Thirteen people, including a child, all with warm clothes and binoculars, stand in front of the MiKinley Park lagoon.

words by Em de Blas, trip leader

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On the cool and cloudy morning of April 6, 2025, an excited team of 13 birders got together at McKinley Park with the Chicago Ornithological Society to go see some birds!

After some brief introductions, the walk started off slow with McKinley's classics, such as Mallards, Canada Geese and many visiting Ring-billed Gulls. Among those gulls, a surprise American Herring Gull joined the crowd and gave the beginner birders a nice identification challenge.

Another follow-up surprise appeared in the lagoon as well, as four diving Red-breasted Mergansers showed off their swimming skills to a couple of Double-crested Cormorants hanging out by the shrubbery.

Four ducklike birds swimming, one with a black head, white neck, brown breast, and striking black and white feathers. The other two had brown heads and light brown feathers. All had red eyes, long pointed red bills, and were swimming in the water. — Red-breasted Mergansers. *Photo by Em de Blas, April 6, 2025, at McKinley Park.*

Further down the path, the group was greeted by more spring-time McKinley classics, such as Common Grackles zooming by and Red-winged Blackbirds rhapsodizing.

Along the calm lagoon and onto the dock, the group was able to see an American Kestrel that perched high up on the thin branches of a tall and mature tree. This same path was raving with classic sparrow action, with the group being able to both hear and see White-throated, Song, Fox and Swamp Sparrows all prancing along the greenery.

Small sparrow with reddish feathers on its wings, red spots shaped like arrowheads in streaks on its white break, and a small thick yellow bill perched on a bare limb. — Fox Sparrow. *Photo by Emily Tallo, Indian Ridge Marsh, Nov. 13, 2022.*

Toward the end of the trip at the dock, more surprise visitors greeted the group as the sun began to shine warmly. Two Black-crowned Night Herons were resting along the shore of the McKinley Islands, three Pied-billed Grebes were swimming and buzzing about, and a singular Tree Swallow let the group know that there is so much more bird action to come this spring.

In total, the group witnessed a solid 23 species, and thus concluded a lovely introduction to early spring birds.

Español

En la fresca y nublada mañana del 6 de abril, un entusiasmado equipo de 13 pajareros se reunieron en el Parque de McKinley con la Sociedad Ornitológica de Chicago para observar aves. Tras unas breves presentaciones, el paseo comenzó tranquilamente con los clásicos de McKinley, como patos norteños, gansos canadienses y numerosas gaviotas de pico anillado. Entre ellas, una gaviota plateada se unió al grupo y le dió a los pajareros principiantes un reto interesante de identificación para empezar. Otra sorpresa apareció en la laguna: cuatro mergos copetones les mostraron sus habilidades de natación a una pareja de cormoranes orejones que rondaban entre los arbustos.

Más adelante en el paseo, el grupo fue recibido por más clásicos primaverales de McKinley, como los zanates norteños que pasaban zumbando y los tordos sargentos que cantaban con resplandor. Más adelante en el sendero que bordea la tranquila laguna y el muelle, el grupo recibió otra visita sorpresa de un cernícalo americano posado en lo alto de las delgadas ramas de un árbol alto y maduro. Este mismo sendero rebosaba de gorriones, y el grupo pudo oír y ver gorriones de garganta blanca, cantores, rascones y pantaneros; con todos brincando entre la vegetación y el sendero.

Small bird with gray body, black and white stripes on the head running from orange beak back to the nape of the neck, sitting in a tree. — White-crowned Sparrow. *Photo by Ima Akagawa, McCormick Nature Center, Oct. 25, 2024.*

Hacia el final del recorrido, al concluir en el muelle, más visitantes sorpresa recibieron al grupo mientras el sol comenzaba a brillar cálidamente sobre el parque. Entre ellos, dos garzas nocturnas de corona negra descansaban en la orilla de las islas de McKinley, tres zambullidores de pico grueso nadaban y zumbaban, y una sola golondrina bicolor les hizo saber que esta primavera les espera mucha más actividad aviaria.

En total, el grupo observó 23 especies, concluyendo así una encantadora introducción a las aves primaverales.

Field Trip Recap: Bilingual Walk in McKinley Park