Whitehouse Nature Center Tour

This tour of the Whitehouse Nature Center had been scheduled for the previous week but was cancelled due to low temperatures.  Well, 7 days and about 35 degrees later, we met to do the tour.   While waiting for everyone to meet, we had a flyover of 2 Trumpeter Swan, doing their trumpet call.  Nearly twenty participants came out and enjoyed a walk led by Albion emeritus professors Dale Kennedy & Doug White.

We toured the nature center, which is open during the day and has a restroom, feeder station viewing area, and lots of turtles.  We started the walk by crossing the bridge over the North Branch of the Kalamazoo River.  The river had open water so a few Mallard were seen and a Belted Kingfisher was heard.  A small group of ducks flew over and we were able to add a Green-winged Teal to our trip list.

A long, flat trail bisects the property. The Rail Trail is on the grade which the interurban service between Albion and Jackson ran in the first half of the 20^th Century.  We headed north shortly after crossing the river and headed out on the Prairie Trail.  This path leads through a variety of habitats including some mature trees.  We also walked along the river and flushed out a Great Blue Heron that was perched near the bank

(Steve Jerant)

Moving south we crossed the Rail Trail again into the Beese Ecology Trail which encircles an old quarry.  From there we Joined the Dale Kennedy and Doug White Wren Trail.  Dale and Doug spent many years in this area doing research, banding, and providing nest boxes for thousands of House Wrens and Eastern Bluebird during their career at Albion.  This trail went through grassland and old pine plantations of White and Jack Pine. 

(Steve Jerant)

We flushed a Ring-necked Pheasant before leaving the grassland area.  Once in the forest we were able to track down a Pileated Woodpecker (pic below) that has been hammering for about the last 10 minutes. 

Looking for a hermit (Steve Jerant)

We rejoined the Beese Ecology Trail through a forest. The tour had a strong finish with Hermit thrush (pics below), Golden-crowned Kinglet, and a Brown Creeper.  Then we returned to the Rail Trail for the conclusion of our tour. 

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) (Don Henise)

Hermit Thrush-side & rear (Catharus guttatus)(Don Henise)

Don's YouTube video of Pileated hammering

Total species:  25

eBird checklist available at:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S215434192