Field Trip Recap: Jackson Park & Wooded Island

12 people in lightweight clothes and holding binoculars, smiling at the camera, leafy green trees behind them.

words by Kris Hansen

A dozen birders gathered on the final day of May at Jackson Park to search for straggling migrants, nesting residents, and any cool bird we could see. Our group included a family of four whose daughter was named Imani (she knew about our famous Piping Plover) and two beginning birders researching their first pair of binoculars.

Trip leader Caterina MacLean got us started under the famous cherry trees next to the lagoon. We admired a lone male Wood Duck, a gaggle of Canada Geese, Caspian Terns successfully fishing, and a zippy flycatcher that turned out to be an Eastern Phoebe.

Seen from the front, a small oval yellow bird, head cocked to the side. The small dot of an eye and short, sharp bill are dark. Perched on a twig surrounded by green leaves.

Northern Yellow Warbler. Image by Joann Umeki, Jackson Park, May 31, 2026.

One birder hoped to see a Northern Yellow Warbler. Her wish was promptly rewarded, and then rewarded over and over again—we eventually saw 18.

Chimney Swifts put on a spectacular low-level show, zooming among tree branches instead of high in the sky. Trip co-leader Vinod Babu explained that they never perch on branches; they can only cling vertically on surfaces such as the inside of chimneys.

Seen in profile perched on a wooden ledge in front of a nest hole and under a wooden eave like on a house, a sleek bird whose feathers are iridescent purple in the sun. The long, thin bill is sharp and silvery.

Purple Martin. Photo by Joann Umeki, Jackson Park, May 31, 2026.

Purple Martins put on a glorious show in the bright sunshine. Vinod told us that this member of the flycatcher family likes to nest in condo-like colonies. Indigenous people and early settlers would make Purple Martin homes out of dried gourds, and the birds would serve as an early warning system when strangers approached.

Baltimore Orioles were plentiful, and an Orchard Oriole appeared, granting another birder’s wish. We spotted three Ruby-throated Hummingbirds darting along the lagoon.

Robin-shaped bird seen in profile and from slightly below. Apple-red breast, dark cap, and dark wing and tails with white wing bars. Medium sharp silver bill. In profile against blue sky and over green leaves.

Orchard Oriole. Photo by Joann Umeki, Jackson Park, May 31, 2026.

Making our way into Bob-o-link Meadow, we were serenaded by Eastern Warbling Vireos. American Redstarts, two Black-and-White and a Wilson’s Warbler were easier to hear than see. A Great Crested and a Least Flycatcher gave us better views.

As we wound our way back through the Wooded Island, we spotted several Gray Catbirds and a Downy Woodpecker. We stopped by the bridge to admire the nest-building styles of Barn (open-topped cup) and Cliff (side opening) Swallows.

Two bird heads facing the camera, bodies hidden inside of oval nest holes. Nest surface looks like rice grains stuck together. Birds, have white brows, dark caps, and orange collars.

Cliff Swallows. Photo by Joann Umeki, Jackson Park, May 31, 2026.

We saw 43 species on our walk.

Field TripKris HansenJackson Park