Red-tailed Hawks! - 09 Nov 2012

Another mild and sunny afternoon made a trip to Pt. Mouillee HQ worthwhile.  After work I headed down to Campau Rd. to check out the HQ and parking lot area and Huron River mouth.  A Red-tailed Hawk was perched on the side of the road to my right, so getting any photos would require getting out of the car.  I pulled ahead of the bird about 30 yds. then got out.  Immediately it took off, flying low along the road past me and into the trees on my left.  As it passed in front of the late afternoon sun I had to settle for some nice silhouette shots and some soft, dark photos.  Still, I'm very intrigued by the low-light photos of it flying into the heavily wooded background.

A male Northern Harrier (gray ghost) passed over the road just ahead of the car as I drove into HQ, but was too far away to anything but admire w/ the binoculars.  The HQ and parking lot area was void of birds, so I headed over to Harbin Rd. to see if any shorebirds were still present.

Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 9, 2012 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Mild sunny
2 species

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1     Male (gray ghost) flew across the road
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S100442263

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

  

About 2-dozen Dunlin and 2-dozen Killdeer were out on the mudflats a 100 yds away.  A single Pectoral Sandpiper was there, as well.

Harbin Rd mudflats, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 9, 2012 4:15 PM - 4:25 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Mudflats in Huron River west of Riverside Park viewed from Harbin Rd.
3 species

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  20
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  24
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  1     A late-season plump shorebird w/ distinct bib on front of chest and yellow legs. Distinctive. Among Dunlin and Killdeer flock.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S100442833

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

From there I headed south toward the Rockwood Quarry.  A Great Blue Heron perched in the trees next to Rheaume Rd. was nicely illuminated by the late afternoon sun. 

I saw more American Tree Sparrows near the corner of Roberts Rd. As I sat there watching them another Northern Harrier appeared over the dump.  It was then followed by two more (juvenile/female types) and the three birds soared up and down the hillside looking for prey.  The male passed in my area close enough for a very long-distance photo w/ the 300/2.8 VRII.

As I headed back down Roberts Rd. I spotted another Red-tailed Hawk alongside the road.  

A Red-bellied Woodpecker was chattering loudly, so it was intent on the source of the call.  I managed a couple of photos from inside the car before it noticed me, hopped to a slightly higher perch, then flew off toward more shadows.

Stoneco/Rockwood Quarry, Monroe, Michigan, US
Nov 9, 2012 5:00 PM - 5:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Rheaume Rd.
5 species

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  3     Adult male and 2 juv/female type
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1

American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S100443398

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

As I was heading for home I stopped at the corner of Gibraltar Rd. and Fort St. and saw a nice adult Red-tailed Hawk in the trees about 50 yds. away.  With all of the traffic buzzing by I grabbed the scope and managed to approach it from behind a telephone pole and get some digiscoped images in the fading light.   It stayed there as I got back in the car and headed for home.

Gibraltar Road and Fort Street, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 9, 2012 5:30 PM - 5:40 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.1 mile(s)
1 species

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S164125997

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