Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge - Woodland Trail - June 28

[Steve_Kahl at fws.gov]

I spent a few hours birding along the Woodland Trail at Shiawassee National
Wildlife Refuge's Woodland Trail this morning for the Breeding Bird Atlas.
Noteworthy finds and confirmations include:

Canada goose CO-FL
wood duck CO-FL
Cooper's hawk PO-#
spotted sandpiper PO-#
yellow-billed cuckoo PR-T
ruby-throated hummingbird PO-#
downy woodpecker CO-FL
hairy woodpecker CO-FL
eastern wood-pewee PO-X
great crested flycatcher PO-X
eastern kingbird PO-#
yellow-throated vireo PO-X
red-eyed vireo PO-X
tree swallow CO-FL
black-capped chickadee CO-FY
tufted titmouse CO-FL
brown creeper PO-X
house wren CO-FL
eastern bluebird PO-X
wood thrush PR-S
American robin CO-FL
gray catbird CO-FY
yellow warbler CO-FY
American redstart CO-FY
scarlet tanager PO-X
song sparrow CO-FL
northern cardinal CO-FL
rose-breasted grosbeak PO-X
indigo bunting PO-X
red-winged blackbird CO-FL
common grackle CO-FL
brown-headed cowbird CO-FL

The alarm calls of barn swallows, grackles, and robins caused me to look up
from my field card just in time to see an adult Cooper's hawk capture and
kill a mourning dove.

Unfortunately, the CO-FY American redstart came as a result of watching a
pair feeding a recently fledged cowbird.

Red admirals are almost literally everywhere at the refuge.  I counted 25
just on the trail's gravel parking area.

The dry weather yielded a total of two mosquitoes.

I enjoyed watching an eastern garter snake coiled up and resting in
vegetation 2 feet above the ground.

Steven Kahl
Refuge Manager
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
6975 Mower Road
Saginaw, MI  48601-9783
P (989) 777-5930 ext 16
F (989) 777-9200
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/shiawassee/