Sightings Archive:
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Red-winged Blackbird
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3/21/05
My first red-winged blackbird showed up at my feeders yesterday, 3-20-05, in the morning......spring has sprung.
Louie Taccolini |
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Sunday in Marquette
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3/21/05
The wintry weather hasn't detered some birders from the feel of spring, bird wise, in Marquette. Things are happening. Skye Haas has been watching the gulls, especially around the mouth of the Dead River. Because of all the ice there are just a few good spots for them to hang out during the day and the Dead is a great spot. Among the hundreds there this weekend were up to 7 glaucous gulls, a Thayer's that has been around for a week, a great black back, and some returning ring-billed. There have been some strange hybrid-like gulls as well, so if you want some practice learning gulls, head to the Dead.
Cardinals have turned up on Altamont and Summit this past weekend and a flock of bohemian waxwings spent most of Sunday in and out of three crabapples at the Pine St. Lakeshore Blvd. triangle. A pileated woodpecker was also in that area in the morning.
The varied thrush is still being seen in Sand River too.
Scot Stewart |
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Red Crossbills
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3/21/05
Yesterday March 20 I watched 5 Red Crossbills on the Rapid River Truck Tail at the intersection of Doe Lake Road. They were interested in what looked like ice that had dropped off vehicles. Later on the way back through, not too far from there, I saw a bird fly up from the road off another vehicle dirt cluster, and it looked suspiciously like a crossbill too.
Jude |
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Hoary Redpoll, Marquette Co.
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3/20/05
Skye Haas and I observed 1 (possibly 2) Hoary Redpoll in with a large group of Commons near Sporley Lake Rd., Little Lake. This bird was of the hornemanni (Greenland) subspecies because of its extremely large size, overall paleness with little flank streaking, and extensive white rump.
Zach Gayk |
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Gulls @ the Dead River, Marquette
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3/19/05
Gulling was pretty good this afternoon here in Marquette. The hard weather put about 500 or so Gulls at the mouth of the Dead River around noon today. Amoung the multitudes of Herring Gulls, there was a small group of Ring-billed Gulls, 3 Glaucous Gulls (Two 1st year birds, one 2nd Winter) and that 1st winter Thayer's Gull I saw earlier in the week.
There were also a couple of flyover Snow Buntings.
~Skye Haas |
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Northern Shrike, Munising
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3/15/05
There was a Northern Shrike in the field adjacent to the fishing pier that is just east of the paper mill along Hwy. 58 in Munising this afternoon. Also, gulls are starting to congregate along the open water just north of the mill. This section of open water is not visible unless one walks out onto the above mentioned fishing pier and looks back at the mill. Only Herring Gulls were present today, but the flock might be worth checking by anyone passing through town.
Scott |
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Thayer's Gull, Marquette County
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3/15/05
I had a 1st year Thayer's Gull today in Marquette. The gull was located at the mouth of the Dead River on the north end of Lakeshore Drive and provided some stunning close looks in the late afternoon sun. This bird (along with a Ring-billed Gull that was also present) are some of the first spring migrants to the area thus far.
Other decent Marquette birds include a Hoary Redpoll that was present at my feeders for most of the day, and Alec Lindsey reports seeing a Townsend's Solitaire (most likely the Fair/Northrup bird) on the NMU campus over the weekend.
~Skye Haas |
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Hoary Redpoll, Marquette
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3/15/05
In among the hordes of Siskins, Redpolls and Goldfinches at my feeders this morning there was a particularly nice-looking Hoary Redpoll. He was here in both the morning and again this afternoon. I live on Sherman St. just east of Sheridan. My feeders are visible from the road.
~Skye Haas |
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GG Owls; Chippewa, Cheboygon Cos.
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3/14/05
I had a string of northern owl sightings this afternoon (3/14).
First was a Great Grey Owl (first I've ever seen in the L.P.) along I-75 south of the Indian River in Cheboygon County around 4:30 P.M.. The bird was in a Black Spruce swamp just south of where the Indian River crosses the highway on the east side of 75. I stopped along the freeway to watch the bird, but I can't recommend this method for safety reasons. I'm not really familiar with the area so I don't know if there is a better spot to get a look at this bog.
I also birded eastern Chippewa County and had a few more Owl sightings. A second Great Grey Owl was seen on Prairie Rd., 1 1/2 miles east of Teets rd. in Dryburg.
Ye old faithful, the Northern Hawk-Owl that has spent the winter in the 20 mile/ Riverside area was present in the front yard of a centennial farm down 20 mile Rd.
I had 1 more Great Grey Owl along Riverside Drive south of Allen Road on the west side of Riverside. Not bad for a casual evening of birding in North Michigan.
Skye Haas |
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Dead River Gulls, Marquette
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3/9/05
At the mouth of the Dead River this afternoon, at least three waves of gulls stopped off at the mouth of the Dead on their way from the harbor, out to the lake for the night between 4:30 and 6. A fourth wave was still on the ice near Picnic Rocks. Three glaucous gulls were in two of the waves passing through, and an iceland-Thayer's was a fly-by.
Scot Stewart |
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Laughing Whitefish Audubon Society
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Upcoming Meetings:
April 20:
(note that this is the 3rd Wednesday - since the library room was not available on the 2nd Wed.)
Presenter: Skye Haas
Topic: Survey of Waterbirds in Marquette
Location: Peter White Public Library
May 11:
(note different location - again, the library room was not available on the 2nd Wed.)
Presenter: Greg Cleary
Topic: Distinguishing Bird Songs
Location: Seaborg Center - NMU (West Science Building Room 2806)
Greg will talk about distinguishing features of bird songs, illustrating the examples with songs from a newly acquired CD. For participants in the spring migration count, this will be a great review before the migration count on Saturday the 14th. |
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Cedar Waxwings
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3/7/05
I had a flock of about 50 Cedar Waxwings in my backyard today. They were feasting on Hawthorne berries pretty much all day. I live in Negaunee near Maas and Croix.
Pat Minich |
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