April 20, 2013 Franke Park
The high water receded overnight, so Stockbridge Audubon's field trip to Fort Wayne's Franke Park proceeded as planned. Ten eager souls were treated to refreshingly cool temps, consistently brisk breezes, and even some birds. Early songbird migrants were still noted in pretty fair numbers as this delayed spring migration continues. Yet, we had a smattering of new arrivals, and at the end of the morning, most of us had warmed up enough that it ALMOST seemed like an actual spring day. Our list of 55 species and some rough numbers:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck- 4
Mallard
Northern Shoveler- 1
Hooded Merganser- 1 female buzzed by early
Pied-billed Grebe- 6
Double-crested Cormorant ~35
Great Blue Heron- 2
GREEN HERON- 1, our FOS
Turkey Vulture- 1
Cooper's Hawk- 2
Red-tailed Hawk- 2, including one carrying a stick
American Coot- 12
Killdeer- 1
Mourning Dove- 1
Woodpeckers-- Red-bellied, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (~20), Downy, Hairy (2), Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe- 8
BLUE-HEADED VIREO- 1 singing in NW loop; seen well by all; our FOS
Blue Jay- several, but no obvious migration happening
American Crow- 1
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper- 5
HOUSE WREN- 2, our FOS
Carolina Wren- 4
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER- 1 male; nice look down low; our FOS
Golden-crowned Kinglet- 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 20+
Eastern Bluebird ~6
Hermit Thrush- 10+
GRAY CATBIRD- 2, our FOS
Brown Thrasher- 4
European Starling
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT- 1 male, our FOS
Pine Warbler- 3 or 4; some singing
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 20+; much calling, no singing
Eastern Towhee ~6
Sparrows-- Chipping (8), Field (6), Savannah (1), Song, Swamp (1),
. . . . . . . . . White-throated (30+), Dark-eyed Junco- 3
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch- 2
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
- - Rodger Rang, Fort Wayne
The high water receded overnight, so Stockbridge Audubon's field trip to Fort Wayne's Franke Park proceeded as planned. Ten eager souls were treated to refreshingly cool temps, consistently brisk breezes, and even some birds. Early songbird migrants were still noted in pretty fair numbers as this delayed spring migration continues. Yet, we had a smattering of new arrivals, and at the end of the morning, most of us had warmed up enough that it ALMOST seemed like an actual spring day. Our list of 55 species and some rough numbers:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck- 4
Mallard
Northern Shoveler- 1
Hooded Merganser- 1 female buzzed by early
Pied-billed Grebe- 6
Double-crested Cormorant ~35
Great Blue Heron- 2
GREEN HERON- 1, our FOS
Turkey Vulture- 1
Cooper's Hawk- 2
Red-tailed Hawk- 2, including one carrying a stick
American Coot- 12
Killdeer- 1
Mourning Dove- 1
Woodpeckers-- Red-bellied, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (~20), Downy, Hairy (2), Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe- 8
BLUE-HEADED VIREO- 1 singing in NW loop; seen well by all; our FOS
Blue Jay- several, but no obvious migration happening
American Crow- 1
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper- 5
HOUSE WREN- 2, our FOS
Carolina Wren- 4
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER- 1 male; nice look down low; our FOS
Golden-crowned Kinglet- 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 20+
Eastern Bluebird ~6
Hermit Thrush- 10+
GRAY CATBIRD- 2, our FOS
Brown Thrasher- 4
European Starling
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT- 1 male, our FOS
Pine Warbler- 3 or 4; some singing
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 20+; much calling, no singing
Eastern Towhee ~6
Sparrows-- Chipping (8), Field (6), Savannah (1), Song, Swamp (1),
. . . . . . . . . White-throated (30+), Dark-eyed Junco- 3
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch- 2
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
- - Rodger Rang, Fort Wayne
