Viewing wild animals in their native environment provides an especially intimate exchange with nature. For bird watchers—“birders”—Kosciusko County presents a rich environment for priceless encounters with our shy and flighty neighbors.
According to John Kendall, Tippecanoe Audubon Society director, the best birding sites are DNR-Pisgah Marsh off State Route 5 in Whitley County and west into Kosciusko County, and off the east side of 925 E and 350 N. Tri-county Fish and Wildlife area at 8432 N 850 E, Syracuse, can also be fruitful when hunting isn’t in progress.
“Several private reserves—Wildwood Preserve at Silver Lake, Ball Wetlands at Leesburg and Koinonia Environmental Center at Pierceton—are also good spots. Another is Wawasee Conservancy at Syracuse, which has a couple of access trail points including a cattail marsh boardwalk,” he said.
Early risers are rewarded with sightings shortly after sunrise, or before sunrise for owls. “Get a good pair of binoculars and a field guide,” Kendall advises. “Many now use the phone app field guides, which are easy to carry.” Those new to this pastime should learn the common birds first in the winter, when fewer species will be encountered, he said. “Calls and songs can be matched by listening and identifying each one with the app, but be careful not to disturb the birds,” Kendall said.
Before the fall ice forms, watch dabbling shallow water and diving ducks, grebes and loons, he said, especially in Warsaw’s city lakes, where hunting is prohibited. Spring brings a rush of migrants, calling, singing and performing courtship routines. In summer, some uncommon species nest in the cattail marshes.
“We have some scarce, threatened or near-threatened breeding birds—Least bittern, Henslow’s sparrow, black-billed cuckoo, bobolink, grasshopper sparrow and yellow-breasted chat. Nighthawks and chimney swifts continue to nest in downtown Warsaw, and their calls are still part of the soundtrack at dusk.
“It’s interesting that two similar chickadee species live in the county, and as the southern (Carolina) chickadee continues to range north with warming climate, the current dividing line is U.S. highway 30,” he said.
Tippecanoe Audubon Society president Casey Jones welcomes new members. “Our group introduces people to area birds,” he said. “Some people are apprehensive to just start birding, but our board and membership are very approachable, and we make that introduction very comfortable.”
The group regularly visits these areas and offers guided hikes on a monthly basis. All field trips are updated at https://www.tippeaudubon.org/calendar, with the next scheduled for April 24 at 9 a.m. at the Nature Conservancy’s Oppenheim Woods.
“In addition to our field trips, our chapter hosts two bird counts each year, in the spring and again in winter for our Christmas bird count,” Jones said. Learn more at https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count