September field trip:

Fall sparrows, ID challenges and fall migrant birding

Field trip for Manistee Audubon, Benzie Audubon and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.  Meet at 8:00AM this Saturday September 10th at the kiosk on Keillor Rd. at the Arcadia Dunes Grassland Preserve north of Bear Lake, in Manistee County.

LeConte's Sparrow seen at Arcadia Marsh this spring, photo by Brian Allen.

We will meet at the grassland and look for Grasshopper, Clay-colored, and Field Sparrows as well as the more common Savannah Sparrows and go to the new "magic sparrow fencerow" where we will hopefully be able to study these shy birds out in the open.  The trip will finish up at the Arcadia Marsh with a walk out on the dike and a look at the marsh hoping for rarities like LeConte's and Nelson's Sparrow but not passing up the herons, ducks, coots, and gallinules that should still be around.  For questions call Brian Allen at 231-510-9380.