Floodgates Opening! - 27 Apr 2024
Storms and high winds have appeared to have opened the floodgates of birds in Central Ohio and southern Michigan. Today, the storms have passed, but gale-force winds continue to blow throughout the region. But that hasn't stopped the bird reports: warblers galore in c. Ohio, record American Avocet numbers at Erie Marsh along w/ 100+ Willets.
A Hooded Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler and White-eyed Vireo report at Erie Marsh got me out the door late this afternoon and down to southern Monroe Co. Having just updated my Sony a1 Firmware to 2.01 I was anxious to test the camera; it did fine despite my Auto-ISO set to 64,000 instead of 6400...
I arrived at 5:30 pm and walked out along the outer dike of Erie Marsh. The Sun was at my back and winds were blowing in off the bay to my right. Bushes are starting to leaf out so visibility was now even more challenging for finding the dozens of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Palm Warblers already here.
I managed a few first pics of a Yellow-rumped Warbler in the underbrush at ISO 20,000 before a brief downpour had me ducking under my rain jacket.
I caught up with Arnie Buehler and Bruce Arnold and walked with them toward the pin where the Blue-winged Warbler was reported. We'd find the large flowering crab and the Blue-winged Warbler, but not before finding a Nashville Warbler first.
The Blue-winged Warbler appeared, but did not cooperate at all. I managed a couple obscured images (hopefully Bruce fared better?).
A short distance down the trail we found a Black-throated Green Warbler. It remained tucked back under the tangles so imaging was difficult.
The White-eyed Vireo was reported at the SE corner of the outer dike, but could not find it. By now a flood of Palm Warblers were moving through the trees along with White-throated Sparrows, so the distractions were many.
We did spot a second Blue-winged Warbler and chased it for awhile, but could not get the cameras on it. We'd see another on the way back on the opposite side of the trail but couldn't tell if it was a third bird.
A Pine Warbler was a nice consolation.
Despite missing out on Yellow-throated Warbler, Hooded Warbler and the White-eyed Vireo it still turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. Thank you, Bruce and Arnie for allowing me to tag along.
Erie Marsh Preserve/Gun Club (no access Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
Apr 27, 2024 5:31 PM - 8:11 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.19 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Arnie Buehler and Bruce Arnold
45 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 13
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 6
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) 2
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 2
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) 1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 2
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 140
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 7
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 2
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 8
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 32
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 20
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 6
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 4
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 3
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 1
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 4
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 2
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 2
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 4
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 16
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 12
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 8
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) 2
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) 1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 20
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 26
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 26
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
