Chicago outdoors: Northside osprey, dickcissel request answered, lake trout records and thoughts

An osprey flying over a Northside intersection. | Paul Vriend

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors and beyond.

WILD OF THE WEEK

Paul Vriend photographed the rare sight of an osprey flying over at Western Avenue and Bryn Mawr Avenue. “I only noticed the osprey because some red-winged blackbirds were harassing it and trying to chew off its tail feathers,” Vriend emailed.

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. To make submissions, email BowmanOutside@gmail.com or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

WILD TIMES

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Saturday, June 12: Boat America, Chicago, Dan O’Connell, cgaux.doc@gmail.com

FISH GATHERING

Tuesday, June 8: Rich Matthews of Musselhead Tackle (meat rigs), Salmon Unlimited, Thornwood Restaurant & Lounge, Wood Dale, 7 p.m., salmonunlimitedinc.com

DALE’S MAILBAG

A dickcissel on a barbed wire fence at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.

“I enjoyed [last Saturday’s] column about the birds and wildlife at Crab Orchard [National Wildlife Refuge]. You mentioned seeing so many different birds, some of which I have barely heard of (dickcissel, blue grosbeak). I wish you had published photos of these birds. No one who lives in Illinois needs to see a photo of a deer!” April Plous, Lincoln Square

A: Point taken. Here is a dickcissel, a bird that is fairly cooperative to being photographed, from Crab Orchard NWR. Click here for the column on Saturday, May 29.

BIG NUMBER

32.65 (72): Kilograms (pounds) of the world record lake trout, caught Aug. 19, 1995 by Lloyd Bull from Great Bear Lake in Canada’s Northwest Territories, according to the International Game Fish Association.

LAST WORD

“Chicago continues to produce big lake trout. This area really produces good lakers. It is only a matter of time until a 40-pounder comes.”

Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters, reacting to Atul Mallik catching an Illinois-record laker (39.16 pounds) last Monday on the Massive Confusion out of Montrose.