First Shorebird, First Flight - 26 Mar 2016

After a week in high 80's and high humidities it was a bit chilly this morning at Pt. Mouillee. Temps were in the low 30's but were supposed to rise to 50F today. I parked at Mouillee Creek and headed east along the Middle Causeway to enjoy some Michigan spring birding.

Song Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds were actively singing despite the sun just rising. I was able to digiscope this singing male using High ISO settings on the Nikon 1 V3. Images were a bit grainy, though...

As I approached the Humphries Unit I spotted the first shorebird of the spring: Lesser Yellowlegs! Incidentally, Killdeer don't count even though they are technically the first shorebirds that appear here  each spring - several pair were actively calling and already setting up home.

The sun was finally up enough that this singing Red-winged Blackbird made for a better digiscoping subject.

I rode around the south end of Cell 3 to the Lake Erie side to check on waterfowl. I carefully moved to the edge of the phragmites and was able to spot a large flock of ~200 Northern Pintail, Mallard, and Green-winged Teal.

I was able to get a few digiscoped images before the majority of Green-winged Teal took flight.

The Northern Pintail and Mallard followed shortly after. A few American Black Duck were among them.

Large flocks of Greater Scaup were whistling past me from the Lake Erie side and I managed a few flight pics of them!

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Mar 26, 2016 7:30 AM - 9:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
10.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, temps in 30's
9 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  30
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  4
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  49
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  58
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)  80
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  4
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S161607577

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

As I left Point Mouillee SGA I drove down Haggerman Rd. and spotted 3 Sandhill Cranes in the cornfield to my left. One bird was way out in the field, but these two were closer.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Mar 26, 2016 10:30 AM - 10:46 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
1 species

Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S161607649

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

I got home just in time to catch the Harris' Sparrow below my feeder at Brownton Abbey. Incidentally, both it and the Golden-crowned Sparrow are still around (as of yesterday)!

Brownton Abbey, 26340 Higgins Way, Wayne, Michigan, US
Mar 26, 2016 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Yard
2 species

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)  1     Continuing
Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula)  1     Continuing.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S161607803

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