Birding Journeys: Birding

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

JUNE

Of all the months, June is my favorite. Specialty breeding birds, warm weather, sunny days, etc.. I was able to assist the tour guide for the Pre and Post birding tour for Cerulean Warbler Weekend. Outside of those two days of birding, I have not been able to get out much. I made a few trips to Siedman Park and the Cannonsburg SGA, which gave me Acadian Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, and the second ever (known) Prairie Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler hybrid. The Pre-event Tour was on June 5 and started at the Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary. I had my life Yellow-billed Cuckoo there. Soon after, we had good looks at the Cerulean Warbler. Later in the day, we headed over to the Allegan SGA. We had Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, Dickcissel, and many others. Our total for the day was 73 species. The Post-event tour was on June 9. The day before, I saw a Olive-sided Flycatcher at Otis Farm. On the June 9 trip, we had Red-headed Woodpecker, Prothonotary Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Worm-eating Warbler. The tally for the day was 80 species. I have found 32 of Michigan's 37 warblers. All that is left is Connecticut, Yellow-throated, Prairie, Kentucky, and Yellow-breasted Chat. I do not think I will make it to 200 species for the county or get all the warblers now. In July I am attending a Botanical Foray in Houghton, Michigan. I will bird on the way up and hope for Black Tern, Evening Grosbeak, Le Conte's Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Spruce Grouse, Connecticut Warbler, Yellow Rail, Western Fox Snake, Mink Frog, Boreal Chickadee, and Black-backed Woodpecker. I will be lucky and happy if I get 20% of that list. If anyone has good locations for those species, let me know. So far I have Pike Lake for BBWO, Seney NWR, for YERA/mink frog, Munuscong SWA for LCSP/STGR, Tahquamenon for SPGR, Peshekee grade for BOCH, FS 3344 for COWA, Houghton Lake for BLTE, and Hartwick Pines for EVGR.

Hooded Warbler

American Redstart

Prairie x Blue-winged Warbler Hybrid

Wild Lupine

Hooded Warbler

Red-eyed Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo

Cerulean Warbler

Common Loon

Bobolink

Grasshopper Sparrow

Common Snapping Turtle

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Blue Flag Iris

Distant Prothonotary Warbler

Red-headed Woodpecker

Dickcissel

Louisiana Waterthrush

Eastern Hognose Snake

Different Eastern Hognose Snake

Michigan Year List: 210 Species

Kent County Year List: 163 Species

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Spring

I have seen many things these past few weeks, so I will try to minimize it as much as possible. First off, I want to make a list of this year's warblers. Since warblers are the highlight eastern US spring migration, I think I will start with them.

Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Blackburnian Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler

Because I will be going to the Tawas Point Birding Festival, and possibly the U.P. in July, I hope to get to 32 species this year.

Some of the notable birds I have gotten in the county this month include Virginia Rail, Black-crowned Night Heron, Marsh Wren, Blue-headed Vireo, Bonaparte's Gull, Cliff Swallow,
and Dunlin. I found a dying bat that I think was a Big Brown Bat, and I also found an American Mink working on his den.

Next semester, I am going to be taking a Botany class at my local university. There is a possibility that I will be attending the Michigan Botanical Club annual Foray in the Keweenaw Peninsula.