16 May 2017

This am, we needed to do a quick load of laundry so while that was happening I birded the Maumee Bay State Park boardwalk.  As I started out another birder came up behind me and told me the tree I was looking at has attracted a lot of warblers in the past several days.  I decided to bird the immediate area and I’m glad I did.  I got a very good look at a Canada Warbler.  No mistaking that eye ring or its so called black necklace.  I also got several Magnolia Warblers, American Redstarts (pair), Common Yellowthroat (pair), Yellow Warbler, Northern Parula, and a Chestnut-side Warbler.  Warbler heaven.

After about an hour of birding we were off to Michigan.  We had thought about stopping at Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, but didn’t know if we needed a health certificate for the dog (like we do going in to and out of Alaska).  When we go back in a couple of years to do The Biggest Week in American Birding again, then we will include a stop at Point Pelee National Park.

Our first stop in Michigan was at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.  We have visited this refuge before and, at that time, took their auto drive.  Last time we were here was in late June.  We learned today, however, that the wildlife drive doesn’t open until June 1^st, so we had to limit ourselves to walking a portion of the Ferguson Bayou Trail.  We spent about 2 hours walking the trail in search of birds.  We probably would have gone longer but it was hot outside (high 70s) and Doodlebug doesn’t do well in the heat (not that I blame her, I don’t either).

The 9,800+ acre Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1953, and contains marsh, botttomland hardwood forest, and grasslands.  In addition to the auto tour route, they have several trails.  Only after we left the refuge did we learn that dogs are prohibited.  Oops.

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge:

• American Robin
• Northern Cardinal
• Yellow Warbler
• Great Egret
• Tree Sparrow
• Mallard
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Killdeer
• American Goldfinch
• Song Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Canada Goose
• Common Grackle
• Eastern Phoebe
• Willow Flycatcher
• Eastern Kingbird
• Common Yellowthroat
• Gray Catbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Warbling Vireo
• Turkey Vulture
• Magnolia Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• American Redstart
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Indigo Bunting
• Baltimore Oriole
• Double-crested Cormorant

After leaving the refuge we drove to Tawas Point State Park for the night.  In Tawas City, which is right before the turn-off for the state park, there was a “Welcome Birders” sign on a lamp-post.  Hmmm.  Is there another bird festival occurring?  I got out my phone and googled Tawas Point bird festival and sure enough there is a bird festival starting this Thursday.  I feared the campground would be full, but luckily there were plenty of empty spots.  Once we set up camp, we walked a trail to Tawas Point.  At the park there were a lot of Baltimore Orioles (and one Orchard Oriole) – it seemed everyone camping at the park had orange slices hanging to attract the Orioles.  What was lacking, however, was a lot of warblers.  While we did have a few: Yellow, Palm, Yellow-rumped, and Nashville, there weren’t many of each species.  I hope the warblers arrive for the birders.

In the campground we had a black squirrel.  I can’t remember the last time we saw one of these guys.  I really like them.  One was trying to get food from a hanging suet feeder.  Not easy for the squirrel, but fun to watch.

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Tawas Point State Park:

• Palm Warbler
• Blue Jay
• Chipping Sparrow
• Warbling Vireo
• American Robin
• Baltimore Oriole
• Downy Woodpecker
• Scarlet Tanager
• Mourning Dove
• Eastern Phoebe
• Common Grackle
• Yellow Warbler
• Orchard Oriole
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eastern Kingbird
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Tree Sparrow
• Common Merganser
• Song Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Ring-billed Gull
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Nashville Warbler

Tomorrow we head to the UP – Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

17 May 2017

Slept in this morning – a rarity for me of late.  I notice when I got out of the van and was starting the Coleman stove that there were a fair number of cars headed towards the lighthouse.  I told Jack a rare bird must have been spotted.  Boy did I hit the nail on the head.  I asked a guy on the trail what bird was drawing attention.  He said the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.  The northern extent of this bird’s range is Kansas and Missouri, so not expected to be seen in Michigan.  I went searching for the throng of people looking for the bird.  I found all the people and the bird.  However, what I found wasn’t a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, but a Fork-tailed Flycatcher.  This bird is even more rare in the U.S. (does not summer or winter here at all), than the Scissor-tailed.  This is not a life bird for me as I have seen one in Panama, but it is still a nice bird to see.  I wonder what caused the bird to get so far off course.  Generally, these birds don’t survive.

The warblers were starting to come in.  We had very good views (as the trees aren’t very tall here) of American Redstart, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Tennessee, Orange-crowned Warblers, and Northern Parula.  I heard someone mention seeing the Kentucky and Mourning Warblers (two birds I have not seen), but I wasn’t able to find them.  Some year…

Oh and last night I heard an Eastern Whip-poor-will.  Would love to have seen this bird.

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Tawas Point State Park:

• American Robin
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Blue Jay
• Scarlet Tanager
• Eastern Kingbird
• Chipping Sparrow
• Yellow Warbler
• Northern Flicker
• Common Grackle
• Baltimore Oriole (there were a lot of these birds)
• Orchard Oriole
• Mallard
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Blackburnian Warbler
• Northern Parula
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Gray Catbird
• American Redstart
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Orange-crowned Warbler
• Bay-breasted Warbler
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Warbling Vireo
• Indigo Bunting
• Yellow-throated Vireo
• Tennessee Warbler
• Fork-tailed Flycatcher
• Canada Goose
• Magnolia Warbler
• Tree Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

After birding for several hours (I later wished we had stayed here another night), we made our way up to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan, to the Brevoort Lake Campground in the Hiawatha National Forest.  As soon as we crossed the Mackinac Bridge, the vegetation changed.  I felt like we were in Alaska with Black Spruce bogs.

I birded the campground, just because — not sure what I would find.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of different warblers here.  The prime warbler present was the American Redstart (male and female).  I also observed the Blackburnian, Blackpoll, Black-throated Green, Yellow, and Yellow-rumped Warbler, and the Northern Parula.  I also had a Blue-headed and a Red-eyed Vireo.  Both great birds.

This is a nice campground with 70 sites.  Since it is a federal campground we were able to stay here for $9.00 a night with the Golden Age Pass.  There is water and flush toilets available.  No electricity however.  But that is okay.  We didn’t need the heater or the fan.

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Brevoort Lake Campground:

• American Redstart
• Yellow Warbler
• Northern Parula
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• American Robin
• White-throated Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Common Tern
• Blackpoll Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Northern Flicker
• Belted Kingfisher
• Copper’s Hawk
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Blackburnian Warbler
• Downy Woodpecker
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Canada Goose

18 May 2017

After a wet night,  I birded the campground in the morning light, with thankfully no rain.  I could hear a lot of different birds, but spotting them was another story.

We spent a cold, windy, rainy afternoon at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge.  This 95,238-acre refuge was established in 1935.  The refuge includes the 25,150-acre Seney Wilderness Area, which contains the Strangmoor Bog National Natural Landmark.

We saw a fair number of nesting Trumpeter Swan pairs along the 7-mile wildlife drive and one very large group of unattached Swans.  In total, we had 23 different species, but not many of any one species with the exception of the Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese.  We saw a Bufflehead (duck) pair, but the male’s markings were unusual. At first I didn’t know what bird I was looking at, but the female clinched it for me.  Wish it would have been closer for a photograph.  Whereas a Bufflehead male is mostly white with some black, this bird was mostly black with some white.

We did visit Seney NWR in 2014.  I should go back and see what birds we saw during our visit.  I know there were a lot more birds observed then than what we saw today.  Of course it was warmer and during the summer, with the breeding birds already at the refuge – not in transit.  And, part of the refuge road system today was closed for repairs.

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Seney National Wildlife Refuge:

• Canada Goose
• Tree Sparrow
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Common Loon
• Trumpeter Swan
• Common Grackle
• Common Raven
• Bald Eagle
• Mallard
• Common Yellowthroat
• Song Sparrow
• Common Tern
• Caspian Tern (oh, there were at least nine)
• Killdeer
• Yellow Warbler
• Red-winged blackbird (surprisingly only 3)
• Blue-winged Teal
• American Coot
• Bufflehead
• Northern Flicker
• American Crow
• Sandhill Crane
• Ring-necked Duck

19 May 2017

The previous morning, Doodlebug, the dog, was having a balance problem so we decided to take her to a vet in Manistique, Michigan.  The vet didn’t think there was anything wrong with her balance – just age related.  We’re not so sure.  It sure came on suddenly. She was fine the night before.   A blood panel indicated low red blood cell count, which could be caused by several things, including internal bleeding.  We chose to come back today to have an ultrasound performed to rule out the bleeding.  When we went back for the results – no bleeding.  And luckily her liver and kidneys are fine.  I am so thankful.  Maybe she is anemic.  I forgot to ask her about that.  We will feed her beef or liver to see if that seems to help her red blood cell count.  I sure hope so.  When we return to Homer we will do another blood sample.

After the vet, we traveled to Van Riper State Park for the night.  The forecast is for the temperature to drop to the low 30s tonight.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.  Glad we have our little portable heater.

No birding today, although there were a fair number of birds in the trees behind the motel we stayed at last night.  I did see a Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, and Black-throated Green Warbler.  Lots of other birds singing too.  I just don’t know which ones.  Need to learn the bird calls and songs.

20 May 2017

Today was a travel day.  We left the Van Riper State Park campground and headed west.  Our goal was to make it to a campground near Walker, Minnesota.  We will be visiting the Tamarack National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday.

Today we traveled in three states: Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  Surprisingly we did stop off at a new (for me) national wildlife refuge: Whittlesey NWR in Wisconsin.  This 540-acre refuge was established in 1998 to restore coaster brook trout, a native trout that spawns in Whittlesey Creek and spends its adult life in Lake Superior.

When we got to the refuge we saw a number of people birding, despite the cold, blustery day (temperatures in the low 40s, winds 15+ mph), and later learned there was a birding and nature festival going on in the area.  I did see and hear a number of warbler species, so they are migrating through the area.  We spent about 30 minutes at the refuge – lots of ground to cover today (i.e., miles to drive).

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Whittlesey National Wildlife Refuge:

• Yellow Warbler
• Northern Parula
• American Robin
• American Redstart
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Wilsons’ Warbler
• Blue-winged Warbler
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• White-throated Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Eastern Phoebe
• Gray Catbird
• Red-winged Blackbird

When we arrived in Superior, Wisconsin, my phone dinged me a gale storm warning for Lake Superior, and you can guess where Superior, Wisconsin, is located.  Winds were quite fierce (25+ mph), and with temperatures in the low 40s — well it felt like Alaska.  I wonder if this is normal temperatures for the area this time of year.

In Minnesota, we were driving down Highway 200 when we passed something on the side of the road.  Jack thought it was a grouse displaying, while I thought it was a piece of metal.  So we turned around to check it out.  Jack was right.  We had a male Ruffed Grouse displaying.  I wonder where the female was hiding.

We also crossed over the Mississippi River.   This river’s origin is Lake Itasca, located just north of where we crossed the river.  This is the fourth time we’ve crossed the river in our journey.

We had planned to stop at a campground on Mabel Lake (U.S. Forest Service campground), only to find it closed.  Around this time, it started raining.  Forecast is for rain the next couple of days.  Since the campground was closed we proceeded to Stony Point campground (also a U.S. Forest Service campground) on Leech Lake (hmmm I wonder how it got its name – later I heard there are a lot of leeches in the lake).  The campground has 41 sites and all but one had been reserved.  Several of the reserved sites were vacant and we didn’t know if the people decided not to come (it is cold, wet, and windy out), or they haven’t gotten here yet.  I don’t think I’ve seen a single woman in the campground yet.  They were smart and stayed home.  Maybe there is some type of fishing tournament or something.  We saw a lot of trucks pulling boats leaving the area, and there are a lot of campers with boats.  I sure wouldn’t want to be on the white-capped lake today.  I long for sunshine.  I think fisherman are crazier than birders.  I don’t think any kind of weather stops them.  Well maybe its a toss-up who is crazier.

21 May 2017

I left a bowl out so I could determine how much it rained overnight – at least an inch.  Woke to misty, cold, damp, dreary weather with little or no wind.  I like that last part.  We birded the road out of the park as there was a cacophony of birds singing in the trees.  Music to my ears.

We drove to the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.  I had great intentions of getting their early, but the best laid plans ….  We arrived around 11:15 and left the refuge around 4:00 pm.  The refuge offers a 5-mile wildlife drive, which we took.  However, the refuge road leading to the wildlife drive was very birdy – at least we heard birds, although we didn’t see much (too much beautiful green foliage – think maple trees).  I think this part of the refuge had more birds than did our wildlife drive.  However, the drive was through gorgeous settings and we saw a few of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes along the way.  Oh and I got my Bald Eagle for Minnesota.  I need to go back and look but I think we’ve seen Bald Eagles in every state we’ve been to —  at least since we left Arizona in April.

The approximate 43,000 acre Tamarac NWR was established in 1938 by Congress (they were more forward thinking back then) to preserve the area for breeding and migratory birds.  In fact, a portion of the refuge is closed from March 1 – August 31 for that purpose.  We saw 37 difference bird species on the trip, but no mammals.  I was hoping for a maybe a moose or a wolf.  Yeah, fat chance.

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge:

• Yellow Warbler
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Trumpeter Swan
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Mallard
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Purple Finch
• Turkey Vulture
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Loon
• Ovenbird (heard only)
• Common Yellowthroat
• Swamp Sparrow
• American Redstart
• Chipping Sparrow
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Great Blue Heron
• Ring-necked Duck
• American Robin
• Song Sparrow
• Wilson’s Snipe (heard the winnowing)
• Osprey
• Wood Duck
• Golden-winged Warbler (heard only)
• Canada Goose
• Tree Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Bald Eagle
• Gray Catbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• White-throated Sparrow (heard only)
• Veery
• Common Raven
• American Crow
• Thrush sp. (Swainson’s or Gray-cheeked – didn’t get good enough views)
• Tern sp. (Common or Forster’s – too far away)

From the refuge we drove to Buffalo River State Park, MN for the night.  For $36.00 per night you don’t get much (cost includes the $5.00 entrance fee).  But this is the only campground nearby.  Once we get into North Dakota there will be even fewer camping opportunities.

There is good birding at the state park, however.  American Redstarts are everywhere – males and females so they most likely breed here.  There were also abundant at the refuge.  In addition to the Redstarts a flock of ten or more Clay-colored Sparrows were feeding in the trees and on the ground.  There were three different species of swallows.

Bird Species Seen or Heard at Buffalo Spring State Park:

• American Robin
• American Redstart
• Yellow Warbler
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Baltimore Oriole
• Clay-colored Sparrow
• Chipping Sparrow
• American Goldfinch
• Tree Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Hairy Woodpecker

Tomorrow we venture into North Dakota and begin our search for grassland birds.  Until then ….

 IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BIRD