Green-breasted Mango - Take Two

Green-breasted Mango

Poor lighting and not the best shot, but this is the best shot I took

We decided to head up to Beloit, Wisconsin for a second try at the Green-breasted Mango. On Thursday we saw it but missed out on a photograph. Today was much better as we got excellent views both on the feeder and off. The mango ate briefly and then flew right past us, landed briefly less than 20 feet away and then took cover in a large tree. That was where I could see the front of the bird in the sunlight.

Before we arrived to see the Mango we spent the morning birding at a wonderful Winnebago County forest preserve called Sugar River Alder. This is in the extreme northwest of our county in Northern Illinois and a place we don’t get to that often. We have been there a few times this year, most notably on our spring bird count. This is a place we will definitely try to return to more often.

The birds were everywhere. Warblers, flycatchers, Eastern Towhee, both Cuckoos, plus many others. We didn’t keep a list but just enjoyed all the wonderful birds at eye-level. It was one of those birding days that you feel so glad that you’re a birder.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Turkey Vultures warming up

Black-throated Green Warbler

As I am writing this a Red-breasted Nuthatch is checking out some logs we moved by our dripper. Gotta love the nuthatches!

~Birdfreak