Field Trip Recap: LaBagh Woods Beginners Walk

Eight people in jackets, with binoculars, smiling at camera in front of a wooden railing with the slough behind.

words by Jennifer Mach

When a leader invites you into their patch, where they are one of the top eBird contributors, you are in for a treat––and when the weather happens to be extra nice for a changeable Chicago spring, that’s an added bonus.

So it was on the Beginning Birders walk at LaBagh Woods on Sunday, April 12, when eight birders gathered at Picnic Grove #1. Kelly Ballantyne, our leader, shared great tips for beginners and experienced birders, including binocular work and using BirdCast to check on migration. She also offered some patch-specific tips, including where to scan the big slough to avoid disturbing flighty birds.

The walk started strong, as the group spotted a juvenile Bald Eagle while assembling in the parking lot. Indeed, the bird abundance at the parking lot for Picnic Grove #1 almost makes up for its lack of bathrooms.

Two ducks in profile, standing on a wooden bird box, facing right. The female in front is streaky brown with a white eye ring. The male has green and red patches separated by thick white lines and orange on its beak.

Wood Ducks. Photo by Jennifer Mach, LaBagh Woods, April 12, 2026.

Early bird sightings there also included a pair of Wood Ducks in a tree and a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers possibly nesting in a nearby cavity. Woodpeckers were well represented throughout the walk, with many Northern Flickers, several Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a few Downy Woodpeckers, and a lot of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

As the walk progressed over the trestle bridge and into the floodplain, the true standout birds became clear––Yellow-rumped Warblers were bopping around all over the place (Kelly notes, “They were everywhere!” in the checklist.) There also were plenty of Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. And, because winter hasn’t quite left Chicago, we also saw a good number of Dark-eyed Juncos.

Reddish brown bird seen from behind, standing on a stump, looking left. The long tail is more red than the body. The bird has a dark eye with a faint eye ring. The underside is gray.

Hermit Thrush. Photo by Liz Heinrich, LaBagh Woods, April 12, 2026.

On the path from the bridge to the big slough, Hermit Thrushes were abundant. A couple of Rusty Blackbirds foraging in the leaf litter provided a delight for the group, as did a male American Goldfinch in his bright plumage. The big slough also yielded sightings of Hooded Mergansers, along with Wood Ducks, Tree Swallows, and a very tall, very still Great Blue Heron. All together we saw 32 species.

LaBagh is worth a stop anytime, although the trails closer to the slough can get very wet, so choose your footwear accordingly.

Field TripKris HansenLaBagh Woods