Fish Crow (link to video), etc-Berrien Co (and LaPorte Co, Indiana)

[Jonathan Wuepper]

Hello-

I cut & pasted this post from the Indiana Listserve, which deals with our FISH CROW in Berrien County. The bird has been observed in both Indiana & Michigan. Brad provides a link to a video of the FISH CROW. 

Myself & others would appreciate any information on the reported BLUE GROSBEAK in Warren Woods State Park (please reply to my email privately). 

Also note that the CHUCK-WILLS WIDOW is back on territory along Jones Road, near its intersection with Long Lake Road. It can also, at times, be heard along True Road, which runs east-west between Jones Road and M-140. This is the 5th consecutive year the species has been present at this location. 

Here is the post about the FISH CROW:

"
Subject: FISH CROW- Laporte Co; 5/26/09
From: Brad Bumgardner <bumgbj01 AT HOTMAIL.COM>

Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 15:00:08 -0500

Greetings,

The recent FISH CROW sighting in Berrien County Michigan included discussion 
that the crows (both American and the Fish Crow) were traveling back and forth 
across the Indiana/Michigan state line. I set out this morning to try to find 
the Fish Crow at the spot where it was seen by many yesterday and to determine 
if it could be confirmed that the bird is indeed visiting Indiana. This 
location is 1/4 mile north of the state line from LaPorte County on Martin Rd, 
along the south boundary of the Forest Lawn Land Fill. 


 

I arrived at 8:15am (CDT) local time (9:15am EDT). Many crows were moving back 
and forth over the road to my east and west. At approximately 8:50am, I could 
hear the distinctive "anh anh" of a FISH CROW to my south. It gave the two 
parted call only two times, then proceeded to give the usual one noted nasal 
"anh" call. After finally getting a glimpse of the calling bird flying north 
into the landfill and out of site, I traveled the .29mi south to the Indiana 
state line to see if I could catch it flying south into Indiana. 


 

Indeed, a 9:20am, I heard the crow coming in from the northwest. It then flew 
south after resting in a tree just west of me. The bird then continued south, 
then southeast, and out of sight. At the state line, I taped the bird giving 
one call note. Back at the pull off south of the landfill, I heard the bird 
travel over one more time before the rain began. GPS points were noted to 
confirm it was in Indiana. 


 

While waiting out the rain, I visited Forest Lawn Rd, just north of this site 
and picked up Cerulean Warbler, 2 Yellow-throated Warblers, and a Canada 
Warbler. 


 

As the rain finished, I went back and joined Pat Underwood and Lathe Claflin. 
We waited a while, but the bird appeared again from the south, most likely in 
Indiana. I did not note the time, but was likely around 11:30am. It perched in 
a cottonwood for over a minute and continually called out, before flying north 
into the landfill. When perched, all three of us commented on the smaller size 
from other crows. In flight, I was not comfortable picking out Fish Crow field 
marks, and relied on the more nasal calls it was giving. Several of us got a 
one minute video clip of the bird, where the nasal calls can be heard clearly. 


 

For a short video clip visit in the cottonwood visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64slCkM5B6k.  
 
For a map of the site, with commentary visit: http://tinyurl.com/o37v3w

 

If accepted by the IBRC, this would be the first confirmed Indiana Fish Crow 
north of Indianapolis. A thanks goes to the Michigan birders that have been out 
watching for and posting this bird since it was found on May 16. 


 

Brad Bumgardner

Chesterton, IN"


      
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