Prairie on a Cold Spring Morning

On a brisk 37 degree morning in Northern Illinois I decided to dust off my camera and explore the progress of “spring”.  I hit Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve by 6:30am, just in time for first light to melt the patchy frost.  A week and a half ago temps were pushing the upper 80’s and summer felt in full swing.  In typical Chicago fashion things didn’t last long, the weather returned to its fickle spring form with storms and (what now seemed like) bitter cold.

Despite a 3 hour hike I only came across one butterfly – a red admiral, Vanessa atalanta, and about a half-dozen dog ticks (Dermacentor sp.).  Beggars can’t be choosers, there was hardly a single insect out.  I might as well take photos of birds…

Tree Swallow pair, Tachycineta bicolor

The very first and most abundant birds were the Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor.  These two were just greeting the dawn and stretching out their little legs.  They seemed to be rather patient subjects, a good first-bird-to-ever-photograph!

Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor

Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor

Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus

A prairie isn’t complete without a chorus of Redwinged-Blackbirds.

Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis

Despite my best efforts this is one of the better Sandhill Crane images I could get.  If you click through my Flickr set you’ll find one more, but sneaking up on them in the marsh was rather difficult.  I don’t get birds yet…

American Robin, Turdus migratorius

Coyote, Canis latrans

This Coyote let me get pretty close, looks like they are fed well in suburbia.

All of the birds seen on March 29, 2012:

(at least the ones I can ID)

American Robin

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Black-capped Chickadee

Eastern Meadowlark

American Woodcock

Sandhill Crane

Tree Swallow

Eastern Bluebird

Song Sparrow

Blue-winged Teal

Mallard Duck

Mute Swan

Canada Goose

Killdeer

(and other ducks…)

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