These wild times around Chicago outdoors not just a bunch of hot air

It has been a wild week in the Chicago outdoors world.

• On Thursday, Kenneth Nieminski emailed finding skunk cabbage (not flowering yet), but “was visited by an unwanted guest ... found a tick on my wrist when I got home.” Harbinger of things to come?
• Reilly Manz photographed a “particularly pretty [American] kestrel enjoying the sunshine on Northerly Island” Sunday. Pictured above.
• The 27th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is Friday through Monday.
• On Feb. 6, Christian Howe found multiple red-winged blackbirds near the Costco in Orland Park, emailing, “This has to be the earliest sighting for me.” Many readers reported their first redwings in the last week.
• Sunday was super for sandhill cranes south. John Vukmirovich texted that by afternoon he had counted 700-800 around Lemont. Diane Tatkus emailed that her son Bob had two big flocks cross in Monee. Joe McElligott messaged on Facebook, “Sandhill cranes flying north over Tinley Park this morning!! Hello Spring.”
• Our neighbor’s crabapple held more than a dozen robins Sunday afternoon. I finally joined many readers reporting unusual numbers.