INDIANA LAKEFRONT: SUMMER REPORT 2017 Kenneth J. Brock, Chesterton, IN

It was a fascinating summer for lakefront birders. Weather wise, June was quite warm, but July’s normally sweltering temperatures proved a bit cooler than normal. The season’s birding highlight was the inconceivable appearance of a Wandering Tattler on Michigan City Harbor’s outer breakwater. According to research conducted by Matthew Beatty no more than 15 have ever been reported away from the Pacific Coast. Other good finds included a nice Piping Plover flight, rebounding of the local Yellow-breasted Chat population, and a Porter County Yellow-headed Blackbird. Inland birders also had some surprises with two Black-throated Blue Warblers (Indiana’s first July records) and the state’s fourth Painted Bunting (deceased).

The 2017 fall migration got off to a wonderful start on 24 June. On that day a migrant Solitary Sandpiper was found at Goose Pond (Landon Neumann and Sean Verkamp), and the season’s first Lesser Yellowlegs were tallied at two locations: in northern Tippecanoe Co (John K. Cassady & Lynea S. Hinchman) and at Miller Beach (Michael A. Topp). But the day’s migrant highlight involved Marbled Godwits. In late morning of 24 June Jeffrey J. McCoy arrived at the Michigan City Harbor parking lot: upon stepping from his vehicle a quick scan of the lake revealed three large shorebirds flying in from the east; too far for identification, but they appeared to be heading for the harbor. A few minutes later Jeff was viewing (3) handsome Marbled Godwits perched contentedly atop the outer breakwater. By mid-afternoon Ed Hopkins et al. noted that the godwit numbers had increased to five. At 5:30pm that evening, Allee Forsberg and Kevin Cornell stopped by the harbor and counted seven Marbled Godwits relaxing comfortably on the breakwall. It appears that Michigan City Harbor’s outer breakwall provides the godwit equivalent of Mar-A-Lago.

Breeding season highlights included:

Northern Pintail:- The (5) males that Lynn H. Vernon found at Grant Street Wetland on 17 June tied Indiana’s third largest summer count.

Redhead:- The lakefront’s first summer record in four years occurred at Hitchcock Road pond where a male lingered through 27 June (KJB).

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Temperature & Precipitation at Chicago: Departure from NormalTemp (ºF) Rainfall (in.)

Jun +3.5 -0.01Jul +0.6 +3.98

This fine juvenile Caspian Tern (on the right) provided evidence of a successful breeding season. Note the intricate feather pattern on this youngster. John K. Cassady took this photo at Michigan City Harbor on 17 July.

American Bittern:- Two lakefront records provided a fine summer for this bittern (TYM=0.6). Matt S. Kalwasinski flushed the first at the DuPont preserve on 1 June and Libby Keyes found the second in Gary on 11 July.

Snowy Egret:- Noteworthy reports included these two accounts. Leland & Thaddaeus Shaum,NealMiller, andCarl Yoder found (1) atGrantStreetWetlandon16 June (>irst site record in>ive years). On 19 June Matt Kalwasinskilogged (3), two at theHammond Cinder Flatsand one at 129th Street wetland, tying thelakefront’ssecondlargestdailycount.

Osprey:- While birding at Carlson Oxbow Park on 6 July Matt S. Kalwasinski discovered a new nest that contained at least (1) nestling. The lakefront now has two nesting pairs.

Sandhill Crane:- The season’s peak count occurred 4 June when M. Penny Starin logged (14), including two colts, at Beverly Shores. All of the juveniles and three adults had been banded.

SHOREBIRDS Piping Plover:- There was an excellent late July flight with 10 “pipers” reported (TYM=2.25). The breakdown by age was: five adults and five juveniles.

American Avocet:- See table (season total=12; TYM=14.9).

Wandering Tattler:- Incredibly, one was found at Michigan City Harbor about noon on 20 July. At that time Eric Michael, who was standing at the lighthouse with Brad Bumgardner, spotted the bird among the outer breakwater boulders. John C. Kendall was the first to put a name on the bird. In the next few hours more than 20 birders visited the lighthouse to see this visitor from the Pacific Coast, which (if approved by IBRC) will constitute a first Indiana record.

Summer 2017 American Avocet RecordsNo Date Location Observer1 20-Jul Michigan City Harbor Amy Hodson1 21-Jul 129th St wetland Matt Kalwasinski9 23-Jul Michigan City Harbor Jeff Packer1 27-Jul Michigan City Harbor John Kendall

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Both adult Ospreys attending a youngster in the nest (red arrow) at this new nest that Matt Kalwasinski discovered at Carlson Oxbow Park in Highland. Matt took this photo in mid July. This Wandering Tattler was clearly “Bird of the

Season.” Eric Michael discovered it among the boulders on Michigan City Harbor’s outer breakwater. It lingered throughout the afternoon of 20 July and was seen by some two dozen birders. This digiscope photo was taken by Brad Bumgardner.

Marbled Godwit:- A 24 June flock on the Michigan City Harbor outer breakwall evolved from (3) (Jeffrey J. McCoy) before noon to (7) by late afternoon (Allee Forsberg and Kevin Cornell). See table (season total=12; TYM=6.75).

Willet:- See table (season total=25; TYM=100).

Whimbrel : - See table (season tota l=4; TYM=4.85).

Sanderling:- An alternate adult at Michigan City Harbor on 8 July (Mike Bourdon et al.), provided the lakefront’s fifth earliest fall record.

American Woodcock:- Matthew Beatty flushed an adult from underfoot in East Chicago on 14 June. Beneath the departed bird was a downy Woodcock chick, which constitutes the lakefront’s first record of a downy chick.

Wilson’s Snipe:- The singleton that Matthew Beatty flushed at the DuPont preserve on 20 June (summer TYM=0.3) provided a pleasant summer surprise.

Black-billed Cuckoo:- A very respectable two birds were recorded this summer (TYM=0.55). M. Penny Starin logged the first at her Chesterton home on 4 June and John C. Cassady et al. found the second in Beverly Shores on 29 July.

Eastern Whip-poor-will :- The lakefront population appears to be flourishing. On the evening of 8 July Julie Bonnema hiked Trail 10 in Dunes State Park and counted (9) singing birds. This tally ties the lakefront record, which was logged back in 1986.

Summer 2017 Marbled Godwit RecordsNo Date Location Observer7 24-Jun Michigan City Harbor Allee Forsberg2 12-Jul Michigan City Harbor John Kendall2 14-Jul Michigan City Harbor Jeff McCoy1 22-Jul Michigan City Harbor Brendan Grube

Summer 2017 Willet RecordsNo Date Location Observer2 24-Jun Miller Beach Tyler Stewart2 7-Jul Michigan City Harbor John Kendall1 12-Jul Michigan City Harbor John Kendall8 15-Jul Michigan City Harbor John Cassady2 19-Jul Michigan City Harbor John Kendall1 20-Jul Michigan City Harbor Amy Hodson1 21-Jul Miller Beach Amy Kearns3 22-Jul Michigan City Harbor R. Sanderson1 26-Jul Miller Beach Matt Beatty4 30-Jul Michigan City Harbor M. Kalwasinski

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These adult Whimbrels spent the afternoon of 11 July resting on the outer breakwater at Michigan City Harbor. On Lake Michigan large shorebirds have a penchant for breakwalls, especially when the beaches are crowded. Photo by John K. Cassady.

Summer 2017 Whimbrel RecordsNo Date Location Observer

2 11-Jul Michigan City Harbor John Cassady2 21-Jul Miller Beach Landon Neumann

Vanguard of the late summer Willet flight, this migrating adult was at Miller Beach on 24 June. Photo by Michael A. Topp.

Alder Flycatcher:- The nine reported this summer constitute the lakefront’s largest season total in 17 years (TYM=5.15).

Willow Flycatcher:- It was a record season on the lakefront with 135 reported for the summer (TYM=53.0). The peak tally was (23) that John K. Cassady logged at Beverly Shores on 10 June.

Sedge Wren:- The lakefront’s only reports came from Reynolds Creek G.H.A. where Jeffrey J. McCoy discovered (2) on 1 July.

Marsh Wren:- It was another good summer for this species on the lakefront with reports from 13 different locations. The season’s peak tally was (33) counted at Grant Street Wetland on 3 June (Lynea S. Hinchman).

Northern Mockingbird:- Carolyn A. Marsh observed an adult carrying food at Wolf Lake on 19 June.

WARBLERS Worm-eating Warbler:- One of the Dunes State Park birds observed in May was last reported singing on 19 June (Brad Bumgardner).

Black-and-white Warbler:- Neal Miller reported (1) in Dunes State Park on 17 June and John K. Cassady heard a singing bird in east Beverly Shores on 8 July (TYM=2.60).

Prothonotary Warbler:- In addition to the Dunes State Park population, which yielded a peak count of (4) on 19 June (Bob Hughes), M. Penny Starin logged one in central Beverly Shores on 4 June. Even more surprising, on 22 June Susan R. Bagby found a singing male and a female feeding a fledgling in the woods west of the Old Visitors Center on Kemil Road.

Cerulean Warbler:- This diminishing species was logged in near average numbers with a dozen reported (TYM=14.0). Robert D. Hughes logged the largest count with (4) in Dunes State Park on 19 June.

Yellow-breasted Chat:- Thanks to the appearance of this species at Reynolds Creek, the summer total of five birds, constitutes the lakefront’s best summer count in decades (TYM=1.45). The (4) that Jeffrey J. McCoy et al. logged at Reynolds

Creek G.H.A. (3) and Beverly Shores (1) on 1 July, provided the lakefront’s largest daily count in 30 years.

Lark Sparrow:- Kimberly Ehn found (1) at Mnoke Prairie on 14 July, providing a first site record. Interestingly, this species also summered at West Beach in July 2016 (Jeffrey J. McCoy).

Grasshopper Sparrow:- The (10) logged by Jeffrey J. McCoy, John K. Cassady, Randy J. Pals, and Lynn H. Vernon at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. on 1 July provided a record count for the lakefront.

Fox Sparrow:- Indiana’s fourth latest record was logged at the Hammond Sanctuary on 3 June (Bob Huguenard).

Blue Grosbeak:- Michael A. Topp observed a singing male in the US Steel plant (Gary) on 18 July. On 21 July Michael found a pair toward the eastern end of Miller Beach.

Dickcissel:- Reynolds Creek G.H.A. continues to produce excellent prairie bird reports. On 1 July Jeffrey J. McCoy et al. logged a lakefront record (74) Dickcissels.

Yellow-headed Blackbird:- A major surprise occurred 26 June when Kimberly Ehn discovered a male at parking lot “H” at Reynolds Creek G.H.A. Kim’s observation provided a first site record and Porter County’s first report in two years.

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It was a record summer for Dickcissels on the lakefront. With Jeffrey (magic) McCoy’s help a new daily record of 74 birds was set on 1 July at the Reynolds Creek Gamebird Habitat Area. Photo by KJB.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks go to Susan R. Bagby for proofing this document and to Brad Bumgardner, John Cassady, Matt Kalwasinski, and Michael Topp for sharing their excellent photographs.

Conventions:- Summer totals are frequently compared to average seasonal counts in the "Dunes area" (Calumet Region or lakefront) over the past 20 years, including the present year. This value is abbreviated "TYM" for Twenty Year Mean. The term “STYM” refers to the twenty-year mean for the entire state. Species marked by “*” were observed outside the lakefront area.

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