The Amazing Month of May at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve

The highlight of spring for me is the arrival of warblers. These small gems generally glean insects from leaves and brighten the woods. Warblers don’t usually stay in one spot long and are often at the top or near the top of trees as they busily move around looking for insects. Many warblers migrate long distances. I find it inspirational to imagine the journey of a small 5-inch Blackburnian warbler who has flown from Colombia (2,800 miles away) and lands at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve to refuel.

Warblers come in a wide variety of colors. Some of the color combinations don’t even look real. I especially like the lime green cap and chestnut sides on the chestnut-sided warbler. I’ve included photos of common yellow-throat, yellow warbler, Blackburnian warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, black-and-white warbler, American redstart, and northern waterthrush. Northern waterthrush is the species I spotted unexpectedly in January. It was very nice to see the species when and where it was supposed to be. As I write this, 24 species of warblers have been sighted at Turkey Creek.

Common yellow-throat

Yellow warbler (taken in Johnson County)

Blackburnian warbler

Chestnut-sided warbler (taken in Johnson County)

Black-and-white warbler

American redstart

Northern waterthrush

Warblers aren’t the only bright birds found here. Scarlet tanagers are easiest to see before trees have fully leafed out. These brilliant red birds can be amazingly hard to spot in foliage.

Bird watching is like a treasure hunt. You never know what bird you might see. I was surprised to find a solitary sandpiper and a green heron along Turkey Creek.

Scarlet tanager

Sandpiper

Green heron

May 9^th was a special day for eBirders because it was the eBird Global Big Day. eBirders across the world were challenged to go out and document species … and wow did birders respond. 50,072 birders documented 6,479 species in that one day. I went to Turkey Creek Nature Preserve and saw 42 species, doing my part for the Global Big Day. Here is a link to a wonderful article describing the eBird Global Big Day and why the data collected is so important: eBird Global Big Day.

Another fun aspect of Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is the incredible variety of wildflowers. Shown are photos of a wild geranium, May apple, and a bumblebee on a yellow flower. The abundance of flowers means that butterflies and hummingbirds have good nectaring sources, and I’ve seen quite a few ruby-throated hummingbirds. It hasn’t really been warm and sunny enough to bring out a lot of butterflies, but I was pleased to find a meadow fritillary.

Wild geranium

May apple

Bumblebee on yellow flower

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Meadow fritillary

The eBird species list at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve started the year at 52 species and my goal was to bring it above 100 by making regular visits. Currently the species list is 121. I’m thrilled to have met my goal and to have helped move Turkey Creek Nature Preserve from a lowly #70 up to #31st place in the Johnson County eBird hotspot list! I say “helped” because other birders have also been visiting Turkey Creek and adding species too. Want to have your own birding adventure? Here is a link to the list of Johnson County eBird hotspots: Johnson County hotspots.