On the Special K-bird Trail

Kirtland's Warbler. Sure everybody wants to see this gorgeous blue and yellow bird of the Michigan pines!  I have been fortunate to see a few in my days, but a recent trip to Michigan multiplied that number substantially. So here are the pro-tips for finding America's rarest warbler.

1.  Fly.  If it is an option I suggest flying to Michigan, as it saves a six hour car ride!  My favorite means of transportation is Annie Mae. We were there in a few short hours.

 2. Head N-W, as the Crow flies, or any bird for that matter, it is fairly short trip from Port Clinton, Ohio to Grayling, Michigan.  Grayling and Mio are ground-zero for the breeding grounds of Kirtland's Warblers.

Good-bye Port Clinton and Catawba Island!  This is the most scenic portion of the journey, as the next leg takes us on a course between Toledo, Ohio and Detroit. Michigan.  I wish I could have seen those areas pre-settlement.

3. Pines, now this is more like it.  We have now entered Michigan's land of the Kirtland's Warbler.  Even aged Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana forests are the only breeding sites for the ground nesting Kirtland's.  The preferred pine is young, between 6-12 years, for a prime canopy dense enough to hide the much-sought warbler.

4. Sand botany is a huge part of this Kirtland's equation.  The diminutive Jack Pine, often stunted in growth, grows in sandy regions. It rarely reaches 50 ft in height. It was once thought to poison the ground on which it grows, as few plants are found in conjunction with the pine.  However, we noted thick mats of Sand Cherry and Blueberries growing in abundance. Another plant species requires a disturbance to set-up shop in this dense eco-system. Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata is only found growing in the middle of the sandy roads we traveled through the forests.

The leaves of Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata.

 Aptly named, this unusual violet has leaves that resemble tiny bird's feet!

Bird-foot Violet is a favorite of Ohio's botanists, as we only find it in a few counties, predominately the sand barrens of the Oak Openings and in Scioto and Adams County.  

It is only fitting that a rare plant should point the way to one of American ornithologist's favorite birds- the Kirtland's Warbler!

Good News travels fast...

We have been hard at work on the Flora-Quest '10 info and it is now on line at http://www.flora-quest.com/. Last night a friend asked which trip they should attend, and that note was the jumping off point for this blog. I realised how excited I am, and wanted to share this info with everybody. So here goes....All the trips are good! Seriously! If you want to bird the Sunshine Corridor will be good, as Jason Larson and Pete Whan both bird and botanize. Paul Knoop and McKee are AMAZING birders and his place is private preserve too. This is a brief opportunity to see something very special.

If you are into kayaking- Martin McAllister and Kevin Bradbury are locals who know all the great stuff to see on the Scioto Brush Creek! I can't say enough good about Marty, (and all the guides really!) as he is really sharp on geology, history, botany- this guy does it all.

Then again, the trip I would pick would be Botany and Bugs. Harvey Ballard, our speaker on violets, and John Howard, plus Jenny Richards...throw me in the brier patch! We always look a bit for butterflies and bugs as well as great botany.

................Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata photo by John Howard.

Bob Scott Plaicier and Rich McCarty lead the Appalachian Sampler trip. Two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and top notch birders. Tree questions? Ask Bob, and Rich knows everything that blooms or sings in Adams County, and this trip will see most of it. Some of it is in super-secret places! We could call this the Good 'Ole Boys tour, one of my favorite.

Photography? Oh yeah, Tom Arbour and Dave Riepenhoff know their way around a camera! Check out Tom's blog for some stunning photography. But you don't have to be a camera buff for this trip. Casual walkers and "point and shoot" folks are welcome to enjoy the relaxed pace.

Ohio Heritage Botanist Rich Gardner is the sedge man in Ohio! He'll lead the trip to Cedar Falls, and if you really want to learn botany, this is your chance. We send Janet Creamer along too, as she is not only very knowledgeable, but also fun in the field. She makes sure Rick doesn't get lost in his sedge world...

Minney and Fitten: Great birders, and they always get the highest reviews. I don't know what they do but people love it! And seriously- Chris Bedel and Tricia West's Plant ID will be very popular. If you don't use a Newcomb's- it is well worth the time to learn and the flowers will be great too. Did I mention the Blue Grosbeak my daughter saw last year on this trip? It is not all class time, you be in the field too!

Seriously- they are ALL good!!! I love these guys! Can you tell I am excited?

Paula Harper has all our paperwork in order, so head over to the Flora-Quest site and download a copy of the trip descriptions and a registration form. We are going to have another great year! If you want to read the "official" promo for Flora-Quest, instead of my rabid rantings, it can be found on the Midwest Native Plant blog.

We'll look forward to seeing you there!