Species of Greatest Conservation Need

unidentified buteo unidentified raptor warbling vireo white-breasted nuthatch white-eyed vireo white-throated sparrow winter wren wood duck wood thrush1 yellow-bellied sapsucker yellow-billed cuckoo yellow-breasted chat yellow-rumped warbler yellow-throated vireo yellow-throated warbler yellow warbler

Total number of species observed

Vireo gilvus Sitta carolinensis Vireo griseus Zonotrichia albicollis Troglodytes hiemalis Aix sponsa Hylocichla mustelina Sphyrapicus varius Coccyzus americanus Icteria virens Setophaga coronata Vireo flavifrons Setophaga dominica Setophaga petechia

*State species of special concern 1Region 24 Birds of Conservation Concern.

1 1 29 167 4 24 2 17 25 1 10 3 15 8 7 9 4,137

Species of Greatest Conservation Need Four species listed as state species of special concern were observed in the Preserve: bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), greater yellow legs (Tringa melanoleuca), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria). No other state-listed species were observed, but six species included on the Region 24 list of Birds of Conservation Concern, including blackthroated green warbler (Setophaga virens), chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica), Kentucky warbler (Geothlypis formosa), lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), and wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), were observed.

Table 4. Species of Greatest Conservation need observed during inventory surveys at the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve from September 2020 to August 2021. Common Name Scientific Name Status

bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus State Species of Special Concern black-throated green warbler Setophaga virens Bird of Conservation Concern chimney swift Chaetura pelagica Bird of Conservation Concern greater yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca State Species of Special Concern Kentucky warbler Geothlypis formosa Bird of Conservation Concern lesser yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Bird of Conservation Concern osprey Pandion haliaetus State Species of Special Concern red-headed woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus Bird of Conservation Concern Solitary sandpiper Tringa solitaria State Species of Special Concern wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina Bird of Conservation Concern

State Species of Special Concern Bald Eagle An adult bald eagle was observed soaring over Griffy Lake and deciduous forest on May 11, 2021, and this species was not detected in the 2008 surveys. The observation could be that of a migrating individual, or year round resident returning to a nest site in the area. Both resident and

long-distance migrant bald eagles are found throughout Indiana. Mature bald eagles build huge nest structures in forested corridors near large bodies of water, generally avoiding areas of heavy human disturbance, though are tolerant of human activity while feeding (Buehler 2020). In Indiana, bald eagles typically return to their nest sites by late February, lay eggs by March, and hatch out in April (eBird 2021). Migration occurs from late June through early spring (eBird 2021). As of 2020, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) estimates over 350 eagle nests in the state (IDNR 2021a).

Greater Yellowlegs Observation of one greater yellow legs in late April in the Preserve suggests the individual was migrating from South America to their northern breeding grounds (eBird 2021b). Greater yellowlegs are a migratory shorebird that overwinter in South America and breed in the summer throughout the boreal zone in Canada and Alaska (eBird 2021b). Migration for the greater yellowlegs begins by late February, and are typically first observed in the US two to three weeks later (Elphick and Tibbitts 2020). During migration greater yellowlegs utilize a variety of wetland habitats ranging from high quality wetlands to mudflats, sewage ponds, and flooded agricultural fields (Elphick and Tibbitts 2020). Griffy Lake provides important migration stop-over habitat for this species of special concern.

Osprey One osprey was observed soaring over Griffy Lake on June 27, 2021. Ospreys migrate throughout Indiana, and breed in limited portions of northern and south-eastern Indiana (Bierregaard et al. 2020). Osprey’s habitat includes nearly any shallow, fish filled waterbody including reservoirs, lakes, and marshes (Bierregaard et al. 2020). This species builds large platform nests atop a variety of structures including trees, snags, and utility poles near bodies of water (INDR 2021b). Following widespread declines between the 1950s–1970s due to use of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), poaching, and loss of habitat, recovery efforts in Indiana have successfully allowed for osprey to be down-listed from state-endangered to species of special concern in 2018 (IDNR 2015). As of 2020, an estimated 100 osprey nests are found in Indiana (INDR 2021b).

Solitary Sandpiper The observations of sixteen solitary sandpipers in late April, mid-August, and early September are likely of individuals migrating to and from their breeding grounds, respectively. The solitary sandpiper resides in north and central South America during its nonbreeding season and migrates through the Midwest to its summer breeding grounds in the boreal regions of Canada and Alaska (eBird 2021b). Throughout the migration, they occupy a diversity of habitats ranging from lakes, ponds, and streams to flooded agriculture fields, ditches, and sod farms (Moskoff 2020). Loss and degradation of habitat—in both breeding and wintering grounds—is likely the greatest threat to this species (Moskoff 2020). The mudflats and emergent wetlands associated with Griffy Lake provide important stop-over habitat during migration.