First Snow of Winter 2016-17! - 11 Dec 2016

And what a snow it is! Forecasts call for 6-10" of snow here in SE Michigan, and the birds are reacting accordingly! I've filled the feeders 2X today, shoveled under the feeders twice, and threw out sunflowers and chopped peanuts 3X. But its worth it. At 9 am I surveyed the following:

20 Brown-headed Cowbirds
30 Dark-eyed Juncos (I had 70 juncos at 4:30 pm)
10 Northern Cardinals
5 Blue Jays (up to 10 at one time)
10 American Robins (as many as 15 seen in a single flock moving through the area)
30 House Sparrows
10 House Finches
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Black-capped Chickadees
2 American Tree Sparrows
3 Mourning Doves
3 European Starlings (several flocks of 500+ birds flew over the house at 10 am)
6 American Goldfinch
* - all photos taken through the back window...

Hopefully, the weather will clear overnight. A Mountain Bluebird was reported yesterday (and today) at the DNR office just north of Lake St. Clair Metropark in Macomb County! I'm hoping to chase it tomorrow.

Brownton Abbey, 26340 Higgins Way, Wayne, Michigan, US
Dec 11, 2016 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     First snow of winter season!
13 species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  3
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  10
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  300     Murmuration of 300-500 birds swarmed over house and through complex at 10 am
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  10
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  30
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  10
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  6
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  2
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  70     30 counted at 9 am and 70 counted at one time at 4:30.
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  21     Exact count. Flock swarming under feeders and in nearby hedges. Black birds with brown heads.
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  10

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S161275256

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