Nayanquing, Tobico,Isaacon's Bay. Cheboygan State Park

[Brian Allen]

I birded Bay County on Friday morning and in the afternoon headed up to Alpena and then Cheboygan after my son's track meet at Northwood University.

Highlights at Nayanquing were the plentiful buzzing yellow-headed blackbirds, 3 American Bitterns, 2 Least Bitterns, numerous Soras and Virginia Rails and a very interesting rail call.  At the south end of the trail from the observation tower just east of the south pool (the exact spot is labeled E on the map on page 206 of A Birder's Guide to Michigan) i heard the descending grunting call of a rail.  This sounded deeper and fuller than the typical Virginia Rail call, possibly a King Rail but I am not familiar with their call other than hearing it on tapes, this is something that just should be checked out.

I noticed that there were no Common Moorhens, either not back yet or they are the victims of a Mute Swan pogrum.  in fact there were very few ducks at Nayanquing, Tobico or any other eastern Michigan location I stopped at.  Tobico looks good for a Pileated but none there?

Farther north there were plenty of sandflats and mudflats at Squaw Bay and Isaacon's Bay at Alpena but no shorebirds, few gulls, and few ducks.
I did find a small raft of Redhead and Greater Scaup out on the bay.  Up in Cheboygan an American Bittern, Snipe and Sora Rails were calling in the evening at the boardwalk at Gordon Turner Park.  The next morning i saw an active Osprey nest there.  Things were quiet in the Cheboygan State Park with few birds possibly due to the stiff cold breeze coming straight in off Lake Huron.  i did see a Merlin dash out of the forest near 14 mile shoals cabin to chase a Ring-billed Gull.  The forest at the park reluctantly yeilded up Yellow-rumped, Black-th. Green, Black & White, Pine, and Nashville Warblers and Northern Waterthrush.   There were also excellent mud and sandflats on Duncan Bay but I could only spot 5 Greater Yellowlegs there as early arrivals.

After a long and unproductive drive to Linsey Marsh (pg. 95 DeLorme D6) I made another long and unproductive (and dusty) drive to Dingmen Marsh (pg 94 C3).  Does anyone every find anything here?  Lots of water and marsh but no ducks, just one hungry looking immature Bald Eagle.

I'll have to take Steve Santner's course on "Successful, Profitable, and Easy County Birding".

BA
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