sturnella (starling) neglecta (neglected)
Tuesday, May 27, 1980 — 3:40 pm
Tawas Point State Park, Michigan — Lake Huron
I was walking along the beach toward the tip of the point, past the lighthouse. I cut across some dunes that were covered with tall grass and flushed this bird. It flew a short distance and landed in a small tree about 30 feet away. I assumed it was an Eastern Meadowlark, and after writing it down on my list, I resumed my walk. Shortly after I turned my back on it, the bird started singing. I did the classic double-take. The seven or eight fluid notes it sang were definitely different than the two-noted whistle of the Eastern I’d been hearing all week in Tuscola. I watched it as it sang for a few minutes, then continued toward the point.