Yesterday's rainy forecast caused Michigan Audubon to re-schedule its Allegan County field trip this morning and probably kept several people from ours. So only Charlie and Carol DeWitt and I met at the Blue Star Highway Shell Station.
Carol stayed in the truck as Charlie and I walked a little way up the Swan Creek trail off 42nd St. This skeleton on a tree stump amused rather than alerted us since we suspected human intervention, but perhaps we should have been looking out for cougars.
Back along the road Mark Mordyk, his two sons, and Tom Beeke joined us so we walked the trail again with them. We almost certainly heard the Worm-eating Warbler right where it's been reported, but could never see it so did not count it because the sound might also have been a Chipping Sparrow in this very un-chipping-sparrow habitat. Grrr!
We did add three Year Birds: Hooded Warbler, plus the cuckoo (Yellow-billed) and waterthrush (Louisiana) that we missed on Big Day (Black-billed and Northern). The 25 species along the creek also included Blue-winged Warbler, a Wood Thrush on her nest, Yellow-throated Vireo and Eastern Towhee.
Charlie and I continued to the Allegan State Game Area (159th St. south of 118th Ave.) finding 18 species including several Field and Savannah Sparrows and Bobolinks, plus Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting.
After lunch at the Crane's Orchard Pantry Restaurant we headed home via the little park by the railroad trestle at New Richmond north of Fennville. We found no Prothonotary Warblers, but did see swallows (Barn and Cliff), a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, and a northbound freight train.
Overall a very good day. And not a drop of rain!
