More Raptors - 02 Feb 2024

 


Another slow morning of birding. With overcast skies and temps hovering near 40 I drove downriver to cruise for birds. Elizabeth Park was a dud. Only scattered Canada Geese.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (Humbug Marsh Unit) hald a bit more action. Six Eastern Bluebirds flying down near the Detroit River were a little too quick for the camera as they foraged in the grasses near the fishing pier before flying down toward shore. Approximately 80 Mute Swans were in the river and along the island shoreline; perhaps 10 Tundra Swans among them.

A walk along the short loop was quiet, but five American Tree Sparrows foraging in the grass next to the trail gave me something to focus the camera. 




I pished for sparrows at the south end boardwalk but came up quiet. A Belted Kingfisher flying along the shoreline was the only sign of life. It landed long enough for a few pics at 1270 mm.



The rest of the trail was quiet except for a pair of Northern Cardinals and one more tree sparrow. As I was leaving the refuge I spotted a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched in a small tree next to the road and managed to roll down the car window fast enough to get some flight shots w/ the 600/4 as it flew across the road in front of me and disappeared in the field north of the refuge.











Detroit River IWR--Refuge Gateway (Humbug Marsh), Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 2, 2024 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy, 40F
7 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  70
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  10
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  6
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  6
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160494486

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


I then drove down to Lake Erie Metropark. Ice still covers the majority of the marsh so there were no birds in the open ponds or mudflats. I parked at the Nature Center and looked for Long-eared Owls but the trail was quiet and no owls were seen. I was ok with it...

Campau Road and Point Mouillee HQ were quiet.
Roberts Road and Rheaume Road were quiet. 

As I turned down Haggerman Road toward the Antennae Farm I spotted a pair of Northern Harriers circling over the field to my left (south). They were probably closer to Chinavarre Road and I was tempted to turn around and drive that way, but one of the birds then started floating in my direction. As I drove along Haggerman Road the bird got closer until it was foraging the ditch immediately to my left. I was able to drive alongside the bird and get some pics from the car. 















The Northern Harrier finally flew across the road in front of the car and drifted into the fenced-in Antennae Farm. No Short-eared Owls were seen but 8 of them would be reported later in the day.

I would head home from there.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 2, 2024 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
2 species

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  2
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S160494860

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