. They seem
to have bonded very well. Curiously, they both continue to work on the
nest, adding and rearranging sticks. See the latest reports and photos
of this behavior by Luis, a faithful eagle watcher, at THIS LINK
(Photo
©2015 LuisEagles)
<script
src="http://bald-eagles-of-broward-county-florida.1638815.n2.nabble.com/embed/p7574122"></script>
We
also are now heading the wrong way, flying back from Illinois to
Florida, at least for a while, leaving what is left of the spring
songbird migration behind us. Bad weather and lots of local travel and
family events curtailed our time afield. Here are some photographic
highlights of our stay in NE Illinois.
At
Nelson Lake/Dick Young Marsh Forest Preserve in nearby Batavia, the
grass had turned green and the trees were leafing out by the
middle of May:
A
notable sighting at Nelson Lake on May 9 was a single Bobolink, the
first reported in the county this season:
Bobolinks
seem to have their plumage arranged the wrong way, as the undersides of
most birds are lighter than their uppers. Posing on a fence post, the
Bobolink demonstrates this feature very nicely:
Yellow-rumped
Warblers, early arrivals, were still moving through the treetops:
Common
Yellowthroats are already staking out nesting territories on the
prairie:
American
Goldfinches, befitting their name, have molted into their brilliant
breeding (alternate) plumage:
Yellow
Warblers offer a more subtle but no less beautiful shade:
I
find it easy to overdose on Yellow Warbler photos:
This
first
year male Orchard Oriole will take on a brick-red coat by next season:
An
Eastern Meadowlark sings enthusiastically:
A
tad of yellow highlights the brow of a Savannah Sparrow:
While
not sporting feathers, this early Eastern Tiger Swallowtail fits the
theme as it probes the dandelions for nectar:
Indigo
Buntings represent another primary color:
The
clouds part momentarily, to allow a "blue-on-blue" portrait:
A
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher incubates eggs in its expansible globular nest,
fastened securely with spider webs and decorated with lichens:
One
of my most sought-after spring arrivals, a Scarlet Tanager some
distance away, completes the color wheel:
A
Northern Cardinal also represents the red faction...
...as
does a "fractionally" red Red-winged Blackbird...
...and
a Rose-breasted Grosbeak:
The
older of our two Illinois granddaughters helps me spot orioles in the
trees along the path at Hawk's Bluff Park in Batavia:
She
points out a moth she found on the car window, unwittingly giving me my
only image of a reflection:
The
moth is a Hydriomena species, thanks to ID by Facebook friends:
To
her delight, we get good looks at several Baltimore Orioles:
It
is a bit surprising that I have not yet run out of my favorites for our
Illinois stay, such as this Great Blue Heron on the shoals of the Fox
River...
...a
Swainson's Thrush...
...a
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle...
...lots
of flowers, such as this Wake Robin in full bloom...
...Nodding
Onion...
...a
Dandelion seed head...
I must stop
somewhere, but I want to show Tex some favorite fences, the "good,"
which surrounds Hickory Knolls Discovery Center and borders the road to
the correctional institution...
...and
the "bad," for those inside:
We must end
on an exuberant and happy note, to celebrate the birds...
...the
bees...
...the
bridges...
...and the
brooks...
...the
flowers...
...and
the fields:
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