Roberts Road Warblers - 19 May 2026

Overnight storms brought clear skies and breezy conditions as I drove to Roberts Road next to Pt. Mouillee. I was there to look for warblers. Again.

A hen Wild Turkey was walking alongside the road as I drove past the landfill. Usual suspects include Northern Yellow Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin and Eastern Warbling Vireo.  I also picked up Tennessee Warbler and American Redstart.

I parked next to the silo and walked the woods, which were alive with song. Seeing birds was another story. Merlin was picking up Northern Parula, Bay-breasted Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Yellow Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, and Chestnut-sided Warbler. I also picked up Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Common Yellowthroat.

Overhead I spotted a Great-crested Flycatcher and had a fly-by Palm Warbler. But I finally saw a Blackburnian Warbler foraging high overhead. 

As I left the woodlot I noticed that Roberts Road to the south appeared to be open. Partially. Construction equipment suggested that they were finally repairing the sinkhole across the culvert. But, I talked to one of the engineers and he mentioned that they just built a temporary bridge so that they could remove low-haulers from the South Causeway area. Bummer.

I drove to Rheaume Road to listen for Blue Grosbeak, but had to settle for an Eastern Kingbird pair on the wires next to the road.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
May 19, 2026 7:57 AM - 8:44 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.328 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Mostly cloudy, breezy, 65F
49 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  1
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  1     Female walking into field near osprey nest.
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris)  1
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  1
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  1
Veery (Catharus fuscescens)  1
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  1
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  1
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  4
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  1
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)  1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)  1
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)  1
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  8
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)  1
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  1
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S342251349

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

I then stopped by the Humbug Marsh Unit of the DRIWR and walked the Orange Trail. But, incoming storms chased me back to the car. But not before hearing a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers calling from the dead trees behind the Visitor Center.

Detroit River IWR--Refuge Gateway (Humbug Marsh), Wayne, Michigan, US
May 19, 2026 9:22 AM - 9:38 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.378 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy. Rain shortened
27 species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)  2     Pair calling behind Visitor Center in dead trees along river.
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Eastern Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  2
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  2
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  1
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S342282570

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