71 was the species count (16 warblers) this morning, which is a good count, but overall the survey was more or less routine. A Connecticut Warbler was new for the route list. I guess the most unusual sight was a flock of 12 Mourning Doves in a sunny patch on the gravel road; the total count for the route was 29 doves, so I had about 40% of the total in 1 flock.
Sapsucker numbers were outstanding - 25, but numbers of waxwings, veeries, white-throats, and red-wings were down from the totals observed on the most recent surveys - 1994, 96, and 97. A single kestrel mobbing a Red-tailed Hawk along with a soaring harrier were nice additions to the day's list.
A woman stopped and insisted on telling me about every bird that comes to her feeders - spring, summer, fall, and winter - day and night! I wanted to move on but also didn't want to be rude to her - nice to see the _expression of joy in someone who certainly is into birdfeeding. One thing I now wish that I had done was to print some Quad 30 business cards to give passer-bys, motel desk persons, librarians, etc. My room in Rapid River was phoneless so I was computerless, but the price was right.
Ravens were feasting on 3 road-killed porcupines along the route and on the road back to Rapid River. And speaking of the drive back, as I drove through the village of Perkins, I saw a sign advertising an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the American Legion Hall. After paying my $5 I feasted on pancakes (including some with blueberries), 2 kinds of eggs, sausage and bacon, and very good coffee along with OJ and milk. I may not need to eat any more pancakes on the trip! I decided to stop at the MDNR access site south of Rapid River to work on the data forms and let digestion work in the sunshine. The nearby Osprey platform is active, and I enjoyed the singing of a Western Meadowlark, the first I've heard since I left western MN.
