King Eider Ludington Harbor 4/20/2022

  Mason County birding is on fire.  For the second time in a week a county first has been found.  Over the weekend Donna and John Haack found a Yellow-crowned Night Heron and yesterday Grand Rapids area birder Steve Minard found a King Eider just north of the north breakwall of Ludington Harbor. 

  Just before 1 pm I received a call from Brian Brosky relaying Steve Minard's discovery. As quickly as I could, I headed out to the north pier where Brian had already relocated the arctic duck.  The bird was somewhat cooperative as it provided an array of activity all within a relatively short distance of the pier.

Periscoping

Flying

Shaking off water

Feeding

  With the peak of the spring migration coming in the next few weeks let's hope the county's hot streak continues. 

Red-throated Loon 3/21/2022

 

  For the second year in a row I spotted a Red-throated Loon off shore from my yard.  Last year's bird required a spotting scope zoomed to 60x magnification and a couple of guide books to ID due to its distance estimated at half a mile.  By contrast this year's RT Loon was nearly at the shoreline 120' below the top of the bluff.  In fact it was so close that I didn't see it while I was seated 8' from the edge. It was only after I stood up to calmly remind my dog that barking at woodchucks is not appreciated by anyone, that I looked down and saw the loon. When I notified a few local birders of the sighting, Dave Dister texted back that last year's bird also showed up on March 21. 

  When predicted rain never materialized the persistent east southeasterly winds made for optimal conditions for bird migration as it pushed ducks up the coast and raptors toward the shore.  I ended up with 48 species for the day that included 9 species of ducks, 7 species of raptors, 525 Tundra Swans and  117 Sandhill Cranes.  Nine first of the year species were observed which brought the year's total to 67 and a flock of Northern Pintails became the 179th species on the all-time yardlist. 

   Here are a few photographic highlights

Tundra Swans

 

Dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk

Adult Red-shouldered Hawk

Immature Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Pintails, yardbird 179

Sandhill Cranes

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

   

2021 North American Migration Count 5/8/2021

 

   I conducted the Riverton Township portion of the Mason County Spring Migration Count with the help of my neighbor down the road Dee Payment.  We found the Blue-winged Warbler on its breeding ground on Conrad Rd.

  Some Ring-necked Ducks on North Oxbow Lake

 Later I found a late rough-legged Hawk east of Brye Rd.

  The previous day's new yard bird Clay-colored Sparrow, stuck around to be counted.

The Junco and the Merlin 4/8/2021

 

  This morning just before the rain sent me inside something caused the small birds at and under my feeders to scatter. As the other birds fled a single Dark-eyed Junco remained on the ground frozen in fear.  Luckily an alert Merlin swooped in like Superman and grabbed the Junco and carried it away to safety.  I never did see what startled the birds but I'd say that the Junco owes the heroic Merlin a meal.

   On Monday I saw this low Common Loon fly over my house.

  Northern Flickers are building in numbers as they migrate north along the lakeshore flyway. 

 I've been seeing Wood Ducks flying over the lake nearly every day so far this month.

Cooper's Hawk

Merlin 1/31/2021

 

    Yesterday morning a commotion occurred at my back window as a Mourning Dove franticly sought shelter under my second story deck.  When it found a secure hiding spot, the Merlin that tormented it chose to keep a watchful eye on it from a shepherd's hook at my bird feeding station. Ultimately patience paid off for the dove as the Merlin flew off seeking easier prey elsewhere.

  Only other birds of interest that I've been able to photograph since my last post were a flock of Redheads offshore at the end of December.

   Back on December 22 a freighter passing by at night caught my attention.  A quick check on Boatnerd.com ID'd it as the Arthur M Anderson.  The Anderson's historical significance is that it was the last freighter to have contact with the Edmund Fitzgerald on its ill-fated journey in November 1975.

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.