Merry Xmas!
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Suzanne Coleman
Dec 25, 2025, 5:51:54 PM12/25/25
to IBET Exchanging Thoughts
Merry Christmas to all! I hope that you have a good day. I also have some sightings to share!
Let’s give it a title – a Christmas Walk:
I went to the local woods and I didn’t expect to see much because, well it’s winter and that’s how it is usually. When I started it was gloomy and overcast and the paths were soft, some even muddy, which is nice. The oak leaves decided they were finally ready to fall and they were covering the ground.
I didn’t get too far before I heard a Robin singing! And I found there were a whole group of them around.
I heard what I think were two downy woodpeckers doing their little courtship squeaking! I said “it’s not spring yet!”
And I heard some other woodpeckers calling here and there and then a nuthatch as well. I also saw some cool fungi, including a new one I don’t think I’ve seen before which is teeny tiny little orange disc shaped ones that look dry. A black raisin like fungus which is also dry. And then a log that had bright green and darker green things on it that I didn’t pick up because I didn’t want to disturb it but it didn’t look like the usual lichens or moss necessarily.
I heard some very light notes and I had to stop so I could try to figure out what it was. It was one of the small birds, Sparrows, kinglets or creepers! I don’t usually have them this time of year over here. So I kept trying to listen and there was at least three of them, I always have trouble differentiating between the creepers and the kinglets, I don’t know they sound similar to me. This time if year I expected it would probably be creepers but I finally saw one fly by and it went up into a tree in the thin branches so I figured it probably was a kinglet but I wasn’t gonna leave until I could try to get more evidence (I didn’t have my binoculars). Finally as I kept walking one came up and was feeding alongside the path and it was a Kinglet, a golden crowned kinglet! So that was a really nice sighting for me! They are so cheery, I love them. So I’m pretty sure there was three of those. And I think three cardinals zoomed by while I was trying to make jingling noises to see what would happen (in the past Brown creepers often come close up when I do that).
On the way back I caught the robins en masse flipping leaves on the forest floor, hunting for food. They were so intent at it they didn’t realize I was there, apparently, until I started saying “hello!” and then they freaked out and all started flying in my direction and two of them almost hit me in tge face flying at full speed- no joke! I was like dude really?! You need to work on your aim! Luckily I survived.
Nearby I could hear the downy woodpeckers were doing it again.
Also looks like they’re marking some more trees for destruction that don’t look like they need to be killed but that’s apparently… whatever. I want to see the forest improved, not worsened.
Suzanne Coleman
Park Ridge area
Cook co
Let’s give it a title – a Christmas Walk:
I went to the local woods and I didn’t expect to see much because, well it’s winter and that’s how it is usually. When I started it was gloomy and overcast and the paths were soft, some even muddy, which is nice. The oak leaves decided they were finally ready to fall and they were covering the ground.
I didn’t get too far before I heard a Robin singing! And I found there were a whole group of them around.
I heard what I think were two downy woodpeckers doing their little courtship squeaking! I said “it’s not spring yet!”
And I heard some other woodpeckers calling here and there and then a nuthatch as well. I also saw some cool fungi, including a new one I don’t think I’ve seen before which is teeny tiny little orange disc shaped ones that look dry. A black raisin like fungus which is also dry. And then a log that had bright green and darker green things on it that I didn’t pick up because I didn’t want to disturb it but it didn’t look like the usual lichens or moss necessarily.
I heard some very light notes and I had to stop so I could try to figure out what it was. It was one of the small birds, Sparrows, kinglets or creepers! I don’t usually have them this time of year over here. So I kept trying to listen and there was at least three of them, I always have trouble differentiating between the creepers and the kinglets, I don’t know they sound similar to me. This time if year I expected it would probably be creepers but I finally saw one fly by and it went up into a tree in the thin branches so I figured it probably was a kinglet but I wasn’t gonna leave until I could try to get more evidence (I didn’t have my binoculars). Finally as I kept walking one came up and was feeding alongside the path and it was a Kinglet, a golden crowned kinglet! So that was a really nice sighting for me! They are so cheery, I love them. So I’m pretty sure there was three of those. And I think three cardinals zoomed by while I was trying to make jingling noises to see what would happen (in the past Brown creepers often come close up when I do that).
On the way back I caught the robins en masse flipping leaves on the forest floor, hunting for food. They were so intent at it they didn’t realize I was there, apparently, until I started saying “hello!” and then they freaked out and all started flying in my direction and two of them almost hit me in tge face flying at full speed- no joke! I was like dude really?! You need to work on your aim! Luckily I survived.
Nearby I could hear the downy woodpeckers were doing it again.
Also looks like they’re marking some more trees for destruction that don’t look like they need to be killed but that’s apparently… whatever. I want to see the forest improved, not worsened.
Suzanne Coleman
Park Ridge area
Cook co
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