Downpour Birding - 28 Apr 2024
The morning brought rain. Heavy rain. That didn't stop the birding clan from reporting warblers at Pt. Mouillee HQ. This made me curious as to whether there were any at Elizabeth Park. So, when rains let up I headed to Trenton.
At 10 am I arrived at Elizabeth Park along with the first rain drops. As I stepped into the woods along the central trail of the woodlot I spotted the first of 3 Great Horned Owlets. One of the adults flushed from nearby and flew off while its two siblings flew off in different directions. I was able to approach a few feet closer and get some pics before it flew off to a large tree to the south.
I headed down the trail to follow the owls but soon lost them. The rain began to fall a bit harder so I continued on near the maintenance yard. The first pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks flew by and landed in a nearby tree. With no other birds to see I headed to the north end of the island.
As I walked past the zoo yard the rain started falling. Heavy. I did my best to cover the camera with my rain jacket but the rest of me got soaked.
A flock of 12-16 White-throated Sparrows flooded out onto the lawn in a direct downpour. Among them was a single Field Sparrow. I could only scan them through waterlogged binoculars. The adjacent ponding lawn brought in a happy drake Mallard.
After a few pics I hiked around the pond and started heading back to the car. It was then that a thoroughly drenched Cooper's Hawk flew from the ground to my left and landed in the tree in front of me. I made sure to get as many pics as possible despite the downpour.
Once the hawk flew off I decided to dry off in the car and head home.
Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Apr 28, 2024 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Downpouring rain.
10 species
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 4
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 4 One adult and 3 fledgelings
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 12
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 6
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 1
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 18
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
