Ruddy Turnstone - Stoney Creek Metropark

I got a call from Mr. Stoney Creek (aka Kevin Rysiewski) that a Ruddy Turnstone (208) was on the Mudflats on the Osprey Trail at Stoney.... I missed this bird when it was there a couple of weeks ago, so no matter what the weather was I headed that way.... I love this Sandpiper... Its always been one of my favorites, so I put on the Poncho and the Rubber boots, covered the camera in plastic and headed down the trail..... When I got there I found Wayne Hoch standing next to the water observing the bird.... We both got some close up opportunities for photos and then I headed for the car before the rain got to heavy..... We also heard and observed Brown Thrashers, Indigo Bunting, Field Sparrow, Eastern Kingbird, Great-crested Flycatcher and quite a few other common birds for the area.... click on photos to enlarge...

Wilson's Phalarope and White-rumped Sandpiper

Lake St. Clair Metropark was the place to be today for shorebirds.... Ok, it aint Pointe Mouillee, but in Macomb County we take what we can get.... I got a call from Tom Heatley in the morning telling me about the Wilson's Phalarope (206) on the beach.... I headed out there before work and was able to see it, but unable to get a photo as it took off with a few Dunlin as I approached... I was not able to relocate it, but Wayne Hoch was kind enough to send me a couple of photos of it for the blog.... In addition to the Phalarope there were Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plover, Dunlin and later in the day a White-rumped Sandpiper (207) working the beach.... I was able to stop by after work and see the White-rumped Sandpiper.... a friendly little guy....  click to enlarge...

Wilson's Phalarope

White-rumped Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

Bonaparte Gull

Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpiper

Bored.......

I will miss Spring migration.... it was kind of a weird year.... birds came at strange times... in strange numbers.... The early warm weather made for some challenging birding with the thick leaf cover... Now its onward to look for breeding birds in the area.... Its also gonna be a great year for Butterflies and Dragonflies, so they are gonna be a focus for me.... I spent the summer of 2010 chasing insects around putting together an album on Pbase.com....   this was pre blog days....

http://www.pbase.com/pporonto/lepidoptera

Grasshoppers revisited...

Went back to see the Grasshopper Sparrows today.... I was with a few people yesterday and could not get close for any shots.... I went by myself and counted 3 individuals.... Still unable to get real close, but my shots were a little better.... cloudy weather doesn't make for bright shots, but I still had fun sneaking up on them and trying not to spook them out of the area....   Now, I need to find some Henslow's Sparrows in Macomb Twp...... click to enlarge

Grasshopper Sparrow and Yellow-billed Cuckoo... not a bad holiday

Got a call from Kevin this morning... I was still sleeping... Will Mchale (if your name is spelled wrong, I apologize) called him and told him that he found Grasshopper Sparrows (204) calling near Wolcott Metropark in the fields near the airstrip.... I headed that way and along with Will, Kevin, Barb Baldinger and Tom Heatley, we were all able to hear and see them.... very cool...

I got home and was barely there for 10 minutes when Kevin called and Tom and Barb had found a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (205) at 28 and Teller.... It took awhile for Kevin and I to find it, but we  did and snapped a couple of photos..... Very cool bird....

Grasshoppper Sparrow

Grasshopper sparrow

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Wetzel - search for Olive-sided Flycatcher

Got a call from Kevin this morning that he had found an Olive-sided Flycatcher at Wetzel State Park at daybreak.... He was able to photograph the bird.... I headed there after work and found Tom Heatley also looking for the bird.... We looked hard, but no luck.... When I first pulled up in the parking lot off of 27 mi Rd, an Alder Flycatcher (203) was calling loudly nearby....  Willow Flycatchers are abundant throughout the park.... Fitz bew.... at every turn.... I also found a male Orchard Oriole at the parking lot woods.... I have seen more Orchard Orioles in Macomb County this year than any previous year.... at 5 different locations....  It is going to be a strong year for Butterfly enthusiasts.... I saw several Giant Swallowtails as well as several Eastern Comma and a Question Mark in the parking lot.... Dragonflies were plentiful as well.....

Tonite Kevin call me with a sighting of a Black-crowned Night Heron in Sterling Heights.... I headed to his location with no luck.... Yikes,  I need to start wearing my Rabbits foot.... click on photos to enlarge...

Giant Swallowtail

Question Mark

Question Mark

Widow Skimmer

Northern Flicker

Great Egret

Orchard Oriole

202 Species.... Goal met for year.. wait, plenty of year left!!

     A few days ago I saw a couple of Semipalmated Sandpipers (200) at the wetland area behind Wallmart on Hall Rd.... I realized after I came home today and looked thru my ebird that I had forgot to include the Willow Flycatcher that I had photographed on May 19th to my Ebird sightings... So that means that the Semipalmated Sandpipers that I thought were my 199th species were actually my 200th.... Ooops.... Today at Lake St. Clair Metropark I got my 201st of the year with a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher on the Meadow loop trail.... Kevin Rysiewski called me and told me that a couple of them had been seen in the park.... I got there this afternoon and Kevin was waiting for me.... He took me to the location  where he had seen it, and sure enough it was moving thru the trees near the entrance to the meadow... Sweet!!!  We then looked for the Yellow-breasted Chat that had been seen earlier in the day with  no luck.... On to the Service Rd where Kevin had seen a male Connecticut Warbler... We had no luck but we did manage to see a Canada Warbler and hear a Mourning Warbler call from the thickets near the end of the road... Above us I heard a Vireo calling.... Sweet!! A Philadelphia Vireo (202) calling from the tree tops.... He moved back and forth in the cottonwoods and finally bolted out of sight.....  On the way out, we tried again for the Chat, except this time Tom was with us.... no luck again.... it was getting very hot... As the three of us discussed our goal of 200 birds for Macomb County, I found it very cool that Kevin, Tom and I had already achieved our goal for 200 species for the county so early in the year..  I was also reminded that I had told my fellow birding compadres that when we all reached 200 the beer was on me..... 30 minutes later, we were all enjoying a nice cold one.... and planning the rest of the year.... the next 20 birds are gonna be challenging..... 220 sounds like a nice number!!!!!!



My should get list for the rest of the year...
Acadian Flycatcher
Common Nighthawk
Common Tern
Northern Pintail
Snow Goose
Black-crowned Night Heron

Highly Probable
Alder Flycatcher
Willet
White-rumped Sandpiper
Sanderling
American Bittern
Grasshopper Sparrow
Rough-legged Hawk
Short and Long Billed Dowitcher
Ruddy Turnstone
Western Sandpiper
Yellow-billed Cuckooo
Whip poor Will

My thanks to Tom Heatley, Kevin Rysiewski and Brian Mcgee for helping me get to this number.... rest of the year should be fun....