Getting birdy

I can't seem to walk outside these days without hearing a call note from a migratory bird species. If it's not a white-throated sparrow, it's a dark-eyed junco or some other songbird headed north. One day it was a yellow-rumped warbler, clinging to the side of The Salvation Army building a few blocks away. Sunday, it was a junco in the alley. One other notable sighting: a black-crowned night heron braving the mid-40s temperatures over Lake Shore Drive yesterday.

Cat fever

In perhaps the most insane story ever posted here, a puma has been killed on the North Side of Chicago. Visitors may recall that previous posts discussing the cougar outbreak in the Upper Midwest. A couple months back, a cougar was located in southern Wisconsin near the town of Milton. Two weeks ago, a cougar was reported about 33 miles north of here in North Chicago. Then reports came in yesterday of a cougar about nine miles north of here in Wilmette. Finally, one of the big cats was sighted today 3 miles from here in the neighborhood of Roscoe Village.

The leading theory is that cougars are moving east out of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The animals are growing in numbers in Minnesota and now Wisconsin. These "wandering males" are attracted by the abundant deer population. One wonders what the killing's animal cruelty implications will be as the video of bulletproof-vested cops shooting the feline in a city alley is on the Web.

Cold rain

Lest you think that I haven't been paying attention to the weather lately, this post will be all about the fickle climate in these parts. This past winter was a rough one, with a lot of snow, thaws and flooding. Spring is here, but just barely. It's 38.1 degrees right now with light rain. We've only had a couple sunny days this spring that have drawn out a few hearty bulbs like crocuses. There has been little warmth, and the span since our last 70 degree high (since Oct. 21) is threatening to break a record.

The flooding has continued in parts of Illinois. Today there are watches and warnings from here to Ridott. Last night, seated in Row 6 of Section 531 at the Chicago White Sox-Detroit Tigers tilt, temperatures dropped to about 41. There was sporadic light rain all night, and most of the fans huddled under roofed areas of U.S. Cellular Field. The Tribune ran a piece today about the latest unpleasantness.

Aprils here usually produce 1.3 inches of snow on average, but we have yet to see any. There is a chance we'll see snow tonight with temperatures dropping further. All of this is limiting outdoor activities this weekend, but we hope to be back out looking for early spring warblers by next Saturday.

Turkey aggression

Owen Conservation Park is a 93-acre wonderland on the west side of Madison, Wis. A hilltop prairie with surrounding oak savannas, the park has a lovely view of the state capitol. In spring, woodcocks are known to engage in their courtship display here.

In a stunning development, turkeys at idyllic Owen Conservation Park are also attacking hominids. Regular visitors know that this also is happening in the Twin Cities area. Officials attribute the Owen Park attacks to the enthusiasm of the breeding season.

Dune fox

A neat picture (I can't claim credit) of a red fox at Montrose Beach Dunes. More photos here.

Avian terror

Two bird attacks have been in the news lately. First, a resident red-tailed hawk at Fenway Park attacked a girl who was on a field trip. Second, things have gotten out of hand at a Minnesota apartment complex where a vicious turkey is attacking residents.

City woodcock

Today, a surprising spring discovery on West Lakeside Place. An american woodcock was sighted just outside our wrought-iron fence. We were cleaning up our yard when a bird flushed just west of us. The distinctive whistling of the wings was enough to ID it as a woodcock, and the long bill and woodcock-ian flight were evident as well. It flew north between two condo buildings. Obviously, the first shorebird for our yard list, and one of my top all-time Chicago neighborhood sightings (virginia rail still No. 1).

Spring is here although we found a hidden chunk of ice amid the leaves and winter detritus today (it was like one of those impacted glaciers that formed all the bogs around here). There are some tiny chutes starting to come up in our yard, and I saw a red-winged blackbird fly over Lake Shore Drive today. Our stirring of the front yard soil attracted a hearty american robin as well. The spring reports of migrating birds are coming in from all over the Midwest.