Someone left a small mound of corn in the middle of the woods. Birds were competing to see who could get the most kernels in their beaks. Weirdly, there were no squirrels anywhere in sight.🪶

Muskrat says nom nom

A fearsome northern shrike at Rollins Savanna

Asymmetric antler shedding 🦌

There was a thick wall of trees between me and this eagle, but I eventually found a narrow spot that allowed for a reasonably unobstructed view. 🪶

A sandhill crane foraging along the Dead River, "a river with some unusual, and occasionally dangerous, habits," according to Atlas Obscura. On this occasion, the river was well behaved. 🪶

Transition from the colors and textures of flowers to the colors and textures of seeds

Tundra swans, flying over Van Patten Woods, probably headed toward the Atlantic coast 🪶

At the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, red-headed woodpeckers were trying their best to cache food, but blue jays were following them around with piratical tenacity. 🪶

Shadow selfie with telephoto lens

It's the perennial fan favorite, a tufted titmouse. Like other chickadees, they don't migrate, so we have chances to see them year-round in northern Illinois. 🪶

Wood duck drakes flying over Longjohn Slough 🪶

A large group of crows seems to congregate regularly in the early morning at Northerly Island. This one found some kind of small morsel. 🪶

This Cooper's hawk was tangling with the crows at Northerly Island. Back-and-forth chasing between these similarly-sized birds is not all that uncommon. The crows have the advantage because they work in groups to harass individual hawks. 🪶

A Cooper's hawk, perched on a concrete block forming part of the seawall along the shore of Lake Michigan 🪶

A little falcon with a loose feather - an American kestrel at Northerly Island 🪶

Mallard dating games at Northerly Island -- 3 males engaging in synchronized head-up-tail-up displays. 🪶

A trio of dunlins in their non-breeding plumage, seen at Northerly Island 🪶

Song sparrow departure 🪶

There were ~40 sandhill cranes foraging when I arrived in the early morning. Over the course of a half hour, they peeled off in small groups and headed southward. Smart birds -- they got out before the snow arrived. 🪶

First snowfall of the year.... ❄️

A fox sparrow--there are 4 subspecies with different patterns of coloration; it is the red subspecies that winters hereabouts. 🪶

Mallard madness 🪶

Red-tailed hawk, another raptor patrolling Goose Lake Prairie 🪶

I saw 4 ring-necked pheasants on this outing, but none of them were particularly interested in being photographed. This is the best I could manage, as this one rushed into the undergrowth. 🪶

Immature bald eagle, soaring over Goose Lake Prairie 🪶

One more picture of the northern harrier I saw at Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area 🪶

Sentry on duty 🪶

The northern harrier, on the hunt 🪶

A beautiful northern harrier, taking a quick break from her hunt. 🪶

Another kestrel shot, this time perching on a streetlight over Montrose harbor (which has clearly been befouled by numerous seagulls) 🪶

An American kestrel, one of a pair that was zooming around Montrose Point yesterday 🪶

A pair of sandhill cranes foraging along the banks of the Fox River 🪶

One of the undeniable rock stars of the bird world, the cedar waxwing 🪶

Rusty blackbirds, foraging and squabbling. There were about 15 of them in total visiting Volo Bog. 🪶

A purple finch preparing to bathe at Volo Bog 🪶

Alarmingly large black oil beetle, out and about in November. #invertebrates

A bald eagle 🪶

American tree sparrow, with its trademark bicolor beak, now back in the area for winter. 🪶

A yellow-rumped warbler, gobbling berries up one after another 🪶

Rude

A trio of greater yellowlegs, taking a one-legged nap on a shallow spot in the middle of the Fox River 🪶

The Farnsworth House, designed by Mies van der Rohe, surrounded by fall foliage on the Fox River

A great blue heron, displaying their trademark steely-eyed intensity 🪶

A procession (there were 7 in total) of trumpeter swans, moving regally up the Des Plaines River 🪶

Portrait of a song sparrow 🪶

Found a promising winter den 🐿️

House finch contemplating an apple for breakfast 🪶

Red-headed woodpecker in the middle of a molt 🪶

Smartweed is still bringing some color to early November