Forgetful Friday Morning - 02 Sep 2022

The morning did not start out on a high note. I drove over to Kroger to pick up groceries that we ordered, but realized that I had forgotten my phone. So I had to drive home to get the phone and drive back to get groceries. This would delay my trip to the DRIWR and LEMP.

I decided to skip the refuge and got straight to Lake Erie Metropark. When I arrived at 9 am I had now forgotten my binoculars. Grrr. I decided to walk the trails and do some naked birding (birding without binoculars) with just the camera lens. But, this would negate my stopping by the hawk watch as I wouldn't be able to participate.

I paid respects to Luc in his Bald Eagle enclosure and headed out onto the trail next to the Marshland Museum. A Red Squirrel was munching away at an acorn, so I turned the Sony a1 and 600/4 lens on it.

As I walked the trails the birds began to appear almost immediately. A Great-crested Flycatcher was foraging overhead, and I managed a quick pic before it disappeared into the canopy. 

Several American Redstarts appeared, Highly frenetic it was difficult to put the lens on the fast-moving birds as they ducked in and out of the leaves. 

A Magnolia Warbler appeared. I managed to see it in the open for a few moments. 

The first of many Red-eyed Vireos moved through the trees, and I tried to get the camera on anything close enough to focus on. 

I put the camera on a "Baypoll". Either a Bay-breasted Warbler or a Blackpoll I could tell it was a Blackpoll Warbler based on its yellow feet and black legs. Otherwise the two are almost impossible to tell apart.

Another Red-eyed Vireo.

An Empid flycatcher, I'm guessing a Least Flycatcher based on its bold eye-ring and overall gray coloration.

An easier one to ID this Eastern Wood-Pewee was actually calling "Pee-a-wee" as I snapped away at it.

A Tennessee Warbler. What a cutie!

I was hoping to find a Chestnut-sided Warbler and was surprised to see this one show up on the camera roll. Most of these birds were too backlit to ID through the camera lens.

Another Eastern Wood-Pewee posing nicely in the dark understory.

Another Great-crested Flycatcher appeared, and this one actually posed for several moments.

American Redstart.

As I neared the north end of the trail I spotted another Eastern Wood-Pewee lifting off from a tree limb. It landed on the boardwalk and started foraging, much like I saw last week.

A tiny House Wren appeared from under the boardwalk appeared and began to take a sand bath as I approached.

It then took off, but not before pausing at the edge of the boardwalk and posed long enough to verify that it wasn't a Winter Wren.

Seeing nothing else I headed back to the car and decided to drive home. Good thing I did, because Robin and I had an appointment to get our Flu Shots at CVS at 10 am. Forgot that, too! But, I got home right at 10 and we were able to get over there in time to get our shots.

Turns out that sometimes forgetting things works to your advantage.

Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Sep 2, 2022 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
10 species

Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  2
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)  1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  2
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  3
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  1
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  3
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)  1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S159194980

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