Some New Yard Birds - 24 May 2026

Yesterday's rain left everything damp and cool this morning, but the birds were singing at 7:45 am as I was filling the feeders. So I fired up Merlin and immediately got a hit for Mourning Warbler! Wanting to make sure it wasn't a fluke I went inside, grabbed the binoculars and camera, and came back out to walk the Quinlan Prairie out back of Brownton Abbey. 

Sure enough, Merlin again picked up Mourning Warbler (several would be reported around Wayne Co. this morning) along with a number of other goodies: Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Tennessee Warbler and American Redstart. 

As I stood at the edge of the woodlot I got a visit from Gene Quinlan, owner of the easement under the power lines. We chatted and caught up, and I asked him if he knew who the owner of the woodlot was?

It was him! So I asked and graciously got permission to walk the woods / trails of the large woodlot across West Road from the Sibley Prairie Preserve.

Birds were singing but were high in the canopy. Merlin and I walked the trails and picked up Eastern Wood-Pewee, Common Yellowthroat, American Robin, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern House Wren, plus a fly-over Belted Kingfisher.

I managed to spot a female American Redstart foraging in the trees about 15' up and managed to get some pics despite the low light and backlit conditions. The poor thing's tail has seen better days...

This spider did not fare well. Farewell, spider.

I then heard the loud "Free-BEE" of an Alder Flycatcher and managed to get eyes on it before it flew off. This is a great Wayne Co. bird and a much sought-after bird (several would also be reported on Discord this morning from Monroe and Wayne Counties). 

I managed to get a quick peak at a Red-eyed Vireo through the brush. Several were singing high atop the tree-tops in the woods.

Although I heard a Veery calling, "VEER" I only managed to see American Robins on the trails. 

As I was leaving I also managed to pick up Magnolia Warbler and a Canada Warbler but was unable to locate either one. 

As I returned to the yard I spotted a Red-bellied Woodpecker on suet feeder in Bonnie's yard. 

What a wonderful morning walk! Thank you so much Gene for the permission to walk your woodlot.

Brownton Abbey, 26340 Higgins Way, Wayne, Michigan, US
May 24, 2026 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy, cool, 56F, damp. Quinlan Woodlot just N of Brownton Abbey and across West Road from the Sibley Prairie Preserve; Permission given from owner of woodlot.
34 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)  1
Eastern Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  2
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  1
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  2
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  1
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  1
Veery (Catharus fuscescens)  1
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  6
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  2
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  1
Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)  2
Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)  1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  2
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)  1
Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S345419936

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