[Mich-chat] Saginaw Bay Area Bird Survey - Spring '09

[soehnelj]

Birders,

The following is the Saginaw Bay Area's Bird Survey summary, Spring '09, as
written/compiled by David Peters.  The complete survey can be found on the
Saginaw Bay Area Birding Website.

Good Fourth of July birding!

Joe Soehnel
Saginaw Bay Area Birding <http://www.saginawbaybirding.org/>


Overall observer contribution was very good this spring, both in terms of
number of reports and coverage of the area. There was a notable increase in
the number of reports from Fish Point SWA, Tu. This is encouraging, as the
site has played a significant role in the history of birds in the SBA, but
observer visits there seemed to have waned in the last decades. The
important contributions to bird conservation of such public owned lands is
well illustrated in the location citations within this report, be it a site
uniquely situated to monitor bird migration, such as Port Crescent SP; or a
breeding site such as Shiawassee NWR, where three observers can achieve NAMC
tallies that equal or exceed entire counties. As far as bird numbers, there
did seem to be a definite inconsistency of results from any given day of
field observation. For example, regarding the popular wood warblers,
observer comments ranged from a personal best day ever, to the worst season
in years, with exceptionally low numbers. Aside from this hit or miss
aspect, the overall diversity of bird species in the SBA this spring was
good. A total of 252 species from the Michigan Bird List were reported,
above the average number of 248 for the previous nineteen years. Amongst the
many highlights of this spring where above average number of reports
received for two species of particular conservation concern - *Red-headed
Woodpecker* and *Cerulean Warbler*. A species that appears to be expanding
its presence in the SBA, *Yellow-bellied Sapsucker*, and one that could be
on the verge of it, *Hooded Warbler*, were also reported from numerous
locations. The hope of encountering a rarely occurring species often
motivates observers in the field, and *Tricolored Heron**, *White-faced Ibis
**, *Ferruginous Hawk**, *White-eyed Vireo*, and *Painted Bunting** were
among the big finds this spring. Lastly, if for no other reason that it is
so unusual to be able to mention these species in this season, are the
reports of lingering *White-winged Crossbills* and *Pine Siskins.*
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