No Short-eared Owls (yet) - 17 Feb 2009
The Long Pond corn fields are hosting hundreds of Canada Geese, Mallard and a few Tundra Swans. The Vermet Unit still has a large flock of Gadwall (see my last post), and the Lead Unit is mostly iced over, still.
Sitting in the grass alongside the dike I hunkered down between 4:30 and 6:00 pm and just watched and listen to the sights and sounds of the thawing marsh around me. All was quiet save for the occasional fly-by Canada Goose or Ring-billed Gull.
I managed to see a couple of Bald Eagles pass by and grab a shot or two in the setting skies. One eagle even made a half-lazy sweep of the Gadwall colony to scare the flock into the air, but didn't chase anything.
As the sun disappeared behind the Flat Rock Quarry and things got dark, I grabbed my stuff and headed back to the car. No owls! Not even a Northern Harrier! I did see several small flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds flying east toward the Vermet Unit phragmites, though, so that was nice.
I'll try again in another week or so...
Note: Eagle pic is a composite image.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 17, 2009 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: For the past several weeks I've been wondering if any Short-eared Owls are roosting at Pt. Mouillee. Since I haven't heard of any reports, I decided to take a walk after work along the Middle Causeway up to the junction of Long Pond, Vermet and Lead Units.
7 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 120
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 30
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 20 Continuing in Vermet Unit
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 150
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 7
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 16
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Feb 17, 2009 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: For the past several weeks I've been wondering if any Short-eared Owls are roosting at Pt. Mouillee. Since I haven't heard of any reports, I decided to take a walk after work along the Middle Causeway up to the junction of Long Pond, Vermet and Lead Units.
7 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 120
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) 30
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) 20 Continuing in Vermet Unit
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 150
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 7
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 16
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
