Dark-eyed Juncos - 05 Jan 2024

I took a morning walk at Elizabeth Park in Trenton, MI. Skies were cloudy and temps were hovering just below 30F. A previous stop at the boat launch off Pennsylvania yielded only a dozen Canada Geese.

The trails were quiet in the middle of Elizabeth Park. A pair of American Robin were whinnying nearby and only a couple pairs of Downy Woodpeckers and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were visible in the trees above.  A Red-tailed Hawk was perched atop a snag at the south end of the woodlot but flew off before I could walk that way.

Near the east side of the park I came upon a flock of 3-dozen Dark-eyed Juncos foraging on the grass next to the road. 

They would continue to show up in the woods next to the trails. 

Overhead a White-breasted Nuthatch was foraging among the trees while Black-capped Chickadees whistled nearby.

I was hoping for a winter warbler but was satisfied to see a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets foraging just above eye-level. 

A Carolina Wren sang from somewhere nearby but wouldn't show. 

Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 5, 2024 9:00 AM - 9:51 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.18 mile(s)
18 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  129
goose sp. (Anatidae (goose sp.))  1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  87
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  148
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)  2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  6
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  36
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  46
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  14

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S158140020

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

I would make a loop through the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge farther south, but come up empty. Ditto for Campau Road; even the Huron River was empty of waterfowl.

I decided to drive down Haggerman Rd just before 11 am to look for Short-eared Owls or other raptors. A single Northern Harrier (female) was foraging in the fields inside the fence-line of the Antennae Farm. The ditches along the road did not yield any roosting owls.

I'd cross Labo Rd and find an American Kestrel on an overhead wire before continuing on toward home.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jan 5, 2024 11:18 AM - 11:28 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
2 species

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S158147776

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

NOTE: If you noticed duplicate photos of the birds above its because I did some comparisons of Lightroom Denoise AI and Topaz Denoise AI. For these images the Topaz Denoise AI produced the very slightest improvement in clean images relative to LR but differences could only be seen at magnifications of 500% or greater! Topaz Denoise AI seems to produce a less "artifact" result when Noise Reduction is set to "Standard" and NO Sharpening is applied. I didn't mark the images because I couldn't tell the difference in output quality. Either program works great!