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.

Lark Sparrow Yardbird 190

 

   Shortly after 2 pm this afternoon I noticed a light-colored sparrow in an ash tree across the driveway.

 A quick look through the binoculars revealed a Lark Sparrow, a species of the grasslands and prairies of the West and Great Plains.  

Lark Sparrow Range Map 

    Despite being off course it has made itself at home by cleaning up under my feeders often enough to allow half of Mason County's top 12 ebirders to stop by and add it to their year and/or life county list.

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Mason County 4/18/2022

   

    Yesterday Donna and John Haack found a Yellow-crowned Night Heron in Grant Township.  It is the first record of this southern bird in Mason County. Today with Brian Brosky guiding me by texts I got to the correct location on Nurnberg Rd, where I was fortunate enough to find another birder Joe Lipar, who was able to point me right at the seemingly glowing yellow crown of the wayward heron about 50 yards from the road.

  That's enough road birding.  Here's what has been visiting me at my house lately...

April 11 brought...

Belted Kingfisher

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Peregrine Falcon

 On April 12 I saw...

Northern Flicker

Purple Finch

Flock of Scoters

Mostly White-winged but not always 
Black Scoter in yellow circle and Surf Scoter in the red.

And on April 13 the south wind brought the first of the year....

Northern Harrier

White-Crowned Sparrow

Brown Thrasher

As well as a Common Loon.

  So far for the year I've seen 95 bird species from the yard which puts me about 2 weeks ahead of last year when I didn't hit that total until May 1.

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.

Sparrowy with a Chance of Warblers 4/27/2021

 

   Last night the BirdCast migration map forecast that strong southwest winds would nudge up to 300 million birds along on their trek northward.  The live migration map showed that according to the Doppler Radar Network over 500 million birds were airborne just before 1:00 AM ET.  Exceeds expections, indeed.

   Like a kid in anticipation of Christmas, I went to bed a little early but had a hard time falling asleep and woke up well before sunrise.  When I went out after daybreak the first thing that I noticed were the dozens of Chipping Sparrows scattered all over my lawn.  My high count was 38.

  Next I added a couple of warblers to the year list.  Palm Warbler

...and Black Throated Green

Other 'first of the year' birds were  Red-headed Woodpecker...

...and Bank Swallow

Last but not least I added a Swamp Sparrow to the all-time yard list which is now at 158.

Harris's Sparrow at Ludington State Park 10/4/2020

 

  Late this morning Suzie Knoll found a Harris's Sparrow at Ludington State Park.  The bird was with a fixed flock of White-throated, White-crowned Sparrows, along with a few Dark-eyed Juncos.

Warblers and More 9/14/2020

 

  Favorable conditions overnight brought a few migrating birds to the yard on Monday.  I had 7 species of warblers. I was able to get photos of the Magnolia above, along with

Yellow Warbler

WIlson's Warbler

And Blackpoll Warbler.  

  Other warblers that I saw but couldn't get photos of were Ovenbird, American Redstart and Black and White. 

   Lincoln's Sparrows also showed up today.

    Lingering summer residents included 

    Brown Thrasher

     Red-eyed Vireo

 Among raptors a few Broadwings passed over in the mid-afternoon. 

  Also saw a couple Merlins.

    At one point a Merlin took aim at a Broadwing that violated its airspace.