Rural Road Birding - 30 May 2025

Jack and Janet called yesterday and gave me their trip report from a road trip to Carleton. Their highlights included a Woodcock on a lawn w/ a dozen American Robins and a Red-headed Woodpecker nesting in a dead tree next to the bridge on Rawsonville Rd. just south of Hivon Rd. They were also playing Merlin and a Cerulean Warbler popped up; they couldn't verify it, though. I told them I'd take a look this morning.

I drove Willow Road west to Sumpter Road, then headed south to Colf Road. Along the way an open field produced 4 Wild Turkeys that I photographed from a good distance.

I turned on Colf Road and drove west toward Timber Rd. About 0.8 miles east of Timber Rd. Merlin flashed Blue-winged Warbler! I immediately stopped, backed up, and got to listen to a Blue-winged Warbler singing for several minutes. 

Timber Road south took me to Hivon Rd, where I was going to look/listen for Cerulean Warbler but the road was closed on this end. I spent a few minutes listening to American Redstart, Willow Flycatcher, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, and Indigo Bunting. Eastern Wood-Pewee could be heard, as well. I thought perhaps I had heard the "Free-bii" of an Alder Flycatcher but I concluded that it was the "Phee-bee" of an Eastern Phoebe. 

Hivon Road is separated by a large farm field so continued south on Timber to Stout Rd, then east to Capernall Rd, then back north to Hivon Rd. There I drove east through a thick forest until Merlin alerted me to a singing Yellow-throated Vireo! I pulled over and spent ten minutes staring up at a tree I believed the bird to be but couldn't find it. Wow, was it loud.

I'd then drive Sumpter Rd. back to Colf Rd. and head west to listen for the Blue-winged Warbler again, but would not hear it. I continued west to Rawsonville Road and then drove south to Hivon Rd where I saw the bridge and dead tree hosting a Red-headed Woodpecker cavity. Parking just inside Hivon Rd. I walked down to the bridge and caught the woodpecker for a pic or two before it flew off. 

The creek next to the bridge was loud with Northern House Wren, Willow Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwings, and Indigo Bunting. A second Yellow-throated Vireo started singing loudly from the tree overhead so I spent another 10 minutes trying to see it. Nope. I settled for an American Goldfinch.

The Red-headed Woodpecker returned to the snag and disappeared into the cavity and would not come out. Luckily, a Downy Woodpecker flew in and started pecking on the tree. This brought out the RHWP and a chase commenced. I was able to get a few more pics before it returned to the cavity.

A Red Squirrel was resting on the branches nearby.

I drove down Hivon Road and picked up Wood Thrush, Great-crested Flycatcher, and Eastern Wood-Pewee in the dense woods that line the road. The open field produced Field Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, and surprisingly, a half-dozen Great Egrets foraging in a small fluddle.

I have to give a shout-out to Merlin. The app worked well as I drove w/ my phone outside the car window. However, it did draw a potentially irate homeowner (with his Trump 2024 hat) to the car as I stopped and entered eBird results. "Why you photographing my house? My friend saw you photographing my house!"

Luckily, I calmly replied that I was doing a bird survey and entering my results into eBird. I also let him know about Merlin, and suddenly he wanted to tell me about the big black and white woodpecker in his tree (Pileated Woodpecker). We chatted for several minutes and he went off happy that the woodpecker was not killing his trees. And, he had someone to share that he had bluebirds in his yard.

I would not see or hear a Cerulean Warbler, but I found a new love for Merlin and discovered the joy of rural road birding.

Colf/Hivon Rd US-MI 42.06286, -83.50957, Monroe, Michigan, US
May 30, 2025 7:14 AM - 8:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
13.829 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast, cool, 56F; Driving survey
49 species

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  2
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  4
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  6
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  4
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  2
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  5
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  4
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)  3
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  4
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  4
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  3
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  2
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  18
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  2
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  2
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  2
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  4
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  6
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S244520785

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