Elizabeth Park gives me the Creepers! - 03 Jan 2009

I had a couple of hours to kick around Elizabeth Park in Trenton, MI this morning. I wandered over one of the stone bridges and followed the blue-green canal to look for Northern Cardinals, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-throated Sparrows that are common there this time of year.

I was pleasantly surprised when a calling Carolina Wren appeared at the base of a nearby tree. As it foraged I approached slowly and attempted to photograph it w/ the D300 and Better Beamer from about 25 feet.

Almost immediately I was greeted by a Brown Creeper that appeared nearby and began working its way up a tree trunk. As I moved slowly it would fly to another tree and repeat its pattern of working upward along the trunk to a height of about 20 feet then fly to a new tree. I managed to capture a number of keeper frames as it foraged, and marveled how it blended in with its surroundings.

Reaching the second bridge I found it fenced off, so I backtracked along the canal to the first bridge. I was able to refind the Carolina Wren and capture a few frames as it fed on the ground near a dozen Cardinals. At times it would pause to inspect its surroundings before continuing on.

As I headed back to the car the sun broke through the clouds and shone on a pair of Muscovey Ducks that roosted among several Mallard along the opposite side of the canal. I took a few moments to capture some digiscoped images. Since their release in the park a few years ago their numbers have increased to about 2 dozen. I enjoy seeing them here, but also hope their numbers don't get out of hand.

Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 3, 2009 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
5 species

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S42164635

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

Heading back north I stopped at Bishop Park in Wyandotte and found the Detroit River iced over. No ducks and no gulls, however! 

Continuing north to Ecorse I found a few dozen Mute Swans near Mud Island, but only a handfull of Mallard, and a pair of Hooded Mergansers. Otherwise, the river was devoid of waterfowl. They all must be south near Lake Erie Metropark and Pt. Mouillee?

Orlando International Airport , Orange, Florida, US
Jan 3, 2009 11:15 AM - 11:25 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Detroit River frozen w/ only open water next to shore and Mud Island
3 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  29
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  6
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S166414140

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