Tag: Sandhill Crane

We took a couple jaunts this weekend, taking advantage of the early Spring migration to meet some new friends. We got one new lifer: the Common Loon! Four of ’em.

Check out the highlight pics!

Saganashkee Slough

Four Common Loons and three Red-Breasted Mergansers swim on a lake
Four Common Loons and three Red-Breasted Mergansers, Saganashkee Slough, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Four Common Loons and three Red-Breasted Mergansers swim on a lake
Four Common Loons and three Red-Breasted Mergansers, Saganashkee Slough, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Five Red-Breasted Mergansers swim on Saganashkee Slough
Five Red-Breasted Mergansers swim on Saganashkee Slough, Illinois, 27 March 2026

Little Red School House Nature Center

An American Tree Sparrow on a branch
An American Tree Sparrow on a branch, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A juvenile Bald Eagle flies overhead
A juvenile Bald Eagle flies overhead, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A Double-Crested Cormorant flies overhead
A Double-Crested Cormorant flies overhead, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Eastern Phoebe perches on a small branch
An Eastern Phoebe perches on a small branch, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A Great Blue Heron flies by
A Great Blue Heron flies by, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Five Buffleheads swim on a lake
Five Buffleheads swim on a lake, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Two Common Mergansers swim on a lake
Two Common Mergansers, 27 March 2026
A Lesser Scaup and two other water fowl swim on a lake
A Lesser Scaup and two other water fowl swim on a lake, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Two Wood Ducks swim on a lake
Two Wood Ducks swim on a lake, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Red-Headed Woodpecker perched on a deciduous tree
A Red-Headed Woodpecker perched on a deciduous tree, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
Fourteen Sandhill Cranes soar overhead
Fourteen Sandhill Cranes soar overhead, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A Song Sparrow glares at the camera from within dried grasses
A Song Sparrow glares at the camera from within dried grasses, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perches on a small branch
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perches on a small branch, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perches on a small branch
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perches on a small branch, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler flies away
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler flies away, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Illinois, 27 March 2026
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perches on a fallen log
Yellow-Rumped Warbler, 27 March 2026

With the temp in the mid-40s, we thought a jaunt to McGinnis Slough Forest Preserve would be a good way to spend the morning. We brought the scope (and saw some delightful birds that way), and muddied our shoes, and boy, did we have a good time. (Ebird checklist)

Here are some of the friends we saw:

Two Canada Geese in the water
Two Canada Geese at McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
Two Canada Geese in the water
Two Canada Geese in the water at McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
Gadwall in the water
Gadwall in the water, McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
Great Blue Heron in a tree
Great Blue Heron in a tree, McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
Four Northern Shovelers in the water
Four Northern Shovelers, McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
Two Pied-Billed Grebes in the water
Two Pied-Billed Grebes, McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
Two Sandhill Cranes flying very far away
Two Sandhill Cranes, flying very far away, McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
Turkey Vulture flying
Turkey Vulture flying over McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26
White-throated Sparrow on a log
White-throated-Sparrow on a log, McGinnis Slough, 15 Mar 26

TukreTurke

The Daylight Savings Time clock shift happened last night, so we went to Fermilab to see what the birds think of the time shift.

Sandhill Cranes in marshy land
Sandhill Cranes in marshy land, Fermilab, 8 March 2026
Sandhill Cranes in marshy land
Sandhill Cranes in marshy land, Fermilab, 8 March 2026
Northern Shovelers in a lake
Northern Shovelers in a lake, Fermilab, 8 March 2026
3 Green-winged Teal in a lake
3 Green-winged Teal in a lake, Fermilab, 8 Mar 2026
6 Gadwalls in flight
6 Gadwalls in flight, Fermilab, 8 Mar 2026
Canada Goose in flight
Canada Goose in flight, Fermilab, 8 Mar 2026
Bufflehead landing in a lake
Bufflehead landing in a lake, Fermilab, 8 Mar 2026
Bald Eagle in Flight
Bald Eagle in Flight, Fermilab, 8 Mar 2026

We spent a lovely couple hours strolling around the Crabtree Nature Center, with lots of feathered friends in attendance. We spotted 34 species! Here are some of the highlights. Here’s our Ebird list.

An American Phoebe on the lookout for bugs
An Eastern Phoebe on the lookout for bugs; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Blue-winged Teal swims in a pond
A Blue-winged Teal swims in a pond; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Blue-winged Teal swims in a pond
A Blue-winged Teal swims in a pond; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Brown Creeper on its way up a tree
A Brown Creeper on its way up a tree; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Brown Creeper, well, creeps up a tree
A Brown Creeper, well, creeps up a tree; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Canada Goose browses for its breakfast
A Canada Goose browses for its breakfast; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Golden-Crowned Kinglit peeps between two branches
A Golden-Crowned Kinglit peeps between two branches; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Killdeer flies overhead, peeping!
A Killdeer flies overhead, peeping! Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Northern Flicker peeks its head up against the top of a tree
A Northern Flicker peeks its head up against the top of a tree; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Palm Warbler looks at us
A Palm Warbler looks at us; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Palm Warbler eyes us suspiciously
A Palm Warbler eyes us suspiciously; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Palm Warbler perches on a twig
A Palm Warbler perches on a twig; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Palm Warbler perches on a twig
A Palm Warbler perches on a twig; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Pine Warbler sits on a perch
A Pine Warbler sits on a perch; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Pine Warbler makes its way to a new perch
A Pine Warbler makes its way to a new perch; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Red-Tailed Hawk soars overhead
A Red-Tailed Hawk soars overhead; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet shows its crown
A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet shows its crown; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet calls out
A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet calls out; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet perches on a twig
A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet perches on a twig; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
Two Sandhill Cranes stand among the reeds
Two Sandhill Cranes stand among the reeds; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler sits above us
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler sits above us; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perches on a log
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler perches on a log; Crabtree Nature Center, Illinois; 19 April 2025