More migrant birds are showing up every day

  • By Bruce Glick
  • April 22, 2014
  • 376
                        
More migrant birds are showing up every day Columnist Bruce Glick summarizes happenings in the local birding world. This week Bruce writes about the joys of April birding. Read more about it in the "Gone Birding" column. This time of year it's hard to keep up with the newly arriving birds. Scott Pendelton does a good job of keeping track of the birds in the Cadiz area. Typical birds of the area that are already being seen include Vesper Sparrow, Upland Sandpiper and Whip-poor-will. All three species are hard to find in most of our region. Newly reported birds arriving this past week include Green Heron, Dunlin, Forester's and Caspian Terns, Baltimore Oriole, Wood Thrush, Blue-headed Vireo, Eastern Kingbird, Black-throated Green Warbler, and a singing Prairie Warbler. For those of you wondering about the raptor migration, the latest report I had was from the weekend of April 19-20. Small numbers of most expected raptors were noted, with the highest count of Broad-winged Hawks only reaching 26. Most likely, those numbers increased on Monday, April 21 since the weather looked favorable for migration and it is the peak time of the month for Broad-wings. Out here in Indiana virtually no migrant raptors have been reported, even at the hawk-watch tower along Lake Michigan. Indiana birders insist that they don't get the big numbers of raptors that are found in Ohio, and I'm beginning to think they are correct. Here in Goshen, Indiana where Helen and I live, we have been listening to a Yellow Warbler for just about a week now (writing on April 22). It sings from the same trees every day. In the same area there are several Yellow-throated Warblers holding down territories in the Sycamores along the Elkhart River. Last evening I found a Black-and-White Warbler among a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers. This evening there were three Hermit Thrushes staying very close together, acting like a little flock. I have enjoyed seeing Hermit Thrushes every day for over a week. Now I'm ready to find some of the other thrushes. I'm enjoying taking a group of 20 people birding for two mornings this week and two mornings next week. It's part of a program called "Life time learning", and is geared for older residents of the Greencroft Retirement Center but is also open to community people. It's fun to walk slowly and look at all the birds, even the most common, and realize how exciting each discovery is for new birders. Tomorrow we will look for the Pine Warblers that are back in their nesting area at Pigeon River Wildlife Area. I imagine the same is true at Mohican State Park where Pine Warblers nest. This is a good time to visit Mohican and see what all is there. I really miss living close to Mohican! We continue to see a few Common Loons, Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, and a decent variety of ducks. The big numbers of waterfowl are gone. On the other hand, shorebirds are just beginning to arrive. A flock of American Avocets was located at Ottawa National Wildlife Area on April 22, and the first Solitary Sandpiper arrived. More are on the way. For the next month, spend as much time as you can outside enjoying not only the birds, but the new life that is springing up everywhere around us. Good birding! Bruce Glick birderbruce@yahoo.com 330-317-7798


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load