Bonaparte's In Flight - 28 Oct 2007


Bonaparte's In Flight! I drove down to Sterling State Park in Monroe this morning to look for digiscoping opportunities. 

First stopping at the foot of Lee Rd. and Jefferson I took a quick scan at the lake to see if any Surf Scoters could be seen. Besides the several hundreds of American Coots, I dipped. On the way back to the car a Carolina Wren was actively singing from the phragmites. A flock of Rusty Blackbirds flew overhead.

Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Oct 28, 2007 8:00 AM - 8:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
3 species

American Coot (Fulica americana)  158
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)  7

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S170518634

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

Arriving at Sterling SP I found dozens of Bonaparte's Gulls swimming and flying in the large pond across from the boat ramps. 





A walk along the bike path yielded a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs, Wood Ducks, Gadwall, Mallard, more Rusty Blackbirds, Killdeers, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Song Sparrow.



Returning to the car I decided to practice my bird-in-flight shots. The Bonaparte's Gulls were swinging past the shore at regular intervals, so I tried capturing images using the Nikon D70 and Sigma 400mm f/5.6. The autofocus was slow, so manual focusing yielded only a handfull of keepers. Here are several images I managed to get:







Sterling SP, Monroe, Michigan, US
Oct 28, 2007 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
10 species

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  2
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  6
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  2
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  42
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)  6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S170522193

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

Driving back north I stopped at Lee Rd. and scoped the lake again. Besides the large rafts of Coots, I spotted dozens of Ruddy Ducks, some Northern Shovelers, a dozen Bufflehead, a Canvasback and a pair of Horned Grebes.

Leaving the park I stopped next to a pond and found a Great Egret sunning itself among dozens of Mallard. Several digiscoped images later, 






and a video or two, 


I headed home.

Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Oct 28, 2007 11:00 AM - 11:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
7 species

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)  6
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  1
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  12
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  26
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)  2
American Coot (Fulica americana)  150
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S170521186

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