Birding w/ the Sony 600/4, Again - 03 Jun 2024

With winter and warbler migration over it was time to bring the Sony 600 mm f/4 GM OSS Lens back out and sideline the 200-600 mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens. This morning a dense fog cancelled my plans to go to Pt. Mouillee SGA so I took the 600/4 out to the backyard to test it out. 

A House Wren was singing near the nesting box so I took the opportunity to photograph it in the low light. I was surprised that my images were captured at ISO 64,000! It gave me the opportunity compare Adobe Photoshop Denoise AI before and after images. Below are 100% screen shots before and after noise reduction. I am duly impressed.



A couple pics of the House Wren left me satisfied w/ the lens performance after almost 5 months inactivity. 




This afternoon (4:30 pm) I drove down to Pt. Mouillee via Haggerman Rd and the Antennae Farm. The road has been finally graded and is now smooth (although sandy/dusty). Activity inside the fence line included 3 Dickcissels, 2 Bobolink, an Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrows, and dozens of Red-winged Blackbirds. 






Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 3, 2024 4:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
15 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  2
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  26
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S179359233

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

I arrived at Mouillee Creek parking lot and unloaded the bike and camera gear. I headed north along the west side of the Walpatich Unit and turned right at the middle dike where I spotted the four Sandhill Cranes from last week; the two colts are now almost as big as mom and dad.

The pair of Trumpeter Swans were roosting in the open and showing nicely in the late afternoon sunlight. 




I counted 73 Mallard and 2 Gadwall among the Trumpeter Swans on the grassy matte. Shorebird numbers were down but a few Semipalmated Sandpipers and Dunlin still lingered along the far (south) shore. 

Continuing toward the North Causeway I came upon a huge Soft-shelled Turtle starting to scrape a nest out in the middle of the trail along the south end of the Nelson Unit. I stopped to photograph it, but it took off for the brush fast, like crocodile-fast. I was stunned at how fast it disappeared from the trail. Fast...

A light headwind greeted me as I reached the North Causeway and headed east toward the Vermet Unit. It was nice to know that my ride back would have the wind at my back. 

The Huron River was void of bird life except for a pair of Forster's Terns that flew in to forage; one continued on to the Long Pond Unit while the second hovered along the shoreline ahead of me.








I rode back to the Middle Causeway along the west side of the Vermet and headed east to the Banana Unit. While riding I kept a running tally of Canada Geese I came across; this stretch took my total to 101. I stopped to rescue two large Painted Turtles from the trail ahead of me, and had to walk through heavy grass / emergents to get them to the water's edge in the Humphries Unit. I don't know if they were traveling together, but at least they were released together.

A pair of Lesser Scaup and six Redhead were the only ducks in Cell 4, which was choppy from the brisk NE wind. 

I rode along the west side of Cell 3 and stopped midway along its length to bushwhack through the vegetation to check out the open mudflats / water with the Sun at my back. I managed to get to the NW corner of the cell and set up my scope. There I was able to get nice views of Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks, and Semipalmated Sandpipers foraging along the far shore. A few Dunlin continued, as well. 

American White Pelican were roosting at scope distance. It wasn't until they took to the air that I could get a count (46 birds in flight). A few passed close enough for pics.


I returned to the bike and continued south to the dike separating Cells 2 and 1. Yellow Warblers and Red-winged Blackbirds were the only notable birds as I reached the Lake Erie shoreline and headed back north. Winds were sufficient to cause large crashing waves along the shore so the beach opposite Cell 3 was mostly under water. Openings in the phragmites only revealed the same birds in Cell 3 as reported above. 

With the wind now at my back I headed to the Middle Causeway and westward toward the car. I stopped only when a Common Snapping Turtle crawled out onto the path. A few pics later at ground level and I moved it back to water's edge. 



I'd return to the car by 7:15 pm and head home. It felt good to have the 600/4 back on the camera...

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jun 3, 2024 5:03 PM - 7:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
10.992 mile(s)
48 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  122
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  8
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  2     Continuing in Walpatich.
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  7
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  67
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  6
Redhead (Aythya americana)  4
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  6
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  4
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  1
American Coot (Fulica americana)  1
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  4
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  12
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  8
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  23
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  36
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  6
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  10
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  12
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)  29
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  4
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  46
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  2
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  9
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  10
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  3
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  2
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  46
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  8
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  4
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  8
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  116
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  4
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  5
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S179251767

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