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Back in Chicago a little over five months since I was last here - and back at Montrose Point, home of the ‘Magic Hedge’ and a magnet for both birds and birders. When I was here in May of course I was looking for migrant warblers and sparrows: this time I was on a search [...]

Mike’s post “Where will you be birding this first week of September” reminded me that while North American birders are looking forward to seeing catharus thrushes, grosbeaks, tanagers and wood-warblers etc, birders on this side of the Atlantic are looking forward to seeing, well…catharus thrushes, grosbeaks, tanagers, and - er, wood warblers actually. Yes, [...]

Kids today have such colorful colloquialisms, don’t they? Instead of describing an ill-conceived venture as wobbly, weak, lacking in coolness, or destined for the opposite of success, witty webheads say it’s made of fail. That’s a powerful concept; the recipe is so fatally flawed that fail is baked right into the bread. Sounds like my [...]

There are few times of the year more exciting in the North American birding calendar than the middle weeks of May. Why should this be? The spring sales in birding stores perhaps? The best time to get a bargain on new binoculars? Maybe - I have no idea to be honest…but frankly if you’re looking [...]

Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, 16 April 2005

Illinois, apparently, is recognized as the 6th most popular state and Chicago is the 9th most visited U.S. city by overseas visitors (which I guess includes me). Chicago - with a population of about 3 million - is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the heart of [...]