Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Yard Bird 194 5/18/2023

 

  A slight Eurasian invasion is taking place around my yard this week.  On Sunday, a Eurasian Collared Dove got my attention as it briefly landed in under my feeders.  Just after I got my binocs on it, it took off and landed in one of my ash trees.  I was able to get a few photos of it before it again took flight only to disappear in my neighbor's yard.

  This was only the third record of this species in Mason County . The second record occurred two summers ago.... also in my yard.

   This morning on my daily bird rounds, I was making my first lap of my property and noticed an odd sparrow on my firepit bricks. I took a couple quick photos and forwarded one to Brian Brosky, who confirmed my suspicion that it was a Eurasian Tree Sparrow,  This was not only a new bird for my yard list (#194), according to Dave Dister it is also a first for Mason County (#317). 

   Besides the new yardbird I also had a nice assortment of warblers here today.

Blackburnian

Blackpoll

Cape May

Common Yellowthroat

Chestnut-sided

Magnolia

Wilson's

  Other birds that posed for photos were

Indigo Bunting

Lincoln's Sparrow

  Lastly, over the weekend the annual Mason County Spring Migration Count took place.  I again covered Riverton Township. The target bird at my first stop on Conrad Rd is always the Blue-winged Warbler. They did not disappoint as I totaled 3 singing males.

  When I got home I noticed that a little raptor migration was going on.  Besides Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks, 10 Broad-winged Hawks also flew over.

  Most surprising of all was a flock of nine American White Pelicans that joined the thermal-riding party.

Time for a Chat 5/10/22

 

    A Yellow-breasted Chat found its way into my yard this morning and set off a daylong game of hide and seek.  Brian Brosky and I first spied the bird at 10:41 am, and while the last sighting was over 8 hours later the total time that the bird was visible could have been less than a minute.  At one point it was not seen for four hours only to be relocated in the exact location it had been last seen.

  This is only the second time a Yellow-breasted Chat has been seen in Mason County.  The previous sighting by Ethel Getgood occurred on May 18, 1974. Of course this represents a new species for the yard list, number 184.  It is also the 140th species that I've seen here this year and the 100th this month.

Other birds of interest since the last post....

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Forster's Tern 

Blue-headed Vireo

Nashville Warbler

Orchard Oriole

Indigo Bunting

Baltimore Oriole

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pelicans and So Much More 4/23/2022

 

  A busy bird day was expected Saturday with southerly winds aiding migration in the preceding overnight. While searching for new arrivals in the front yard I noticed two huge white birds over the lake about to disappear behind the neighbor's trees.  I took off in a sprint to the backyard waterfront and was able to get a few photos of a pair of American White Pelicans meandering southward. They are the 101st species that I've seen from home so far this year.  Last year I didn't hit 100 until May 2.

  Other new arrivals for the year were

Palm Warbler

Bank Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

  Also a couple of House Wrens were heard and seen but wouldn't pose for the camera. They brought my yard total for the year to 104.  As I was processing the images in the late afternoon I received a text from Brian Brosky about a Cattle Egret found by Brendan Klick in Grant Twp.  Needing that bird for my Mason County list I grabbed the camera and headed out to Townline Rd where the egret was of course, hanging out with cattle.

  After locating and photographing the bird, I checked the Mason-Manistee-Oceana County Bird Chat on Discord and saw that Brendan Klick also found a Wilson's Phalarope just a mile south of the egret on Beyer Rd.  I was there within a couple minutes and was able to get some distant shots of the phalarope.

  The phalarope is also a first for me in the county. My county list is at 252.

Mourning Warbler 8/28/2021

 

     A dozen or so warblers swarming around my mulberry tree prompted me to search for a possible rarity among the tree debris left by a windstorm earlier in the month.  I was rewarded with good looks at Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided and Wilson's Warblers.  But the highlight definitely was a Mourning Warbler.  The first year female was a little challenging to identify but it stood still long enough for me to get some photos. Shoot first ID later.  It is a new addition to the yard list which now is up to 171 species.

 

Here are some of the other warblers that were present today.

Ovenbird

Wilson's Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

   Also seen today but not photographed were Magnolia Warbler and American Redstart.  Pretty good day for August.
 

Olive-sided Flycatcher v. Monarch 8/21/2021

 

   Yesterday I added the 170th bird to the yard list when 3 Olive-sided Flycatchers stopped by to feed on the local flying insects.  Dave Dister says that 3 represents the high daily count for the county, breaking the old record of 2. 

    This morning the Monarch that formed a chrysalis on the exterior of my basement wall, broke out and grew some wings.

   The newly emerged butterfly left the local Monarch population with a net zero gain for the day, as a lingering Olive-sided Flycatcher started the day by taking a taste of one of the newbie's unwary brethren.

       As caterpillars, monarchs only eat milkweed which contains toxins that give the insects a bad taste throughout their life.  Therefore it came as no surprise that flycatcher ended up dropping the Monarch after mouthing and mangling it for a couple minutes.   

   On a happier note, warblers have been migrating through my yard this week.  Today's Cape May Warbler shown below beat the county's old early fall date by 8 days.

  The Magnolia and Nashville Warblers were seen on Wednesday.