Kensington Metropark 4/6/2014

  Took a ride out to Kensington Metropark on Sunday morning.  I was kind of surprised that Kent Lake was still about 50% ice covered but the open water was about 20% duck covered.  I noticed a nice concentration of ducks at the Martindale Beach area.  Unfortunately the parking area of the beach was closed for the season but the nearby parking lot for the Frisbee Golf Course was open.  I felt a little out of place parking there since my car may have been the only one without a pot leaf window decal or medical marijuana card displayed on the dashboard.

Canvasbacks

Ring-necked ducks

Redheads

Scaups

Ring-necked Ducks

Northern Shovelers

Common Mergansers

American Wigeons

Common Goldeneye

  When waterfowl flies in a V-formation the trailing birds expend less energy as it drafts behind the bird in front of them.  Then again there is no such thing as a free ride.

Mute Swans

Horned Grebe

Eastern Bluebird

White-breasted Nuthatch gathering nesting material

The Great Blue Heron rookery

   Back at home there was a nice mix of spring arrivals and winter lingerers

Song Sparrow

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Dark-eyed Junco

Fox Sparrow

  On Saturday I photographed the Ospreys on their Robert's Rd. platform, at Pt. Mouillee.