We did not plan to repeat the venue of our last trip, but high winds in a mature forest is not a good combination for a safe birding trip.  So we returned to the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park this morning.  In our last trip we walked from the Herb Amster trailhead southwest toward the prison property.  So today the ten of us walked northeast toward Munith.  

(Steve Jerant)

As we started the walk a huge group of about 300 Canada Goose came up from the wet area to the east and brough along about 40 Sandhill Crane with them.  Only three raptors were seen but we did see some Red-winged Blackbirds like our last trip.  It has been an odd winter for these normally migratory species.

There was a good bit of mixed habitat with marsh, swamp, forest, and agricultural fields.  While we did not escape the windy conditions, there was good cover for most of the walk and we had a few snowflakes to remind us it's still February.  

(Steve Jerant)

The group walked about 1.3 miles to the intersection of Jordan Rd.  Half of the participants turned around but some of us checked out the sounds we were hearing across Jordan Rd.  A few more species were recorded and brought our trip list to 27.

The trip list is available on eBird.