Thawing Antrim Co. Ice - 05 Feb 2005

05 February 2005 Antrim/Charlevoix Co.’s

0930 Hrs.  Clear, sunny, mild 35-40F.  It’s a beautiful, calm, mild February morning here in Central Lake.  Robin and I came up last night after work.  The drive was highlighted by a female Merlin along US-127N.  We made good time and got here just fine.

Maple River SGA (Gratiot Co.), Gratiot, Michigan, US
Feb 4, 2005 5:30 PM - 5:31 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Driving along I-127 North of Lansing near Maple River SGA
1 species

Merlin (Falco columbarius)  1     dark falcon next to road. Block head and overall dark gray. Not light like American Kestrel. Too small to be Peregrine.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41754720

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

  

This morning after working out I drove by the canal connecting Hanley Lake and Intermediate Lake.  The water has been open all winter (must be underground spring-fed) and a small patch of the lake is starting to open up.  I spotted several Hooded Mergansers (males and females), several Bufflehead, and a single Common Goldeneye among the dozens of Mallards.  I stopped and digiscoped several dozen pics of the Bufflehead and Mergansers before continuing on toward Fisherman’s Island State Park.  The Goldeneye had moved up the canal so I didn’t try to photograph it.  

Across the canal I could hear several Pine Siskins ‘zreeeeeee’-ing.  A Hairy Woodpecker flew to the feeder at the house on the corner and was joined by several Blue Jays.

Central Lake, MI, Antrim, Michigan, US
Feb 5, 2005 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Neighborhood birding
7 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  23
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  2
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  1
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  2
Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  6     Small finches w/ loud "Zreeeee-iii" foraging in spruce trees.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41754847

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

1000 Hrs.  As I drove out M-88 toward US-31 most of the farmlands are starting to reveal their soils below the rapidly melting snow.  Its nice to see patches of bare ground again after all the snow we’ve had up here.  

I spotted a partially open field with approx. 200 Wild Turkeys.  Turkeys everywhere!  Unfortunately they were back in the hills so stopping to view or photograph them was out of the question.  

A short ways further, however, I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched in a tree along a fence-line adjacent to M-88.  I quickly stopped, got the scope and camera, and hiked up a short hill that obscured me from the hawk.  As I digiscoped it a second Red-tailed Hawk flew in to join it.  Scanning the tree I noticed a Fox Squirrel a few branches below both birds not seeming to mind their presence.  Courage?  

M-88 Antrim Co., Antrim, Michigan, US
Feb 5, 2005 10:00 AM - 10:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Farmland next to M-88 toward US-131
2 species

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  150     Large field with turkeys everywhere! up on hill and out in fields.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41754957

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

1100 Hrs.  I drove down to Fisherman’s Island SP off Bell’s Bay Rd and US-31N.  The ground was thawing so I drove down to the water’s edge and the entrance to the park.  The lake was open with a few small ice patches floating about.  No grebes or ducks were seen.  Just a few gulls using the flows as perches.  

As I tried to drive into the park I got stuck in bumper-deep snow and sand.  I couldn’t believe it!  Even with 4X4 drive I couldn’t do anything but spin the tires on the Escape.  I tried digging out the tires with my little plastic shovel, but it shattered into pieces.  I tried wedging branches under the tires but w/o luck.  Not until an older couple walked by could I get them to put the car in reverse while I pried a large branch under the front bumper and pushed.  I decided to head back to Central Lake after that – no more icy roads for a while….

1130 Hrs.  I stopped by the airport in Charlevoix to see if any Snowy Owls might be around.  None.  But I did hear a Horned Lark, and spotted an immature Northern Shrike (dusky brown w/ slight mask, hooked bill, dark wings and broad dark tail as it hovered) hunting the field near the south runway.  Very neat!  A twin engine Piper scared it off as it took off down the runway.  

Charlevoix Municipal Airport, Charlevoix, Michigan, US
Feb 5, 2005 11:30 AM - 11:33 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Looking for Snowy Owls (none)
2 species

Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis)  1     dusky brown w/ slight mask, hooked bill, dark wings an broad dark tail as it hovered looking for prey. Not American Kestrel.
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41755082

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

I spotted a Bald Eagle over Hanley Lake between Elsworth and Central Lake on M-65S as I returned to the condo.

1330 Hrs.  After lunch at Pearl’s in Elk Rapids, a quick scan of the lake off the breakwall in Elk Rapids yielded nothing.  A fishing tournament appeared to be going on as there were bunches of boats in the lake and at the dock.

We drove home, and I walked back down to the canal to empty the rest of my 256mb card on ducks.  The Common Goldeneye had returned and was swimming with several Hooded Mergansers and Mute Swans.  I took the rest of the 87 pictures of the Goldeneye, Mergansers, Mallards, and swans before returning to the condo. A Black Squirrel was chattering in the trees a short way off, so I walked up and got its picture with the D70.  Of the pics below, the tiny Goldeneye and the Mute Swan w/ Mallards were taken w/ 400mm f/5.6 Sigma for comparison w/ digiscoped images.