Oct. 20, 2019 - North Shore - Birds

These bird photos were all taken during our mid-September trip to the North Shore.

Black-capped Chickadees are energetic and cheerful little birds. I liked getting a photo of this one next to some colorful fall leaves on Park Hill Road in Lake County.

ChickadeeBlackcappedParkHillRoadLakeCounty20190917

This flycatcher was in the brush at Taconite Harbor. Flycatchers can be hard to identify because several of them look so much alike. The best way to tell them apart is by hearing them sing because their songs are unique. However, at this time of year, most of them are not singing. My best guess is that this is a Least Flycatcher, but I didn’t hear it sing so I can’t be sure of that.

FlycatcherLeastTaconiteHarborCookCounty20190914

This Hermit Thrush and the rest of the birds in this set, were all photographed along the East General Grade Road in Lake County. Several thrush species look very similar but the reddish tail on this bird identifies it as a Hermit Thrush.

ThrushHermitEastGeneralGradeRoadLakeCounty20190919

I passed a large clear-cut area with just a few trees left standing. This juvenile Broad-winged Hawk was perched in one of those trees. It was surveying the area looking for something to eat.

HawkRedtailedjuvenileEastGeneralGradeRoadLakeCounty20190919

I found a White-throated Sparrow that was quite well hidden in a Cedar tree.

SparrowWhitethroatedEastGeneralGradeRoadLakeCounty20190919

Red-breasted Nuthatches molt in late summer or early fall so this one has a colorful set of brand-new feathers. The black cap on its head identifies it as a male.

NuthatchRedbreastedmaleEastGeneralGradeRoadLakeCounty20190919

Here’s a female Magnolia Warbler. The plumage of many warblers is faded by the time fall comes around. For instance, the spots on her belly would have been solid black in the spring and would have been close enough together that they might have looked like solid lines.

WarblerMagnoliaEastGeneralGradeRoadLakeCounty20190919

This Palm Warbler also looks quite drab. In spring, it would have a brown cap and bright yellow feathers under the tail.

WarblerPalmEastGeneralGradeRoadLakeCounty20190919