Manitou Island family birding

[Brian A]

Saturday July 29 was the date our family rode the ferry out to South Manitou Island and hiked for 8 miles in the middle of the day.

I didn't expect much from the 3 hour "pelagic" or from the Island as far as birding as we were not scheduled to come ashore until 11:30 on a very warm and still day but I was pleasantly suprised.

The three mile trail through mostly young transition forest was a hike amidst a riot of Red-eyed Vireos.  Also calling during the heat of the mid afternoon were Black-throated Green Warblers, a Black-throated Blue Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wood Pewees and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo near the site of the Ancient Cedars.

Up on the perched dunes on the south end of the island away from the din of the vireos was a Merlin sweeping the edges of the ridgeline.

We hiked down and swimmed near the wreck of the Moran (and the dead forest with Coromorant nests) and then hiked back along the beach for a few miles to the boatdocks on the way hearing a Praire Warbler in some brush about 1/2 mile south of the campground.

Most notable pelagic bird a nicely plumaged adult Bonaparte's Gull.

BA
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