Point Mouillee SGA - 07 Feb 1987
7 Feb 1987 Pt. Mouillee
Clear, sunny 45F
Clear, sunny 45F
1200 hrs. Dad and i arrived at the point to do some birding/pictures.
Gorgeous day! It is clear, sunny and quite mild for early February.
The recent warm spell this past week and a half has just about melted
all the snow, so the roads are wet and muddy. The inland bays, ponds
and marshes are still frozen, but I'd guess that only a couple of inches of ice remain. The water level in the marsh appears quite high
and may be result of DNR management. The lake is open, and the unfrozen waters are beginning to creep into the inlets.
Gorgeous day! It is clear, sunny and quite mild for early February.
The recent warm spell this past week and a half has just about melted
all the snow, so the roads are wet and muddy. The inland bays, ponds
and marshes are still frozen, but I'd guess that only a couple of inches of ice remain. The water level in the marsh appears quite high
and may be result of DNR management. The lake is open, and the unfrozen waters are beginning to creep into the inlets.
Only a few Ring-billed Gulls can be seen out on the ice, and only where there is a patch of open water in the ice.
1230 hrs. As we walk out toward the diking areas i can see large num-
bers of birds out near the edge of the ice and open water. There are 20-30 American Crows on the ice near the far shore, and in the trees. Only a few can be heard. As we stop to try out our polarizing filters, I notice a small flock of large white birds settle onto the ice edge about
A quarter mile out. They are either Mute Swans or Snow Geese? I'm
hoping they are snow geese, but i can't tell because they are too far
Out (even with binoculars). Luckily, i brought my scope. Most of the
birds are Herring Gulls; a few ducks are out there, also. As we walk
closer, i can see thru my binocs that the large ones are definitely
swans. And from the noise they're making, i'm guessing that they're Trumpeter Swans. Time to set up the spotting scope!
bers of birds out near the edge of the ice and open water. There are 20-30 American Crows on the ice near the far shore, and in the trees. Only a few can be heard. As we stop to try out our polarizing filters, I notice a small flock of large white birds settle onto the ice edge about
A quarter mile out. They are either Mute Swans or Snow Geese? I'm
hoping they are snow geese, but i can't tell because they are too far
Out (even with binoculars). Luckily, i brought my scope. Most of the
birds are Herring Gulls; a few ducks are out there, also. As we walk
closer, i can see thru my binocs that the large ones are definitely
swans. And from the noise they're making, i'm guessing that they're Trumpeter Swans. Time to set up the spotting scope!
1300 hrs. They are? They must be because i see no yellow or orange on any of bills. And with all the noise they're making, they can't be mute swans. With the spotting scope i can see that most of the birds are completely white. Others are white with a rusty tint to the forehead area. Still others have brownish necks and heads (which i'm assuming to be
Young). All of the swans have black legs and black bills, with "no"
Trace of yellow or orange at the base. I counted 110, pops counted
100. We were able to get close enough to see them quite well, and
Even get a few photos. Common Goldeneyes were also abundant in numbers with they're black backs, white undersides, white patch on the
face, and yellow eyes. We also counted 4 American Black Ducks, and a half-dozen Canada Geese.
Young). All of the swans have black legs and black bills, with "no"
Trace of yellow or orange at the base. I counted 110, pops counted
100. We were able to get close enough to see them quite well, and
Even get a few photos. Common Goldeneyes were also abundant in numbers with they're black backs, white undersides, white patch on the
face, and yellow eyes. We also counted 4 American Black Ducks, and a half-dozen Canada Geese.
I thought at first that they were trumpeter swans, but after looking at the bird books, it is most likely that they were Whistling (Tundra)
Swans. Unless viewed closely the yellow on the bills may not be seen
or present. Rusty foreheads indicate that the birds were feeding in
iron-rich tundra pools, which stain they're feathers. Also, they appear to be the most common swans in the area in winter time.
Swans. Unless viewed closely the yellow on the bills may not be seen
or present. Rusty foreheads indicate that the birds were feeding in
iron-rich tundra pools, which stain they're feathers. Also, they appear to be the most common swans in the area in winter time.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 7, 1987 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: "DAD AND I ARRIVED AT THE POINT TO DO SOME BIRDING/PICTURES GORGEOUS DAY! IT IS CLEAR, SUNNY AND QUITE MILD FOR EARLY FEBRUARY. THE RECENT WARM SPELL THIS PAST WEEK AND A HALF HAS JUST ABOUT MELTED
ALL THE SNOW, SO THE ROADS ARE WET AND MUDDY. THE INLAND BAYS, PONDS AND MARSHES ARE STILL FROZEN, BUT I'D GUESS THAT ONLY A COUPLE OF INCHES OF ICE REMAIN. THE WATER LEVEL IN THE MARSH APPEARS QUITE HIGH AND MAY BE RESULT OF DNR MANAGEMENT. THE LAKE IS OPEN, AND THE UNFROZEN WATERS ARE BEGINNING TO CREEP INTO THE INLETS. ONLY A FEW RINGBILLED GULLS CAN BE SEEN OUT ON THE ICE, AND ONLY WHERE THERE IS
A PATCH OF OPEN WATER IN THE ICE."
6 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 110
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 4
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 10
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 5
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 25 "20-30 crows were on the ice and in the trees"
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Feb 7, 1987 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: "DAD AND I ARRIVED AT THE POINT TO DO SOME BIRDING/PICTURES GORGEOUS DAY! IT IS CLEAR, SUNNY AND QUITE MILD FOR EARLY FEBRUARY. THE RECENT WARM SPELL THIS PAST WEEK AND A HALF HAS JUST ABOUT MELTED
ALL THE SNOW, SO THE ROADS ARE WET AND MUDDY. THE INLAND BAYS, PONDS AND MARSHES ARE STILL FROZEN, BUT I'D GUESS THAT ONLY A COUPLE OF INCHES OF ICE REMAIN. THE WATER LEVEL IN THE MARSH APPEARS QUITE HIGH AND MAY BE RESULT OF DNR MANAGEMENT. THE LAKE IS OPEN, AND THE UNFROZEN WATERS ARE BEGINNING TO CREEP INTO THE INLETS. ONLY A FEW RINGBILLED GULLS CAN BE SEEN OUT ON THE ICE, AND ONLY WHERE THERE IS
A PATCH OF OPEN WATER IN THE ICE."
6 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 110
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 4
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 10
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 5
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 25 "20-30 crows were on the ice and in the trees"
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
