Birding on Ice! - 19-21 Feb 2010

February 20-21, 2010 marked the first Birding on Ice event in SE Michigan. Sponsored by the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, Ottawa (OH) National Wildlife Refuge, Tropical Birding Tours, and the American Birding Association, the weekend festivities included tours of the Consumers Energy JR Whiting Plant (Monroe Co.), DTE Energy's Monroe Power Plant (Monroe Co.), Pt. Mouillee SGA (Monroe/Wayne Co's), and Lake Erie Metropark (Wayne Co.). Registration was required for the Power Plant tours, which hosted dozens of Bald Eagles this late in the winter. For a summary of those outings, check out Allen Chartier's blog posting!

19 Feb 2010 

In preparation for the Pt. Mouillee SGA tours (of which I was official tour guide), I needed to get out and scout the SGA beforehand. So, Friday afternoon after work, I headed down to the Moo to see if any waterfowl had moved inland. The plan was to drive the dikes on Saturday and Sunday to view staging waterfowl...

My first stop was Pt. Mouillee HQ off of Campau Rd. A quick stop by the entrance (gate) failed to yield the Fox Sparrow previously reported. American Tree Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, and Northern Cardinals were plentiful, however. I was more interested to see if the American Pipit could be relocated. Luckily, the bird was found in open view along the breakwall next to the boat launch. I rolled down the window to the car and took dozens of photos as the pipit fed in the grass next to the spruce trees. The bird paid little attention to my presence, and even approached the car as I fired away w/ the Nikon D300 and Sigma 400mm f/5.6.

Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 19, 2010 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     In preparation for the Pt. Mouillee SGA tours (of which I was official tour guide), I needed to get out and scout the SGA beforehand. So, Friday afternoon after work, I headed down to the Moo to see if any waterfowl had moved inland. The plan was to drive the dikes on Saturday and Sunday to view staging waterfowl...
5 species

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  2
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  1     The bird was found in open view along the breakwall next to the boat launch.
I rolled down the window to the car and took dozens of photos as the pipit fed in the grass next to the spruce trees. The bird paid little attention to my presence, and even approached the car as I fired away w/ the Nikon D300 and Sigma 400mm f/5.6.
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  3
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S42646988

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

Leaving the bird to continue foraging, I then headed down Roberts Rd. toward the parking lot at the south end of the SGA. Skies were clear, and the sun brought mid-afternoon temperatures to near 40ºF. Roberts Rd. and Rheaume Rd. were both quiet, so I continued south along Turnpike Rd. toward Chinavarre Rd., where Tom Jere reported a Rough-legged Hawk a day earlier.

I failed to find the RLH, but did stumble upon a huge cloud of blackbirds swirling in the field to the north of Chinavarre Rd. I estimated 2000 birds in a single field-of-view of my camera, so the cloud of birds numbered in excess of 5000. They landed just feet away from the car and fed alongside the road. Brown-headed Cowbirds! Among them were a few dozen Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, and Common Grackles. But well over 90% were cowbirds.

Returning to Port Sunlight Rd. I spotted an American Kestrel atop a power line. I managed a few digiscoped images before it flew off and hunted over the adjacent field.

Returning north to Siegler Rd. I parked the car and hiked the north causeway of Pt. Moo. The Huron River to my left was mostly open, with ice still extending from the shores of the causeway. I scoped dozens of Tundra and Mute Swans, along with Mallard and American Black Ducks. A Common Goldeneye or two, Common Mergansers, and few Ring-billed Gulls were also present. I managed to capture a fly-by Great Black-backed Gull as it passed over the trees, and created a composite image to show its black wings in flight.

Despite the lack of wind and gorgeous sunlight to my back, the Tundra Swans were a bit too distant for high-quality digiscoped images, even as I walked the icy shoreline of the river. Still, I managed a couple of keeper images that show their black bills and yellow tear-drops. Better photos came from flight shots as small groups took off from the ice and flew to the west.

Returning to the causeway I passed the Long Pond and Vermet Units and found them completely frozen over. No birds were flying to the south, so I assumed that the entire SGA was still frozen. Still, I hoped to see if any Short-eared Owls may be around, so I continued on toward the Banana Unit.

The path ahead of me was thawing, and walking was difficult through the soft, ankle-deep mud. I kept to ice as much as possible, but not w/o difficulty. 

As I trudged along the east shore of the Vermet I came upon the season's first Woolly Bear Caterpillar. The small larvae of the Isabella Tiger Moth was moving slowly, and would soon be subjected to sub-freezing night temps. 

Nearby, a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds were staking out territory atop bare trees and calling out their 'Konk-la-reee' song. Spring is on its way!

The woods adjacent to Cell 5 were quiet, but I did see an adult Bald Eagle fly out over the Vermet toward the Humphries Unit (formerly-called the Lead Unit as if 8/09). Wanting to see if there were any ducks on Lake Erie, I headed east toward the lake next to Cell 4. Open water greeted me, and only a handfull of Common Mergansers, and a fly-by pair of Mute Swans. Far out on an ice flow I was able to scope several Bald Eagles, Great Black-backed Gulls, and Herring Gulls.

With the sun beginning to set, and temps quickly dropping, I began the long trek back to the car. The sunset was gorgeous over the Rockwood Quarry, but continuous scans of the Vermet, Long Pond, and Humphries Units failed to yield any owls, or any Northern Harriers. My only solace to the long walk was that the ground was now frozen. The two-hour walk out only took an hour back! With blistered feet and sore shoulders I headed home to rest for weekend fun!

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 19, 2010 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Flock at US Turnpike and Hagerman Rd.
12 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  12
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  12
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  6
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  2
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  12
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  1     Port Sunlight Rd. on power line
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  50
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  50
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  5000     I failed to find the RLH, but did stumble upon a huge cloud of blackbirds swirling in the field to the north of Chinavarre Rd. I estimated 2000 birds in a single field-of-view of my camera, so the cloud of birds numbered in excess of 5000. They landed just feet away from the car and fed alongside the road. Brown-headed Cowbirds! Among them were a few dozen Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, and Common Grackles. But well over 90% were cowbirds.
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  50     among flock of BHCB.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S42316182

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

20 Feb 2010 

I had talked w/ Kristie Thiel, Park Ranger for the DRIWR, and learned that the DTE Energy Power Plant tour had filled up w/ registrations within 2 hours of the announcement! So I knew that we'd have a good turnout today.

As I readied my gear for the 11 am tour at Pt. Mouillee, I looked out the back window here in Wyandotte and found a leucistic American Goldfinch feeding in the yard. Although I knew immediately what I was looking at I made sure that a Snow Bunting hadn't shown up unexpectedly. With patches of visible yellow feathers here and there I could conclude that the bird was not an albino.

2506 21st Street, Wyandotte, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 20, 2010 9:00 AM - 9:20 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Yard
1 species

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1     Leucistic; all white except for yellow cheeks and black wingbars

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S165420645

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

Arriving at Pt. Mouillee HQ around 11 am I was greeted by a half-dozen tour members. We were still waiting for the morning's tours to arrive, so I chatted with some of the folks who stood in the muddy parking lot. As we waited a Northern Harrier flew out from behing the HQ and across the river to the SGA.

Promptly at 11 the rest of the tour arrived, and about 40 of us piled into the HQ to listen to an overview and history of Pt. Mouillee by DNR Biologist Joe Robison. Afterward, I took them down to the boat launch to look for the American Pipit. Within a few short minutes the bird flew out of the spruce trees and landed in the bare tree right in front of us. Everyone was able to get good looks at the bird through the numerous spotting scopes set up nearby. I was able to get a digiscoped image of the pipit, which preened and posed just a few feet away from us. Great start to the day! Skies were clear and temps were pushing 4o degrees - couldn't ask for a better day.

We then turned our attention to the myriad of Tundra and Mute Swans on the icy portions of the Huron River. As we scoped three Ruddy Ducks swimming near the boat launch, we were treated to several fly-over Bald Eagles! Most birds were immature or sub-adults, but we did get a couple of adult birds pass by. One pair of young eagles even wrestled in mid-air for all to see.

Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 20, 2010 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Birding on Ice Tour
6 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  12
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  12
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  3
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  3
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  1     Continuing in pines next to water at edge of parking lot.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S165421195

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

Time was short, and within the hour it was time to get some lunch and head off to Lake Erie Metropark for the afternoon tour. I took off for home for a few hours, but hoped the group might have a chance to see the Great Horned Owl that was found by Pat Gamburd just before noon.

At 5pm I returned to Monroe to join guests for dinner and evening presentations. Soup, sandwiches and dessert were provided by Monroe Street Grill. Allen Chartier brought handouts from the ABA, while Kristie brought information from the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance. Rebecca Hinckle, Head of Visitor's Services at Ottawa NWR, was also on hand.

Iain Campbell (co-founder) and Josh Engel of Tropical Birding Tours were guest speakers for the evening. Josh gave a wonderful slide show of where to go birding in the US, while Iain tempted us with a tour of the top birding locations in the world. Did you know that in 288 days of travel and just under $100K investment that Iain can (almost) guarantee you a life list of 5000+ birds! Where do I sign up? Terrific talks, guys!

21 Feb 2010 

Day 2 started pretty much the same as Day 1. Both days were supposed to be cloudy, but skies were clearing and temperatures were rising. It would hit 45 degrees this afternoon. Come on, Spring!

I drove down to Pt. Mouillee around 10 am to do a bit of pre-tour scouting. Lighting was horrible along Riverside Park, so there was no use trying to bird there. The distant swans and ducks were just silhouettes. So I backtracked toward the HQ.

I ran into Patricia Gamburd on the way in, and she brought me up to date on birds at the HQ. Both she and Walt Pawlowski had seen the American Pipit, as well as the Fox Sparrow. I drove over to the entrance and parked near the hedge where birds were feeding. Just a few feet from the car I was getting great looks at American Tree Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, and Downy Woodpeckers. I did not see the Fox Sparrow, however.

I then headed toward the boat launch to look for the American Pipit. I was hoping for a repeat of yesterday's performance so that today's group would get good looks. I ran into Darlene Friedman, who had yet to find the bird. Though we looked through the spruce trees we could not relocate it. It wasn't until Dennis Rohmeyer came by to tell us that the pipit was across the lot near the parked cars.

We ran over to the opposite side of the lot and found the bird perched next to the breakwall. Lighting wasn't terrific, but good enough to get some digiscoped images from about 30 feet. A group of arriving birders got great looks at the pipit, which entertained everyone with wonderful views. Darlene sat off to the side and waited for the bird to come to her. She would get the best photos of the day...

After another overview from Joe Robison we headed back out to the muddy parking lot to look for birds. We got some more looks at the American Pipit, then turned our attention to the open water. Unfortunately for us, some kayakers scared all of the birds away from the near shoreline so there was little to see. We did get some nice looks at a Great Black-backed Gull on the ice.

As the group was dispersing we refound the American Pipit on the breakwall. With the sun now shining I had the best light of the day to get in some quality digiscoping. The pipit posed and preened for several minutes, allowing some wonderful digiscoping from about 20 feet.

Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 21, 2010 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Birding on Ice
8 species

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  2
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  1     Continuing in pines next to parking lot and water's edge
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  3
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S165421599

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

We then had lunch at Pranks on the Marsh, then headed back to Lake Erie Metropark. With the 10 Bald Eagles seen out across Cove Point, Allen Chartier announced that we had a 100+ Bald Eagle day!

Duck numbers were fair on the lake, with small rafts of Canvasbacks and Ruddy Ducks containing a few Redhead, Common Mergansers, and Bufflehead. A 2nd-cycle Great Black-backed Gull was far out on the ice and allowed for some discussion regarding gull identification. With things quieting down, folks were happy to just chat away the afternoon.
We packed up and headed over the Marshland Museum, where a short walk through the woods yielded no Great Horned Owl. Before leaving, I got a photo of the volunteers. With time running late we headed to Monroe to have dinner and another round of talks. Along the way I spotted and photographed a young Cooper's Hawk roosting next to the road.

Cove Point, Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 21, 2010 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Birding on Ice Tour
8 species

Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  250
Redhead (Aythya americana)  36
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  12
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  12
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  24
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  1
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  10

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S165421876

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

Dinner again brought a nice turnout. Iain Campbell and Josh Engel presented their respective talks again to the delight of the attendees.

With the end of Day 2 came the end of our Birding on Ice weekend. Congratulations to Kristie Thiel for organizing the event, and thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this a successful and memorable event: Rebecca Hinckle, Iain Campbell, Josh Engel, Allen Chartier and their respective sponsors. And, of course, you the birders!