this week

Evanston is a funny place--a university town, with the accompanying sense from people that they are smarter than you and that everything functions better because of this, which is often true, despite my best anarchistic wishful thinking. Even the birds are better than in the gritty city to the south: this week, I had an OVENBIRD, a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and a MERLIN on Northwestern's campus, signaling the onset of real migration season.
And, in Humble Humboldt Park, I had 7 AMERICAN COOTS. I was right about those things, dang it. And also, a brown duck looking for all the world like a FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK, though I know that's unlikely, keeping alarmingly close company (!) with a Canada Goose!