Charlie DeWitt's reply to my Comment under his July 11 post below led me this morning to the end of Bossett Road north of Bailey Road, a section of the State Game Area Charlie called the "Old Jennings Farm". Again I was searching for Bobolinks, and again I struck out. But what a beautiful place to bird! Thanks, Charlie!
It's not just a turnaround at the end of the road. There's maybe a square mile of open field, some farmed, some grassy, sprinkled with individual trees, small copses of trees, hedgerows and edges. I had it to myself from 7:00-9:10. As I was leaving, I passed a man driving in with three hunting dogs in his truck (reminiscent of Lane's Landing). The 33 bird species I found are listed below.
These fledglings (Eastern Bluebird and Eastern Towhee) were in the trees along the southern edge of the property where I parked my car.
An Eastern Kingbird with its white tail band nearly worn off patrolled the hedges north of the Bossett dead end.
A male Indigo Bunting sang from the top of a tree northeast of the hay field.
This Cedar Waxwing perched atop a tree just north of the bunting.
Field Sparrows were the species of the day singing incessantly. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo was calling from just north of the hay field.
- Ric
SGA Old Jennings Farm, Muskegon, US-MI
Jul 17, 2014 7:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Looking for Charlie's Bobolinks
33 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 1
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 3
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 6
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 3
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 2 Plus fledglings
Veery (Catharus fuscescens) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 6
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 3
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) 1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 2
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 2 Plus fledglings
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 5
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 3
2 comments:
Ric, I think the Bobolinks that I saw were in the hay field that has been cut. It hadn't been cut when I was there.
Great pictures.
Charlie DeWitt
Too bad for me, but moreso for the bobolinks. There were still several species using the field: a pair of bluebirds, barn and tree swallows, sparrows, blackbirds, a cowbird, doves, and a male kestrel hunting grasshoppers or crickets from the hay bales.
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