Black Lake Today; Oak Savanna Last Week

I walked around the southern areas of Black Lake Park this beautiful morning finding 30 species of birds.  Nothing remarkable.  Great Crested Flycatcher, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee, American Redstart, Sandhill Crane:

Last Saturday Beth Miller and I accompanied a Great Lakes Audubon group as they birded Lane's Landing and an oak savanna being created (actually, re-created) by the Michigan DNR.  It's not finished yet; more controlled burns necessary, etc., but well worth visiting now, and open to the public.  

From the Maple Island bridge, drive 3.5 miles east on South River Drive.  Park on the right where the road meets the power lines and walk the trail south through the woods to the savanna opening (the J-shaped light green area circled on the map below).  Ferns still live where the grasses will be.  Red-headed Woodpeckers and Field Sparrows have already found the property to their liking.

June 3 Allegan Field Trip Report

Nine adults and four juveniles birded two sections of the Allegan State Game Area this morning.  All told we found 59 bird species along the way.  (Photos below by Carol DeWitt.)

We began with stops along the fields and woodlots of the farm unit.  Notable species included many Dickcissels; Willow, Least and Great-crested Flycatcher; Bobolink; Ring-necked Pheasant; Green Heron; Brown Thrasher; Vesper, Field and Grasshopper Sparrow; Bobolink; Eastern Meadowlark; Red-tailed Hawk; Eastern Towhee; Orchard Oriole; Cedar Waxwing and American Redstart.

Then we drove a few miles east of Fennville to bird the huge tract of woods in the eastern SGA.  Bird species included Eastern Wood-Pewee; Ovenbird; Hooded, Cerulean and Blue-winged Warbler; Yellow-billed Cuckoo; Veery; Scarlet Tanager; Pileated Woodpecker; Acadian and Least Flycatcher; and Yellow-throated Vireo.

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak with food for her family. 

We stopped birding around 12:30.  Most of us then enjoyed a late lunch at the Crane's Pie Pantry Restaurant west of Fennville before returning home.