Field Trip Report: Orland Grasslands

words and photos by Vinod Babu

Fifteen birders set out on an early morning walk at Orland Grassland, a vast, high-quality prairie in southwest Cook County on Sunday, July 7. It was a beautiful summer morning, starting off cool and warming pleasantly into the 70s as we walked. The blue sky was almost as brilliant as the undulating green landscape at Orland.

Participants who arrived early were enjoying the morning's chorus right from the parking lot—Common Yellowthroat, Dickcissel, Field Sparrow, and a distant Eastern Meadowlark. Goldfinches bounded around the space, just getting into the spirit of courtship. After quick introductions, we walked on the paved trail that runs along the northern edge of the prairie, enjoying the antics of a family of Eastern Kingbirds and watching Orchard Orioles alight on the flower stalks of Compass Plant. In short order, we were able to spot and observe a singing Dickcissel, taking a perch recently vacated by a Brown Thrasher. Indigo Buntings sang here and there, amazing new and experienced birders with their brilliance.

We made our way to a grove of trees showing significant damage from the egg-laying of periodical cicadas and watched a flock of tree swallows swirling there. A cooperative Eastern Phoebe perched nearby, pumping their tail.

As we continued along the trail, we were startled to see another tail-twitcher, a Blue Grosbeak! He perched right by the trail and then moved a short distance away, affording us great looks at his plumage and behavior. Participants were thrilled when a pair of male Indigo Buntings landed close to the grosbeak, allowing for good comparison! At one point, a bunting and grosbeak appeared in the same frame in our binoculars and cameras.

Trees damaged by cicadas.

Summer may not offer the variety of bird species that spring migration does, but it allows a much more intimate look at the lives of bird species that stay. We got several instances of this that totally captivated our trip participants—a male Orchard Oriole feeding a Brown-headed Cowbird chick right on the trail, with the chick following the smaller oriole from perch to perch, constantly begging; highly agitated Warbling Vireos harassing a Blue Jay, joined by an Eastern Wood-Pewee and dive-bombing Tree Swallows (the Blue Jay eventually flew off, with a wing feather pecked askew); copulating Indigo Buntings; a Great Egret posing with their nuptial plumes draped gracefully over their wings; a Ruby-throated Hummingbird searching for spiders or spider webs around a bare tree; juvenile American Robins in their striped and dotted plumage; a Red-tailed Hawk being seen off by Red-Winged Blackbirds; and gangs of juvenile European Starlings roaming overhead.

By the time we got to the pond at the northwestern corner of the prairie, we had enjoyed all these sights and more. We also got to see the beauty of our native prairie plants—Rattlesnake Master, Leadplant, Beebalm, False Indigo, and 3 species of Silphium. The air was filled with the fragrance of the Sweetclover that grew everywhere.

Orland Grasslands seen from the parking lot.

We retraced our steps to the parking lot, with a vague goal of then walking south along the eastern edge of the prairie. By the time we got back to the lot though, the group was satisfied with our birding so far, with a species count of 48, and we chose to break for the day.