Willow Run Airport Redux - 27 Dec 2013

With reports of a Rough-legged Hawk and a Northern Shrike at Willow Run airport yesterday I decided to make a return trip.  It was cloudy and overcast (AGAIN) but I decided to go, anyway.  I arrived shortly before 9 am and headed to the north end of Beck Rd. (near Ecorse) where I spotted the Rough-legged Hawk sitting high in a tree.  I was able to drive close enough to get some photos from inside the car and watch the bird for several minutes.  When it reared up to squirt I knew it was going to take off - I missed the takeoff.

I then drove the Service Drive along the south end of the airport and found 3 Snowy Owls - one on a fence near the east end, one at the corner just a few feet from the fence, and another up on the hill to the south of the service drive.  This bird was close enough for a couple quick photos from the top of the car, and a couple of digiscoped images through the fence.

I would later find an Eastern Meadowlark along the fence near the Tyler Rd. entrance, but the bird took off over the trees to the north. I could not relocate the Northern Shrike.

Willow Run Airport 2, Wayne, Michigan, US
Dec 27, 2013 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Dipped on Northern Shrike that was reported yesterday
2 species (+1 other taxa)

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)  1     See blog post for photos http://jerryjourdan.blogspot.com/2013/12/willow-run-airport-redux-27-dec-2013.html
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)  3     The continuing birds at the airport. See blog post for photos http://jerryjourdan.blogspot.com/2013/12/willow-run-airport-redux-27-dec-2013.html
Western/Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta/magna)  1     Single bird near Tyler Rd. entrance just west of Beck Rd.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S16102759

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

A quick trip to Visteon / Grace Lake yielded only a single Great Black-backed Gull.

Grace Lake (Visteon Pond), Wayne, Michigan, US
Dec 27, 2013 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
2 species

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  35
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S163181941

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

I then drove down to the Antenna Farm next to Pt Mouillee hoping to find the Rough-legged Hawk that I found a couple of days ago.  I would spot a Red-tailed Hawk, and a nice male Northern Harrier, but no Roughie.  A fly-by flock of Tundra Swans were a nice consolation, as were a group of Great Blue Herons off of Campau Rd.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Dec 27, 2013 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
3 species

Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  12
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S163182213

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

Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Dec 27, 2013 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
2 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  12     Group clustered on ice in out from parking lot. Exact count

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S163182470

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