Oscoda County

[Jeff J Chynoweth]

Yesterday, I went birding in the northeastern corner of Oscoda County and
found:  on Helmer Lake Road there is a 3-5 acre plot that has been/is in
the process of being disced, in the field were snow buntings and horned
larks, with some darker birds in the flock that may have been lapland
longspurs.  The flock was very jittery and I was unable to id all the
birds.  There was also a northern shrike on the back side of the plot.
Flying over the clearing were two rough-legged hawks (one dark phase).  At
the northwest corner of Galbraith Road and Kittle Road in an undisced plot
with corn stuble were several  flocks of snow buntings, horned larks and
lapland longspurs. During the 1/2 hour I scoped the area, numerous small
flocks of buntings/larks/longspurs would fly in and out of the area,
sometimes combining into one large flock, other times splitting into
several smaller flocks.  There was also a small flock (23 birds) of rusty
blackbirds near the farm house.