Merlins and Broad-winged Hawks - 23 Apr 2025

Happy Heavenly Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Robin and I drove up to the eastern UP this morning to check out Drummond Island. We left at 6 am (mostly to avoid screaming kitties that wanted to go out) and made it to the Mackinac Bridge by 11 am. After lunch at Clyde's Drive-In we headed east along US-134 to Detour and took the ferry across to the island. Skies were partly cloudy and it was a mild 50F. Snow is all-but gone with only a few patches seen in the woods.

Common Ravens and Turkey Vultures were our only friends here in the UP until we arrived at the Drummond Island Resort. A pair of Merlin were "Yak-Yak-Yak"-ing in the trees as we got out of the car and checked in. We appear to be the only ones here at the resort.

With the racket still going on when we got to our cabin I decided to look for them. Sure enough, just across the small pond outside our window a single Merlin was perched in the birch trees. It was soon joined by a larger (female) mate. I grabbed the camera and headed to the parking lot where I could get some pics.

With both birds perched overhead it was easy to approach them and get pics w/ the Sony a1 + 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS.

The female was very vocal and soon took off and flew overhead before disappearing into the woods. 

The smaller male stayed longer and allowed for approach from different angles.

As I photographed the Merlin I heard the distinctive "Ti-Piiiii" of a Broad-winged Hawk coming from the woods behind me. On a lark I pulled out the Audubon App and played the call. No immediate response was heard, but a few minutes later I saw a tiny hawk appear over the trees a quarter-mile away and flew toward my direction. An adult Broad-winged Hawk was calling and circling over the trees but close enough to get some pics!

On top of all this I spotted an Osprey yakking away atop a radio tower nearby. It was nesting.

Drummond Island Resort & Conference Center, Chippewa, Michigan, US
Apr 23, 2025 1:57 PM - 2:12 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy, cool, 50F, Calm
7 species

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  4
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)  2
Merlin (Falco columbarius)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S228582414

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