Cold, Damp, Slow Morning. - 20 May 2026

Storms last evening pushed the last of the brief heat wave and brought overcast skies and cool (51ºF) temperatures to SE Michigan this morning. I was hoping to get to Pt. Mouillee to look for Whimbrels but decided to go for a walk at Elizabeth Park to look for warblers. 

The trails were damp and a bit dark given the overcast skies and visually birds were absent. There was a good number of singers: Wood Thrush, Veery, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Gray Catbird, American Robin and Eastern Wood-Pewee. But, birds were not showing. Merlin picked up the song for Mourning Warbler (twice) while I walked the center trail near the Maintenance Yard but I did not hear the song for myself, so I had planned to not report it to eBird.

I settled for a photo or two of an Eastern Cottontail Rabbit eating dandelions at the north end of the park.

A Veery made a brief appearance near the pony barn but would not cooperate for photos. Instead I walked the trail to the south side of the maintenance area where a Swainson's Thrush popped into view 50' away.

A Gray Catbird flew in and perched nearby.

As did a Northern Flicker.

With the exception of a Tennessee Warbler singing from the oaks at the perimeter of the woodlot warbler activity was silent. Until I heard the loud "Cheree-cheree-chereacher" of a Mourning Warbler in the same vicinity as before. Though I spent 20 minutes stalking the bird it went silent and I was unable to locate it. At least Merlin wasn't teasing me this time...

Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US

May 20, 2026 8:41 AM - 9:54 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.823 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast, cool, 51F, damp
27 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  24
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)  1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Eastern Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  2
Veery (Catharus fuscescens)  1
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)  1
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  4
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  1
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)  1
Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)  1
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S342813849

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