Poronto's Birding Macomb Twp and Beyond: Sedge Wren and other good birds

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