Barn Swallow

A couple more of the american form of barn swallow ~ Navy Pier, Chicago

Chicago birds

This was the least birdy trip that I've done for a while and the holiday list was paltry. Of the few bird images taken a brief selection is included here. The picture above is a white-throated sparrow, taken in Olive Park on the Lake Michigan waterfront. Bonny birds.

This immature cedar waxwing was very confiding. Could do with another one of these in the UK! This bird appears to have a bit of cob-web stuck to it's bill. A yellow warbler was feeding above, but did not come into range for the 400mm lens. Boo.

Olive Park held a family of eastern kingbirds - and they proved difficult to photograph as they commuted via the lamp posts - teasingly flying off just as the camera was aligned.

I seem to be posting a lot of barn swallow images of late... this bird was at Navy Pier, part of a family group using boat rigging as a perch. Cliff swallow were also present, but did not alight.

Chicago by day

Millennium Park & the "Cloud Gate" sculpture (also locally referred to as the "bean")

View from our hotel room - 17th floor, with the Chicago river flowing into lake Michigan. Navy Pier juts out.

Olive Park. Segways seem to be very popular here and they amused me greatly - even the Chicago Police were using them!

Chicago Tribune building with statue of the iconic "American Gothic" outside.

Chicago by night

Sunset from the Hancock Tower bar - 96th floor!

Pritzker Pavilion - Chicago band Shellac performed a free show on Monday night - band is fronted by infamous Nirvana (and most recently Manic Street Preachers) recording engineer Steve Albini!. An amazing venue in Millenium Park.

Another view from the 96th floor - the Sears' Tower stands tall in the background.

Lollapalooza Images

White Lies - heavy rain on the first day ~ didn't stop the crowds though!

Depeche Mode - great video back drops for the show

Glasvegas - Saturday was very hot with temperatures in the 90's

Kaiser Chiefs - Sunday was even hotter, but KCs were full of energy and really got the crowd going!

The Killers - Final headline act, very powerful performance.

Enjoy the silence

Getting Personal...

Just back from a fantastic break in Chicago, with Lollapalooza 2009 being the main purpose of the visit. Not too much in the way of birding - some limited photo highlights will follow over the next few days, along with some point and click photographs from the festival. Bands seen included the mighty Depeche Mode (above), The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lou Reed, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys and White Lies. Chicago itself is a wonderful (windy) city, and I'll share some photographs of that too...

Now? I need some sleep!

One two, one two...

There will be a brief pause in communications as I'll be on my travels during the forthcoming week. This trip is primarily music orientated but there will be some casual birding either side...