1st Snow Buntings and White-winged Scoter - 21 Feb 1987
21Feb1987 Pt. Mouillee
Cloudy, cold 35F
Cloudy, cold 35F
0900 hrs. Arrived at the marsh off Siegler road. As i stopped the car I could hear the first Red-winged Blackbird of the year. It was perched in a bare oak tree overlooking the entrance to the marsh. Thru the binoculars I could see the red epaulets faintly. It sang its familiar "konk-la-reeee". He was probably upset because the marsh was completely frozen still, and there were no lady birds about.
0930 hrs. As I walked to the first dike area i noticed a small patch of open water to the right. As expected, there were numerous Ring-billed Gulls, and a small gaggle of Canada Geese on the shore nearby. As I walked further, a flock of about 8 Tundra Swans flew overhead, honking away. They were probably flying toward open water somewhere near the power plant. Lots of small flocks of Common Goldeneye were also flying overhead, and their "whistling" wings could easily be heard.
1000 hrs. As I walk the dike the cold grip of winter could be seen and felt. Everywhere was frozen ice. Just 2 weeks ago the entire lake was open; now, ice. A small congregation of Tundra Swans and
American Black Ducks are huddled together out on the open ice, with their heads tucked under their wings. As I walk on, I can hear a high-
pitched peeping, somewhat like goldfinches, but different. It turned
out to be six Snow Buntings flying overhead. Their white wings and
bellies are dead give-aways. A first! They didn't stay but kept moving along the dike path. As I approached a large patch of grasses I met 3 other birders. I walked the rest of the way with them.
American Black Ducks are huddled together out on the open ice, with their heads tucked under their wings. As I walk on, I can hear a high-
pitched peeping, somewhat like goldfinches, but different. It turned
out to be six Snow Buntings flying overhead. Their white wings and
bellies are dead give-aways. A first! They didn't stay but kept moving along the dike path. As I approached a large patch of grasses I met 3 other birders. I walked the rest of the way with them.
1230 hrs. As we were heading back, they pointed out a White-winged
Scoter swimming next to a female scaup in one of the open patches of
Water in the marsh. The scoter was much larger than the scaup and
A faint patch of white could be seen in front of the eye. Another first.
Scoter swimming next to a female scaup in one of the open patches of
Water in the marsh. The scoter was much larger than the scaup and
A faint patch of white could be seen in front of the eye. Another first.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 21, 1987 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Protocol: Historical
3.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 0900 HRS. ARRIVED AT THE MARSH OFF SIEGLER ROAD. AS I STOPPED THE CAR I COULD HEAR THE FIRST RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD OF THE YEAR. IT WAS
PERCHED IN A BARE OAK TREE OVERLOOKING THE ENTRANCE TO THE MARSH. THRU
THE BINOCULARS I COULD SEE THE RED EPALETS FAINTLY. IT SANG ITS FAMILIAR "KONK-LA-REEEE". HE WAS PROBABLY UPSET BECAUSE THE MARSH WAS COMPLETELY FROZEN STILL, AND THERE WERE NO LADY BIRDS ABOUT.
0930 HRS. AS I WALKED TO THE FIRST DIKE AREA I NOTICED A SMALL PATCH
OF OPEN WATER TO THE RIGHT. AS EXPECTED, THERE WERE NUMEROUS RING-BILLED GULLS, AND A SMALL GAGGLE OF GEESE (CANADA) ON THE SHORE
NEAR IT. AS I WALKED FURTHER, A FLOCK OF ABOUT 8 TUNDRA SWANS FLEW
OVERHEAD, HONKING AWAY. THEY WERE PROBABLY FLYING TOWARD OPEN WATER
SOMEWHERE NEAR THE POWER PLANT. LOTS OF SMALL FLOCKS OF GOLDENEYE
WERE ALSO FLYING OVERHEAD, AND THERE "WHISTLING" WINGS COULD EASILY BE
HEARD.
1000 HRS. AS I WALK THE DIKE THE COLD GRIP OF WINTER COULD BE SEEN AND FELT. EVERYWHERE WAS FROZEN ICE. JUST 2 WEEKS AGO THE ENTIRE LAKE WAS OPEN; NOW, ICE. A SMALL CONGREGATION OF TUNDRA SWANS AND
BLACK DUCKS ARE HUDDLED TOGETHER OUT ON THE OPEN ICE, WITH THEIR
HEADS TUCKED UNDER THEIR WINGS. AS I WALK ON, I CAN HEAR A HIGH-
PITCHED PEEPING, SOMEWHAT LIKE GOLDFINCHES, BUT DIFFERENT. IT TURNED
OUT TO BE SIX SNOW BUNTINGS FLYING OVERHEAD. THEIR WHITE WINGS AND
BELLIES ARE DEAD GIVE-AWAYS. A FIRST. THEY DIDN'T STAY BUT KEPT
MOVING ALONG THE DIKE PATH. AS I APPROACHED A LARGE PATCH OF SAW-
GRASSES I MET 3 OTHER BIRDERS. I WALKED THE REST OF THE WAY WITH
THEM.
1230 HRS. AS WE WERE HEADING BACK, THEY POINTED OUT A WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER SWIMMING NEXT TO A FEMALE SCAUP IN ONE OF THE OPEN PATCHES OF
WATER IN THE MARSH. THE SCOTER WAS MUCH LARGER THAN THE SCAUP AND
A FAINT PATCH OF WHITE COULD BE SEEN IN FRONT OF THE EYE. ANOTHER FIRST.
6 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 8
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 6
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis) 1
White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) 1 1230 HRS. AS WE WERE HEADING BACK, THEY POINTED OUT A WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER SWIMMING NEXT TO A FEMALE SCAUP IN ONE OF THE OPEN PATCHES OF
WATER IN THE MARSH. THE SCOTER WAS MUCH LARGER THAN THE SCAUP AND
A FAINT PATCH OF WHITE COULD BE SEEN IN FRONT OF THE EYE. ANOTHER FIRST.
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) 6
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1 My first of year. Red epaulets.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Feb 21, 1987 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Protocol: Historical
3.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 0900 HRS. ARRIVED AT THE MARSH OFF SIEGLER ROAD. AS I STOPPED THE CAR I COULD HEAR THE FIRST RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD OF THE YEAR. IT WAS
PERCHED IN A BARE OAK TREE OVERLOOKING THE ENTRANCE TO THE MARSH. THRU
THE BINOCULARS I COULD SEE THE RED EPALETS FAINTLY. IT SANG ITS FAMILIAR "KONK-LA-REEEE". HE WAS PROBABLY UPSET BECAUSE THE MARSH WAS COMPLETELY FROZEN STILL, AND THERE WERE NO LADY BIRDS ABOUT.
0930 HRS. AS I WALKED TO THE FIRST DIKE AREA I NOTICED A SMALL PATCH
OF OPEN WATER TO THE RIGHT. AS EXPECTED, THERE WERE NUMEROUS RING-BILLED GULLS, AND A SMALL GAGGLE OF GEESE (CANADA) ON THE SHORE
NEAR IT. AS I WALKED FURTHER, A FLOCK OF ABOUT 8 TUNDRA SWANS FLEW
OVERHEAD, HONKING AWAY. THEY WERE PROBABLY FLYING TOWARD OPEN WATER
SOMEWHERE NEAR THE POWER PLANT. LOTS OF SMALL FLOCKS OF GOLDENEYE
WERE ALSO FLYING OVERHEAD, AND THERE "WHISTLING" WINGS COULD EASILY BE
HEARD.
1000 HRS. AS I WALK THE DIKE THE COLD GRIP OF WINTER COULD BE SEEN AND FELT. EVERYWHERE WAS FROZEN ICE. JUST 2 WEEKS AGO THE ENTIRE LAKE WAS OPEN; NOW, ICE. A SMALL CONGREGATION OF TUNDRA SWANS AND
BLACK DUCKS ARE HUDDLED TOGETHER OUT ON THE OPEN ICE, WITH THEIR
HEADS TUCKED UNDER THEIR WINGS. AS I WALK ON, I CAN HEAR A HIGH-
PITCHED PEEPING, SOMEWHAT LIKE GOLDFINCHES, BUT DIFFERENT. IT TURNED
OUT TO BE SIX SNOW BUNTINGS FLYING OVERHEAD. THEIR WHITE WINGS AND
BELLIES ARE DEAD GIVE-AWAYS. A FIRST. THEY DIDN'T STAY BUT KEPT
MOVING ALONG THE DIKE PATH. AS I APPROACHED A LARGE PATCH OF SAW-
GRASSES I MET 3 OTHER BIRDERS. I WALKED THE REST OF THE WAY WITH
THEM.
1230 HRS. AS WE WERE HEADING BACK, THEY POINTED OUT A WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER SWIMMING NEXT TO A FEMALE SCAUP IN ONE OF THE OPEN PATCHES OF
WATER IN THE MARSH. THE SCOTER WAS MUCH LARGER THAN THE SCAUP AND
A FAINT PATCH OF WHITE COULD BE SEEN IN FRONT OF THE EYE. ANOTHER FIRST.
6 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 8
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 6
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis) 1
White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) 1 1230 HRS. AS WE WERE HEADING BACK, THEY POINTED OUT A WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER SWIMMING NEXT TO A FEMALE SCAUP IN ONE OF THE OPEN PATCHES OF
WATER IN THE MARSH. THE SCOTER WAS MUCH LARGER THAN THE SCAUP AND
A FAINT PATCH OF WHITE COULD BE SEEN IN FRONT OF THE EYE. ANOTHER FIRST.
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) 6
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1 My first of year. Red epaulets.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
