Wood Stork, Mason County 7/31/2021

    Last week Brian Allen made me aware of a Wood Stork sighting one county south of me at Silver Lake State Park. The bird was not seen after the initial observation when it was observed flying north.  This afternoon Matt McConnell notified me that a bird of the same species was seen here in Mason County by Sara Bolan.  

   Just before 2 pm I met up with Matt and Dave Dister at the location of this morning's sighting.  We scoured the area for half an hour, then agreed that we needed to hop in our cars and expand the search.  While out on our off-site searches Brian Allen arrived at the initial location and was able to find the stork.

   Of course by the time I got back there the bird had taken off again. But after about 20 minutes Linda Scribner and Shelley Green spotted the bird flying over the swamp and headed toward the road where we were conducting our stake out.  I was able to get several photos as it passed over the road making a beeline to the ditch were it had first been seen.

   It most likely is the same bird seen last week in Oceana County.

American Avocets Over Lake Michigan 7/5/2021

 

Species 168 on the Yard List

  The photo above shows a flock 12 American Avocets that flew past my yard this morning.  I had been hoping that I would see them some day from my yard.  Would have preferred them strolling on my narrow beach (140' below my bluff),  rather than zipping by a half mile offshore.  But at least I had good lighting.

  Other flying things of interest in and around the yard this weekend were....

...my neighbor's gravity-defying cat

...and Marine 1 (there were actually two flying together).  The Presidential Helicopter was coming from Traverse City where the President paid a visit.  He wasn't on the chopper though, he had jetted to Delaware on Saturday.

Noisy July 4th Flyby

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.