July 20 Field Trip Report

As with last month, the weather forecast for this trip probably kept people away.  However, the hot sweltering conditions predicted did not come to pass, and four of us enjoyed a couple of hours birding along the Maple River near State Game Area headsquarters.

We arrived there earlier than expected because we only drove the Lane's Landing road to the inner gate and back.  We never got out or even rolled down our windows because the deer flies were EVERYWHERE !

Surprisingly there were very few flies or mosquitoes in the headquarters area.  It was very warm but not oppressive, and downright comfortable at the times when a cool westerly breeze flowed along the path by the river.

We found 26 bird species from 9:00-11:00 including two male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (one juvenile, one adult), a constantly-singing Wood Thrush that finally came out of the foliage beside the river and walked behind us on the path, Baltimore Oriole, Ovenbird, at least three Blue-winged Warblers (perhaps all first-year?), American Redstart, Scarlet Tanager and Indigo Bunting.

We also performed some civic duties removing a branch from the entrance road and reporting an alarm beeping inside the DNR building.