Spectacular Mondays with Mike Walk #3, 9/22/25

The third “Mondays with Mike” walk at Jackson Park on 9/22 was one for the record books.  Despite a forecast of limited migration the night before, we found an outstanding 18 warbler species among 55 total species.  And that included an exceptional list of rarities:

Golden-winged Warbler – a female/immature that remained in view for a couple minutes in a mixed warbler flock

Connecticut Warbler – an adult female that gave us great looks especially for a species that is typically such a skulker.  It also called repeatedly, allowing us to make a recording attached to the checklist.  By far my best observation of a fall migrant Connecticut Warbler.

Mourning Warbler - brief but good views of a bird perched no more than10 feet away

Black-billed Cuckoo - providing extended views 

It was easily my best ever trip to Jackson Park!  The eBird checklist can be found here - ebird.org/checklist/S274928999

Through 3 “Mondays with Mike” walks we’re up to 80 species total including 22 warbler species.

Jackson Park: Sep 22, 2025
7:20 AM
Traveling: 1.50 miles
270 Minutes

5 Canada Goose
3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1 Black-billed Cuckoo
2 Chimney Swift
3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
2 Turkey Vulture
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
2 Belted Kingfisher
8 Red-bellied Woodpecker
6 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
3 Pileated Woodpecker
3 Northern Flicker
5 Eastern Wood-Pewee
3 Eastern Phoebe
7 White-eyed Vireo
6 Blue Jay
12 American Crow
8 Carolina Chickadee
11 Tufted Titmouse
3 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
6 Carolina Wren
3 Gray Catbird
4 Brown Thrasher
1 Northern Mockingbird
1 Eastern Bluebird
1 Swainson's Thrush
12 Cedar Waxwing
15 American Goldfinch
2 Eastern Towhee
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Worm-eating Warbler
2 Northern Waterthrush
1 Golden-winged Warbler
3 Black-and-white Warbler
3 Tennessee Warbler
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Connecticut Warbler -- First reported yesterday- at southern end of nature trail near swale with small washed out bridge. Mostly low in wet brush and weeds. First noticed giving its unique call note repeatedly (recording attached). Large warbler, olive above, complete white eye ring, yellow below with faint grayish hood. Perhaps an adult female. Yellow undertail coverts extending almost to tip of tail. Easily my best views of a fall Connecticut! And best extended vocalizations.
1 Mourning Warbler -- Meadow along Nature Trail, open sunny brush and annuals. Brief but good views of a perched bird 10 ft away. Small warbler, olive above, yellow below, hint of darker breast band. Broken eye-ring. Likely immature bird. Short undertail coverts unlike the longer ones on the Connecticut seen earlier.
2 Common Yellowthroat
1 Hooded Warbler
25 American Redstart
12 Northern Parula
9 Magnolia Warbler
3 Bay-breasted Warbler
2 Blackburnian Warbler
4 Chestnut-sided Warbler
1 Yellow-throated Warbler
1 Prairie Warbler
1 Scarlet Tanager
6 Northern Cardinal
1 Blue Grosbeak
6 Indigo Bunting

Number of Taxa: 55