Sue and I found time between the rain to hit the north prairie loop @
Afton this morning.
Observed many species including over a dozen Henslow’s Sparrows, several
Grasshopper, clay colored and field sparrows, Eastern Meadowlarks, at
least one Bobolink, several Orchard Orioles, and the Summer Tanager.
Did not find the Bell’s Vireo, but as Julian pointed out the habitat is
perfect.
There was also a pair of black-billed cuckoo's in the small patch of
woods at the 50th street entry (just east of Pheasant Ct).
Liz
On 5/28/2014 5:08 PM, Julian Sellers wrote:
There was a good variety of open-country birds along the northern section of
the Prairie Loop Trail, in the northern part of Afton State Park, this morning,
including numerous Henslow’s Sparrows, some Grasshopper Sparrows, Eastern
Meadowlarks, a few Bobolinks, a pair of Orchard Orioles, and a Bell’s Vireo.
The Bell’s Vireo was singing near the northwest corner of the loop. As you
approach from the east, the trail rises and passes between some medium-sized
box elder trees. Beyond that point, mostly to the right of the trail, are
patches of shrubbery of the kind that appeals to Bell’s Vireos. The bird was
moving around in this area. At one point, I saw it fly across the trail, and I
think it was pursuing another member of its species.
I also heard again the distinctive “pit-i-tuck” call of a Summer Tanager, this
time at the northern edge of the woods near the trail junction 0.5 miles south
of the northwest corner of the Prairie Loop Trail.
Julian
St. Paul
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