Christmas Bird Count - 19 Dec 1987
19Dec87 Monroe, MI
0900 - 1145 hrs. Sterling St. Park. Overcast, cold, drizzly, 35F.
Today is the annual Christmas Bird Count for the Washtenaw Audubon Society. Tim Walsh, Adelle Rochenbucher, and myself have been assign-
ed the state park. At 0900 hrs. we arrived.
Today is the annual Christmas Bird Count for the Washtenaw Audubon Society. Tim Walsh, Adelle Rochenbucher, and myself have been assign-
ed the state park. At 0900 hrs. we arrived.
As we parked the car we were greeted with the sight of well over 2000 Herring Gulls, 500+ Common Mergansers, as well as numerous Great Black-backed Gulls, Common Goldeneyes, Canada Geese, and Mallards.
The most unusual sightings of the day had to be 4 Killdeers running around on the ice. Not 20 yards away across the ponds near the golf course, we heard 2 Greater Yellowlegs calling to each other. Although we watched for a good 20 minutes, we saw no birds. We would later be told that the birds could not be reported as they weren't seen. I think we were doubted about hearing the birds.
Tally: 42 Red-breasted Mergansers, 105 Rock Doves, 576 Common Mergansers, 246 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3125 Herring Gulls, 72 Common Goldeneye, 2 American Kestrel (1 male, 1 unknown), 1 Mourning Dove, 1 Great Blue Heron, 8 European Starlings,
2 Blue Jays, 3 Northern Cardinals, 8 Mallards, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 2 American Goldfinch, 4 Killdeer, 220 Canada Geese, 2 Greater Yellowlegs (heard), 4 Song Sparrows, 1 American Tree Sparrow, 2 Belted Kingfishers.
2 Blue Jays, 3 Northern Cardinals, 8 Mallards, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 2 American Goldfinch, 4 Killdeer, 220 Canada Geese, 2 Greater Yellowlegs (heard), 4 Song Sparrows, 1 American Tree Sparrow, 2 Belted Kingfishers.
Sterling SP, Monroe, Michigan, US
Dec 19, 1987 9:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Tim Walsh, Adele Rottenbucher and I as part of the Monroe, MI CBC hosted by Washtenaw Audubon Society (Janet Hinshaw compiler).
20 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 220
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 8
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 72
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 576
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 42
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 105
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 4 running on ice in middle of Dec is unusual!
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 3125
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 246 As submitted to NAS. 1608 GBBG were counted as part of the Monroe, MI CBC that year. A high count for the count circle.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 8
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 2
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 4
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Dec 19, 1987 9:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Tim Walsh, Adele Rottenbucher and I as part of the Monroe, MI CBC hosted by Washtenaw Audubon Society (Janet Hinshaw compiler).
20 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 220
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 8
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 72
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 576
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 42
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 105
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 4 running on ice in middle of Dec is unusual!
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 3125
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 246 As submitted to NAS. 1608 GBBG were counted as part of the Monroe, MI CBC that year. A high count for the count circle.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 8
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 2
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 4
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
1200 hrs. Monroe power plant. Members of the Washtenaw Audubon Society are here to keep count of birds. Am I glad!!!!! As one gazes out over the discharge canal, one can see perhaps 5-6000 Herring and Ring-billed Gulls in the water and in the air. It is truly a spectacular sight seeing so many birds. How one can even estimate numbers is beyond me.
Out toward the mouth of the canal and all along the shores of Lake Erie, the gulls are replaced by as many Common and Red-breasted Mergansers. Of course, the Herring, Ring-billed and Black-backed Gulls are also along the shoreline and inland in their normal roosting areas. One might guess that a good portion of the North American continental population of birds are here!
Toward the shoreline someone spotted a Glaucous Gull, a new bird for me. The Glaucous Gull appeared somewhat paler than the Herring Gulls, and had white wing tips.
But I was not here to see these birds. I was here to see a pair
of juvenile Peregrine Falcons that were spotted by Tim roosting in the
stacks for the past week or so! As we circled the plant we kept a close eye on the stacks, but could not see any evidence of the birds. Only a few Rock Doves could be seen flying about the roof tops.
of juvenile Peregrine Falcons that were spotted by Tim roosting in the
stacks for the past week or so! As we circled the plant we kept a close eye on the stacks, but could not see any evidence of the birds. Only a few Rock Doves could be seen flying about the roof tops.
At 1430 Hrs., as we were back at our cars, and getting ready to leave, I
took one last look at the stacks. At the edge of a railing on one of
the roofs i spotted a large dove-sized bird. I asked Tim, "Is that a
Rock Dove up there?" it certainly was not!! Our Peregrine Falcon was
sitting up there in the rain and watching. As we watched it with our
scopes, we were looking for bands about the feet, to see if it was one
of the four fledged in downtown Detroit this year. But at the angle
we were watching, we could see no evidence of bands.
took one last look at the stacks. At the edge of a railing on one of
the roofs i spotted a large dove-sized bird. I asked Tim, "Is that a
Rock Dove up there?" it certainly was not!! Our Peregrine Falcon was
sitting up there in the rain and watching. As we watched it with our
scopes, we were looking for bands about the feet, to see if it was one
of the four fledged in downtown Detroit this year. But at the angle
we were watching, we could see no evidence of bands.
A few moments later, the second falcon appeared, flying high around the stacks. It soon roosted below one of the beacons about 2/3 's up. The first bird flew off and returned a short time later on top of the roof directly in front of us. As it walked along the roof top, we could make out a red bird band on one of its leg. Soon it took off toward the discharge canal, apparently after one of the gulls. As it climbed into the sky, it flapped its wings in short bursts. In a moment, it tucked its wings in and went into an impressive dive bomb toward the flock of birds. I've never seen a bird move so incredibly fast in the sky. The sight was breathtaking. Too bad it didn't go for any birds. It just rolled out and perched atop a telephone pole, where we took our last looks. What a sighting!!
DTE Energy Monroe Power Plant, Monroe, Michigan, US
Dec 19, 1987 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Monroe PP portion of Monroe, MI CBC. This is only an incidental sighting and does not include the 1000's of gulls/waterfowl counted at the plant by Washtenaw Audubon. A Glaucous Gull was seen by Phil Chu.
24 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 100
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 36
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 24
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 2
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 24
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 140
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 26
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 500
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 26
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 400
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1000
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 5000 Official count for the day was 18,947 with majority coming from the Monroe Power Plant and Lake Erie shoreline. I don't have an exact count as I was not compiler, but commented in my notes "As one gazes out over the discharge canal, one can see perhaps 5-6000 Herring and Ring-billed Gulls in the water and in the air. It is truly a spectacular sight seeing so many birds. How one can even estimate numbers is beyond me.
Out toward the mouth of the canal and all along the shores of Lake Erie, the gulls are replaced by as many Common and Red-breasted Mergansers. Of course, the Herring, Ring-billed and Black-backed Gulls are also along the shoreline and inland in their normal roosting areas. One might guess that a good portion of the North American continental population of birds are here! "
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 100 Official count for the day was 1608 with the majority of birds coming from the Monroe Power Plant and Lake Erie shoreline. This is a conservative estimate without exact numbers for the power plant.
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 10
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 10
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 2 AS WE WATCHED IT WITH OUR
SCOPES, WE WERE LOOKING FOR BANDS ABOUT THE FEET, TO SEE IF IT WAS ONE
OF THE FOUR FLEDGED IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT THIS YEAR. BUT AT THE ANGLE
WE WERE WATCHING, WE COULD SEE NO EVIDENCE OF BANDS. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE SECOND FALCON APPEARED, FLYING HIGH AROUND THE STACKS. IT
SOON ROOSTED BELOW ONE OF THE BEACONS ABOUT 2/3 'S UP. THE FIRST BIRD
FLEW OFF AND RETURNED A SHORT TIME LATER ON TOP OF THE ROOF DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. AS IT WALKED ALONG THE ROOF TOP, WE COULD MAKE OUT A
RED BIRD BAND ON ONE OF ITS LEG. SOON IT TOOK OFF TOWARD THE DISCHARGE CANAL, APPARENTLY AFTER ONE OF THE GULLS. AS IT CLIMBED INTO THE SKY, IT FLAPPED ITS WINGS IN SHORT BURSTS. IN A MOMENT, IT
TUCKED ITS WINGS IN AND WENT INTO AN IMPRESSIVE DIVE BOMB TOWARD THE
FLOCK OF BIRDS. I'VE NEVER SEEN A BIRD MOVE SO INCREDIBLY FAST IN THE
SKY. THE SIGHT WAS BREATHTAKING. TOO BAD IT DIDN'T GO FOR ANY BIRDS.
IT JUST ROLLED OUT AND PERCHED ATOP A TELEPHONE POLE, WHERE WE TOOK OUR LAST LOOKS. WHAT A SIGHTING!!
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 10
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 110
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 20
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 10
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 12
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Dec 19, 1987 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Monroe PP portion of Monroe, MI CBC. This is only an incidental sighting and does not include the 1000's of gulls/waterfowl counted at the plant by Washtenaw Audubon. A Glaucous Gull was seen by Phil Chu.
24 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 100
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 36
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 24
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 2
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 24
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 140
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 26
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 500
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 26
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 400
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1000
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 5000 Official count for the day was 18,947 with majority coming from the Monroe Power Plant and Lake Erie shoreline. I don't have an exact count as I was not compiler, but commented in my notes "As one gazes out over the discharge canal, one can see perhaps 5-6000 Herring and Ring-billed Gulls in the water and in the air. It is truly a spectacular sight seeing so many birds. How one can even estimate numbers is beyond me.
Out toward the mouth of the canal and all along the shores of Lake Erie, the gulls are replaced by as many Common and Red-breasted Mergansers. Of course, the Herring, Ring-billed and Black-backed Gulls are also along the shoreline and inland in their normal roosting areas. One might guess that a good portion of the North American continental population of birds are here! "
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 100 Official count for the day was 1608 with the majority of birds coming from the Monroe Power Plant and Lake Erie shoreline. This is a conservative estimate without exact numbers for the power plant.
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 10
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 10
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 2 AS WE WATCHED IT WITH OUR
SCOPES, WE WERE LOOKING FOR BANDS ABOUT THE FEET, TO SEE IF IT WAS ONE
OF THE FOUR FLEDGED IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT THIS YEAR. BUT AT THE ANGLE
WE WERE WATCHING, WE COULD SEE NO EVIDENCE OF BANDS. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE SECOND FALCON APPEARED, FLYING HIGH AROUND THE STACKS. IT
SOON ROOSTED BELOW ONE OF THE BEACONS ABOUT 2/3 'S UP. THE FIRST BIRD
FLEW OFF AND RETURNED A SHORT TIME LATER ON TOP OF THE ROOF DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. AS IT WALKED ALONG THE ROOF TOP, WE COULD MAKE OUT A
RED BIRD BAND ON ONE OF ITS LEG. SOON IT TOOK OFF TOWARD THE DISCHARGE CANAL, APPARENTLY AFTER ONE OF THE GULLS. AS IT CLIMBED INTO THE SKY, IT FLAPPED ITS WINGS IN SHORT BURSTS. IN A MOMENT, IT
TUCKED ITS WINGS IN AND WENT INTO AN IMPRESSIVE DIVE BOMB TOWARD THE
FLOCK OF BIRDS. I'VE NEVER SEEN A BIRD MOVE SO INCREDIBLY FAST IN THE
SKY. THE SIGHT WAS BREATHTAKING. TOO BAD IT DIDN'T GO FOR ANY BIRDS.
IT JUST ROLLED OUT AND PERCHED ATOP A TELEPHONE POLE, WHERE WE TOOK OUR LAST LOOKS. WHAT A SIGHTING!!
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 10
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 110
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 20
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 10
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 12
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
