Northern Michigan birds

Greetings from northern Michigan's Presque Isle County. I've been up here for a week, so far, and have been burning the candle at both ends. Doug Tallamy and John MacIntosh were up for a few days, and we collectively shot off many thousands of images. Then my group came in last Sunday to base camp at the beautiful Nettie Bay Lodge and we've been tearing it up ever since. Many amazing experiences, a huge bird list racked up thus far, and an incredibly exciting life mammal for your narrator (more on that later).

Yesterday was the most amazing day in the jack pine country that I've ever had, and today's foray to the shores of Lake Huron brought over 400 migrating Broad-winged Hawks, among MANY other interesting observations. We've been having a great time, and everyone is seeing lots of new things, and seeing most of them quite well.

Following are a few avian delights that I managed to snap photos of in the past few days...

Lincoln's Sparrow, gushing forth his rich buzzy melody in a scrub oak thicket in a young jack pine plains

A strong breeze ruffles the feathers of a male Vesper Sparrow. The clear fluid whistled notes of this handsome sparrow introduce a delightfully complex buzzy song which is a common part of the soundscape in jack pine country.

Star of the jack pine show, a male Kirtland's Warbler tees up and delivers his rich forceful reverb warble.

Golden-winged Warblers are fairly common up here, their few-parted buzzy songs a distinctive melody.

One of the flashiest warblers is the Magnolia Warbler, and this male was singing from dense white cedar and spruce in boggy ground.

A secretive Mourning Warbler gives your narrator a glimpse before retreating into a thick stand of red-osier dogwood.

A shockingly neon Scarlet Tanager, fresh from South America, feeds near the Lake Huron shoreline.

 

Sandhill Cranes are common up here, and this pair is foraging among dense sedges buffering a pristine kettle lake.

 

More to come, when time permits.