July 1st, 2008 Dakota
Yellow-breasted Chat
I saw this Yellow-breasted Chat at Rock Cut State Park as a storm was beginning. There was a lot of lightning which scared Bandit, my aunt Susie’s dog that we were dog-sitting. The chat was flying around and it landed two times allowing me and my uncle Eddie to get really cool photos of it.
It hovered in one place which was cool to see. I think it was neat that we saw the Yellow-breasted Chat from the car. We never did hike much because of the storm. I also got a Yellow Warbler photo on this same trip.
Yellow-breasted Chat, hovering
Bandit hates thunder - photo by Birdfreak
Cool storm clouds by Birdfreak
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June 29th, 2008 Dakota
Dickcissel
On June 28th my mom and uncle and I went to Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve. One of the cool birds we saw was a Dickcissel. We saw tons of them! The coolest bird we saw probably was the Lark Sparrow.
Lark Sparrow-Birdfreak
I also caught a really cool Virginia Ctenucha. It is a type of moth that flies around dooring the day. It was really pretty.
Virginia Ctenucha
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June 22nd, 2008 Dakota
On Saturday June 21st I went to Deer Run Forest Preserve to do another prairie study. The first thing I noticed was that some of the prairie was mowed. Sadly I found a part of a bird nest.
Last week at the bird field trip some people found a type of knapweed that is really invasive. I think that’s why they mowed it. Where it wasn’t mowed, I found Purple Coneflowers.
Purple Coneflowers where they didn’t mow - Birdfreak
The next thing I noticed was a stack of boxes for bees. I saw bees coming in and out of the bottom. I am going to find out why they are at this forest preserve.
Bee boxes - Birdfreak
I didn’t see any new birds on the survey, but my uncle helped me identify a butterfly we found, a Great Spangled Fritillary. It was a wonderful day and the weather was really great.
Great Spangled Fritallary - Birdfreak
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June 17th, 2008 Dakota
The first time I saw a Yellow Warbler was at Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin. It was a really neat sighting because it was really close to me in a bush. Today I went to Rock Cut State Park and saw a lot of Yellow Warblers. One was bonking around in a tree and I got photos of it.
The Yellow Warbler song is hard to tell from other warblers, but easy to tell by looking at it. It is all yellow and has reddish streaks on the belly. It is hard to get pictures of it because it keeps flitting around. I am happy I got pictures of it.
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June 15th, 2008 Dakota
On June 1st, I started my very own prairie study in a part of Deer Run Forest Preserve. I am calling it Dakota’s Prairie Study (DPS) and will be studying the area until late fall or longer.
The area is surrounded by trees on two sides and more prairie on another side. The last side is a farm field that has not been planted with anything. I have found a lot of birds so far in the field and different insects and plants too.
Grasshopper Sparrow - Birdfreak
Nesting Birds (carrying food)
- Field Sparrow
- Henslow’s Sparrow
- Grasshopper Sparrow
- Eastern Meadowlark
- Killdeer
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Tree Swallow
- Song Sparrow
Other Sightings
- Turkey Vulture
- Dickcissel
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Chimney Swift
- Brown Thrasher
- Eastern Kingbird
Turkey Vulture and Red-winged Blackbird - Birdfreak
I hope to write a post each time I do a DPS.
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June 14th, 2008 Dakota
Deer Run Forest Preserve - Birdfreak
Today we went to Deer Run Forest Preserve for an NCIOS field trip. Our leader was Jack Armstrong. We saw a lot of cool birds. One of the coolest birds we saw today was a Henslow’s Sparrow in the SCOPE! It is lucky to just plain see it but in the scope, that is even cooler! I love its beautiful call that sounds like a hiccup.
Henslow’s Sparrow - Birdfreak
We also saw a family of Lark Sparrow’s. The babies were really cute. A Red-tail Hawk called and it sounded really neat. We saw Eastern Bluebirds fighting over a nest box with some Tree Swallows.
Here are some more highlights we saw at Deer Run Forest Preserve:
- Dickcissel
- Grasshopper Sparrow
- Field Sparrow
- Eastern Meadowlark
- Indigo Bunting
- Brown Thrasher
- Turkey Vulture
- Song Sparrow
- Willow Flycatcher
- American Redstart
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Killdeer
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June 10th, 2008 Dakota
My favorite birder (and teacher) is my uncle Eddie. I think he is the best birder in the world. When I am stuck on identifying a bird, he will help me figure it out and he usually knows all the bird sounds too. One of the best things he is teaching me is how to use his Cannon camera, which I love. Taking bird photos is very hard but so fun.
Eddie - Birdfreak
Eddie is Birdfreak and he is a bird freak. He has traveled to very far away places like Texas and California and Arizona to find birds and someday I want to travel too. One of the birds I really want to see is a Pyrrhuloxia, which is only found in the southeastern United States.
Eddie and I at Lake Superior in Michigan - Birdfreak
My uncle also teaches me many other things like baseball, my favorite sport. Eddie is like a big brother to me and since I don’t have a Dad he also does dad-like things with me. My Grandpa is also a great birder and he does many things with me too.
Grandpa and I - Birdfreak
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June 2nd, 2008 Dakota
On April 12, 2008 it snowed, which is unusual. We went out to Rock Cut State Park to look for birds and saw 10 Common Loons on the lake. I posted about this trip back in April. (Birding in the Treacherous Weather!)
I was able to get my first Common Loon photo. I have seen Common Loons in northern Wisconsin and at Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In Illinois, Rock Cut State Park is the only place I have ever seen them.
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May 31st, 2008 Dakota
Pileated Woodpecker in Iowa
This is another bird I photographed while at the Midwest Birding Symposium. We were on a boat ride in Iowa with other birders. It was a juvenile Pileated Woodpecker and it was fascinating to watch him.
And then he was gone!
I am glad I got a photo of it both flying and sitting on a tree leaning in the water. I feel lucky to have gotten a photo of a Pileated Woodpecker.
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May 28th, 2008 Dakota
The Downy Pair - by Birdfreak
The Downy couple has had babies. When I walk under the Birch Tree, I can hear the babies making little sounds in the hole. The Mom and Dad are carrying bugs into the nest and the peeping sounds get louder.
Willow Tree Seat - good for Downy Woodpecker watching - Birdfreak
I like to sit on the Willow stump and watch the Downy Woodpeckers feed their babies and fly around to get food. My cousins like to watch the family too. We can’t play Wiffleball in the backyard because we don’t want to disturb the woodpeckers.
I hope to get photos of the babies when they come out of the nest!
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