Snow Buntings - 17 Jan 2025

Skies were relatively clear this morning and temperatures were hovering in the lower 20's so I took a walk down at Pt. Mouillee SGA. Parking at Siegler Road I walked the North Causeway out to the Vermet Unit and back. Four inches of snow was on the ground and inland ponds / Huron River / Lake Erie were frozen.

Aside from a small flock of American Goldfinches and American Tree Sparrows things were relatively quiet. That was until a flock of 80+ Snow Buntings flew overhead from the Huron River and headed into the Long Pond Unit. 

No Horned Larks or Lapland Longspurs were seen among them.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Jan 17, 2025 8:55 AM - 9:59 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.783 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Ptly cloudy, cool, 30F, winds 10-15 from S. Snow 3-4”. Huron River, Lake Erie and inland ponds frozen and snow-covered.
10 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  12
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  8
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  16     Huddled around only patch of open water in Huron River.
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  8
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)  85     North Causeway and Vermet NW corner. No larkspurs among them.
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  14
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S209606755

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