aythya (seabird) valisineria (wild celery)
Saturday, February 23, 1980 — 9:00 am
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
A lone female Canvasback was swimming sedately around in the small patch of open water in front of the blind. Once in a while, it would dive under the water for a short time.
About a month later, I saw my first male swimming in Gillson Park harbor in Wilmette.
bucephala (ox-headed) clangula (noise)
Saturday, February 23, 1980 — 8:45 am
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
In the winter, in the old days, two small areas of Crabtree Lake were kept open by air pumps. These small circles of water would be packed with Canada Geese and Mallards, with lesser numbers of other birds usually included.
I sat in the blind for a while and watched the action. Five Common Goldeneyes were swimming with the other birds, occasionally diving under the surface for ten seconds or so.
Later in the day, I returned to the blind. Two more males had joined the group. All three males were performing courtship rituals. They would hunker down low on the water then throw their heads back with their bills pointed straight up. One male was chasing another, swimming with its head under water and just its back above the surface. Occasionally one would take off, run across the water, fly a short distance and land, skiing across the surface.
lanius (butcher) excubitor (sentinel)
Saturday, February 2, 1980 — 12:30 pm
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
This was a typical Chicago winter day, with snow on the ground, clear blue skies and a cold wind. The Northern Shrike was perched in the top of a tall tree on the prairie trail between the marsh and the prairie. I got fairly close and could see all the field marks (including the light lower mandible and the barring on the breast) before the shrike flew to the top of another tree further away. When it flew, it dropped down off its perch, flew just above the ground and rose up again just before arriving at the next perch.
bonasa (from bonus, good, and assum, a roast) umbellus (umbrella, in reference to the feather tufts on its neck)
Saturday, December 29, 1979 — 11:00 am
McNaughton, Wisconsin — Spider Lake Road
Two Ruffed Grouse flew across the road in front of my car. The flew about four feet off the ground, arrow straight, and disappeared into the woods. I saw a fan shaped tail with a black band.
corvus (raven) corax (croaker)
Friday, December 28, 1979 — 8:30 am
McNaughton, Wisconsin
A friend and I were walking along a road through the woods when this raven flew overhead, croaking loudly. It passed so close to us that I could hear its wings beating.
