Elizabeth Park Migrants

Elizabeth Park Migrants - 07 May 2023

Mild morning brought overcast skies and the threat of rain. I drove down to Elizabeth Park in Trenton and walked the middle woods to look for migrants. Dave Mendus reported a Hooded Warbler here yesterday.

An Ovenbird was calling loudly as I arrived. White-throated Sparrows were scattering from everywhere. I managed to catch a Veery flying across the trail in front of me. Overhead the first Baltimore Orioles were foraging in the canopy, followed shortly by the first Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. My first warbler of the morning would be a surprise Chestnut-sided Warbler.

A Northern Waterthrush sang loudly from a swale near the maintenance buildings but I couldn't locate. Dave Mendus arrived and we both looked for it a short distance later, but failed again. As I walked ahead on the trail a Golden-winged Warbler flew over and landed briefly in the canopy; I was able to make out the yellow wing patch and crown, and black mask and throat before it flew to the south not to be refound. Correction: Dave Mendus refound the bird at 3:50 pm.

Dave pointed out a Blue Jay on nest right where we were chatting.

Bobby Irwin then arrived and we looked for birds, and only picked up a pair of Blue-headed Vireos, Carolina Wren, and House Wren. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet briefly appeared, but everything was in the canopy tips severely backlit by cloudy skies.

I'd leave around 9:30 am and got to the car when rain started falling.

Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
May 7, 2023 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
34 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 6
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 2
Empidonax sp. (Empidonax sp.) 1
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) 2
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 12
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) 2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 1
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 2
Veery (Catharus fuscescens) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 6
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 2
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 1
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 12
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 1
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) 1
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 1
Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) 1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S136450525

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

Afternoon came and reports of the Golden-winged Warbler's return prompted me to run back to Elizabeth Park to look for it. I'd run into Amber Piotter and Pam Houston, but the bird could not be relocated. We did find a Black-throated Green Warbler.

I walked the trails a bit and found an Eastern Wood-pewee flycatching next to the path. The red highlights on the wings and tail threw me for a moment thinking that I had a Great-crested Flycatcher.