May 15, 1993
I participated in the Berrien County Bird-a-Thon this year, as part of a team for Fernwood Botanical Gardens. There were four of us on the team – the Fernwood Flickers – including Fernwood naturalist Rob Venner.
Our first birds of the day were some ☆Gadwall☆ swimming in a small lake by the roadside near Fernwood.
At Lake Michigan College, we spotted a lone ☆Common/Great Northern Loon☆ swimming out in the middle of the lake, first thing in the morning.
We spent some time at the lovely Sarett Nature Center, where we saw a ☆Blue-grey Gnatcatcher☆ at its nest at the side of one of the nature trails. I was thrilled to get such a great look at this charming little bird. We were able to view a ☆Great Blue Heron☆ from a platform over the marsh. The bird stood in the marsh for a few minutes before taking flight. Magnificent! One my favorite sightings of the day (maybe one of my favorite sightings ever) was a lone ☆Green Heron☆ moving around in the trees across a small stream next to the trail. A perfect view of this beautiful bird. We also had a perfect, close-up sighting of a gorgeous ☆Blackburnian Warbler☆.
On the shores of Lake Michigan, we found a huge flock of birds that included ☆Ring-billed Gull☆, ☆Herring Gull☆, ☆Common Tern☆, and a few ☆Caspian Tern☆. ☆Double-crested Cormorant☆ were fishing in the lake, and we also spotted a single Common/Great Northern Loon in amongst the gulls and terns.
We didn’t go in to Grand Mere SP, but we did hear a ☆Carolina Wren☆ singing near the road. We stopped to try and locate it, but where unable to get a look at the bird.
Near Warren Woods, we had the pleasure of seeing a female ☆Red-shouldered Hawk☆ on her nest. She was very aware of us, but continued brooding. Her eyes were bright and clear ,and I remember the feeling of her gaze upon us as she watched us watching her. It was a busy spot, as pretty much every B-a-T team had stopped to view (and count) her. A beautiful bird! In Warren Woods, we heard a ☆Black-throated Green Warbler☆ singing clearly, but we weren’t able to spot it. We were also treated to a pair of ☆Barred Owl☆ calling furiously to one another in the woods.
Back at Fernwood, a beautifully colored ☆Tree Swallow☆ was perched on a nest box near the road, and we spotted a single ☆Orchard Oriole☆, as well. One of the last birds of the day was a striking male that we viewed from the road. Finally, we stopped at a martin house in front of a residential home and were able to see several Purple Martins.
This was a great day, filled with some very memorable sightings.
Species List
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca), Barred Owl (Strix varia), Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens), Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Green Heron (Butorides virescens virescens), Gadwall (Mareca strepera strepera), Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus lineatus), Common Loon (Gavia immer), Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius spurius), Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus), Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis), Purple Martin (Progne subis subis), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo hirundo), Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias herodias), Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum auritum)
Let me know what you think!