Spring Migration Peaking. 5/16/2020

Yellow-throated Vireo (#107)

   The southeast winds overnight brought a great variety of migrating birds to my yard.  I ended up with 60 species for the day which included 8 that were new to the yard list. 

Philadelphia Vireo (#108)

Magnolia Warbler (#109)

Chestnut-sided Warbler (#110)

Pine Warbler (#111)

Veery (#112)

Least Flycatcher (#113) - National bird of Chebekistan

  The only new bird that I wasn't able to photograph was a male Scarlet Tanager that flew over while the camera wasn't handy. Regardless the yard list is up to 114.  

 Other birds of interest in the yard this morning.....

Common Yellowthroat

Black and White Warbler

Baltimore Oriole

The Orioles have gone through 8 lbs of oranges in 3 days, seen here at the grape jelly bowl

  Earlier in the week the Blackpoll Warbler below became the 100th species on the yard list

Multiple Catbirds are being seen daily

Merlin

Indigo Bunting

Orchard Oriole. Closing in on 100 Yard Birds.

  Despite a cool damp night, spring bird migration surged onward.  During yesterday's bird count I didn't see a single Baltimore Oriole but this morning when I got home from work I had 6 males and 3 females in and around my feeders. After a three hour nap I woke to see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the tree next to my house.  As I laid in bed admiring that bird an Orchard Oriole landed in the same tree just a few feet from my window. That got me out of bed and running for my camera.  Turns out I didn't need to hurry the bird is still here as I write this.

View from my room

   As the day progressed my total of Baltimore Orioles was over 20 as I saw 17 males at one time and 6 females.

Female Orchard and male Baltimore

The Orchard pair

      Tensions started running high as the number of birds kept climbing.

Dude that's no way to treat a potential mate

  The Orchard Oriole was new to the yard list #96, earlier in the morning a White-crowned Sparrow was #95.

   Lincoln's Sparrow became #97....

 ....and the four Ovenbirds that I saw brought the list to 98.  As I was editing the photos an Indigo Bunting stopped by for a couple of seconds and got the list to 99.

  Other birds of interest...

Palm Warbler

Brown Thrasher which is a fixture in the yard since they arrived in April.

Mason County NAMC 5/9/2020

     The bright sunshine was deceiving as the morning of the North American (spring) Migration Count started out with temperatures near freezing and winds gusting over 35 mph.  As uninviting as the brisk wind was today, it was better than what we had yesterday and is forecast for tomorrow, where both days' forecasts included snow.  Below is a mid-spring lake-effect snow cloud making its way toward shore yesterday afternoon.

  Didn't see as many birds on the count today as I had in previous years but some of those that I did see allowed me to get some decent photos.

Common Loon

Yellow-rump Warbler

Palm Warbler

Warbling Vireo

Gray Catbird

Field Sparrow

   Only saw 42 species when I covered my assigned area of Riverton Township.  But I added  10 more species after I got home and counted birds around my yard.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellow-headed Blackbird 5/7/2020

  Yesterday Dave Dister found a male Yellow-headed Blackbird in the marsh along Pere Marquette Highway just south of Ludington.  I checked for the bird around noon today but was unable to find it.
Early this evening Dave called and said that Linda Scribner found that there were 3 male Yellowheads in the same area.  I drove out there and after a few minuted I met up with Dave..  As we were looking for the birds Wade and Susie Knoll pulled up and they joined in the search.  Eventually Susie located one of the birds off in the distance.  The uncropped photo taken with a 500mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter demonstrates how far out the bird was.

   As it moved a little closer it raised the ire of a Red-winged Blackbird.

   After the Knolls and Dave left, one of the birds came closer to the road and I was able to get some decent photos.

Peregrine Falcon 5/7/2020

   Added Peregrine Falcon to the yard list after work this morning, when this beautiful specimen soared north riding the wind rising above my bluff.

Number 94 on the yardlist

   A little later an adult Bald Eagle drifted by also.

  Common Loons are also still zipping by almost every day.

Better Fish in Better Light 5/3/2020

     It looked like a hand-off was going to take place right in front of me but the fish-handler continued forward with the keeper.

    At least this eagle had a somewhat fresher fish than the shredded mess that Saturday's eagle was carrying.  But on closer inspection this fish also looks like it's past its best if used by date.

   Added three more birds to the yard list.

Baltimore Oriole #90

Bank Swallow #91

Great Blue Heron #92

Getting Birdy Around Here 5/2/2020

   To paraphrase Glenn Danzig from the Misfits punk anthem 'Where Eagles Dare'(1979)...."Work down the street at night. But live where eagles dare". 

   From the first morning that I moved into this house and watched a Bald Eagle fly by at eye level as I was eating a bowl of Tony Tiger, I realized that I would get some great eagle photo-ops.  Now we just have to working on getting more photogenic fish into my photos.

  I can almost imagine the eagle singing the first line of the chorus(which can't be printed here) in the aforementioned song while the steelhead joins in for the second line. 

Eagle:"I ain't no #^$  &% (   * #*  of a    #(@*(!# "
Together: "You'd better think about it, Baby"

  At my previous house I would only see Brown Thrashers once or twice a year if at all but here they have been present everyday since they arrived on April 20.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak arrived April 29

Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrived May 1.

    Today I added 5 birds to the yard list bringing the total up to 88.

House Wren #84

Gray Catbird #85

Palm Warbler #86

Gadwall #87

   Not pictured Common Yellowthroat #88.