Limberlost Swamp and Loblolly Marsh
August 27, 2016
Seven members attended Stockbridge Audubon's first field trip of the fall today at Limberlost Swamp
Wetland Preserve. Members of Robert Cooper Audubon joined us, and Limberlost staffers, Willy De Smet
and Curt Burnette, accompanied us, leading us on a warm, muggy, five-mile hike at the property but
ensuring our timely return to the Visitor Center in Geneva before the skies let loose at lunch time.
Probably the best birds were noted by only a portion of the group. Two Northern Mockingbirds were
seen by a participant who decided to hold back and wait in the shade while the rest of us continued on
an extended loop trail. And two Sedge Wrens (Adams Co.) and a Blue Grosbeak (Jay Co.) that I heard
singing on an early pass of the property while driving to the meeting site were not heard again when
the whole group returned to listen for them. Also notable on our walk was a good showing of Eastern
Kingbirds, including a flock of nine, that were all moving southward.
Our Limberlost list of 47 species with a few tallies:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck- 2
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal- 1
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret- 5; again, no good egrets, just Great (Hey, southern IN! How 'bout coughin' up a Snowy?
Or a Little Blue Heron? You certainly wouldn't miss just one!)
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle- 1 juvenile
Northern Harrier- 2 (1m, 1f)
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon- 1
Mourning Dove
Red-headed Woodpecker- 3
Downy Woodpecker- 1
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
American Kestrel- 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 1
Great Crested Flycatcher- 2
Eastern Kingbird- 15
Warbling Vireo- 2
Blue Jay
Horned Lark
Purple Martin- 5
Tree Swallow- 1
Rough-winged Swallow- 2 early
Barn Swallow- 20
Carolina Chickadee- 1
White-breasted Nuthatch- 2
House Wren- 1
Sedge Wren- 2 early
Carolina Wren- 1
Northern Mockingbird- 2
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing- 17
Common Yellowthroat- 1
Field Sparrow- 3
Savannah Sparrow- 2
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal- 3
Blue Grosbeak- 1 early
Indigo Bunting- 5
Bobolink- 11, including a flock of seven that went over early
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole- 1
American Goldfinch
After the storm and lunch both ended, a very few of us continued to Loblolly Marsh for a couple of
quick stops before calling it a day. Additional day-birds added here were Black-crowned Night-Heron
(1 imm.), N. Flicker (1), Red-eyed Vireo (1), and Gray Catbird (1). We also had another singing
Sedge Wren.
Rodger Rang Fort Wayne
August 27, 2016
Seven members attended Stockbridge Audubon's first field trip of the fall today at Limberlost Swamp
Wetland Preserve. Members of Robert Cooper Audubon joined us, and Limberlost staffers, Willy De Smet
and Curt Burnette, accompanied us, leading us on a warm, muggy, five-mile hike at the property but
ensuring our timely return to the Visitor Center in Geneva before the skies let loose at lunch time.
Probably the best birds were noted by only a portion of the group. Two Northern Mockingbirds were
seen by a participant who decided to hold back and wait in the shade while the rest of us continued on
an extended loop trail. And two Sedge Wrens (Adams Co.) and a Blue Grosbeak (Jay Co.) that I heard
singing on an early pass of the property while driving to the meeting site were not heard again when
the whole group returned to listen for them. Also notable on our walk was a good showing of Eastern
Kingbirds, including a flock of nine, that were all moving southward.
Our Limberlost list of 47 species with a few tallies:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck- 2
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal- 1
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret- 5; again, no good egrets, just Great (Hey, southern IN! How 'bout coughin' up a Snowy?
Or a Little Blue Heron? You certainly wouldn't miss just one!)
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle- 1 juvenile
Northern Harrier- 2 (1m, 1f)
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon- 1
Mourning Dove
Red-headed Woodpecker- 3
Downy Woodpecker- 1
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
American Kestrel- 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 1
Great Crested Flycatcher- 2
Eastern Kingbird- 15
Warbling Vireo- 2
Blue Jay
Horned Lark
Purple Martin- 5
Tree Swallow- 1
Rough-winged Swallow- 2 early
Barn Swallow- 20
Carolina Chickadee- 1
White-breasted Nuthatch- 2
House Wren- 1
Sedge Wren- 2 early
Carolina Wren- 1
Northern Mockingbird- 2
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing- 17
Common Yellowthroat- 1
Field Sparrow- 3
Savannah Sparrow- 2
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal- 3
Blue Grosbeak- 1 early
Indigo Bunting- 5
Bobolink- 11, including a flock of seven that went over early
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole- 1
American Goldfinch
After the storm and lunch both ended, a very few of us continued to Loblolly Marsh for a couple of
quick stops before calling it a day. Additional day-birds added here were Black-crowned Night-Heron
(1 imm.), N. Flicker (1), Red-eyed Vireo (1), and Gray Catbird (1). We also had another singing
Sedge Wren.
Rodger Rang Fort Wayne
