35th Monroe, MI Christmas Bird Count - 19 Dec 2004

19 December 2004 - Monroe, MI Christmas Bird Count 

0430 Hrs.  Currently snowing and windy in Monroe.  Temps 19ºF w/ windchill at 7ºF.  I stopped at the bank on Telegraph Rd just north of S. Custer Rd to look for my seasonal Screech Owl.  Bundling up I hiked in the dark across the open field to the woods just east and south of the parking lot.  Footing was tricky with holes and brambles, but I got to the edge of the woods to play my Screech Owl tape. Efforts proved futile, as it was just too windy to hear an owl even if one could hear me.  After ~ ½ mile walk along the edge of the wood and ½ hour later I gave up and headed back to the car.  About 200 yds from the car in the open field I suddenly heard an Eastern Screech Owl whinnying.  Backtracking several yards and following the call I managed to find my tape recorder lying on the ground.  It must’ve fallen out of my pocket and started playing as it hit the ground.  What dumb luck…

0700 Hrs.  Whiting Power Plant, Erie Rd.  I was waiting to meet Allen Chartier, Will Weber and Mike Sefton to bird Area 2 at the plant and along the Lake Erie shoreline down to Woodtick Peninsula.  Currently temps were about 14ºF with windchills near 0ºF.  

The three of them soon arrived along with 15-year old Alex Dopp.  After checking in with security we headed off toward the lake.  Before we started, however, I got Allen to sign my copy of his and Jerry Ziarno’s new book “A Birder’s Guide to Michigan”.  I’m told that mine was the first signed copy.  “Thanks, Allen! I can’t wait to sit down with it.”

0730 Hrs.  The shoreline was open for the most part, but the wind and cold had us all trying to find our fingers and toes.  There were lots of activity with small flocks of scaup sp. flying north, Common Mergansers, and many Ring-billed and Herring Gulls about.  We spotted several Great Black-backed Gulls among the cloud of gulls, and 1 or 2 immature Bald Eagles, but everyone was hesitant to open the scopes.  

Heading south toward the discharge effluent we managed to hear a few American Tree Sparrows and European Starlings, but nothing more.

0800 Hrs.  As the sun rose in front of us we could see the clouds moving off to the southeast and the skies clearing.  Temps continued to drop and the winds continued to blow.  Will spotted a pair of Red Foxes in an open field just west of the shoreline and Allen pointed out a Lesser Black-backed Gull along the shoreline.  

The lighting was right so I attempted a few pics with the cameras.  Center image shows L to R: Will, Allen, Mike and Alex.

       
0830 Hrs.  Rounding the corner south of the plant we headed west toward the marshes.  Will had been spotting large flocks of Canada Geese off on the horizon to the west when we suddenly flushed about 30 Canada Geese and ~50 Great Blue Herons roosting in the marsh.  More gulls were in the open water and a couple of Bald Eagles were soaring near the stacks of the power plant.

0900 Hrs.  As the group headed south along the lake shoreline we did our best to flush some Swamp Sparrows from the phragmites, but without luck.  We did manage numerous American Tree Sparrows and a couple of female Redwing Blackbirds but the weather may be keeping any possible Swampies hunkering down.

1000 Hrs.  The group decided to head back northward to check out the woods and shore north of the plant, as I have to start working my way toward Monroe Power Plant for the noon count.  Several GBBG’s were close enough to the shore to attempt a couple of pics with the Sigma 400mm f/5.6 and Nikon D70.

    
Most of them flew off, but one immature bird stayed on the ice close to shore.  I was able to get close enough to digiscope the bird, and discovered that it had what appears to be a fish stuck in its mouth.  It wasn’t making any attempts to swallow the fish, and one wonders whether it is too weak to fly.

A few minutes later Allen directed us to a Carolina Wren chirping in the trees along the shoreline.  

As we were just about to leave the shoreline a lone catfish was observed wallowing in the shallow waters.  Will and Alex put their binoculars on the fish in order to help Allen ID it… Mike volunteered to wade out into the shallows to nudge/kick the fish back into deeper water as we pondered whether he was actually rescuing the fish or preventing Evolution Pt. 2 from occurring… 

I took one last picture of Alex before leaving the group.

J.R. Whiting Power Plant, Monroe, Michigan, US
Dec 19, 2004 7:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Allen Chartier, Will Weber, Mike Sefton, Alex Dopp and me. Monroe, MI CBC - Whiting Plant results
29 species (+3 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  600
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  18
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  400
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  20
Redhead (Aythya americana)  4
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  500
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis)  2000
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)  1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  250
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  2500     Massive flocks flying north along Lake Erie at surnrise. 2500 was counted for identifiable Common Merganswers while remaining 1000 were presumed mixed RB and CO mergs. Official count submitted to NAS. Counted by 10's then 100's.
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  150
Common/Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus merganser/serrator)  1000
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  6
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  400
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  1600
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  40
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)  2
gull sp. (Larinae sp.)  200
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  39
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  4
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  3
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  30
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  5
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  8

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S182326315

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

1200 Hrs.  Monroe Power Plant, Front Street.  Clear skies, windy, cold, 7ºF, windchill –25ºF.  I met Tim Walsh at the entrance to the plant and was soon joined by John McDaniel, Matt Shackelford, Tim Smart and Tareasa Drewior (a high school student participating in her first CBC).  Tim W. and I have been conducting the MPP count for well over 15 years now… 

A quick scan of the discharge canal netted a Bonaparte’s Gull and a Double-crested Cormorant, and a few Ring-billed Gulls.  John and Matt had counted 36 Bald Eagles at the plant earlier in the week, so we were hopeful that we’d see a few today. 

As we caravanned along the discharge canal we were soon greeted by clouds of condensation as the freezing air hit the moisture rising off the warm water of the power plant discharge.  In the large pond on the opposite side of the road, however, we were greeted with the sight of 4000+ Common Mergansers.

       
1300 Hrs.  As we headed back around the plant toward the lakeshore we stopped at the Raisin River / plant inlet and scoped several Mallard, Black Duck and Hooded Mergansers.  And more Common Mergansers.  We finally spot the first of several Bald Eagles of the day flying overhead and along the shoreline.

       
At the lakeshore we counted numerous small flocks of Mallard, and more Herring/RB/GBB Gulls, and a few Goldeneye, Bufflehead.  A shot of the group (clockwise:Tim S., Matt S., Tim W., John M., Tareasa D.).

Back around to the discharge canal I spotted a Pied-billed Grebe next to the shoreline, but it dove before I could get the camera on it, and we never saw it resurface.  Oh well, to salvage the moment I took a few pics of the canal, shoreline and the guys (Matt, Tim W., Tim S., John M).

         
1400 Hrs.  A quick trip to the fly ash ponds at the power plant onsite (Dunbar Rd) yielded our first Red-tailed Hawks of the day, along with numerous American Tree Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, Bald Eagles, and about 80 Great Blue Herons flushed along the west shoreline of the discharge canal. 

At the southwest end of the discharge canal we spotted a Great Horned Owl roosting in a tree.  Unfortunately it flew into the underbrush before we could get the scopes on it.

1500 Hrs.  As the group departed we ended the day with 131 Great Blue Herons and 38 Bald Eagles.  On the way out of the plant I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in a tree on the north side of Front Street.  As I got out of the car to photograph it the bird swooped to the ground and attempted to catch a vole.  I managed a couple of flight pics as it took off toward the woods. 

    
1800 Hrs.  Reflecting on the day, I’d have to say it was a great success!  After meeting the rest of the count participants at the Michigan Bar and Grill the Monroe CBC compiled a whopping 87,000 birds and 69 species.

Highlights of the count included:
1 LONG-TAILED DUCK
2 PIED-BILLED GREBE
48 BALD EAGLE
- 22 Adults
- 26 Immatures
1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
54 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL
2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
2 GREAT HORNED OWLS
1 CAROLINA WREN
3 WINTER WREN
12 FIELD SPARROW
3 LECONTE"S SPARROW 
2 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

If one picture could sum up the cold day, it would have to be this.  I’m glad I decided to bring the cameras. - Jerry Jourdan, Compiler

DTE Energy Monroe Power Plant, Monroe, Michigan, US
Dec 19, 2004 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
23.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Monroe, MI CBC. Matt Shackelford, Tim Walsh, Tareasa Dewoir, Tim Smart. John McDaniel
26 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  232
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  257
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  11
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  20
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  9
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  6080     Exact count submitted to NAS. 4000 in holding pond inside plant, and another 2000+ on the Raisin River and Lake Erie. Presumed that some of these birds are part of the 2000+ counted during the AM  hours at the Whiting Plant. Counted by 10's then 100's.
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon))  737     Large numbers inside plant proper roosting on structures and flying out in large flocks. Another large flock of several hundred at the Waste Water Treatment on Front St.
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  72
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  1916
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  8
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  31
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  131     Typical CBC numbers. Many birds roosting along banks of the mile-long warm water discharge canal and roosts in Bolles Harbor and onsite fly-ash ponds. Exact count.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  29
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  4
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)  1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  13
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  45
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  3
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  11

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S182340287

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)