Ten people with binoculars, wearing jackets, on a grassy field.

words by Brighten Jelke

Twelve birders gathered on a chilly Friday morning September 6 for a walk through Horner Park. “After the north winds coming through last night, a lot of birds will be moving, and we might see some actually migrating during our walk,” explained field trip leader and COS board member Stephanie Beilke.

Large black bird with dark eye and thick beak, perched on a bare branch. — American Crow. *Photo by Walter Marcisz, Burnham Prairie Preserve, Nov. 1, 2020.*

We saw some of the usual suspects to start—Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, American Crows and Black-capped Chickadees—but it was overall fairly quiet as we headed toward the river. This could have been because of the low temperatures or because of the Cooper's Hawk diving into the grass from the pine trees at the edge of the field.

Green Heron. *Photo by Alex Muench, Humboldt Park, Aug. 27, 2024.*

Along the river, we carefully scanned the banks on both sides and were rewarded with the heron trifecta of Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, and Black-crowned Night Heron. A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron had been reported at Horner a couple of days prior, so we were on the lookout for a fourth heron species, but didn’t end up seeing any. We did, however, get great looks at a curious Marsh Wren popping up from the reeds along the bank.

As we circled back around to our starting location, we observed plenty of seasonal bird behavior. The Northern Cardinals and European Starlings were visibly molting from juvenile to adult plumage, and the Song Sparrows seemed particularly scruffy. A few Blue Jays fluttered around a cluster of oak trees, carrying acorns as they went. A horde of young American Robins chattered in trees and bathed in puddles close to the main path.

Small bird with dark eye, pale eye ring, yellowish reathers on its head and back, buffy underneath, with white wing bars, perched among leaves — Bay-breasted Warbler in fall plumage. *Photo by Carl Giometti, Chicago’s Women’s Park, Sept. 1, 2021.*

We ended the walk with a bang as the sun hit the tops of the trees in the center of the park and everything seemed to come alive in the beautiful weather. Within one small area near the hill, we got excellent looks at a Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a cluster of warblers, including Tennessee, Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, and American Redstart. The total count for the day was 36 species.

Field Trip: Horner Park