Winter Wrens @ LEMP - 18 Nov 2024
I drove down to JP's Waterfront restaurant this morning to look for the continuing pair of Little Gulls. They were last seen flying south yesterday afternoon so they might have left the area. I did not seen them at 8:30 this morning so I spent some time photographing the many Bonaparte's Gulls foraging among the docks just west of the restaurant and in front of the Humbug Marina. A dense fog had blanketed the downriver area with visibility just a quarter mile as I drove to Gibraltar but was already lifting by the time I reached the marina and restaurant.
A pair of Forster's Terns were a nice find. They were too far to photograph, though.
The Little Gulls would be reported at 10:20 am just after I left...
JP's Waterfront, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 18, 2024 8:20 AM - 8:50 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Dense fog just starting to lift. Calm, 50F
5 species
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 4
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 14
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 26
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 4
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 2 Foraging among Bonaparte's Gulls among the piers / docks in front of Humbug Marina. Pointed wings, and black eye mask diagnostic for winter birds. No pics.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Nov 18, 2024 8:20 AM - 8:50 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Dense fog just starting to lift. Calm, 50F
5 species
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 4
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 14
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 26
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 4
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 2 Foraging among Bonaparte's Gulls among the piers / docks in front of Humbug Marina. Pointed wings, and black eye mask diagnostic for winter birds. No pics.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
I then drove over to Lake Erie Metropark to check on the Detroit River Hawk Watch. Results have been miserable the past few days with dark clouds and rain. This morning, however, skies were clearing and it was a calm, mild morning at 50F.
No one was at hawk watch, yet, so I walked the trail just south of the boat launch. An Eastern Towhee called just once and stopped; I was unable to relocate it.
A pair of Carolina Wrens were calling, and one hopped up onto a dead snag and sang for almost 15 minutes. After photographing with the 600/4 I had time to set up the scope and get some digiscoped images from 60' away.
As I crossed the large bridge I heard the faint call of a Winter Wren. I was able to spot the little guy running across the bridge to the rocks lining the shoreline, and I spent the next 20 minutes trying to photograph it. Elusive Wren is what they should call this beast...
I would find two more Winter Wrens as I walked back to hawk watch. Along the way, however, I came upon a very wet Golden-crowned Kinglet that gave nice looks as it preened from just a few feet away.
A nearby White-throated Sparrow also garnered some attention.
Michael was the only person at hawk watch this morning. The lake and canal were dead calm, so no winds were blowing. No birds were flying, either. In the 2 hours I was there the only action were several Bald Eagles flying overhead.
Lake Erie Metropark--Detroit River Hawk Watch, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 18, 2024 8:50 AM - 11:22 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.031 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Mostly sunny, mild, 55F
32 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 22
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 26
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 6
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 2
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 6
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 3
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 6
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 6
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 4
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 1
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
new world warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Nov 18, 2024 8:50 AM - 11:22 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.031 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Mostly sunny, mild, 55F
32 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 22
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 26
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 6
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 2
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 6
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 3
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 6
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 6
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 4
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 1
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
new world warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
