Thirty-one people, including two children, in winter coats and hats, with binoculars, along path with trees and grass behind them.

words by Robyn Detterline

On a cold, cold Nov. 27, 31 revelers headed out to Humboldt Park for the third annual COS Birdsgiving Stroll. While the event ended easily with 22 species observed, it started a little more rigorously with a pop quiz: What is the average weight of a Wild Turkey?

The group went around the circle with their guesses, which ranged from 1 ounce to 100 pounds.The answer (according to the Sibley Birds App, although other sources give varying numbers) was15.6 pounds, and two lucky winners walked away with adorable COS stickers.

The group, guided by COS board member and Field Trip Committee Chair Chris Holden, with an assist from yours truly, started in the usual way with a loop around the Big Lagoon, which brimmed with Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, and Mallards. Early on in the journey we spotted two hardy adult Red-tailed Hawks, who would follow us throughout the day, giving us spectacular flybys as they dove through pigeon flocks.

Soaring bird seen from underneath, fling right to left. Belly and outstretched wings are mostly white with rust-brown streaks and lines. Dark eye, yellow beak and tucked-back talons. Brown head and the leading edge of wings. — Red-tailed Hawk. *Photo by Paul Warner, Humboldt Park, Nov. 27, 2025.*

As we wound along the path we found our way to Warbler Grove, where many squatting Northern Cardinals, bright red males and rusty females, delighted we merry birders in the usual way cardinals do. Along the eastern shore of the lagoon we got good looks at a mystery merganser we had earlier spotted from afar, who turned out to be a female Hooded Merganser, a welcome guest at our very large Humboldt holiday table. Continuing our stroll around the lagoon, we saw many cheeky juncos flying among the grasses in The Meadow, as well as a cameo by a handsome Fox Sparrow.

Side view of duck-like bird swimming right to left. Brownish overall, with rusty red feathers sticking straight up and back from its head. Reddish-brown-eye. The long, narrow bill is brown on top and gold below.. The long tail trails in the water. — Hooded Merganser. *Photo by Paul Warner, Humboldt Park, Nov. 27, 2025.*

Under the boulevard and across the bridge, we meandered along the Prairie River, noticing that as we approached the willow the American Robins were multiplying. All around the hill they leaped and bounded and darted and chirruped. The trees were berry-free, but perhaps they were excited by the crop buried in the leaves, or perhaps they were just excited by life, and utterly thrilled at their luck of being born robins.

Front view of bird with orange breast and chest, with brown wings and head, perched on stick on ground among fall leaves. The bird is looking right. It has a broken white eye ring around a dark eye and a white throat under a short, sharp, yellow bill — American Robin. *Photo in Sears portrait mode by Anney Grish, Humboldt Park, Nov. 27, 205.*

The luck was ours, however, when we ended the trip with a solitary American Coot, a bird one can’t help but feel a kinship with—oh to be a coot on a cold Birdsgiving morning, alone in the reeds, befriended by the sun, admired and loved by strangers—strangers who would travel to the ends of the city to visit, even if they can only pop in for a short time, because maybe one magical day, for one moment, you’ll come onto the shore and let us spy your fancy feets.

Field Trip Recap: Birdsgiving