Michigan Birding Trip Report - Day 4 (Monday 28th May 2018)

Having failed to find any Clay-coloured Sparrows the previous day, a little bit of local research directed us to a particular hotspot just off the road in Grayling Forest we’d travelled down the day before, so once more we headed in to the young Jack Pines to see if we could locate any, Kirtland’s Warblers and Juncos serenading us with their songs for a second time. This being our only realistic chance to see them during the trip and me having a personal liking of American sparrows, I was keen not to dip, so it was encouraging to wind down the window and catch snippets of distant Clay-coloured Sparrow song further down the valley. 

Navigating the sandy off road track and overgrown bushes scraping at the car, we were certainly glad of a 4x4, a pair of Eastern Kingbirds gathering food for their brood nice to watch as more Kirtland’s sung all around. Chancing upon a pair of birders with their cameras outstretched (always a good sign) it transpired they had been photographing Clay-coloured Sparrows all morning, and after a slight wait, we too were rewarded with brief views of what turned out to be an incredibly skulking species. Nevertheless, we persevered, getting a much better look at this charming sparrow as it scurried mouse-like through the grass, picking off the small seeds and clinging to the swaying stems – success!

Clay-coloured Sparrow

With the Clay-coloured Sparrow moving off further in to the pines, we bid the two birders farewell, heading much further north to our next site – the warbler hotspot of Shumsky Road. Planned in to target Mourning and Golden-winged Warblers, but already having seen both, we decided to pay a visit regardless, if only to try and get some photos of the warblers on territory. A small stretch of road leading to a river and lined with scrubby trees, it wasn’t long before we’d located at least 3 male Golden-winged Warblers, singing proudly and providing absolutely outstanding views on the branches in front of us – much better than our brief encounter at Haughton Boardwalk a few days earlier. 

Golden-winged Warbler - a cracking male

Despite not managing to locate any of the Mourning Warblers on site, a handful of American Redstarts, Bay-breasted and Chestnut-sided Warblers displaying added a burst of colour, while another Alder Flycatcher called from the tops of a pine.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Male American Redstart

Female American Redstart

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Still missing Winter Wren, we explored a section of forest next to a nearby river in the hope of connecting with what was turning in to a bogey bird, a calling Spotted Sandpiper on the rocks and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker working the bark the best for our efforts, in what once more seemed a pretty deserted patch of pines. 

Exploring a few wooded back lanes alongside a nearby river also produced nothing more of note, however a fine Broad-winged Hawk perched on some roadside telephone wires was our first of the trip, much smaller than the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks and the black and white banded tail pattern distinctive as it took flight. 

Broad-winged Hawk

With a short stop over for the night in the delightfully named town of Gaylord on our way to the Upper Peninsula, we fuelled up on Applebees chicken and a bowl of some of the best French onion soup I’ve tasted before our journey north the next day, ready for exploring the vast expanses of pines in search of Gray Jays and Black-backed Woodpeckers. 

Michigan Birding Trip Report - Day 2 (Saturday 26th May 2018)

Leaving Detroit and the hustle and bustle of the city behind, our second day saw us heading much further north to the rather promising looking Haughton Boardwalk, an extensive reedbed supposedly home to a plethora of rails, soras and wrens. Upon arrival at the turn off and with no signposts in sight, we headed down the small wooded driveway slightly baffled at the lack of reeds – instead finding ourselves in woodland and scrub. Nevertheless, the area still seemed relatively birdy, and several Veery singing their distinctive flutey yet somewhat mournful sounding song were a welcome surprise - eliminating the heartbreak at failing to find them on territory in New York three years prior as they gave brief views in the treetops. 

The reedbed at Haughton Boardwalk

Parking up in a small clearing also yielded good results where our first calling empid of the trip was able to be nailed down as an Alder Flycatcher while a stunning Golden-winged Warbler (a prize very high up on our target list) gave brief but mouth-watering views before flitting off. 

Alder Flycatcher - identified through sound recordings from the similar Willow Flycatcher

With an ominous looking storm approaching and having located the hidden entrance to the boardwalk on to the reeds, navigating the many invading thorns and brambles blocking the path we made our way on to the reedbed before the rumbling thunder came too close, gingerly stepping over the many slimy flooded sections and avoiding the thick pipe that ran all along the wooden frames. 

Despite the abundance of records for this site, Haughton Boardwalk unfortunately remained relatively unproductive during our visit, most probably due to the baking hot sun keeping the birds hiding in the cool shelter of the reeds. A handful of Swamp Sparrows and Marsh Wrens kept us entertained (though neither of them lifers), but in the hour or so walking the boardwalk we had not so much of a sniff of our target Sedge Wrens. It was also relatively quiet on the rail front, with no sign of our hoped for Soras and only a brief flight view of a flushed Virigina Rail our only consolation. 

A chance encounter with a Blandling's Turtle crossing the driveway

Heading back to the car before the thunderstorm finally hit, a brief stop on the drive to admire a Blandling’s Turtle (itself a species of special concern in Michigan due to being endangered in much of its US range) also resulted in a chance encounter when a Ruffed Grouse crossed the road in front of us. A species that we had thought we would see with relative ease during the trip, this turned out to be our only individual, so all in all an incredibly lucky encounter!

Monarch Butterfly - always a favourite

A brief stop at the nearby Mickelson Landing during a break in the weather resulted in nothing much of note bar a pair of American Black Terns and a docile Monarch showing off its underwing, so we cut our losses and headed up to Grayling – our base for the next few days.

Our first Wild Turkeys of the trip were seen en route to Grayling

With a hint of light still left we decided to explore the first of two well-known roads in the Grayling Forest, but with the sun setting it was now far too late for any singing warblers. 

Dusk on one of the Grayling Forest tracks

A small handful of Vesper Sparrows preparing for roost were our first of the trip, the pale spots on their cheek distinctive even in the poor light, as were a number of Brewers Blackbirds lining up in the dead trees at the side of the road. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak added a splash of colour to proceedings while a Porcupine slumped lazily on a thick tree branch was an unexpected bonus of what was our first encounter with this bizarre creature.

Vesper Sparrow - one of a handful of birds heading to roost

Brewer's Blackbird

Porcupine!

With Grayling Forest a hotspot for nocturnal birds such as Nighthawks and Whip-poor-wills, as the last of the light started to fade it suddenly clicked that the high pitched screeching we’d been hearing for the past ten minutes was in fact 3 Common Nighthawks gliding high above our heads, starting their evening breakfast and providing an aerial display above the trees. Not having any experience with nighthawks apart from a single bird accidentally flushed during the day from the Dry Tortugas in Florida, we were expecting a flight style similar to Nightjars back in the UK, swooping low down over vegetation as opposed to soaring high above the treetops. Once we were locked on to their presence however we were treated to amazing views as they fed above us, amazing scenes and a top moment of the trip. 

Common Nighthawk

With the light now having all but disappeared, after a well-earned pit stop of pepperoni pizza at the nearby Pizza Hut, we were soon back in the forest – this time on a different track on the hunt for Eastern Whip-poor-wills. Much smaller than the Nighthawks and with a different style altogether, we had barely driven down the road before we heard our first individual, calling softly beside us next to a small row of houses. 

A favoured perch of the Whip-poor-wills. Sadly we weren't fast enough to get a photo!

Getting out of the car and using our torch to try and locate it proved all but impossible, but after a frustrating few minutes we eventually scored as a whip-poor-will came powering towards us to investigate, displaying above our heads with the flashing white on its outer tail and matching throat shining in the torchlight. In a remarkable hour or so and not having to venture very far down the road at all, we managed to hear another 13 or so birds, several sat at the side of the road, their huge saucer-like eyes shining in the car headlights and getting further outstanding views as birds flew around the car, passing right next to us on occasion. For me this was a real highlight of the trip and an incredible experience to see these fascinating birds so close. Leaving the whip-poor-wills in peace we headed back to the hotel happy for a much needed rest ready for the main event the next morning…when our quest for Kirtland’s Warblers would begin!