Search For Warblers At The Magee Marsh Boardwalk

Search For Warblers At The Magee Marsh Boardwalk, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Spring has arrived at Magee Marsh and I am there to find the warblers. We had a very nice outing on Saturday, where we found the Black & White, Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped & Hooded Warbler. We also found a Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, White-eyed Vireo, White-throated Sparrow and gorgeous female Eastern Towhee.

The wind was howling off Lake Erie and we needed our winter coats to stay warm.

Bald Eagle - In The Neighborhood

Bald Eagle - In The Neighborhood, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
With migration underway, I make it a habit of scanning the lake every morning to see if any new waterfowl have arrived overnight. I had spotted a single Pied-billed Grebe on the distant shore and was preparing to look at it through my spotting scope. I double checked the location of the grebe through my binoculars when suddenly a large black bird flew into view coming straight for my house from the other side of the lake. I quickly set the scope down, grabbed the binoculars and confirmed it was a Bald Eagle flying over the lake. A birder's thrill if there ever was one, at least for this birder.

I don't know why I do this, but I screamed out BALD EAGLE, maybe because I really enjoy seeing these birds and my husband happened to be home at the time. I guess I also wanted him to know what I had found and not to be concerned when I raced out the front door with my camera in hand. We have been married 27 years, so he knows when I go racing for the door with my camera in hand there is no time for an explanation, only for a photo of whatever has sparked my frenzied departure out the door.

I had enough time to get several shots as the Bald Eagle circled the area for several minutes at low altitude no doubt looking for fish to catch. The eagle continued on its flight over to Long Lake and out of my view, and I thought I wasn't going to be able to go birding this morning. I birded from the front lawn and seeing one of my personal favorites, the Bald Eagle.

Wildwing Trail Companion

Wildwing Trail Companion, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
One of the special qualities of Kensington Metropark is the ability to find different birds along the trail or in the waters of the park. I turned the corner of Wildwing Lake trail and encountered an adult male Sandhill Crane walking the trail in the front of me.

I have gotten to the know these cranes after many years of observing them at Kensington, so I was not afraid of the bird. He was minding his own business looking for something to eat on the trail. He kept poking at the soil looking for bugs or other sources of food.

His mate is most likely nesting in a nearby wetland, as he is out feeding and will resume his incubation duties to give his mate a respite and time to go feed. The colts are usually born in early to mid May, so until them I will watch for singular Sandhill Cranes out feeding while the mate is sitting on the eggs.

Sandhill Crane - Making Beautiful Music

Sandhill Crane - Making Beautiful Music, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I was standing right next to this Sandhill as it was grooming its feathers. What was so remarkable beyond being next to this bird, was the sound of the feathers as they were being preened by the bird, it sounded just like satin. If you have ever heard a satin dress or moire fabric rubbed together, it sounded just like that. It was a beautiful sound I will always associate with this grooming Sandhill Crane. Absolutely, one of the most enchanting experiences of my life listening to this Sandhill make music with its feathers. Janet Hug - Taken at Kensington Metropark, Milford, Michigan.

Little Red Roosting In A Nest Box

Little Red Roosting In A Nest Box, a photo by JKissnHug on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Contently roosting from a nest box attached to a large tree at the E L Johnson Nature Center in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. When I first took a look at the nest boxes in the hope of finding a Wood Duck, I saw something small and orange sticking it's head out of the nest box. I thought, what is a Tabby Cat doing in a nest box, when I got closer I discovered an Eastern Screech-Owl (red morph) at the entrance hole to the nest box. What a thrill to see a red morph of this species.