I spent Sunday morning searching for landbirds at two of the best sites for migrant accumulation: Prairie Oaks MetroPark riparian trails & Battelle-Darby MetroPark's Terrace & Ancient Trails.  Both areas have long trails that wend N-S along the edge of the riparian corridor of Big Darby Creek, and they usually act as good conduits of migrants.  This morning saw no large numbers, but some of the areas look to be especially promising over the new few weeks.  In particular:

1. Prairie Oaks: Darby Bend Lakes' RipRock Trail  -- This was formerly an overgrown dike between an old quarry pool and the Big Darby, but has now been widened, lowered, & partially cleared.   This makes for a great edge now, and the area had quite a few residents & common migrants (mostly waxwings, vireos, pewees, crested flycatchers, and 2 Baltimore orioles) this morning.

2. Battelle-Darby: Trail of the Ancients  --- The lower part of this loop trail flits between the Big Darby riparian woods and a large field, giving a good edge with excellent morning light.  It had many of the same birds as the RipRock Trail, but also had 3 Scarlet Tanagers, Black & White and Redstart warblers, and a calling Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Three other areas that have similar characteristics are worth considering, although I didn't have time to reach them today.  They include
3. Battelle-Darby: Dyer's Mill Trail - Runs along the Little Darby from a parking area at its confluence with the Big Darby.  The first mile of this trail has very diverse habitats and can be exceptional for migrant diversity.

4. Battelle-Darby: Osprey Lake - a foottrail wends between a small lake and the Big Darby just south of Darbydale.  Good habitat, although it can get crowded on Summer weekends.

5. Prairie Oaks: Coneflower Trail - a loop trail that winds between the riparian edge and 3 meadows along the Big Darby.   Can be excellent later in migration (late Sept-Oct) when blackbirds & sparrows are on the move.

Really, almost any area along the Darby Creeks will yield surprises.  While at the Darby Bend Lakes this morning, I also walked around the lakes (really old quarry ponds) and was startled to find several Bobolinks, as well as a fair number of Indigo Buntings.  The lakes are large enough to attract waterfowl later in the year, but had little this morning. The area also was a-swarm with butterflies, including 6-8 Painted Ladies, unusual late Summer immigrants here.  Just north of there, the MetroPark has developed and opened yet another old quarry, called Beaver Pond, and it also looks to have good habitat (including another long forested dike along the creek).  So many places, so few mornings!


Rob Thorn
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EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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