Winter Weather And Finches 2/22/2022

     A winter weather advisory for my area warned of ice light accumulation before late morning temperatures were to rise to the mid-30's.  They nailed the light ice accumulation prediction for the morning but the temperature maxed out at 30 F, so the moderate rain in the early afternoon also froze on contact.  

   The significant coating of ice that covered everything made a dramatic backdrop for photographing birds around and on my feeders.  I started with the Cardinals in the front yard. 

 

    Shortly thereafter I moved to the backyard where the nyjer seed feeder itself was worthy of a photo or two. Throw in some winter finches and watch the magic unfold.  

                                    

Pine Siskins

A Common Redpoll joins in

And a scuffle ensues

Surf Scoter, Yard Bird #177 1/13/2022

 

   The mission that I've been assigned (by Dave Dister) since I moved to the lakefront two years ago is to find a Barrow's Goldeneye among the thousands of Common Goldeneye that overwinter on Lake Michigan near Ludington.  That search had me out at the edge of my bluff this morning taking advantage of the calm winds and 30 F temperature scanning flocks of ducks with my scope.  I struck out on a Barrow's but I found an adult male Surf Scoter hanging with a couple White-winged Scoters at quite a distance offshore.  Even with my 500mm lens plus 1.4x converter I couldn't see it through the camera, so I just aimed in the general direction that my scope was pointing.

  After the Scoter discovery I notified the proper local bird authorities and invited them to come take a look.  Dave came by around noon, he was also enticed by promises of White-winged Crossbills.  Once Dave arrived it took about 10 minutes of scanning the flock to locate the Surf Scoter.  While he was looking through my scope I used his scope to hone in on a flock of White-winged Crossbills that landed in one of my spruces.

 

   A little while after Dave left and I had put my scope away, Brian Brosky texted that he'd be in the area in about an hour, I told him that I'd try to relocate the scoter before his expected arrival.  It took me 2 complete flock scans and about 45 minutes to refind the duck that was now mixed in with 20 White-winged Scoters.  Brian arrived shortly thereafter. During that search I found a single Black Scoter which completed the Scoter Trifecta.  

 Other winter birds of interest....

Pine Siskin

Common Redpolls

   

Got My Yard Pelicans For the Year 7/1/2021

 

     The benefits of lakeside living...For the second year in a row I observed American White Pelicans fly by my yard.  This morning 3 of the huge white birds with black wing tips and cartoonishly large bills circled over the bluff as they leisurely flew south.  

   Other birds of interest in the yard lately....

....a continuing Pine Siskin

....Purple Martins finally showing up in late June to check out the house I installed for them, even though it's probably too late for nesting this year.

...and Bald Eagles which are almost an every day occurrence.

More Warblers and Vireos 5/24/2020

   It took 4 years and 9 months to record 133 bird species at the house we moved out of last fall. Today I reached that total for the new yard just a day short of 6 months since moved in.  The new birds included a pair of Canada Warblers (female shown above).

    A pair of Blue-winged Teals.

Blue-winged Teals with male Wood Duck

    The 132nd bird, a Wilson's Warbler would not sit still for a photo but #133, a Warbling Vireo, momentarily came out from behind the leaves to be documented.

  Yesterday I also added 4....

                          Green Heron

#126

             Pine Siskin

#127

           Red-eyed Vireo

#128

   #129 Eastern Wood Pewee was not captured photographically
 
    Other birds of interest photographed today were

Male Magnolia Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Female Magnolia Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Red-headed Woodpecker

Lincoln's Sparrow

   I saw a couple of adult Bald Eagles fly over today but this one was cooperative enough to wait until the clouds and fog dissipated.

Looks like Round Goby is on the menu this evening.

Indigovasion 5/20/2019

  It wasn't until the fourth year that I lived in this house that I saw an Indigo Bunting in my yard.  This spring a single bird arrived last Wednesday.  Since then they have been pouring in.

Female Indigo Bunting

While one male was on the platform feeder....

...four more were by the spruce tree.

  With the 5 males and 3 females that were seen today they are at risk of becoming the yard's nuisance bird.

 Goldfinches trying to re-establish their status as the yard's nuisance bird.

 

Baltimore Oriole

Blackburnian Warbler

Pine Warbler 5/3/2019

   With temperatures only reaching highs in the 50's, spring migration is off to a slow start.  The Pine Warbler pictured below is only the second warbler species (Yellow-rumped was the other) I've seen in the yard so far this year.

   All aboard for pun-time

   I have some landscapers who have been dethatching my lawn.  The work is going slower than expected but this guy works for....

 ...a couple of bucks,

 ....who in turn work for peanuts

   Have to admire the grace and agility of the deer who have been raiding this platform feeder all winter and have yet to knock it down or even cause it to lean.

Common Redpolls in the Yard 11/13/2018

   Common Redpolls showed up in my yard today quite a bit earlier than last year's December 26 arrival.

A Fox Sparrow has been lingering since Sunday

 Pine Siskins have also been hitting the feeders in singles and pairs.

The Rock Wren at Ludington State Park was still hanging around on November 5.

  Its also getting late for White-crowned Sparrows but an adult and 2 immatures were at the State Park feeders on November 9.