Birding in Northeast Indiana

By Alexandra Forsythe

Alexandra F. photo by Kristena Lynn Photography

It’s no secret that Goose Pond and the Indiana Dunes are some of Indiana’s birding treasures. What people may not realize is that the northeastern corner of Indiana is also a treasure. We have forests, lakes and prairies that are ideal for attracting a wide variety of birds. Just a few of the birding hotspots are Pokagon State Park, Trine State Recreation Area, Salamonie (State Park, State Forest and Reservoir), J. Edward Roush Fish and Wildlife Area, Hurshtown Reservoir, Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve, Fox Island County Park, Franke Park, and Arrowhead Marsh and Prairie. Acres Land Trust owns and manages over 4,000 acres of preserves in northeast Indiana that include just about every imaginable habitat: old growth forests, prairies, bogs, wetlands, lakes, natural springs, rivers and waterfalls. As further demonstration of northeast Indiana’s abundance of birds and our commitment to helping them, two of the first three Bird Towns are in northeast Indiana: Geneva and Rome City.

At many of these locations, it’s not unusual to see 80 different species in the span of just four hours. Some of the highlights of 2013 include nesting Merlins, nesting Sandhill Cranes, nesting Bald Eagles, Rufous Hummingbird, Rock Wren, Henslow’s Sparrows, Sedge Wrens, White-Winged Crossbills and Surf Scoter.

Stockbridge Audubon hosts regular weekly field trips to these and other fantastic birding locations. IYBC will also host an event in northeast Indiana this year that will allow young birders to bird at two of these locations: Eagle Marsh and Fox Island. I hope you join us!

Cass County Spotted Towhee

By Landon Neumann

It’s not every day that a birder finds a statewide rarity on his home turf. But, it happened to me during the first Cass County Christmas Bird Count on December 19, 2013. Here’s a short story about how I found the bird.

Spotted Towhee by Eric Ripma

Before the CBC I had assigned myself a local trail that was in the circle called the River Bluff Trail and some county roads. This spot usually isn't very good in winter but, I was hoping for at least a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker to add to the count.  So on count day I was at the trail bright and early ready to find some birds. The birding started out pretty good, I got the adult male sapsucker right off that I had hoped for.  There were a lot of White-throated and American Tree Sparrows out along the trail and meadows.  Right along the trail, where a river runs parallel, I scored an American Black Duck with a flock of Mallards, which I usually don’t see on that section of the river. Since the trail is 5 miles round-trip and there was 6 inches of snow on the trail the ground, walking was tough going but, I didn't mind. Once I had birded the entire trail, I headed back through the trail again since it is one way. As I was walking, I noticed two female Eastern Towhees sitting in a bush. I was pretty excited about adding them to the count since that species is hard to get in the winter this far north. After I had looked at them, I noticed an adult male towhee nearby that had white spots on his back.  I thought to myself that it looked good for Spotted Towhee - which is a western towhee that occurs in Indiana only on rare occasions.  I studied the bird for a little while before it flew off. Pretty sure that I was correct on my ID, I ran down the trail to my car (which was half a mile away) to check a guide and sure enough the guide confirmed that I had just seen a Spotted Towhee in Indiana!!!  I was pretty excited but, because I knew I needed to finish birding the rest of my area, I left the trail to bird more and then get the word out at lunch.

                During the CBC lunch I was able to get the word out and after lunch some of the birders came with me to re-find the towhee and to document my finding.  Luckily we were able to find it within a few minutes and we were able to get some decent shots of it. The bird stayed for a few more days before it moved on, allowing more birders from around the state to come and see it. Hopefully next year’s Cass County CBC will be as memorable as this one.

Green Jay

By Alexandria Simpson

Green Jay "blue-variant". Courtesy of A. Simpson

When thinking of jays, the color that most often comes to mind is blue.  Most people are familiar with the Blue Jay or another blue-colored jay.  Therefore, you can imagine my surprise when I saw my first Green Jay on a birding trip to Laguna Atascosa NWR in South Texas.  They are certainly green, a beautiful lime green reminiscent of parrots.

 

In case you still prefer some blue on your jay, the Green Jay does not disappoint: the crown and nape are bright blue.  Add some yellow-green to the bellies, and a black bib, eye line, and throat and you've created a Green Jay.  They seem very colorful but when viewed in their native semi-tropical habitat, they blend in amazingly well with the dappled sunshine and shade.  Males, females, and immatures look identical.

Green Jay and a "blue-variant". Courtesy of A. Simpson.

A few years ago, the Atascosa refuge had a very special jay.  Called the "blue variant" of the Green Jay", it was missing its yellow pigmentation and instead of being bright green, was a dull gray-blue.  When it stood next to a regular jay, the difference was stunning.  It was famous and highly photographed until it disappeared, presumably predated.

Interestingly, the Green Jay is the only common jay species in the Rio Grande Valley.  Nowhere else in the US or Canada can you find these birds; there are also populations in Mexico and South America.  The South Texas subspecies are colored somewhat differently from their South American relations, which are sometimes called Inca Jays.

Green Jays feeding.  Courtesy of A. Simpson.

Like other members of the Corvidae family, which includes jays, ravens, and crows, they are loud, aggressive, and curious birds.  The dinner table certainly never suffers from lack of conversation while the Green Jays are feeding!  A common spectacle, and one that proves their courage, is to see one or more perched atop a javelina, enjoying a free ride.  Studies have shown that Corvids are some of the most intelligent birds.  Green Jays are no exception to this and have been seen using sticks to poke insects out of tree bark.

Groups of Green Jays are called bands, parties, or scolds.  They are mostly family groups with the young from the previous year help out with this year's chicks.  Once the chicks are two years old, they are forced to leave and start a family of their own.

Green Jay perched on a Javelina.  Courtesy of A. Simpson

Green Jays are some of the most interesting birds to watch, especially when they cock their heads at you inquiringly.  Their beautiful plumage and loud, aggressive behavior provide plenty of entertainment.  If you've never had been able to view these birds in action, I hope you get the chance to someday.  They may not be blue, but they certainly are amazing birds!

Birds of the Border

By Matthias Benko

For millions of years, birds have been oblivious to national, state, provincial, and county borders. That was the case this past Saturday when the IYBC headed up to the Indiana/Illinois Lakefront to do a “little birding.” Actually, a “little birding” is quite an understatement. There was quite a lot to keep us busy------for seven straight hours.

          

The IYBC crew met up at Miller Beach outside of Gary, IN,  at 9 o’clock eastern time last Saturday. There was a reported Red Knot there, but before most of us could get there, it was spooked by a Cooper’s Hawk. However, the missing Red Knot was made up by a fly-by Whimbrel. After some of us had regained our breathing from the Whimbrel sighting, we decided to head over to the Whiting Park to look for migrant warblers.

         

We were rewarded very quickly at Whiting Park when we found a group of Nashville, Blackpoll, and Bay-breasted Warblers trying to scare off a perched Red-tailed Hawk. Some other highlights at Whiting Park after the small flock included a couple of Wilson’s Warblers,  an Ovenbird,  some American Redstarts, and a black squirrel. We finished up there and decided to go to what would be a life-changing destination for me.

          

The Migrant Trap is located next to the infamous Horseshoe Casino. Since the birds are very fatigued from the flight across Lake Michigan, they come here in numbers to rest.  We started at a bird feeder area with species like American Goldfinch, Gray Catbird,  Mourning Dove, House Sparrow, and Black-capped (not Indianapolis’s Carolina) Chickadee. After looking at the feeder birds for a few minutes, we started to head down the park’s only trail. Almost immediately we saw one Black-throated Green Warbler and numerous Tennessee Warblers. After the Tennessees, we started seeing lots of Blackpolls. It was getting a bit repetitive, but then I got my first life bird of the trip-------- a male Magnolia Warbler in vibrant fall plumage. It felt like there was some sort of unbreakable bond between the two of us, and I knew for a fact right then and there that the Magnolia Warbler was one of my favorite warblers. Just when it couldn't it get any better, it did. A male Black-throated Blue Warbler showed up. I don’t exactly know how to explain the feeling when I saw him, but I am sure that is what it must feel like to be star-struck. The only two new warblers that I saw on the trip became part of my top three favorite warblers. It is kind of strange how it ended up that way, but I don’t think it was a coincidence.....

          
At the end of The Migrant Trap, there is a little mudflat area. I saw new two lifers here------- Semipalmated Plover and Sanderling. By that time, we were all hungry, thirsty, and fatigued, so we took a lunch break. After our quick refueling, we headed back to Miller Beach. I ended the day there after I saw my first American Golden Plover (in full plumage!) and my first Black-bellied Plover. All in all, it was a wonderful day for not only us, but the birds who survived their brutal flight across Lake Michigan.

Jewels in the Countryside of Indiana

By Matthias Benko

The gnats and mosquitoes are swarming all around me. I try to ignore the annoying buzzes and the forming bites. As I keep walking around the parking lot with the group, I catch my first glance at a gargantuan nest box. The next thing I feast my eyes on stops me in my tracks. I have just seen my first Purple Martin.

The Purple Martin colony I have described is located at Willow Slough FWA in Morocco, IN. This is where the Indiana and Illinois Young Birders met up for some birding this past Saturday. Getting there was no easy task for my mom and me. It required waking at 5:30 in the morning, getting everything together, and  traveling 250 miles by car. However, once we got there, I could tell the birds were worth a long road trip. As we gathered at a central point in Willow Slough, we found a Red-headed Woodpecker nest. It was definitely amazing to see such a beautiful creature feeding young. We then walked around the parking lot, looking for species. We saw American Robins, Common Grackles, Cedar Waxwings, and Chipping Sparrows. Once we reached the lakeside, I saw my first Purple Martin. It was so mind-boggling to me that a bird could be bright purple. After I had looked at the nesting colony for a few minutes, our group heard thunder. Since the main attraction of this trip was Kankakee Sands, we decided to drive over there before the rain struck.  

    

The drive to Kankakee was actually quite productive. On the way there we saw Indigo Buntings, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Dickcissel (a new species for me), and an Eastern Meadowlark.  We arrived at our destination, the headquarters, and I had my first amazing look at a Dickcissel (the first one was obscured by brush). Then, a Henslow’s Sparrow was sighted, and I got my first look at this species. I was so happy to see this bird because, unfortunately, it is endangered in the state of Indiana.  After the Henslow’s Sparrow, I got my first look at a Grasshopper Sparrow. The other highlight at the headquarters was a Common Yellowthroat. After that, our group decided to head to another area of Kankakee.

The first sighting in the area we arrived at was a Bobolink; however, only one person saw it. Besides that, we also saw an Orchard Oriole, a Baltimore Oriole, and a Lark Sparrow. We ran out of luck after the Lark Sparrow. It had begun to pour so heavily that we decided to end the field trip a few hours early. It would have been awesome to stay longer, but it would have been no fun to bird in the pouring rain.

This was truly an amazing field trip. I would like to thank the IYBC team for planning such a marvelous trip. I can’t wait to go back to Kankakee on a sunny day. 

Birding Basics and Beyond!

By Alexandra Forsythe

Red-headed Woodpecker by Alex F.

We had a great crowd at Pokagon for the "Birding Basics and Beyond!" program! There were dozens of children and teens who were interested in birds, so hopefully we'll have several new members in the IYBC soon.

Mr. Velasquez gave an interesting presentation about the birds and other animals he's encountered on his adventures.  He inspired everyone to grab their passport and binoculars and head for the tropics!

Yellow-rumped Warbler by Alex F.

We took the attendees on a birding hike, and even though the weather was not ideal, we spotted a number of species, including Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Golden-crowned Kinglet.

I'm certain everyone had fun and learned a lot - with Fred Wooley, Lauren Loffer, and John Velasquez, it was sure to be a hit!

Spotted Redshank at Goose Pond, IN

By Landon Neumann

Spotted Redshank, Goose Pond, IN.  Photo by Ryan Sanderson

A Spotted Redshank in Indiana was definitely not what I was expecting to happen this past week, but I guess there is never the impossible in the birding world.  After hearing about the Redshank on Thursday I quickly went into action to find a ride to be able to see this bird. Well, after finding a ride with Chicago young birders, Ethan and Aaron Gyllenhaal, and Ted Wolfe I was able to chase this mega-rarity on Saturday.

Spotted Redshank (right) at Goose Pond.  Photo by Ryan Sanderson

After a very long three hour drive through the great Indiana corn desert we arrived at Goose Pond FWA.  Right, as we pulled in the bird was actually viewable from the car! However, right as we were getting our stuff out the bird flew to the other field that it was feeding at, so we had to walk the ½ hike down the levee to get better look at it since we had only see it flying away.  During the walk we encountered over 100 birders along the levee. Some people were as far away as Massachusetts!  After a fifteen minute hike we reached where the bird was, so we set our scopes up to see the bird. Within a minute of searching we had found the bird in our scopes!  We were all overjoyed to get such great look at this bird.

After we had found the bird we observed the bird for the next hour or two.  It was neat to see the bird’s red legs, but also its red base that it had on its bill. While we were watching the redshank, it called for us a couple times and it was frequently chasing away Lesser Yellowlegs, who were feeding close to it.  The field that it was in was also filled with other birds. Some of the highlights that were in the field apart from Redshank were 23 American Golden Plovers, a Long Billed Dowitcher, and 3 Black Necked Stilts. The field was also jammed back with Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Pectoral Sandpipers, and both species of yellowlegs. Overall, it was a lot of fun birding along the levee.

I’m very thankful to see such a rare bird. It was one of the rarest birds I’ve ever seen in North America. If you haven’t seen it yet I would strongly recommend you go see it. It will be a while, if ever, before one shows up again in Indiana.