Tweets,

This is a much delayed report but may still be of interest to anyone
planning a future trip to the midwest in the spring.

We spent two weeks of a six week vacation birding in Berrien County in
southwest Michigan, Crane Creek in Ohio and Pt. Pelee in Ontario, Canada.
Our main focus was warblers.

Berrien County is just a 2 hour drive from O'Hare Airport in Chicago. We
did not bird that area nearly as much as we had planned. The highlights
were (lifers in caps):

Green Heron
Hooded Merganser
Osprey
Lesser Yellowlegs
Caspian Tern
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE
EASTERN PHOEBE
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
EASTERN BLUEBIRD
Swainson's Thrush
WOOD THRUSH
Gray Catbird
Magnolia Warbler
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
INDIGO BUNTING

Toward the end of our stay in Berrien County (where I have family) we
acquired a copy of a handout (complete with maps) used for the Birdathon.
We got it from a helpful worker at Love Creek Nature Center near the
town of Berrien Springs. It has detailed information about locations for
birding and is a great resource for this area close to Chicago. Somebody
should put it on the web. But since it isn't they can be contacted at
616.471.2617 if you should go.


We were at Crane Creek from 4 pm on May 18 through 10am on May 20.

According to the locals Tuesday was a slow day but for us it was a great
way to get introduced to a migrant trap. Had there been any more birds
that first day we would have been overwhelmed. Wednesday was a little
more active.

Before the trip we were anxious about birding with a *mob* but it turned
out to be just fine. There were a lot of people around but everyone was
courteous and helpful and we wouldn't have gotten so many birds without
the help of other birders.

Sightings of note at Crane Creek:

Great Egret (with one baby)
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Blue-winged Teal
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
AMERICAN WOODCOCK
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
Great Horned Owl (heard at camp)
Chimney Swift
Northern Flicker (YELLOW-SHAFTED)
Least Flycatcher
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER
BLUE-HEADED VIREO
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
PURPLE MARTIN
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER
BREWSTER'S WARBLER
Nashville Warbler
NORTHERN PARULA
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER
Magnolia Warbler
CAPE MAY WARBLER
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
PALM WARBLER
BAY BREASTED WARBLER
BLACKPOLL WARBLER
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER
American Redstart
OVENBIRD
Common Yellowthroat
SCARLET TANAGER
EASTERN TOWHEE
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch

Pt. Pelee was slower than Crane Creek. And surprisingly the activity was
minimal until about 8 or 9am. The only reason to get there at daybreak
seemed to be to get a parking spot. We birded at Pelee two days. If I
had to choose between Crane Creek and Pelee I would spend more time at
Crane Creek. Highlights were:

Common Loon
Red-breasted Merganser
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
BROAD-WINGED HAWK
Black-bellied Plover
Bonaparte's Gull
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL
Forster's Tern
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Red-headed Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
White-breasted Nuthatch
CAROLINA WREN
House Wren
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
WHITE-EYED VIREO
BLUE-HEADED VIREO
Warbling Vireo
PHILADELPHIA VIREO
RED-EYED VIREO
Golden-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
CANADA WARBLER
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
ORCHARD ORIOLE
BALTIMORE ORIOLE

Other sightings of note ( organized by area) seen further north in
Michigan were:

Bobolink, Acadia Lake, Manistee, MI
NORTHERN GOSHAWK, Au Sable National Forest
Upland Sandpiper, Au Sable National Forest
Brown Thrasher, Au Sable National Forest
Hermit Warbler, Au Sable National Forest
KIRKLAND'S WARBLER, Au Sable National Forest
Clay-Colored Sparrow, Au Sable National Forest
Field Sparrow, Au Sable National Forest
Vesper Sparrow, Au Sable National Forest
Black-bellied Plover, Bear Lake, Manistee, MI
Semipalmated Plover, Bear Lake, Manistee, MI
PINE WARBLER, Bear Lake, Manistee, MI
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, Hardwick Pines State Park
WHIP-POOR-WILL (heard), Hardwick Pines State Park

Ileen Weber and Julianne Duncan
Seattle, WA
duncanweber at seanet.com