A Cooper’s Hawk took out a Rock Pigeon on my street a few days ago. Murder bird! 🪶

In addition to being a novelist, yes, he is a birder (as anyone who's read Freedom can attest)!

Today's post is an appreciation of artist and Chicago icon Tony Fitzpatrick. Tony and I weren’t great friends, and I’ll be the first to say I didn’t really know him that well. I only benefited from his generosity and absorbing some of his world view. www.twibchicago.com/p/the-birdma... 🪶

Amazing how many of these still exist in some form or another!

It was fun catching with maybe the only local birding columnist in the Chicago area recently. Jeff's written for the Daily Herald for 20-plus years and has a new book available. www.twibchicago.com/p/a-conversa...

Me with Ben Hecht’s Oscar last week @newberrylibrary.bsky.social. He won it as screenwriter for 1927’s Underworld. Yes, he used it as a doorstop. #filmsky

“It was a national tragedy and one that bound the Great Lakes together. The ship was funded by a company from Wisconsin, built in Michigan, laden with taconite from Minnesota, and staffed by a crew from Ohio. The troubadour who told its story was from Ontario.” www.twibchicago.com/p/in-the-roo...

Who doesn’t want to curl up for a nap on a gloomy fall day? 🌱 🪴

Always be birding and you might see something new! These House Sparrows were rummaging and scratching through some leaves just like a White-throated Sparrow might do. Not sure what they were finding - worms? seeds? - but it must have been delicious. On a very urban corner here in town. 🦉

Asters still in bloom at Montrose Beach Dunes, Chicago, last week. 🌱 🪴

A long time before Monty and Rose, Chicago had a very different connection with plovers. Introducing Plover Joe. www.twibchicago.com/p/plover-joe

I believe this was Odell, IL, and you can hear I-55 in the background.

Throwback to a very foggy day on Halloween three years ago. I was passing through a small town and there was a merry go round spinning and spinning and no one in sight. 😱

Spotted cucumber beetle. 🪲 🪴 🌱

Trying out a new lens on a backyard marigold. 🪴 🌱

Then there’s Ben Johnson, the sprinter! 🇨🇦

Ben Jonson was “the second greatest playwright” after Shakespeare, and Ben Johnson is the new Bears head coach who has everyone excited. Just to clear up any confusion 👇

Goodbye to the Damen Silos and a connection to a previous era in Chicago and the Midwest. Always a great place to go birding, around Bubbly Creek, Canalport Riverwalk and more. #canadagoose

Thank you WGN and Spotlight Chicago for the opportunity to talk about the Newberry and the Winging It exhibition today. We covered a lot including Monty and Rose, the prairie chicken (should be Illinois state bird) and protecting endangered species. Thanks to hosts Sarah Jindra and Ji Suk Yi.

A surprising visitor to the Newberry last week! A young peregrine falcon spent more than a day around the parking lot and the 2nd floor. Chicago Peregrine Program said there was nothing to worry about with Lizzy, which is the name of this young female. She was just out testing her wings. 🪶

Hi all, the Winging It exhibition I’ve curated opens tomorrow and I’m looking forward to sharing it with the world. I’ll be in the gallery as much as possible tomorrow and Saturday from about 10am-4pm. I hope you have a chance to visit, runs through September 27 at the Newberry Library.

Handsome house sparrow portrait.

Mayapple season has quickly escalated. 🍏 🌱 🪴

Bringing plovers back to Wisconsin Point near Superior, Wis., is, personal. Thank you to @chicagopiping.bsky.social for drawing my attention to this story! www.twibchicago.com/p/piping-plo...

Birders may like today’s strands. Strands #425 “What a trill!” 💡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🟡🔵🔵

Baltimore Orioles can’t resist this sweet setup. Now we wait for our first visit.

It’s May 1 and spring migration is near its peak so it is time to be cautious and recall this important insight. 🪶

Another item found with the Street Birds photos (1981) in the archives of @chicagoreader.com - a critique called The President’s Brain Is Missing, stating that editorialists were soon going to proclaim that “Reagan is just plain stupid.”

They're just trying to get through their day like the rest of us. "Cold as shit out here, am I right?" says one to the other.

Here are more photos from “Street Birds,” the 1981 feature article in @chicagoreader.com

In November 1981, the Reader published Street Birds, a big feature on pigeons, starlings, and sparrows. “They are mean, smart, and resourceful. They have to be—it’s a city out there.” Here’s a glossy print in the Newberry collection, by a photographer named Mike Tappin. cc @imleor.bsky.social

Even Nikola Jovic can’t save the Heat’s season tonight.

One of the local Great Blue Herons starts the day with a bit of preening, a nest is just below, about 40’ up in a tree. In the Chicago River floodplain. 🪶

A look at where all the warblers passing through spend the summer. open.substack.com/pub/twib/p/t...

Quite a large aquatic rodent here this evening on the Chicago River’s North Branch. 🦫

I heard my first oriole of the year today, which seemed early, but it looks like there are plenty around already (see map). The earliest in Cook Co was April 18 (!) in Brookfield.

Movie you’ve watched more than six times using gifs. (“Hard mode” no Star Wars, Star Trek, or LOTR)

Damn, I should’ve checked the Yellowthroats more carefully while there!

Ok, so why are Montrose Point and the Magic Hedge magical? Because in 30 minutes just now I had 37 species!

Bears have not had a great track record with tight ends since Ditka.

So delicate and pretty!

A few spring wildflowers. Not quite peak here (northern Cook County IL) but getting there. 🌱 🪴

Going to install my Catstrap ™️ today (catalytic converter protector). It doesn’t get better than this.

When I think about why birds are declining, it is small stuff like this that adds up.

In this house, we believe in this CECOT. #mlb #whitesox #blacksox

Visiting Canaryville today with a Newberry Library adult ed class. First stop is looking at interesting housing types.

“THE WILD MAN OF BASEBALL, WHO DARED DO IT ALL-AND TELL IT ALL...THE GREATEST SPORTS STORY EVER TOLD!" When you’re from Cleveland and now live in Chicago, this is required reading. Also we share an alma mater. #mlb #mlbsky

Audubon gets all the attention, but here is another artist and birder, Alexander Wilson, who created beautiful portraits. I also like the Clark’s Nutcracker being Clark’s Crow (named after William Clark). 🪶 #historysky #artsky

Late to the party on this one!

I wrote about an island pond and Least Grebes - the smallest grebe species. #islandsky 🪶 open.substack.com/pub/twib/p/d...