Blue-wings and Brewsters! - 15 May 2024

With a huge shout-out to Bruce Arnold and Tim Thompson I've finally gotten to bird the Petersburg State Game Area in SW Monroe County, MI. Jack and Janet Volker, and I met with Bruce, who offered to show us around the SGA that is largely wooded tracts but with no discrete trail system. Bruce contacted Tim and both showed us around the birding patch that they are so familiar with.

Skies were overcast wit scattered sprinkles/light right, but wind was absent and temps were hovering near 60F. Jack, Janet and I arrived at 7:30 am and parked at the north parking lot off Lulu Road. There we saw Tim, who was expecting us, and Bruce, who arrived moments later. 

No sooner did I get out of the Jeep that I heard the distinct "Bee-buzzz" of a Blue-winged Warbler coming from the meadow next to the parking lot. I hopped the barrier and ran out and found a singing male in the first large tree ahead of me. Despite the dark skies I got some nice pics because my camera was somehow set to ISO 64,000!!!! (when I use my spot-focus AEL button). 

The group caught up and we relocated the singing bird and I kinda went nuts photographing a nemesis bird that was fairly cooperative overhead. I managed to position myself so that the bird had vegetation as a backdrop.

The DNR is currently using a bush-hog to clear paths and create new meadows near the parking lots. With these new paths being cut Bruce showed us around. Eastern Towhees and Gray Catbirds are U-BIQUI-TUS! We were hearing them in all directions while Tennessee Warblers were singing loudly from the bushes nearby. 

We were interested in finding the Hooded Warbler reported last week, so Bruce and Tim led us into the woods where we crossed a small stream and tromped through the undergrowth to an area north of the parking lot where we finally heard the loud "Tawee-Tawee-TaweeTIO" of the Hooded Warbler. Unfortunately for us, we spent almost an hour scouring the canopy for a bird that sang loudly but never showed anything but a glimpse when it flew to new areas that required us to tromp through new undergrowth. 

Once it finally moved on we headed back toward the parking lot while walking the newly-mowed paths and open meadows covered in blooming Lupines. The oak-opening habitat here is rich in sandy soils that is perfect habitat for species such as Blue-winged Warblers, Golden-winged Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Eastern Towhees, Scarlet Tanagers, Lincoln's Sparrows, and the occasional Lark Sparrow and Yellow-throated Vireo. A nice description of the Petersburg State Game Area can be found here.

As we walked Lulu Road back toward the parking lot Jack and Bruce found small clumps of Yellow Lady-slippers blooming in tall grasses lining the ditches. 

We then crossed Lulu Road to the parking lot on the south side of the road and walked the fields and mowed trail. As we walked we could hear the cutting of a bush-hog coming toward us through the trees, so we kept to edges of the trails. We did catch glimpses of American Redstarts, Magnolia Warblers, Lincoln's Sparrow, Field Sparrows, and heard Wood Thrush and Veery from the nearby woods. Although a Lincoln's Sparrow was closer I only managed a distant photo or two of a Field Sparrow.

Once we returned to the parking lot we started hearing call notes of Yellow-breasted Chat that was reported a few days ago. Although we looked we couldn't see the bird inside the heavy brush next to the parking lot. Instead we watched a pair of Blue-winged Warblers chase each other through the field and past us. It was then that Tim requested we go looking for Brewster's Warbler (Blue-winged X Golden-winged Warbler hybrid) in the field that he has reported seeing for the past 6 years. 

Heading back across the street to the south parking lot we headed east into the small meadow and immediately heard the call of a Blue-winged Warbler. It took a while but we finally tracked it down to a tree in the middle of the field and Tim was able to proclaim that it was the Brewster's Warbler! Jack, Bruce and I then attempted to get images of the bird high overhead in the branches. 

This Brewster's Warbler has the call of a Blue-winged Warbler but lacks the black throat of the Golden-winged Warbler. 

Satisfied w/ our luck we headed back to the cars and drove over to Teal Road where the Yellow-throated Vireo was reported. As we exited the vehicles we could hear it singing from the road high in a Cottonwood. Try as we might we could not locate it, but catch a glimpse as it flew back across the road to the field where we stood. Unable to locate it we called it a morning.

Thank you again Bruce and Tim, and to you Jack and Janet for allowing me to tag along. 

Petersburg SGA, Monroe, Michigan, US
May 15, 2024 7:32 AM - 10:56 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.896 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy, 60F. Light rain for several minutes. Jack and Janet Volker, Bruce Arnold, Tim Thompson.
30 species (+1 other taxa)

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)  1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  1
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)  1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  4
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  3
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  11
Veery (Catharus fuscescens)  1
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  4
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)  1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  8
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  2
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  3
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)  2
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)  4
Brewster's Warbler (hybrid) (Vermivora chrysoptera x cyanoptera (F1 hybrid))  1     Continuing in field next to Lulu Road. Pics.
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)  8
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  3
Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)  1     Woods in north side of Lulu Road. Spent an hour chasing but only glimpsed. Loud call. Tawee-tawee-taweeteo.
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  3
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S174675706

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