Lake Erie Scoters! - 03 Nov 2013
Lotus Rd. mudflats, Monroe, Michigan, US
Nov 3, 2013 8:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.243 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Mudflats at railroad tracks
1 species
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 90 per blog post: I drove down to Lotus Rd. in southern Monroe County to look for a female Mountain Bluebird reported a few days ago by Karl Overman. I dipped on finding the bluebird, but found 90 Dunlin foraging on the exposed mudflats at the railroad tracks on Lotus Rd.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I then drove over to the J.R. Whiting Power Plant at the foot of Erie Rd. to look for some scoters reported a few days ago, as well. I was not disappointed. I met Pat Jakel there and together we scoped 20 Black Scoters, 8 Surf Scoters and 1 Long-tailed Duck about 100 yds. out from shore. Distance and lighting were not friendly for digiscoping, but a high-mag video through the scope found the Long-tailed Duck among the scoters.
Nov 3, 2013 8:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.243 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Mudflats at railroad tracks
1 species
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 90 per blog post: I drove down to Lotus Rd. in southern Monroe County to look for a female Mountain Bluebird reported a few days ago by Karl Overman. I dipped on finding the bluebird, but found 90 Dunlin foraging on the exposed mudflats at the railroad tracks on Lotus Rd.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
We walked down to the outfall of the power plant and saw a hundred Bonaparte's Gulls, but no unusual gulls.
J.R. Whiting Power Plant, Monroe, Michigan, US
Nov 3, 2013 9:00 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Patrick Jakel was with me. Photo of scoters on blog post: http://jerryjourdan.blogspot.c
7 species (+1 other taxa)
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis) 600 Mostly Lesser Scaup moving in large flocks toward the north along horizon and just within scope distance; peaked heads good for Lesser. Could not locate any Greaters.
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) 8 Reported two days ago by Karl Overman; juvenile birds swimming among juvenile Black Scoters and 1 Long-tailed Duck.
Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) 20 Small raft of juveniles swimming w/ 8 Surf Scoters and 1 Long-tailed Duck
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) 1 1st winter bird; dark bill, white cheek and dark cap, not a scoter.
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 100
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 40
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 10
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Nov 3, 2013 9:00 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Patrick Jakel was with me. Photo of scoters on blog post: http://jerryjourdan.blogspot.c
7 species (+1 other taxa)
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis) 600 Mostly Lesser Scaup moving in large flocks toward the north along horizon and just within scope distance; peaked heads good for Lesser. Could not locate any Greaters.
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) 8 Reported two days ago by Karl Overman; juvenile birds swimming among juvenile Black Scoters and 1 Long-tailed Duck.
Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) 20 Small raft of juveniles swimming w/ 8 Surf Scoters and 1 Long-tailed Duck
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) 1 1st winter bird; dark bill, white cheek and dark cap, not a scoter.
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 100
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 40
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 10
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I then headed Pt. Mouillee, where I found a pair of Red-tailed Hawks and a pair of American Kestrels, but none cooperative enough for photos. A Lesser Yellowlegs was foraging in Mouillee Creek, but I didn't stop to digiscope it.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Nov 3, 2013 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.621 mile(s)
3 species
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 1 Foraging in Mouillee Creek next to parking lot and bridge; yellow legs w/ bill length equal to width of head.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Robin and I would return to LEMP later in the afternoon for a walk, but things had slowed. As we drove back to Wyandotte we spotted an American Kestrel dive-bombing a Cooper's Hawk atop a light pole across the street from the Yak Arena. By the time I could get in position w/ the scope the hawk decided to fly off. Too slow again.
Nov 3, 2013 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.621 mile(s)
3 species
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 1 Foraging in Mouillee Creek next to parking lot and bridge; yellow legs w/ bill length equal to width of head.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Next stop was Lake Erie Metropark for the Detroit River HawkWatch. I arrived a bit before 11 am and immediately was put on a Rough-legged Hawk high in the stratosphere (thanks, Greg Smith!). The bird gorgeous through the scope but just a speck through the camera, so no pics (again). I could only manage a few pics of a fly-by Red-tail, and even then I was late on it. The thousands of American Crows passing overhead in a long procession was really impressive! One Golden Eagle was reported earlier along w/ dozens of Red-shouldered Hawks.
Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 3, 2013 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Detroit River Hawk Watch
3 species
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1500 Migrating flocks continuous during time there. Continuously flapping black crows.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Nov 3, 2013 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Detroit River Hawk Watch
3 species
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1500 Migrating flocks continuous during time there. Continuously flapping black crows.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Robin and I would return to LEMP later in the afternoon for a walk, but things had slowed. As we drove back to Wyandotte we spotted an American Kestrel dive-bombing a Cooper's Hawk atop a light pole across the street from the Yak Arena. By the time I could get in position w/ the scope the hawk decided to fly off. Too slow again.
Wyandotte Municipal Power Plant, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 3, 2013 4:00 PM - 4:10 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
2 species
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Nov 3, 2013 4:00 PM - 4:10 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
2 species
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
