Chicago River Canoe & Kayak
The Great Outdoors, Right Next Door

Date: Sun, 28 May 2006; Observer: Alan Anderson

Karen Mansfield and I had talked about canoeing the Chicago River for about two years, and finally we accomplished that today - worth the wait. We headed out from the Clark Park location of Chicago River Canoe and Kayak about 9:15a.m. and canoed from Clark Park to Foster Avenue and back (about 3 and 1/2 hours).

THE highlight (and lifer for Karen) was a LEAST BITTERN just north of Montrose. It flew by us on our right and landed among a bunch of large white rocks. We canoed slowly close by, and anchored (using my paddle) slightly offshore and observed the bittern for about 15 minutes. By staying still, we were able to watch it up close, while it skulked slowly forward while seeking food, and moving it's throat and neck musles in anticipation. Really such a pretty bird, and by far the best observation of this species I've ever had. It flew to the west side of the river, under the pilings of a boat dock, and we headed north. We didn't see it on our way south later.

Other highlights:

• 2 HOODED MERGANSERS (female or 1st year males) just south of Addison
• 2 adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON north of Argyle
• 4 GREEN HERON (pair just south of Foster, and 2 singles farther south)
• pair of adult HAIRY WOODPECKER taking food to at least 2 young in nest hole at Ronan Park
• two SWAINSON THRUSH including one singing (saw it singing too)
• only seven warbler species but included a
• LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (great looks) at Ronan Park
• AMERICAN REDSTART (few singing), OVENBIRD, CANADA WARBLER, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, WILSON'S WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
• others included E. WOOD-PEWEE, at least three Alder/Willow FLYCATCHERS, RED-EYED VIREO, WARBLING VIREO, BALTIMORE ORIOLES, CEDAR WAXWINGS and a pair of BELTED KINGFISHER
• confirmed nesters besides the Hairy Wdpr. included: CANADA GOOSE, MALLARD, BARN and ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (one nest in a covered boat!- the owner will be surprised!), COMMON GRACKLE, ROCK DOVE, E. STARLING and HOSUE SPARROW; the domestic geese (seen north of Addison) have increased to 8 in number.
• we found one MONK PARAKEET nest south of Wilson, but unsure if it was active still (didn't hear any while nearby)
• at least 8 singing GRAY CATBIRDS
• Mammals seen included MUSKRAT and RACOON along the banks. I see why Tim Kuesel enjoys birding by canoe so much; Karen joked about buying a canoe (at least I think she was joking).
• I finally saw my first COMMON NIGHTHAWK of the year this evening, while taking my dog for a walk in Des Plaines.

  Sunday, May 08, 2005; Observer: Tim from Brookfield

  Subject: IBET: Canoe Birding the Chicago River this AM

  A splendid outing from roughly 8 AM to 11 AM today drifting leisurely from our put-in at Oakton and McCormick to up behind the Ecology Center at Bridge Street, (where the ENSBC folks hold their meetings). Just before turning around at this juncture, we came across what constituted a lifer mammal sighting for most of the dozen folks in our group. Our outfitter for the day, Ryan Chew, had just drawn our attention to a worn, narrow foot path on the East side of the river and remarked that it was a "mink trail". He had actually seen a mink walking along it on a previous trip. Not thirty seconds after uttering this statement, his mink obligingly appeared walking down the path. We were advised this fierce little guy has made a significant dent in the beaver and muskrat populations here by raiding their nests, though we did see those two species here today as well.

  For those of you that may have read the recent Trib article, you will not be surprised that we encountered numerous, (probably fifteeen or so), of the blue and white signs earmarking the new awareness campaign on Chicago River contamination. These signs proclaimed "Caution - This Water Not Suitable For Wading, Swimming, Jet Skiing, Water Skiing, Tubing, or Any Human Body Contact". The 61 avian species we located from our canoe and kayak seats seemed unconcerned, however. We detected 13 Warbler species for the morning, with NORTHERN PARULA, (3), and MAGNOLIA, (2), being the most cooperative posers, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH predictably the most abundant, (we guessed 25 to 30 individuals, with YELLOWS coming in second at about a dozen), and perhaps the singletons of WILSON'S, BLUE-WINGED and OVENBIRD the most unexpected.

  We found three ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS amongst the approximately 85 BARNIES, (most gathering mud from the banks and rising to the bridge supports), and the 60 or so TREE SWALLOWS swooping, wire perching, and doing their liquid CHEET sound. A few more results raised the eyebrows of we birder canoeists - 7 BALTIMORE ORIOLES, 8 GRAY CATBIRDS, 20 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, 3 VIREO Species, (1 WHITE-EYED, 4 WARBLING, 3 RED-EYED), and a single early CHIMNEY SWIFT overhead. Also atypical would be getting only singletons of river species like BELTED KINGFISHER, WOOD DUCK, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, and GREEN HERON, and no GREAT BLUES at all, (Ryan speculating they are all out at rookeries at the moment). Two EASTERN PHOEBES and two nonvocal EMPIES, only one CHICKADEE, no NUTHATCHES, no CREEPERS, no WRENS, zero THRASHERS, zero TOWHEES, the expected mix of WOODPECKERS and JAYS and CROWS and SPARROWS, just 6 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS and one SOLITARY. Pete Quagliana told us of a GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH he garnered a few blocks before meeting us all at the launch site, but the group managed only 2 HERMITS during our cruise and no other non-ROBIN thrushes.

  Seven busy, noisy, stick-gathering MONK PARAKEETS greeted us all at arrival and remained to bid us adieu, letting us know the cell tower above the parking lot was now claimed as theirs. Our collective thanks go to Sigrid Schmidt for organizing what turned out to be a pleasant float, regardless of those worrisome signs.

  Be Well, IBET

  Tim, Brookfield (Cook County)

  Some Birds Ryan Often Sees Along the Chicago (not comprehensive):