Raining Kinglets - 03 Oct 2025

Skies were clear this morning and temps were feeling a bit cool at 50ºF. Enough to wear a jacket as I drove to Elizabeth Park at 8:30 am. I had hoped to find a few warblers before heading to hawk watch.

The center island trails were quiet until I reached the maintenance yard and found a half-dozen Ruby-crowned Kinglets foraging next to the trail. Every bird was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Then more birds came: more kinglets. Trouble was, they were moving so fast I couldn't get any photos if I wanted to.

This one was preening in the open, but wouldn't sit still long enough to get a clean photo. 

After another half-dozen Ruby-crowned Kinglets moved through I finally found a drab Yellow-rumped Warbler high in the canopy.

I'd see a Magnolia Warbler, and the first of several Nashville Warblers. But they were too high to photograph. Then this Northern Parula appeared overhead and gave me some nice images.

As I followed it across the trail I caught up with the Ruby-crowned Kinglets that were foraging all over the place. Some finally showed long enough to photograph.

As I chased the kinglets this pretty Philadelphia Vireo made a short appearance. I managed a couple pics before I had to pause to let some hikers pass.

While looking for the vireo I found another Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

The Merlin App had listed Black-throated Green Warbler as the Challenge Bird of the Day. I was happy to find this guy pop into view.

Things got interrupted when a flock of White-throated Sparrows moved through the trees. I managed a couple of pics before they continued on.

I was happy to refind the Black-throated Green Warbler among the remaining kinglets and got a few last photos before everything disappeared.

Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Oct 3, 2025 8:27 AM - 9:22 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.235 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, cool, calm, 52F
22 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  85
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)  15
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  8
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)  2
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)  2
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S276984015

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

With winds from the SW and temps to reach the mid-80's today there was little raptor movement at Lake Erie Metropark and the Detroit River Hawk Watch. Jo was the only one there, so I assisted her until 11 am when I left. We'd see only a couple Sharp-shinned Hawks among the several thousand Blue Jays migrating across the channel to the west.