This morning, there was a lark sparrow sitting on the Blue Hill Trail sign, right at the parking area on CR 9. I've been seeing at least two lark sparrows between our HQ/Office and the Blue Hill Trail parking area for nearly two weeks. Another spot for lark sparrows that's "nearly" a sure thing, at least right now, is down on the Orrock Township Hall Road off CR 4. From the intersection of CR's 5 and 4 at Orrock, go east about two blocks on CR 4, and then turn left/north on the township hall road (big sign - can't miss it). At the north end of this road is a little church and cemetery. There have been at least two males singing in this general area since spring.
Also this morning, just east of Blue Hill trailhead, on the north side of CR 9, a Henslow's sparrow was singing. I could hear it as I drove along CR 9. I pulled well off the road and observed the bird moving around in the grassland area for about 1/2 hour, singing and catching bugs. There has been a bird in this area since originally found on May 11 by Doug Stucki, when it was closer to the Blue Hill Trail. If you turn out of the Blue Hill Trail parking area and head east toward our HQ, about two blocks down, look for a line of smallish oak trees on the south side of the road. Just across from this line of trees, on the north side of the road, is a short clump of young aspen. The bird was singing in the open area just north of this aspen clump. Most often it would sit on top of old mullein stalks, at the same level as the surrounding heads of grass. Another Henslow's sparrow has been seen off and on near the Prairie Trail parking area, on the Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive. When I've heard and seen the bird here, it's always been on the south side of the drive, but others have seen it to the left of the trail just after starting their walk down the trail. Betsy Beneke Sherburne NWR ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
