Horned Larks - 06 Mar 2011

Robin and I took a ride out to Ypsilanti this morning to look for Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and (hopefully) Lapland Longspurs.  Two of three wasn't bad, and some bonus birds made the morning a success!

Driving by Metro Airport (Northline and Middlebelt Rds) I spotted a light-phase Rough-legged Hawk flying across the road from the airport!  Would've stopped to watch it, but traffic was too heavy.

Northline and Middlebelt Roads, Wayne, Michigan, US
Mar 6, 2011 9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.1 mile(s)
1 species

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)  1     light-phase flying across road to airport

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S164825224

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

We drove out Prospect Rd. to Vreeland Rd. and took Vreeland toward LeForge Rd.  There we ran into a flock of (9) Ring-necked Pheasants frolicking in the field to our left.  I took this composite image of the birds from a break in the trees along the road.  Because of low light/noise I decided to apply a dry-brush filter to the image to give it a more textured look.  They all flushed as soon as reached for the scope, so I couldn't digiscope them.

My inability to photograph Ring-necked Pheasants in any condition other than low light / heavy brush again forced me to apply a dry-brush filter to this image using Photoshop.  These filters help to salvage otherwise dull/dark/obscured images.

At the entrance to the farm up the road we spotted a small flock of Red-winged Blackbirds feeding below a grain silo.  As they flushed, a flock of Horned Larks came in.  We stopped beside the road and sat for a while watching the larks feed on the grain, and perch atop corn stubble in the adjacent field.  I attempted to digiscope the birds, but winds were blowing and they were a bit too far.
 
As I scanned the field behind the farm, looking for Lapland Longspurs (dipped) I spotted (3) Eastern Meadowlarks flying toward us.  They landed near the silo in a small patch of corn stubble and quickly disappeared from view.  A few moments later, however, they appeared in the driveway feeding on some exposed seed left by truck tracks.  As I photographed them I spotted (4) Sandhill Cranes flying into the field behind the farm.

With no longspurs to see, we headed out.  A pair of Horned Larks were close enough to the road to photograph from the driver's side window.

LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve, Washtenaw, Michigan, US
Mar 6, 2011 9:30 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
5 species

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)  9
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  4
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  6
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S164825825

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

We drove over to Gottfredson Rd. and found a small flock of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks feeding out in the field to our right.  The buntings were a bit too far for any useful digiscoping, so I was happy to just scope them.  I managed a keeper digiscoped image of some larks a bit closer. Bugling Sandhill Cranes were heard in the field behind me, but I couldn't locate them.

We headed back home before noon, only to have the skies completely clear just as we hit the expressway...

Gottfredson Rd. at Vreeland Rd., Washtenaw, Michigan, US
Mar 6, 2011 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
3 species

Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  2
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  6
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)  12

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S164826135

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