iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 11/09/2026

This 1731 description of a paw paw says “light, yellow, smooth, resembling a ram’s scr*tum.” 😳

Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 11/09/2026

“The Tumble Turds” is not a phrase I thought I’d encounter today. Apparently a type of beetle? From Mark Catesby’s 1731 Natural History.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 11/09/2026

Hand-drawn map from 1905 by the early botanist Herman Pepoon. The green blobs are labeled “Beauty Spots of Illinois.”

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 11/09/2026

A visit to Lenhardt Library today at Chicago Botanic Garden. Vaughan’s Seed Store opened in the Loop in 1876. Mr. Vaughan helped with the massive floral displays at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 01/09/2026

From this book, which is pretty amazing

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 01/09/2026

This engraving shows a scenic park in 1872 Chicago labeled as “Jefferson Park.” All I can think is that it was a misprint - maybe Garfield, Humboldt, or Jackson?

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 31/08/2026

Visiting the tomb of Anton Cermak, Chicago’s only immigrant mayor. Also a monument to the Czech soldiers who fought with the Union in the Civil War. At Bohemian National Cemetery.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 13/08/2026

At yesterday’s visit to Flyway City at Chi Architecture Center - there were these blue curtains throughout including this nicely stylized one. I thought they were dividers for the exhibition, but they’re actually scaffolding netting, a low-cost material used to cover windows and prevent collisions.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 12/08/2026

Major AI search fail! Frank Corr died in 1934 and Martin Kennelly preceded Richard J. Daley in the 1940s. Always good to ignore AI search summaries.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 26/07/2026

A few photos from yesterday’s Slam Poetry anniversary featuring founder Marc Smith, two poet laureates, and many others in on the founding of a Chicago phenomenon. @newberrylibrary.bsky.social

Sellout crowd at Ruggles Hall, Newberry Library.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 12/07/2026

One of my better macro photos of late. 🐞 🌱 🪴

A house fly with a bead of nectar on a false sunflower.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 22/06/2026

I believe this damselfly is a Familiar Bluet. From Hackmatack NWR near Richmond, IL. 🐞 📷

A slim blue damsel fly clings to a blade of grass.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 21/06/2026

Vandals have left my back yard fountain greenish and full of algae. 🤦‍♂️

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 19/06/2026

Wild Turkeys can be elusive in the Chicago area, but Hackmatack NWR near the Wisconsin border is a fairly reliable place to find them. 🪶

A male turkey in display is puffed up and its tail feathers are upright.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 30/05/2026

Excited to be part of this film fest! There will be a showing on 6/21 at 1:30p. The legend of the stump lives on. 🎞️

A promo graphic for a film shows laurels, location of Waukegan, IL, “official selection” and the name of the festival.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 22/05/2026

Signs of the impact of Piping Plovers on this town are everywhere. Uptown Branch Library, the mural by Dorian Sylvain.

A large horizontal painting on a wall shows two Piping Plovers with sand and dune flowers and water with the words Monty and Rose Piping Plovers.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 19/05/2026

Spring migration was in full swing in one of our nearby forest preserves this morning. It was warm and humid, and there was a flurry of activity in between rain showers. 🪶

A Magnolia Warbler in yellow, black, white, and gray plumage perches on a branch.

A Bay-breasted Warbler in cream, rust, black, and white plumage perches on a limb.

A Canada Warbler with a black necklace and yellow underparts and neck and grayish back appears to look at the camera.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 18/05/2026

Writing in 1904, Schuyler Mathews described the Brown Thrasher's song as Shuck it, shuck it, sow it, sow it; Plough it, plough it, hoe it, hoe it. Don't stop get it, get it, Watch me as I navigate, ha ha ha ha.

A painting of a brown bird with a speckled breast, perched on a shrub and appearing to be in song.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 17/05/2026

Spring ephemerals 🌼 recently, taken while visiting Hackmatack NWR near Genoa City, WI. I’ll be there regularly this year, getting a chance to experience this special place. 🪴 🌱

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 11/05/2026

The brilliant Florence Merriam Bailey once described the Great Crested Flycatcher as having an "olive coat, ash-gray vest, and bright sulphur-yellow knickerbockers!" and I'm here for it. Wrote about this in my newsletter today: www.twibchicago.com 🪶

A painting shows a brownish bird with yellow breast and under belly, and even a touch of yellow on the thighs like knickerbockers.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 10/05/2026

New class alert! I’ll be teaching a class at Chicago Botanic Garden this June, on Mondays starting 6/8. About the intersection of birds, art, and history - Willughby, Catesby, Stone, and Bewick. Register on the garden’s website. #historysky

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 09/05/2026

Sorry to be this person, but it’s driving me batty that these headlines repeatedly say “born” instead of hatched. Know your nature verbs.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 02/05/2026

May we all be this relaxed. Related: blue bells seem to be everywhere right now.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 18/04/2026

Brown centipede found while sweeping the patio today. 🐞

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 18/04/2026

Bluesky friends, what to do with plant stalks from last year, in a smallish city lot? We don’t want to discard them, due to all the potential insect life. 🪴 🌱

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 18/04/2026

As late as 1890, people believed that smaller birds migrated by riding on the backs of geese, swans, storks, and cranes. This wasn't just urban legend, this was the esteemed outdoors publication Forest and Stream going out of its way to make this point. #historysky

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 17/04/2026

This is the most flooded I’ve seen the North Branch in my six or so years living nearby.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 16/04/2026

A Brown Thrasher from Schuyler Mathews’ 1904 Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music. One of “our finest singers,” the song is paraphrased as Shuck it, shuck it Sow it, sow it Plough it, plough it Hoe it, hoe it 🪶

A lithograph shows a brown bird with a
speckled breast and long tail. It is perched on a bough and appears to be singing.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 12/04/2026

Another macro from the yard...this is some turkey tail (I believe) that has sprung up on an old log. It looks like it's getting more colorful in this season? 🍄 📷 📸

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 12/04/2026

Practicing with a macro lens today, and Norway Maple buds bursts made for good subjects. 🌿🌱🪴

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 11/04/2026

I snapped a photo of one of the area male goldfinches just as the bright yellow feathers are coming in. 🪶

A male goldfinch with yellow and patches of greenish-gray is perched on a nyjer feeder.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 06/04/2026

A flooded woodland like this is Eden for migrating sandpipers and waterthrushes. Only two or three weeks until they return.

A wooded area shows a large puddle in the foreground.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 05/04/2026

Always birding - including at the Art Institute of Chicago. Vessel in Form of a Bird, Tang dynasty (618-907), first half of 8th C, China. The bird may be either a mandarin duck or a wild goose; both traditionally symbolized peace, prosperity, and marital love (looks like a small goose to me).

An earthenware duck or goose in shades of brown, green, and orange.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 04/04/2026

🐦‍⬛ House Wrens arrive in this area by the last week of April and nest in cavities including readily in birdhouses. They typically raise two broods before heading south to the Gulf states and Central America. Photo: August 2024 #birds #chicago 🪶

A small brown bird stands on a white fence with a sunflower in the foreground at left.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 03/04/2026

The first hole at Edgebrook Golf Course is underwater this morning after last night’s rain. They have a drainage pump going at the moment to dry this out.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 22/03/2026

“I want you to put the word out there that we back up.” The feeder cam is online again and ready for spring migration. 🪶

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 22/03/2026

Why is Montrose Point such a migration hotspot? Flying straight across the lake from places like Indiana is faster, consumes less energy, and is probably safer than going around the lake. The point juts into the lake and has the food and shelter that is critical during migration. 🪶

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 20/03/2026

Which movie did Bruce Lee fight Chuck Norris in? 🤔

A clip from the British "Office" shows the IT guy correcting Gareth when he says Chuck Norris fought Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon."

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 18/03/2026

This 1835 map shows “Milwalky” as a county taking up all of SE Wisconsin from the Baraboo Hills all the way to Lake Michigan. Interesting stuff @newberrylibrary.bsky.social today.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 18/03/2026

The jig is up, the news is out - the Little Calumet River was once the River Styx, at least according to this 1822 map. Another interesting find @newberrylibrary.bsky.social.

A black and white map shows R. Styx flowing into Lake Michigan from Indiana.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 16/03/2026

The river crested at about midnight last night. Here it’s about twice as wide as usual at least. #ilwx

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 16/03/2026

It looks like the North Branch will be at flood stage in a couple hours. #ilwx

A graph showing the water level increasing quickly starting this afternoon.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 14/03/2026

Red-winged Blackbirds arrived back on February 20 this year, a little earlier than usual. Here's some trail cam video from that first day back (along with starlings). Arrival dates for the last five years: 2026 February 20 2025 February 28 2024 March 1 2023 February 24 2022 March 5 🪶 🐦‍⬛

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 09/03/2026

Today's #newsletter took a look at the creation of the Magic Hedge, left behind by the Army at Chicago's Montrose Point. Here's a 1973 aerial image with the location of the hedge. The point was a lot emptier then, and it was just this one hedge that drew in so many warblers.

A grainy black and white aerial photo shows a round peninsula surrounded by Lake Michigan. The Magic Hedge is a thin line of trees noted on the photo.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 07/03/2026

I made this graphic to show how the Bears' stadium in Indiana would affect nearby birds and the ones heading north in spring migration. If they don't hit the big glass facade of the stadium, they'll need to go around it to get to Lake Michigan and points north. (Forgive my graphic design skills.)

Birds heading north in the spring would encounter a Bears stadium site, and presumably a big glass facade and either run into it or go around. There are longer term populations of ducks, swans, and rails all around the wetlands.

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Bob Dolgan @twibchicago.com · 24/02/2026

Did you know? Chicago’s Garfield Park once was home to Mute Swans. Animal menageries were common in European parks and became popular in the US as well. Exotic animals including European Mute Swans were housed in several Chicago parks c. 1900.

A historic postcard shows a swan in her nest on an island in an urban park.

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