Alder Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, 7-29

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Muskegon County has a distinction of straddling two major biotic communities: The Northern Hardwoods Forest (also known as the Boreal Hardwood Transition) to the north and the Eastern Broadleaf Forest to the south. Consequently, the northward or southward breeding distributions of many bird species reach their limits at the tension zone separating these two physiographic regions.

Of the 95 species of songbirds that definitely or probably breed in Muskegon County, 9 southern species and 15 northern species become rare or absent on the opposite side of this zone. This phenomenon is well illustrated by the Northern and Louisiana Waterthrushes, which meet at the White River basin, but rarely do so to the north or south.

Today, under a hot sun and generally quiet activity, I had the pleasure of finding three northern species that approach the southern limits of their breeding ranges. At Lanes Landing, an Alder Flycatcher was singing from thicker habitat than the nearby Willow Flycatchers. At the Cedar Creek Motorsports Trails (in the southern reaches of Manistee National Forest, a couple miles north of the Muskegon River), I heard both Hermit Thrush and Blue-headed Vireo. With each species, I have yet to see them further south in this county.

- Brian Johnson
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