Bike Ride around Central Lake - 29 May 2005

0800 Hrs. Clear, cool, 55F. I’m going for a bike ride around Central Lake. I took Old State W. toward Torch Lake to Kiessel Rd, north to M-88 and back to the condo. The ride is ca. 5 miles with the first 2 miles almost straight up a steep grade before reaching Kiessel Rd. 

Along the way I heard Warbling Vireo, and saw a very pretty male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. A pair of Indigo Buntings were chasing each other with mating attempts being made. Yellow Warbler, and Least Flycatcher singing ‘Chebek, chebek…’. 

Along the dirt roads of Kiessel I heard Savannah Sparrows, and heard Bobolinks out in the large wheat fields. A scan of the field yielded 2 Bobolinks singing. In the wooded areas I heard an Ovenbird, and a Scarlet Tanager. 

Once I hit M-88 the ride was a coast downhill all the way to Central Lake. I stopped a few times to photograph a Savannah Sparrow on a fence post, and listen to Baltimore Oriole, a pair of Great-crested Flycatchers, an Eastern Phoebe, Black-throated Green Warbler, Winter Wren, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. As I stopped in town along the lake I saw a Yellow Warbler, and a female American Redstart.

See checklist for 30 May 2005.