Willow Run Airport - 22 May 2014


I took a quick drive through Willow Run Airport, Wayne Co., MI this morning before work.  At 6:30 am I drove the service drive along the south end of the airport and looked for fence line birds.  An Eastern Kingbird pair were chirping along the fence, so I took a few pics w/ the 300/2.8 VRII, 1.7TCEIII teleconverter, and Nikon V3 camera (EFL=1377mm).


Near the big bend I spotted a pair of Upland Sandpipers near the fence and was able to grab a few pics as one bird passed by. The Western Meadowlark that was reported at the beginning of the month is still around, as I heard its flutelike call among several Eastern Meadowlarks in the grass near the runway.


Farther down a pair of Red-tailed Hawks were perched on the fence, but one flew off as I passed and the other dropped down on the other side of the fence by the time I turned around and headed back toward it.  I grabbed a few frames through the fence, then watched as it ran after a large cricket and devoured it.


Savannah Sparrows were numerous along the fence line, but I was unable to hear / see any Grasshopper Sparrows.


Willow Run Airport (restricted access), Wayne, Michigan, US
May 22, 2014 6:30 AM - 7:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Western Meadowlark reported earlier.
6 species

Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)  2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  6
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)  1     Continuing bird. Flutelike call is distinctly different from the "spring-of-the-dirty-year' call of the Eastern Meadowlarks nearby.
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101608602

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