Pixie Birding: Michigan Birding Trip Report (25th May - 2nd June 2018)

Day 1 – Magee Marsh & Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (25^th May 2018)

American Woodcock – 25^th May - Magee Marsh Boardwalk (One bird foraging in the open right next to the boardwalk. Only bird of the trip.)

Wilson's Warbler – 25^th May - Magee Marsh Boardwalk (Two males seen in the trees around the big loop and small loop areas. Only birds of the trip.)

Trumpeter Swan – 25^th May - Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (Two birds showing well on the water next to the entrance drive. Only birds of the trip.)

Mourning Warbler – 25^th May - Magee Marsh Boardwalk (Female seen right at the start of the east boardwalk entrance skulking near the water. Grey head and throat and pale white broken eyering. Photographed. Only bird of the trip.)

Other birds: Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Northern Flicker, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallow, Purple Martin, House Wren, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Swainson’s Thrush, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellowthroat, Canada Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch

Also: Great Egret, Canada Goose, Feral Pigeon, Barn Swallow, Starling, House Sparrow

American Woodcock

Day 2 – Haughton Boardwalk & Grayling Forest (26^th May 2018)

Veery – 26^th May - Houghton Boardwalk (Several birds calling and showing in the woods near the entrance road. Seen well again at Hulbert Bog.)

Golden-winged Warbler – 26^th May - Houghton Boardwalk (Male seen in the trees before the boardwalk. 3+ more birds seen very well at Shumsky Road later on in the trip.)

Alder Flycatcher – 26^th May - Houghton Boardwalk (Seen calling and flycatching in the scrub near the boardwalk. Another bird heard calling at Oak Openings Preserve, along with a Willow Flycatcher, demonstrating the subtle difference in call perfectly. Only birds of the trip.)

Virginia Rail - 26^th May - Houghton Boardwalk (Single bird flushed by the boardwalk and seen in flight. Other birds heard calling at Lake Lansing Park North.)

Ruffed Grouse - 26^th May - Houghton Boardwalk (Single bird seen crossing the road here. Very lucky as this was the only bird of the trip.)

Vesper Sparrow - 26^th May – Grayling Forest (A small number of birds seen heading off to roost then again the next day singing.)

Brewer's Blackbird - 26^th May – Grayling Forest (A sizeable flock of birds seen in the dead trees. Calling and heading to roost when visiting at dusk then seen again during the next day.)

Common Nighthawk - 26^th May – Grayling Forest (2+ birds seen hawking high over the trees and calling just before dusk. A lovely spectacle and the only birds of the trip.)

Eastern Whip-poor-will - 26^th May – Grayling Forest (Around 15 birds heard with 4 birds seen well (2 of which were on the road). Flying around the car and displaying whilst calling from the nearby branches. Seen in torchlight/car headlights.)

Other birds: (Haughton Boardwalk) - Marsh Wren, Red-winged Blackbird, Swamp Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warbler, American Wigeon (Grayling Forest) – Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Also: Mallard, American Black Tern

Golden-winged Warbler

Day 3 – Grayling Forest & Hartwick Pines State Park (27^th May 2018)

Kirtland's Warbler – 27^th May – Grayling Forest (Several males heard singing and showing extremely well in the small Jack Pine plantations. The main reason for our trip to Michigan so it was great to connect. Only seen in this area.)

Field Sparrow - 27^th May – Grayling (1 individual seen singing amongst the Jack Pines. Further birds seen at other sites during the trip including Sharonville SGA and Oak Openings Preserve.)

Dark-eyed Junco - 27^th May – Grayling Forest (A handful of males seen well and singing in the small Jack Pine plantations. Only birds of the trip were in this area.)

Evening Grosbeak - 27^th May - Hartwick Pines NP (5 birds including 3 males showing extremely well on the feeders and in the trees around the visitor centre. Only birds of the trip. Stunning.)

Pine Siskin - 27^th May - Hartwick Pines NP (2 birds seen coming to the feeders outside the visitor centre. Only birds of the trip.)

Red-breasted Nuthatch - 27^th May - Hartwick Pines NP (1 bird seen at the feeders and another bird seen later on in the pines on the Au Sable River Trail. Only birds of the trip.)

Other birds: (Grayling Forest) – Vesper Sparrow, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Nashville Warbler, Blue Jay, Northern Flicker (Hartwick Pines SP) – White-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Eastern Phoebe, Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Red-tailed Hawk, Blue Jay

Kirtland's Warbler

Day 4 – Grayling Forest & Shumsky Road (28^th May 2018)

Clay-colored Sparrow – 28^th May – Grayling Forest (1 individual seen showing well and singing in the young Jack Pines. Very elusive and took a lot to get good views. Only bird of the trip and well worth persevering.)

Broad-winged Hawk – 28^th May - Near Mayfield (Seen perched on the wires and in flight. Another bird seen along the Forest Roads in the Upper Peninsular near Trout Lake.)

Other birds: (Grayling Forest) - Kirtland’s Warbler, Eastern Kingbird (Shumsky Road) – Golden-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Alder Flycatcher, American Redstart, Turkey Vulture, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, American Robin (Brown Road Dam) – Spotted Sandpiper, Black and White Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Kingbird, Alder Flycatcher

Clay-coloured Sparrow

Day 5 – Pellston & Hulbert Bog (29^th May 2018)

Upland Sandpiper - 29^th May – Pellston (5 birds seen in the fields around Pellston near the airport. A further 2 birds seen showing well at Munuscong Potholes.)

Least Flycatcher - 29^th May - Hulbert Bog (Several birds calling and showing well in the trees to the west of Hulbert Lake. Only birds of the trip.)

Golden-crowned Kinglet – 29^th May - Hulbert Bog (2 birds seen calling and showing well in the pines. Only birds of the trip.)

Other birds: (Pellston) – Sandhill Crane (Lesser), Killdeer, Northern Flicker, Eastern Meadowlark (Hulbert Bog) – Blackburnian Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, American Redstart, Veery, Red-eyed Vireo, Gray Catbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Cedar Waxwing (Forest Roads) – Black-throated Green Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Broad-winged Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Nashville Warbler, American Redstart, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Alder Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-capped Chickadee (Trout Lake) – Song Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper

Also: Common Loon, Mallard, Common Tern

Upland Sandpiper

Day 6 – Pickford, Rudyard & Munuscong Potholes (30^th May 2018)

Bobolink - 30^th May - Dick and Fibre (Several birds seen in the grassy fields singing and making their display flights. Mostly males, although one female seen. Very smart birds.)

Wilson's Snipe – 30^th May - Munuscong Potholes (Single bird seen in flight and displaying over the road. Only bird of the trip.)

Sharp-tailed Grouse - 30^th May – Rudyard (A single male seen in the scrubby fields near Rudyard. Purple also visible on the neck although wasn't displaying. Only bird of the trip.)

Other birds: (Pickford) – American Redstart, Eastern Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Black and White Warbler, Brown Thrasher, Northern Harrier, Sandhill Crane, Tree Swallow, American Robin, Bobolink, American Crow, Killdeer, Northern Flicker, American Wigeon (Munuscong Potholes) – Upland Sandpiper, Yellow Warbler, American Kestrel, Savannah Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellowthroat, Alder Flycatcher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Also: Barn Swallow, Goldeneye, Mallard, House Sparrow, Gadwall

Bobolink

Day 7 – Sharonville SGA & Nan Weston Nature Preserve (31^st May 2018)

Dickcissel - 31^st May - Sharonville SGA (Washtenaw County) (Male seen well calling by one of the car parks. Only bird of the trip.)

Grasshopper Sparrow - 31^st May - Sharonville SGA (Washtenaw County) (Seen well perched on the fence by one of the car parks. Only bird of the trip.)

Henslow's Sparrow – 31^st May - Sharonville SGA (Jackson County) (Singing and seen very well on the track up. Only bird of the trip and great to see.)

Acadian Flycatcher - 31^st May - Nan Weston Preserve (Seen very well and heard calling in the car park. Only bird of the trip.)

Other birds: (Sharonville SGA – Washtenaw County) – Song Sparrow, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Indigo Bunting (Sharonville SGA – Jackson County) – Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, House Finch, Turkey Vulture, Red-winged Blackbird, Wild Turkey (Nan Weston) – Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker

Henslow's Sparrow

Day 8 – Oak Openings Preserve (1^st June 2018)

Lark Sparrow - 1^st June - Oak Openings Preserve Metropark (A pair seen foraging and feeding their chick by the side of the road. Only birds of the trip.)

Brown Creeper - 1^st June - Oak Openings Preserve Metropark (Single bird seen very well calling near the lodge area. Only bird of the trip.)

Willow Flycatcher - 1^st June - Oak Openings Preserve Metropark (One bird seen well and heard calling. Only bird of the trip. Alder Flycatcher also in the same vicinity offering a nice comparison of call differences.)

Yellow-breasted Chat – 1^st June - Oak Openings Preserve Metropark (Single bird seen very well calling near the lodge area. Only bird of the trip.)

Other birds: Alder Flycatcher, Song Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Cardinal, Chimney Swift, Red-headed Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher, American Robin, Eastern Wood Pewee, Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Northern Flicker, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch, Red-bellied Woodpecker

Also: Canada Goose, Starling