Fisherman's Island State Park - 28 Sep 2007
First off, a big shout-out to MDOT's Courtesy Vans! Robin and I attempted to drive up north to the condo on Thursday evening last week, but shortly before I-275 and I-96 E I hit something in the road that tore up my right rear tire. I managed to drive a 1/2 mile before the low tire pressure indicator came on. I pulled off the road and stopped right behind a Courtesy Van that had stopped to help someone else out. The young gentleman helped me put the spare on the car and we limped back home to fix a torn tire.Friday morning, after a trip to the Ford dealer, we headed back north. After lunch in Traverse City we stopped at the Elk Rapids Sewage Ponds to look for shorebirds. A single Lesser Yellowlegs flew off from the near shore and landed across the pond, where (6) Pectoral Sandpipers and (1) Least Sandpiper. A number of Wood Ducks were also present in the farther ponds. Unable to digiscope through the fence, we headed northward toward Central Lake and our condo.
Saturday morning I drove up Co-65 toward Charlevoix. Just before Ellsworth I spotted a Red Fox crossing the road in front of me, but was too far away to get any pics before it headed into the woods. A doe and fawn were also there, but disappeared before I could grab the camera.
Arriving at the state park I scoped the lake but saw nothing. Driving into the park I scanned the shoreline and came across a pair of Great Blue Herons among a group of Ring-billed Gulls. Shortly after, I came upon (3) Turkey Vultures out among the rocky shoreline feeding on a carcass. Grabbing my scope I slowly made my way toward them, stopping every few yards to get some digiscoped images. Two adults and one immature bird with its black head were picking at a fish and tended to tussle over scraps. I stopped and took a short video while I scanned the skies for fly-over American Pipits, which I had heard a few moments before. The vultures flushed and my camera jammed while trying to get flight shots as they flew away.
Walking the beach toward Fisherman's Island I continued to scan overhead as flock after flock of American Pipits continued to fly in from out over the lake. Birds flew in 3-5 at a time, but never stopped until they disappeared over the dunes farther south along the shoreline.
A single juvenile Sanderling, in basic plumage, appeared ahead feeding along the shoreline, and cautiously kept me in its sites at all time. I stopped and got some nice digiscoped images of it as it posed in the early morning sunshine. Farther off a Broad-winged Hawk was being harassed by three American Crows. As I watched them off in the distance a Black-bellied Plover could be heard calling as it flew overhead.
Arriving at the state park I scoped the lake but saw nothing. Driving into the park I scanned the shoreline and came across a pair of Great Blue Herons among a group of Ring-billed Gulls. Shortly after, I came upon (3) Turkey Vultures out among the rocky shoreline feeding on a carcass. Grabbing my scope I slowly made my way toward them, stopping every few yards to get some digiscoped images. Two adults and one immature bird with its black head were picking at a fish and tended to tussle over scraps. I stopped and took a short video while I scanned the skies for fly-over American Pipits, which I had heard a few moments before. The vultures flushed and my camera jammed while trying to get flight shots as they flew away.
Walking the beach toward Fisherman's Island I continued to scan overhead as flock after flock of American Pipits continued to fly in from out over the lake. Birds flew in 3-5 at a time, but never stopped until they disappeared over the dunes farther south along the shoreline.
A single juvenile Sanderling, in basic plumage, appeared ahead feeding along the shoreline, and cautiously kept me in its sites at all time. I stopped and got some nice digiscoped images of it as it posed in the early morning sunshine. Farther off a Broad-winged Hawk was being harassed by three American Crows. As I watched them off in the distance a Black-bellied Plover could be heard calling as it flew overhead.
The island itself was quiet, so I headed back to the car. As I walked the shoreline more and more flocks of pipits flew in, now a dozen or two at a time. None stopped along the shore...
After lunch in Elk Rapids, a second stop at the sewage ponds netted only (1) Pectoral Sandpiper and (1) Lesser Yellowlegs. Three American Pipits were foraging along the shoreline of the farthest pond, and I could barely make them out at 60X as I rested the scope on the top of the fence.
After lunch in Elk Rapids, a second stop at the sewage ponds netted only (1) Pectoral Sandpiper and (1) Lesser Yellowlegs. Three American Pipits were foraging along the shoreline of the farthest pond, and I could barely make them out at 60X as I rested the scope on the top of the fence.
Driving home this morning through Bellaire I got a chuckle watching a group of Wild Turkeys crossing the street in the middle of town at a cross-walk to a green light!
