Has Anyone Notice the Birds?
While vacationing at CCR in July, 1982, I decided to make a list of the different kinds of bird~ that can be found
during the summer months. In July, birds are not migrating - they are courting, breeding, nesting or busy feeding
a new family, presenting the perfect opportunity to observe these birds and their behavior. Although a wider variety
of birds are seen during the spring and fall migrations, their stay is brief, not like the summer residents seen in July.
In between fishing, swimming, picnics, hiking and other family activities, my bird list soon began to grow. Family
members even began taking an interest as they pointed out birds they recognized and birds needing to be identified.
Over a 2-week period, we assembled a list of 47 species, all identified on or near Ranch property! This list is given
below ‘for the record’ and to stimulate other members to start their own list. You may find a slightly different bird
name than the one I’ve used (from the American Ornithologists’ Union). To be helpful, I’ve listed names in the order
that they normally appear in bird books.
Three excellent bird books that helped us identify these birds are A Field Guide to the Birds (Eastern Volume) by
Roger Tory Peterson and Birds of North America by Chandler Robbins, et al. Also very useful was the Audubon Field
Guide, which fits nicely in your pocket. With a bird book, a pair of binoculars, a notepad and pencil, you’re all set. The
notepad is to record the date and place birds are identified or descriptions of birds that are not immediately identified
and for noting any other observations.
The list below will help you get started by pointing out what’s common around the Ranch. One helpful hint -
males and females are sometimes very different in appearance. The purple finch is a good example. Although the
female is a drab looking sparrow and difficult to identify, the male is brightly colored and much more recognizable.
Perhaps there are some serious CCR birdwatchers that could put our list to shame, as Michigan has about 370
different bird species. However, for novices we’ve shown you don’t have to be very serious to see as many as 47
different kinds of birds on the Ranch in July, a time when many of us are vacationing and looking for something
relaxing or different to do. The list could easily double in spring when many bird species are migrating north - but
is anybody keeping track? We would like to know.
Lynwood Fiedler and family
BIRDS IDENTIFIED AT CANADA CREEK RANCH, JULY, 1982
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Black and White Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Oriole
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Whip-poor-will
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
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