Beginning Bird Walk

I'll have some pictures up soon of the Forest Park Beginner Bird Walk on Saturday. The Wild Bird Sanctuary was there mist netting, so I have some nice pictures of birds in the hand.

Michigan

I saw many new life birds this summer, bringing my life list total up to 129. I don't think these are all my pictures from Michigan, and I'll try to find where I put the others.Scenery along Peterson Road.

Spotted Sandpiper at Peterson Beach.

Least Sandpiper at Peterson Beach.

Least Sandpiper again, Peterson Beach.

This Piping Plover has lots of bands on its legs. The DNR is very active in protecting them.

Empire Bluffs.

Immature Phoebes in a nest under the barn eaves.

Caspian Tern with some gulls at Esch Road.

Female Common Merganser with babies, seen at the Platte River.A Piping Plover. It turns out it was sitting on its chicks.They are really tiny and fluffy.

A Promise of Posts to Come

I'm in Michigan, I have seen lots of birds, and I will post more in depth sometime in August when I'm back in St. Louis.

Tower Grove Park Again

This Thursday, I went to Tower Grove Park in the afternoon. I saw redstarts, magnolia warblers, chestnut-sided warblers, wilson's warblers, and, the highlight, a hooded warbler. I'm afraid I don't have any pictures, but I will soon post about saturday's trip to TGP, which will contain some nice photos.

Tower Grove Park

A few Sundays ago, I went to Tower Grove Park. Species observed included a summer tanager, black-throated green warbler, kentucky warbler, wood thrush, and common yellowthroat.

Afterwards, I went to Kennedy Forest in Forest park, where there were swainson's thrushes, a northern parula, and a nesting blue-gray gnatcatcher.

Beginner Bird Walk

A few weekends ago, I went on the Forest Park Forever Beginner Bird Walk. It is led by very knowledgeable Audubon members, and geared toward beginners. On it, we saw many species, including a ruby-throated hummingbird, white-eyed vireo, eastern kingbird, white-throated sparrow, red-tailed hawk, nashville warbler, magnolia warbler, magnolia warbler, and brown thrasher.

White-eyed vireo

Brown Thrasher

Eastern Kingbird

I think these are the caterpillars that make "tents" in trees
These red-tails were on top of a building across from the park

Yard Birds

In the fall, and earlier this spring, I observed a seeming lack of migrants in our yard. However, that has changed. I realized that I need to look in the big oak trees in our front yard, instead of the low bushy trees in our backyard. I have been able to see a tennessee warbler, swainson's thrush, male redstart, and many other warblerish birds that only show me their bellies However, there was also a common yellowthroat in the backyard. Earlier this spring, I saw in my yard for the first time white-crowned sparrows.

Also, a pair of robins nested in the holly tree right outside our front window. All the babies have fledged by now.