A First for Monroe Co. - 26 Jul 2011
Sometimes you get an unexpected surprise when you're out on the regular jaunts. This afternoon I was down at Pt. Mouillee looking for birds when I stumbled upon a visitor not seen in these parts before.
I was riding the Middle Causeway just east of the pump house (Lautenschlager Unit) when I spotted one of the Little Blue Herons feeding in a ditch. It flushed as soon as I laid eyes on it and flew over the phragmites and disappeared into the large pond at the SW corner of the unit. I managed a few flight shots as it passed over the phragmites and disappeared.
Attempts to relocate it failed. So, as I was walking back to my bike, I decided to try and photograph one of many Green Darners floating above me and zipping about. Having no luck, I turned my camera on a dragonfly that had just landed a few feet away. I assumed it was something I had photographed before, so I fired away a few shots and continued on my business.
When I looked up the dragonfly later I tentatively thought it might be a Unicorn Clubtail. I posted the photo of it to Facebook for verification. Julie Craves was kind enough to respond w/ a polite 'No.' She wrote that it was a Flag-tailed Spinylegs (Dromogomphus spoliatus), and "that the only place in MI for FTSP is at Oakwoods Metropark, although they should probably be in other appropriate locations (see http://www.rrbo.org/pdf/sp inyleg.pdf)". Darrin O'Brien followed that up w/ mention that it was a first county record for Monroe, MI, so I needed to record it at Odonata Central. So I did! Many thanks to Julie and Darrin for the ID!
As for the rest of my evening it was pretty quiet. A fly-by Least Bittern was followed by a second bird that landed out in the Vermet Unit (from the Long Pond Unit). Dredge pumping was continuing in Cell 3, so there were no shorebirds about. I called it an early night, as it was hot and windy, and birds were not moving.
I was riding the Middle Causeway just east of the pump house (Lautenschlager Unit) when I spotted one of the Little Blue Herons feeding in a ditch. It flushed as soon as I laid eyes on it and flew over the phragmites and disappeared into the large pond at the SW corner of the unit. I managed a few flight shots as it passed over the phragmites and disappeared.
Attempts to relocate it failed. So, as I was walking back to my bike, I decided to try and photograph one of many Green Darners floating above me and zipping about. Having no luck, I turned my camera on a dragonfly that had just landed a few feet away. I assumed it was something I had photographed before, so I fired away a few shots and continued on my business.
When I looked up the dragonfly later I tentatively thought it might be a Unicorn Clubtail. I posted the photo of it to Facebook for verification. Julie Craves was kind enough to respond w/ a polite 'No.' She wrote that it was a Flag-tailed Spinylegs (Dromogomphus spoliatus), and "that the only place in MI for FTSP is at Oakwoods Metropark, although they should probably be in other appropriate locations (see http://www.rrbo.org/pdf/sp
As for the rest of my evening it was pretty quiet. A fly-by Least Bittern was followed by a second bird that landed out in the Vermet Unit (from the Long Pond Unit). Dredge pumping was continuing in Cell 3, so there were no shorebirds about. I called it an early night, as it was hot and windy, and birds were not moving.
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