Red-winged Blackbird

It's interesting. All of a sudden - around the beginning of March - the bird activity jumps up a notch around here. You first notice it with the residents: the house sparrows and robins are a little more active and noisy.

The red-winged blackbirds, an early bird, appeared over the weekend.

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Wood Duck

Wood Ducks have great plumage - like an abstract interpretation of a duck. This one was just enjoying the afternoon at Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

Bird migration is picking up around here. Chicago has a program called Lights Out Chicago that encourages owners/managers of high-rise buildings to dim their lights during the spring and fall migrations so birds don't collide with the buildings during their night flights. There is also a group called the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors that works to rescue stunned (or exhausted) birds and educate people on how to make it safer for birds to migrate through Chicago. Their slogan is "Helping Migratory Birds Safely Navigate the Loop". Their website has information on what to do if you find an injured bird.