Charlevoix Co. Birding - 15 Sep 2005

0830 Hrs. Clear, sunny, mild, 54C. As I left the condo in Central Lake and turned onto M-88 North I spotted approximately (6) Turkey Vultures roosting in a dead tree along side the road. I got out quickly and snapped several shots using the D70/Sigma 400 +1.4TC. The birds were in the process of flying off so I was able to get a couple pics using the car mirror to stabilize the camera. 







At the state park I saw a dozen or so Common Mergansers (females/non-breeding males) sunning themselves along the shoreline boulders. The Commons can be ID’d by the lack of eye-ring, bright chin patch, heavier bill, and orange head that ends abruptly at the middle of the neck. 





A walk along the beach toward the island flushed a couple of Song Sparrows. 

A Merlin then flew overhead from the island. 

On the island itself I managed to flush several Swamp Sparrows, and heard White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows. A Palm Warbler looked very handsome in its tan/yellow/chestnut colors. American Crows


and Herring Gulls got my attention on the way back to the car.


Fly-by Ring-billed Gulls. 

 

As I got back toward the car another 6 Turkey Vultures took off from the beach and flew directly overhead. Lighting was not good, but I managed a few flight shots. 

One bird still on the beach flew up into a dead tree with 4 other TV’s, and I spent a half-hour digiscoping and photographing them.


Fisherman's Island SP, Charlevoix, Michigan, US
Sep 15, 2005 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
11 species

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  6
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  6
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  4
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  6
Merlin (Falco columbarius)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  2
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  2
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41849540

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

1730 Hrs. At the mouth of the Jordan River I was greeted by an adult Mute Swan with 3 cygnets in almost full grown plumage. Their bills were more pink than bright orange, and they gave me many good portrait shots. 


Across the river I saw a Belted Kingfisher atop a stump, a Great Blue Heron, several American Black Ducks and Mallards, and a single Snapping Turtle sticking his head out of the mud.

Sportsman's Park, Charlevoix, Michigan, US
Sep 15, 2005 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Protocol: Stationary
5 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  2
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41849601

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