Good thing about Green/Brown station at Clark/Lake st is that it commands a fine view, plus the outlet for charger. Incidentally I spotted the first bird there; 2 fat Pigeons strutting the platform as if they owned it! Actually saw my first bird before Division station on Blue Line, at the residential area; a big black flushed from the top of the tree, not sure what it was, Crow or Starling or Robin.
It was actually rather humid in the early evening at North Pond.
Was SO damn tired I urgently needed a Soontofu(no equivalent in Western cuisine; sorta broth, but much richer), so walked Clark St. and spying a Korean 'pub' went in and ordered it; BIG mistake! The server warned me that is was mild, why did I disregard his advice. Literally the worst soontofu ever! No side dishes at all, too mild..should've dined at a proper restaurant, which was a bit further north.
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I have to recommend Getaway Hostel here.
https://getawayhostel.com/
The website didn't return my inquiry(about bicycle, forgot to ask that in person, as well. Could've used that to bike to Montrose Pt..), but I booked via Expedia anyway.
Lots of negative reviews, but it was fine, really. Maybe I'm not that self conscious of personal hygiene lol, but it was clean enough. Shower was working fine(6-8 bed dorm), breakfast was good enough, albeit lacking in protein(only butter), & even had a huge TV with sofa where I watched a bit of NBA Eastern Conference Final. Wifi, excellent. Could even print the boarding pass free of charge from the computers there!
There even was a whole group of young schoolchildren! If it wasn't safe, they wouldn't have come in the first place? The neighborhood was fine, probably less than 5 min. walk to Lincoln Park, my main birding spot. Not that far from Brown Line station, either(DePaul). Close to the eateries, as well. It's a tad too cold, but otherwise, no complaints.
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2nd day, after eating a hearty breakfast(it actually opens before the official 7am),
and birding the North Pond again(rained again as usual!) and 'collecting' about 15 warblers(highlights were Connecticut, Blackpoll, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, & Blackburnian breeding plumage males, and a satisfactory view of Black-throated Green, plus decent views of Veery and Blue-headed Vireo!),
Northern Waterthrush
Veery
Blackburnian warbler
Blue-headed Vireo
decided to at least first walk to Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, some distance north from the North Pond.
Pasadena expat Veronica Cook whom I met accidentally(she practically 'hailed' me over!) the day before told me of a bus line, but just decided to walk there(I did consult the websites but not satisfactory enough, took too long a time to reach there and Montrose pt).
While I was waiting for the rain to stop at the end of morning birding at North Pond, huddling at the Notabaert Nature Museum building outside, I noticed the following warning;
Just like Arizona!
'Foolish' of me to put sunscreen all over the face? The sun shown briefly during morning birding at North Pond, yet it became cloudy again. Actually cloudy all day long lol, plus, at the end of birding Jarvis, there came a HUGE downpour in biblical proportions! All the joggers(so many!) and moi, drenched to the bone..yet I did wear a windbreaker per Jill Niland's suggestion!
One thing I noticed, girls were so..white! Probably due to those lack of sunshine!
I was wearing a big Nike basketball shoe mindful of the damp grass(so couldn't bring a more comfortable shoe), and hence my flat feet was rather hurting after a considerable time birding. Yet, watching all those 'intrepid' joggers, I was ashamed! Lol so I did at least went to Jarvis, and I was thinking of actually walking to Montrose pt. at first.
So along the way, saw the Lake up close and personal! Thalatta! θαλαττα!
Scoured the trees line along Lakeshore drive hoping for a rare migrant, but all I did spot were American Redstarts and Chestnut-sided Warbler. Empidonax sp. too, probably Least. And tantalizingly, saw a small bird with nondescript plumage and a huge bill; instantly thought of Swainson's Warbler! But of course too late, also out of range(saw it last year at High Island, early April), so who knows.
Jarvis was nice, definitely a good place to bird what with marshy habitats. Actually when I arrived it was already noon lol, and since I was so tired from walking, plumped down at the first sight of the bench at the entrance and stayed put; that was a good decision! The birds practically came to me!
At first faced the park proper, staring at the fence, but no dice. Actually birds were spotted between/behind where I sat and the parking lot, where there was some expanse of small trees; Downy Woodpecker and Black-capped Chickadee came first down to 'investigate', and also saw plenty of Empidonax sp. Least/Willow/Alder, Eastern Phoebe, you name it. Probably saw a Philadelpia Vireo too. Thrushes of course, and saw about 6 species of warblers including Orange-crowned.
Actually spotted most of the birds on the bench, rather than when I later finally decided to circle around the fenced sanctuary. Mystery sparrow that darted out onto the trail and disappeared behind the bend away from me was practically the only bird that caught my eye while walking the sanctuary proper, besides a male Indigo Bunting. Martins and swallows were of course on display, on the way along the drive to the sanctuary and back.
Arriving back to the Hostel utterly 'drenched' lol, took a refuge there and after a brief rest, started out for the North Pond again! From 5:24pm, this time just birded the south portion of the pond which is the most productive part anyway. Spotted similar number of species as early morning, the highlight of which was Nuttall's Woodpecker.
Yes I NOW know it's restricted to California lol, but then I just thought it so ordinary, of course also relying on GISS birding, that I didn't think to take a pic!! I mean the back was barred, bill was longer than Downy, in fact I saw Downy earlier at Jarvis, so pardon my complacency!
Only later, when I made an input at ebird, came the inevitable email from the regional ebird reviewer..haha. So even had an email exchange with Geoff Williamson, the 'Chief' of Illinois Ornithological Society, and even though per his suggestion I didn't officially submit, I still think it was Nuttall's. The only clue that is inconsistent with the obvious range issue lol, was its rather weak rattle, weaker than the typically vigorous one of Nuttall's. I mean it COULD be an aberrant plumage Downy, but I doubt it. So, stubbornly didn't change my observation to Downy lol; and so my notoriety grows...!
P.S. Later just had to 'downgrade' ebird entry to woodpecker sp., because, I guess being conservative is prudent. I personally am convinced it was Nuttall, considering various traits including the barred back, but geographically it's such an outlier, so...I am glad I got inputs from the experts, and really too bad I didn't think to take a pic..
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