Field Trip Report: Garfield Park

words and photos by Christina Harber

May 6, 2023

Last October, COS hosted an episode of the online program Patch Chat that featured Garfield Park. While many people have visited the Garfield Park Conservatory, the park itself is very underbirded.

On Saturday, May 6, twenty birders met at the Garfield Park Gold Dome Fieldhouse. Other than the three trip leaders, no one in the group had ever birded in Garfield Park before. After a slow start to spring migration, everyone was excited that the migration floodgates had opened the day before. The weather was overcast and there were occasional sprinkles, but that did not dampen the spirits of the group. A total of 30 species were noted on the trip, which consisted of a loop around the west lagoon. 

A particularly entertaining Great Blue Heron stood at the edge of the lagoon and plucked out a series of orange koi fish. The bird feasted on breakfast, captivating the crowd.

One of the best looks of the day was of a Spotted Sandpiper. The bird’s unmistakable bouncing bottom and trademark spots made the small bird easy to identify as it worked along the banks of the lagoon. After the Spotted Sandpiper, 5 green herons came flying in. Other birds observed on and around the water included Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Black-crowned Night Heron, Northern Waterthrush, and Canada Goose. (With fluffy, yellow goslings!) 

As everyone anticipated, the favorable winds brought in new warbler species to join the Palm and Yellow-rumped warblers that had already been in the area for weeks. The group spotted Yellow Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Northern Parula.

The trip ended with a sighting of a Red-breasted Nuthatch fussing with a nest. While the Nuthatch spent a lot of time going around and around the nest, the bird may have been poking around looking for bugs as this species typically does not breed in Chicago and prefers tree cavities for nesting. 

This group of birders can confirm that Garfield Park is an excellent place to experience spring migration.