This time, decided to bird the south part, comprising of Caldwell Lilypool and the Zoo.
So again after morning birding from 6am, before breakfast at the Hostel, and again spotting around 35 species(yes that's my level, fairly entry-level!. The highlight was Mourning warbler, which I stumbled upon it when started heading back to the Hostel for breakfast, at the SW edge lawn. It swiftly took refuge into a small but dense bush, just like Macgillivray's! So only had a glimpse of its dark head and the lack of eye ring before it disappeared. So both target birds, Connecticut & Mourning, can't say I had a long satisfactory look, which is a pity. Anyway a default warbler that morning was Myrtle).
Find Magnolia!
At Caldwell, naturally avoided the pond proper and birded the 'outer rim'. A nice relatively secluded spot, where I spotted/heard a hummer, Flicker, Gnatcatcher, Oriole, Tanager, and a strong candidate for Tennessee warbler. All those TEWAs I saw there were really drab, very nondescript(and foraged high in the canopy). This day though, both and the North Pond and here, finally spotted American Redstart male in breeding plumage!
Then, to the Zoo, just south of Lilypool. I didn't even know it was free, so was delighted to be informed of it from the volunteers/staffs! The most common birds there were of course Common Grackle and Ring-billed Gull lol, and trusting that I would find birds better the day after during the COS bird walk, sauntered to the pond/lagoon first, before checking the Lions(females as their wont vigilant while lazy ass male was taking a nap!) & the Seals(none visible).
And was immediately confronted with a female 'Common' Goldeneye! My shock and enthusiasm was swiftly subsided after I found a plaque that told it was introduced lol. Also saw introduced Trumpeter Swans, also introduced Ruddy ducks! Plenty of domestic geese, too.
Then, OF COURSE had to see what exotic birds they had! So headed north to Regenstein Birds of Prey & McCormick Bird House;
Was absolutely bowled over! My first zoo visit after getting introduced to birding, so all the more could appreciate those resplendent displays of rioting colors! Definitely whetted my appetite/ambition of birding the World!
So just HAD to take all those pics of birds as possible lol, and methinks I missed only one bird.
The best part was the aviary where those birds were passing over our heads and such! Just magical; if you visit Chicago, do visit!
(from here aviary pics; no barriers and such!)
Then, I just HAD to eat that 7-11 hotdog again, which had slightly different condiments than in LA (Chicago style??!)! So trudged north to eat a late lunch of sorts, then headed back along Lakeshore drive, passing Diversey harbour again; highlights were a suspicious looking Empid(could it be Acadian??!), House Finch near the pine cluster belting its heart out, and a couple of Graylag Geese at the south end of Harbor just before the pedestrian underpass.
Was intending to bird North Pond again, but foolishly overshot, and arrived at the South Pond of the Zoo again! While Swallows, Green Heron and Black-crowned Night-Herons flew overhead, dragged my tired feet back north to North Pond lol, and just sat at the south bench; literally couldn't move any more! Highlights were Great Crested Flycatcher which I only heard, TEWA and Chestnut-sided. Birded from 6pm but unlike before, could spot very few passerines, too bad.
TEWA candidate beyond the HOSP, on the right! It was so active, had trouble taking pics!
