Weekend Recap 8/27/2019

   Mid-day Saturday I took a ride around the reservoir at my work and found 12 Bald Eagles possibly staging for fall migration.

    Also gathering were about 50 Turkey Vultures that seem to move in closer and closer as I get older and older.

    The bucks that reside within the restricted-access reservoir are about done growing their antlers and will be losing their velvet in the coming weeks.  A nice crop of racks were grown this year. 

Starting with this modest young 6-point.

 There are a quite a few 8+ pointers this year.

Those two little nubs above the eyes probably won't develop enough.

    The king of the reservoir is probably this impressive 10-point.

  Back at home, this molting female Ruby-throat has been fueling up for her September migration.

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.

First Half of October Update

Tennessee Warbler

   The first half of October had a mix of warblers and sparrows passing through the yard.

White-throated Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

   The Eastern Towhee seen below was the 108th species to visit the yard this year.

Eastern Towhee

Full cheeks give this chipmunk a bobble head look

  On October 7, a trip around the lower reservoir road at my work yielded an Eastern Phoebe...

 … and a few bucks.

10 points.....the hard way

More typical rack

    At the south pier of Ludington Harbor a Dunlin was seen on October 8.

   On Saturday October 15th a pair of plovers were active on the pier.

American Golden Plover

  Also on Saturday, a single Snow Goose was hanging out with a large flock of Canada Geese in Pere Marquette Lake at Peter Copeyon Park.

   The highlight on Sunday at Lake Erie Metropark was the first Golden Eagle of the year at the hawk count site.  

Turkey Vulture migration is peaking this time of year at the count.  Over 7000 were tallied on Sunday.

    The Goodyear Blimp took off from Grosse Ile Airport where it spent the night, after hovering over the Michigan-Wisconsin game in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

Second Snowy Owl

   I stopped by my work on my day off to see if the Snowy Owl found there last week was still present.  It was and it brought a friend, a second Snowy.  Only one bird was close enough to photograph.

   Also present in the reservoir were a Pied-billed and Horned Grebe.

   The Snowy Owl stood its ground with an angry Crow, until the corvid realized that the Owl wasn't fazed.

  The owl stood by as I was heading down back ramp, which allowed me to increase the distance between us and still face her head on.

 

     On the lower reservoir road a handful of bucks contemplated a rearranging of the accepted hierarchy. 

10-pt Buck- " I'm going to let that guy know what I think of him......"

".....Maybe tomorrow".

Next up the buck who looks like he got his rack at the factory seconds outlet. 

He better walk before he makes him run.

Birds and Buck

   On a morning walk on the south breakwater at Ludington Harbor there were 2 lingering Dunlin.

Dunlin

   I was unable to photograph a fly-by Snow Bunting out on the pier but later encountered a couple in a gated area of my worksite.

Snow Bunting

   Also at work were the following.....

Horned Grebe

  There were 6 immature Bald Eagles looking for fish around the pond and one was extremely cooperative.

     A crop of its feet reveal a FWS band.  But with only 3 digits visible there is probably not enough info to submit the sighting.

last three digit 643

   Within the several square mile enclosed area a few deer find their way into a safe haven.  This guy sports the largest rack that I've seen out there in four falls that I've worked there. 

12 pointer