Rick Hollis
Kent Park Bird and Flower walk Jul 18, 2018
by Rick Hollis
We did a leisrely walk 1.2 miles, 2 hours, on the same paths as we have used recently. But to change things, up, we went in a different direction. Six of us went on the walk and we found 25 species of birds. I am not sure how many species of flowering plants we found. We also had several butterflies, Great Spangled Fritillary and Monarch, as well as a few smaller ones.
The birds: Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2, Red-headed Woodpecker 4, Red-bellied Woodpecker 3, Northern Flicker 4, Eastern Wood-Pewee 2, Great Crested Flycatcher 2, Blue Jay 1, American Crow 4, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Tufted Titmouse 3, House Wren 6, Eastern Bluebird 2, American Robin 6, Gray Catbird 10, Common Yellowthroat 6, American Redstart 2, Field Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow 1, Eastern Towhee 4, Northern Cardinal 6, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5, Indigo Bunting 4, Orchard Oriole 1, Brown-headed Cowbird 2, and American Goldfinch 3.
American Redstart nest
The best birds were both found by Eric. His sharp ears found the Yellow-billed Cuckoo [which we later saw 2] and his eyes found a nest hanging over the path. As we looked at the nest mama flew in. I initially called it a Warbling Vireo but up looking at the photos decided it was an American Redstart.
Many plants are flowering at Kent Park. Illinois Bundle Flower is one of my favorites, its spike globe flower, its delicate foliage and its bizarre fruit.
Illinois Bundle Flower early fruit
Illinois Bundle Flower
Joe Pye Weed
Joe Pye Weed is great flower for attracting butterflies. Google Joe Pye to search all the various stories that surround the name. This close up looks a little different from a distant plant.
singing male Eastern Towhee.
Eastern Towhees were singing all along our route. Towhees prefer to sing in a high bare perch.
Purple Cone Flower [right] and Culver’s Root [distant left]
Purple Coneflower
a Distant Purple Cone Flower lights up the surrounding veg.
Gray-headed Coneflower
Ticktrefoil
The lovely little pea like flowers of Ticktrefoil give no clue to the plants identifications. The little flat triangular seeds, often strung together in strings are a better clue, when we find them clinging to our pants and dogs. There are a few unripe seeds in the lower right of the photo
Turk’s Cap Lilies and distant Culver’s Root.
Around the CEC’s entrance is great place to observe Turk’s Cap Lilies. There are also Michigan Lilies here as well, but they migh have bloomed a bit earlier.