Redpolls! - 10 Jan 2021
While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jan 10, 2021 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Calm, clear, 19F
2 species
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 6 No sooner did I get the bike off the car that a Northern Harrier appeared in the field to the south of the parking lot.
Just 50 yards along the North Causeway another Northern Harrier cruised by along the shoreline heading west past me.
Fifty yards later another harrier came in from the east and soared past me along the Long Pond Unit.
I would spot 3 more harriers as I rode the North Causeway around Lake Erie and down to Cell 3. The last bird would flush from the phragmites at the north end of Cell 2. A 6-harrier morning was just the start of a great day of birding.
Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) 30 While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
Jan 10, 2021 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Calm, clear, 19F
2 species
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 6 No sooner did I get the bike off the car that a Northern Harrier appeared in the field to the south of the parking lot.
Just 50 yards along the North Causeway another Northern Harrier cruised by along the shoreline heading west past me.
Fifty yards later another harrier came in from the east and soared past me along the Long Pond Unit.
I would spot 3 more harriers as I rode the North Causeway around Lake Erie and down to Cell 3. The last bird would flush from the phragmites at the north end of Cell 2. A 6-harrier morning was just the start of a great day of birding.
Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) 30 While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
While riding back west along the Middle Causeway of Pt. Mouillee I flushed 2, then 4, then 10, then 30+ Common Redpolls from the south shore of the Vermet Unit. The birds flew a short distance ahead of me and landed on patches of phragmites lining the dike. I was able to get off the bike and walk right up to the flock that were foraging in the bright morning sunlight. Between the birds atop stalks of phragmites and those on the hoar-frost on the ground it was a magical 20 minutes.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
