Brief Looks - 10 Oct 2025
Skies were clear this morning but it was a cool 45ºF. I arrived at Elizabeth Park just before 9 am and walked the trails in the center of the island.
A Great Horned Owl flashed through the woods in front of me, but I was unable to see anything but a tail when it landed in the trees to my right. I tried to move off the trail to get closer but could not see it.
Near the north end of the trail I spotted a half-dozen White-throated Sparrows, then heard the sounds of Ruby-crowned Kinglets overhead. A half-dozen of these birds were bouncing through the trees and challenged my binocular skills before disappearing. Among them was a single Nashville Warbler and this Blue-headed Vireo that gave brief glimpses. I managed a few pics from long distance through the tree branches.
As I walked back toward the Maintenance Yard a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker flew into the canopy of the trees overhead, followed by a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a later Downy Woodpecker. No pics.
At the south end of the trail near the Mainenance Yard I spotted an Eastern Phoebe posing atop a dead snag. It was so backlit, however, that I'd have to wait until I got home to see which "flycatcher" I saw.
The almost-full moon was showing this morning so I grabbed a few pics for posterity.
Near the Maintenance Yard I found a Swainson's Thrush posing for a brief moment before it took off into thicker vegetation.
I then ran into four Golden-crowned Kinglets foraging overhead, but any attempts to photograph them resulted in butt-shots and no actual photos of their yellow/black striped heads. They will have to wait until next time.
With things quieted I headed back out. I stopped long enough to capture a Black Squirrel in the dark understory of the woods before moving on.
Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Oct 10, 2025 8:29 AM - 9:29 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.731 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, calm, cool, 45F
20 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 80
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 23
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 5
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 6
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Oct 10, 2025 8:29 AM - 9:29 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.731 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Clear, calm, cool, 45F
20 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 80
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 23
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 5
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 6
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
