Yellow-breasted Chat, Ingham County, May 8

[Gerald Urquhart]

Hi Birders,

Yesterday I observed a pair of Y-B Chats near 
Holt Jr High School in Ingham County.

The location is off Holt Road, just west of Washington Road.

The actual location is hard to describe, so use 
Google Earth to view  42°38'38.99"N  latitude 
84°34'36.65"W longitude.  You should be able to 
see the clump of bushes they were in, located in 
the middle of a dry marshy meadow.

 From the intersection of W. Campus Drive and Van 
Ermen Drive, walk along the soccer fields to a 
gate on the W side of the soccer fields.  Proceed 
straight W across the oldfield and then through 
the tree-line to a marshy field.  The dominant 
vegetation is PRICKLY ASH, so don't go in 
shorts.  The chats were hanging out in the field 
with the male calling and the female skulking 
around in the prickly ash and dogwood stands.

The habitat looks like places I've seen Chats 
breed before, so I may try to monitor it during 
the summer to see if they're breeding.  If anyone 
relocates the birds, I'd appreciate an update.

Good birding!

Jerry Urquhart



____________________________________________________________
Gerald R. Urquhart Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Lyman Briggs College
E-194 Holmes Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48825

  Email:  urquhart at msu.edu
  Lyman Briggs College: http://www.lymanbriggs.msu.edu
  Homepage: http://www.msu.edu/user/urquhart
  Panama Study Abroad: http://www.msu.edu/user/dru
  Nicaragua Study Abroad: http://www.msu.edu/user/urquhart/nicaragua
  Phone: 517-353-1759 W
  Fax: 517-432-2758 W
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