Short Lk. St.Clair Metropark trip

quick loop around the trails... new FOY were Ruby-throated Hummingbird(187), Blackpoll Warbler(188) and Mourning Warbler(189).... It is really hard to photograph warblers in this leaf cover.... I managed one crappy photograph of the Mourning Warbler.... They usually stick around for a couple of weeks, so hopefully I will get another chance.... also saw Chestnut-sided, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Blue, Northern Parula, Black and white, Ovenbird, Northen Waterthrush and Yellowthroat.... decent array of warblers.... I did not see the Wilson's and Golden-winged Warbler that had been reported earlier in the day....

Mourning Warbler

Ruby-throated Hummingbird at feeder

Wayne Hoch posted this link today of a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird that came to his feeder...  Very cool video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca5V1dpelbo


Cool video Wayne!!!!!

Barred Owl finally

I have known for awhile of a location of a Barred Owl at Stoney Creek Metropark.... On the Oakland County side of the park.... I am working on a Macomb County list this year, so this Owl isn't in the right area for me... On a tip I headed to stoney today after work and got a Barred Owl(186) to start calling to me.... on the Macomb County side of the park... Supposedly they are nesting in the area that he was calling, but I could not find the tree with the cavity in it.... Something about an owl that will call in the daytime hours is very cool... I also found an Imm Bald Eagle off of Inwood Rd near the gated entrance to the Nature Ctr....

A report came in of a Short-billed Dowitcher at Lk St. Clair Metropark.... I headed over there after Stoney and was unable to locate the bird... Only a few Dunlin and a couple of Pipits....

Imm Bald Eagle (shot out my car window)

Dunlin

Bull Frogs - I swear I heard Barry White in the background

I don't see Bullfrogs that often.... When I do, they are usually jumping in the water... away from me... Yesterday when I was at Lk. St. Clair Metropark (slowly getting used to the new name) in the afternoon, they were all in a mating frenzy in the small pond near the South Marsh.... The sound was incredible and I was able to approach the frogs closely... they had other things on their mind.... It was interesting watching their behavior... Not being an expert on Amphibians, I found it interesting that they all had the same thing on their mind at the exact same time....  click to enlarge

He seems happy

Cape May Warbler - Wetzel

Got a call from Wayne Hoch about a possible Yellow-throated Warbler at Wetzel State Park... It was early and before work so I headed that way to see if I could relocate the bird he had seen... No luck, but we did find a Cape May Warbler working the tree line near the parking lot... early morning and cloudy does not make for great pics with my big zoom, but I took a couple none the less.... Also saw a couple of Green Heron, Blue-winged Warbler, American Redstart and Magnolia Warblers..

After work I headed to Metrobeach.... It was surprisingly active for late in the day... Lincoln Sparrows, Common Gallinule(185), Black-throated Blue and Northern Parula were my highlights.... The Common Gallinule was working the edge of the South Marsh... I almost was able to get a photograph.... if only he would come one more foot.... but he never popped out of the Cattails.... Rats!!!!!

Cape May Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Cedar Waxwing

Green Heron

Mute Swan Cygnets

Sedge Wren and other good birds - Wetzel State Park and Stoney Creek

I made a last minute decision last night to skip Lk. St. Clair Metropark and join Kevin Rysiewski at Wetzel State Park this morning... I arrived at 0630 and our morning of birding began...  we started with an American Redstart in the parking lot... Northern Waterthrush calling from a wet area near by... a Great Egret on the South Pond...  as we moved around the pond a Marsh Wren began calling right in front of us... he popped out, took a quick look at us and was gone... we found Clay Colored Sparrow at marker 8...  A Green Heron(177) flew over us..... a pair of Ring-necked Ducks were on the pond near Omo Rd... I also heard my first Wood Thrush(178)  of the year...  Warblers in the area included yellow, yellow-rumped, Ovenbird, Chestnut-sided, Nashville, Blue-winged, Am Redstart, Magnolia and an Orange-crowned..... as we circled around I told Kevin that the field off of the parking lot with the tall grass has been good in the past for Sedge Wrens(179).... we took about two steps down the trail thru the field and heard Chp chp chppppppppr....  The first of two Sedge Wrens was curious about us and in between scold notes, would bust out singing... He was soon joined by a second one and they put on a show for us.... I managed some great photos.... on to the ponds.... I heard a "robin with a soar throat".... my favorite description for a Scarlet Tanager(180).... we made our way over to the location where it was singing and found it up in a tree... the morning light hitting him perfect... he looked like he was on fire...  as we got back to the parking lot, I heard an unfamiliar song coming from a thick area near 27 mi rd.... some further investigation revealed that it was coming from a Lincoln Sparrow(181).... I don't usually hear them sing so I was unfamiliar with there song....  we were done at Wetzel... onward to Stoney Creek Osprey trail

I saw a report on Ebird that someone had seen a Prothonotary Warbler at Stoney Creek on the Osprey Trail.... so Kevin and I went looking for it...we did not find it but we did have a good time birding in the area.... Highlights included a Red-headed Woodpecker, Canada Warber(182), Red-eyed Vireo(183) and an assortment of warblers... Kevin and I were able to photograph a N. Parula Warbler that set still on a branch.... what a great bird.... we had multiple least flycatchers, one Great-crested Flycatcher and Indigo Buntings....

We left there and headed to the Oakland County side of the park to look for Louisana Waterthrush.... no luck in the flooded swampy area we were in, but we did come across Black Throated Blue Warblers and could hear a Pileated Woodpecker calling in the distance.....

It was a great day of birding with 17 Species of Warbler and some close up views of some incredible birds.... click on photos to enlarge

Sedge Wren

Sedge Wren

Sedge Wren

Savannah Sparrow

Scarlet Tanager

Canada Warbler

Nothern Parula Warbler

Northern Parula Warbler

Northern Parula Warbler

Orange Crowned Warbler

Bobolinks stopping by...

Bobolinks (176) dont nest in the fields behind my house, but every year during migration they stop by.. I was letting out the dogs today when I heard that awesome metalic sounding song they sing.... I went and grabbed my camera and slowly stalked them.... of course they had the advantage being up in a tree and took off before I could get to close, but it was fun trying..... click to enlarge