Field Trip Report: Canoeing & Birding Along the Chicago River


View of river and other canoers from front of canoe with green trees on the banks

words and most photos by Julianna Griggs

On a slightly breezy Wednesday morning, there’s nothing better than starting your day on the water watching some birds. I was lucky enough to participate in RiverLab’s Early Morning Birding Paddle on Aug. 14, which started at 6 a.m. at the River Boat House at River Park and went until 8 a.m.

I’m not much of a morning person but days like that made me want to be. No noisy traffic, barely a person in sight, and so many birds gracing the sides of the river. The water silkily lapping up against our canoes, while myriad overgrown plants burst with life as the newly born rays of sunshine graced them. A Monet painting in the making.

Mallards, a large brown duck, on rocks at the edge of the water.

Mallards calmly watching the canoes go by.

I shared my journey with my mother, who enjoyed the excursion, yet has about as much experience as I when it comes to birding and canoeing—almost none. Two women from the Chicago Park District were our guides, which coincidentally made us an all-female team along the river. They pointed out birds by sight or sound for those of us not as experienced.

As a beginning birder, my tracking of the birds was average at best, but I kept a log to the best of my ability as we canoed. This list was compiled from what I saw and could identify as well as what our guides pointed out to us along the way. We saw:

  • Double-crested Cormorant

  • Black-crowned Night Heron

  • Swallows (species unknown)

  • Green Heron

  • Great Blue Heron

  • Hooded Merganser

  • Woodpecker (species unknown)

Large bird with white chest and black cap sitting on a branch overhanging the river.

Black-crowned Night Heron.

It surprised many of us how close we were able to get to these birds, slowly paddling alongside the banks to be within an arm’s reach of them. Of course, no one actively attempted to disturb any of the birds, but that is not to say that the birds did not try to disturb us.

On more than one occasion, a heron would soar directly towards us and then perch themselves on branches near and above us, screeching as they went by. Many of us joked that it felt like we were in the prehistoric ages or at Jurassic Park with how much they looked and sounded like pterodactyls.

Large long-necked, long-legged bird with bright yellow round eye and long, powerful bill.

Great Blue Heron. Photo by Dustin Weidner, River Park, Sept. 2, 2023.

 
Field TripKris HansenRiver Park