Former Chicago Sun-Times outdoors columnist
Joined December 2011
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1,055 Photos and videos
Jun 12
Last evening my wife sent a photo of a bird at our feeder. First thought? Monk parakeet, then, this a.m. I got multiple photos of it. Merlin ID'd it as an Australian parrot, budgerigar. Most likely, an escapee from a neighbor, but, considering recent weather, it could've blown in
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Jun 12
Wild evening beyond the weather. I went with a guy from church to experience David Byrne's "Theater of the Mind" at the Goodman. I'm going to have to mull it for a couple days, but it was definitely a mindbender. There's good reason its run was extended a good bit.
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My first hummingbird at my feeder today. Don't strain your eyes trying to find it in the photo. I wasn't quick enough on the draw. My wife thought she saw one a couple days ago, too. Feels like another step in the seasonal progression. Helps to have my wife's flowers around, too.
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FOTY lightning bug last night, spotted by my wife, as we walked Lady. This morning, FOTY fallen mulberries dotted the ground, a foot too high for me to pick ripe ones. No, I'm not picking ones off the ground. That was followed by seeing my first woodcock anywhere in June.
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Love The Wetlands Initiative's Hennepin & Hopper lakes project. Today, site manager Justin Seibert took out Dick Schroeder, Alan Fisher & myself. Raised 2 dozen big fish (largemouth, muskie, bowfin) & saw a spotted gar, but only netted four. Best 2: muskie & 4-pound largemouth
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Yesterday we restarted weekly work at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area. We worked on sweet clover. Coreopsis (photo) and foxglove beardtongue were colorful; added 3 new site birds: marsh wren, Carolina wren, willow flycatcher. We could use help. If so inclined, DM me.
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May 28
Had a ball yesterday visiting with Tom Schrader watching a peregrine nest in an odd place in Aurora. Always a good time talking and looking with Tom.
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May 24
We quick stopped at Crane Trust Nature Center near Grand Island, Nebraska, right off I-80 halfway home, hoping to see sandhill cranes. No luck, but we picked up 20 birds as we walked to the observation tower, including bobwhite, eastern warbling vireo, spotted sandpipers.
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May 21
Mammals in w. Colorado. Yday mule deer near Cimarron, antelope Montrose to Grand Junction. Today beaver while fishing Grand Mesa mountain lakes. Notable birds: violet-green swallow, wild turkey, guess Colorado native Merriam's (elevation, light color), not introduced Rio Grande.
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May 20
Today focused along the Gunnison River, rugged country. Good views of the snow-capped San Juans. Unusual birds: Virginia's warbler, western meadowlark. Unusual plants: redstem stork's bill, bitterbush, lobeleaf groundsel, spreading fleabane, bitterbush, sulfurflower buckwheat.
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May 19
Pinon jays are as big a pain in the ass as other jays. But new birds/plants at Colorado National Monument today. New plants: black sagebrush, green Mormon tea, pinyon pine, Utah juniper, big sagebrush and tulip prickly pear. Other new birds: canyon wren and white-throated swift.
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May 12
First ducklings of the year. I knew this mallard pair was nesting near the trail I ramble with Lady mornings at Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve. I hadn't seen them for a couple days, then the hen shows up with ducklings this morning. It brightened my day.
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2 Baltimore orioles were in the open. One flew off as I snapped. Can't see the other. Birdy week with Lady at HIWP. Today 24. Notables: N. waterthrush, E. warbling vireo, nashville warbler, northern parula, white-throated sparrow, N. yellow warbler, black-throated green warbler
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"Friends," an outsized sculpture of bluebirds by Marlene Miller, watching over a sea of wild geraniums at Luthy Botanical Garden in Peoria. Interesting side trip for us on our long weekend around Ralph and Kayla's wedding.
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On our way to visit our youngest son in Bloomington, we came down the remnants of Route 66 from Dwight instead of I-55. Seemed the right thing to do on the Centennial of Route 66. The old remaining patches of the original highway are kind of like visiting a dilapidated graveyard.
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Apr 29
In the excitement of the 9th, the guy keeping score two rows in front of me turns around enough that I see it's Quinn Wunar, one of the great Chicago anglers. What a freaking game. I'm 2-0 for the Sox season, both extra-inning games. #Chicagofishing @whitesox
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Apr 28
Between rains this afternoon Mark Brown and I ventured out to look for morels. I found plenty of fungi, but neither of us found morels. The afternoon was good, but a batch of morels would have made it even better.
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Apr 26
Wonderful evening of smelting in Burnham Harbor. Nets were empty but our spirits were full. So were our bellies. Caught up with people I hadn't seen in years. Nice to join Steve Palmisano, his friends and family for the first time. For decades I was working when they gathered.
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Apr 24
A bird out of the ordinary made me switch on Merlin as Lady and I rambled. It was a palm warbler. Merlin picked up 18. Other notables: pine warbler, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler. No orioles. Had my first green heron at the Preserve and mallards, such as above.
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Apr 22
Made my first cutting of spinach for the year. You can hear wrens, not sure if they're yelling at me or cheering, in the background. If you listen closely, you should hear sparrows, robins and starlings. There's also a distant blue jay, but I suspect most can't hear it.
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