Rainy Day Sharp-shinned Hawks - 22 Sep 2025
This morning I drove Robin to her friend Maria's house in Commerce Twp. for a 2-day visit to Mackinac Island. After dropping her off I headed to Lake Erie Metropark for hawk watch despite heavy, overcast skies and forecasted rain.
Arriving just before 10 am I met Bill and Jo at the Boat Launch and joined them for the daily survey. Just a few minutes after setting up I was able to pick out a pair of Northern Harriers over the tip of Celeron Island. Things would then slow down except for a few Sharp-shinned Hawks that passed close enough for a few fly-over pics.
Thunderstorms were arriving shortly, so we packed up at 10:30 and headed out. It would rain for the next couple hours before Erika called for the count to resume around 1 pm. I had lunch and headed back to hawk watch for the afternoon shift.
With just Jo and me there we'd struggle to find any more flying raptors. A few Sharp-shinned Hawks flew to the north but otherwise we'd have to settle for local birds like this Great Egret.
We called it a day just before 4 pm so I headed over to the Marshland Museum to look for warblers. The trails were quiet except a pair of Eastern Phoebes, a Common Yellowthroat, and a few Black-capped Chickadees. So, I decided to drive down to the LEMP Marina at the foot of Lee Road and look for Wilson's Snipe in the marsh next to the parking lot.
A single Yellow-rumped Warbler was in the trees as I got out of the car,
and a pair of Wood Ducks were quietly roosting on a log with several Mallard.
Several Lesser Yellowlegs were foraging in the stubble nearby with a few birds close enough to photograph with the 600/4 lens.
I spotted several Wilson's Snipe along the far shoreline and managed a few record shots from long distance.
Out in the base of the cattails a Palm Warbler appeared.
Blue-winged Teal were also swimming nearby.
A lovely stand of Hairy Leafcup was growing in the marsh and provided the only color on this dark afternoon.
Lake Erie Metropark, Rockwood US-MI 42.06984, -83.19669, Wayne, Michigan, US
Sep 22, 2025 2:23 PM - 4:54 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.444 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Cloudy, humid, 73F. Rain throughout day. Hawk Watch delayed between 10:30-1:00.
41 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 34
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 4
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 9
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 8
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 1
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 4 LEMP Marina. In canal at s end of park. Continuing
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 4 Continuing at LEMP Marina at s end of park.
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2 LEMP Marina.
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 24
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 6
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 28
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 120
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 12 Continuing along rock wall off Celeron
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 2
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 4
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) 2
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 2
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 23
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 38
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Sep 22, 2025 2:23 PM - 4:54 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.444 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Cloudy, humid, 73F. Rain throughout day. Hawk Watch delayed between 10:30-1:00.
41 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 34
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 4
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 9
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 8
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 1
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 4 LEMP Marina. In canal at s end of park. Continuing
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 4 Continuing at LEMP Marina at s end of park.
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2 LEMP Marina.
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 24
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 6
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 28
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 120
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 12 Continuing along rock wall off Celeron
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 2
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 4
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) 2
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 2
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 23
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 38
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
