Listing Through Life

dendroica (from dendron, tree, and oikein, to dwell) striata (striped)

Wednesday, May 21, 1980 — 2:05 pm

Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center

In front of the visitor center at Crabtree, there is a large meadow leading down to Sulky Pond. In this meadow, there are four or five large oak trees, widely separated from each other. I was walking along the path toward Crabtree Lake when I noticed some warblers moving about the branches of one of these trees. This Blackpoll Warbler was one of them.

dendroica (from dendron, tree, and oikein, to dwell) petechia (red spots on the skin)

Wednesday, May 21, 1980 — 1:40 pm

Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center

At Crabtree, there is a large marsh next to the parking lot. Between the marsh and the lot is a small grove of small trees. This Yellow Warbler was perched in one of those trees.

catharus (purity of song) fuscescens (dusky)

Tuesday, May 20, 1980 — 12:45 pm

Des Plaines, Illinois — home

One of the Swainson’s Thrushes was still hanging around two days after I first spotted them. My friend stopped by, and I took him to the window to see it. We were looking at it the backyard when I noticed this Veery. It was standing in the bird bath at the time. It then began foraging on the ground under the nearby bushes.

catharus (purity of song) ustulatus (singed)

Sunday, May 18, 1980 — 1:40 pm

Des Plaines, Illinois — home

There was a row of bushes along the property line between our backyard and the backyard next door. There was also a large mulberry tree next to the shed. I put a bird bath under the bushes next to the shed, punched a small hole in a plastic milk carton and hung it over the bath. A drop of water would plop into the bath every twenty seconds or so, and it drew migrating birds like a magnet. I spent hours watching out the window and so got a chance to study and become familiar with a lot of birds that are hard to see well in the woods. I spotted this Swainson’s Thrush foraging on the ground under the bushes and splashing in the bird bath.

seiurus (from seio, to shake, and oura, tail) noveboracensis (of New York)

Thursday, May 15, 1980 — 5:00 pm

Deerfield, Illinois

The woods on campus at this time were a bit muddy, and standing puddles of water were scattered here and there among the trees. Just inside the tree-line near the baseball diamond was a particularly large puddle. I noticed two Waterthrushes foraging in and along the edge of the water. They were walking on the ground and on logs and sticks. I got to within five feet on a few occasions.