anas (duck) rubripes (rom ruber, red, and pes, foot)
Wednesday, October 3, 1979 — 10:00 am
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
I sat in the blind on Bulrush Pond and watched the Black Ducks feeding in a group, picking at the surface of the water.
anas (duck) crecca (the quack note of this duck)
Wednesday, October 3, 1979 — 9:30 am
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
I birded for six-and-a-half hours this day. I don’t remember why I had that much time available on a Wednesday. But I do remember having fun.
The Green-winged Teal was picking in the water and on the shore along the edge of the island in Sulky Pond. I first noticed it because it was much smaller than the Mallards it was associating with.
certhia (tree creeper) americana (of America)
Tuesday, October 2, 1979 — 1:00 pm
Des Plaines, Illinois
During my early days of birding I spent hours pouring over bird books and field guides, memorizing field marks, studying range maps, anything that had anything to do with birds. The Brown Creeper had me worried. It was small, brown and inconspicuous. I figured I’d be fortunate to ever see one.
And then I saw one, right in my own backyard, less than five months after I started birding. I first spotted it climbing on the trunk of a red maple. It flew to a large mulberry tree and spiraled up that trunk.
catharus (pure, referring to purity of song) guttatus (spotted)
Tuesday, October 2, 1979 — 1:00 pm
Des Plaines, Illinois
I spotted this Hermit Thrush as it perched in the bushes in my backyard and walked on the ground nearby. It frequently slowly raised and lowered it rust-colored tail.
zonotrichia (from zone, girdle, belt and trichos, hair) albicollis (from albus, white, and collum, neck)
Sunday, September 30, 1979 — 12:00 noon
Glencoe, Illinois — Botanic Gardens
My fiancée and I walked most of the paths, including the one that led through a small wooded area. The White-throated Sparrows were foraging in the leaves on the trail through the woods, not much minding the steady progression of people.
