Nice Start to the Week - 11 Feb 2019


I took a Sunday afternoon trip to Pt. Mouillee HQ to look for raptors. A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk along Campau Rd. was the highlight, while a pair of adult Red-tailed Hawks enjoying the thermals over the gravel pit at Rheaume Rd. gave me fits because they wouldn't drift in my direction. It was fun watching them soar, tuck, stoop and dive in and out of sight.


A stop by the south end of Lake Erie Metropark yielded a couple hundred Canvasback, Redhead and Mallard, but again, only a few birds flew in close enough for any photos. The marina next to Riverside Park had a small patch of open water that held another hundred Canvasback, Redhead and two dozen Ring-necked Ducks. Unfortunately they were a bit too far for photos. Again.


Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 10, 2019 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
5 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  50
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  160
Redhead (Aythya americana)  100
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  25
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160869220

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

This afternoon I stopped by Dingell Park to get in some ducks before the winter weather hits. Loose flocks of Canvasback were still hanging around the river and Mud Island, but ice flows kept them out toward the middle of the river. I managed a few pics of the Cans as they were chased by Mute Swans looking to steal their shad lunch. A few fly-by Common Mergansers, and float-by Mallard also provided a few pics.




The best bird would be this drake Common Goldeneye that swam slowly toward shore at the north end of the park. It apparently did not pay much attention to my presence, or was not seeing me, because he swam toward me and settled along the shore right next to the pier. At one point he swam right under where I was standing, so all I could do was wait until he decided to swim back out into the river where I was able to get a few final pics. Gorgeous bird! And I'm just loving this Sony a7III and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS combo. It is a joy to see the focus points lock onto a bird and track it across the viewfinder at 10 fps.







Dingell Park (formally Ecorse Park), Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 11, 2019 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.1 mile(s)
5 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  20
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  1
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  20
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  2
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160869519

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