Michigan RBA--6 May 2004

[Jonathan Wuepper]

--RBA

*Michigan
*Statewide
*May 6th, 2004
*MIST050604
-Transcript

hotline: Michigan
number: 269/471-4919
to report: 269-556-9510 or wuepperj at hotmail.com
compiled: 6 May 2004
compiler: Jon Wuepper

MICHIGAN REVIEW SPECIES MENTIONED:

BLACK-NECKED STILT* [ACCIDENTAL] (Monroe County)
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER* [CASUAL] (Chippewa County)
WESTERN TANAGER* [CASUAL] (Chippewa County)
EURASSIAN SISKIN* [NOT ON STATE LIST, origin?] (Chippewa County)

*=On Michigan Bird Records Committee Species Review List. Please send 
documentation to: Jack Reinoehl, c/o MBRC, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI 
49242.

Additional Species Mentioned:

Snowy Egret (Mackinac County)
Harlequin Duck (Allegan County)
Surf Scoter (Monroe County)
Swainson’s Hawk (Chippewa County)
Franklin’s Gull (Chippewa County)
Yellow Rail (Bay County)
Piping Plover (Sanilac County)
Willet (Monroe, Mason cos)
Long-eared Owl (Chippewa County)
Northern Hawk Owl (Chippewa County)
Boreal Owl (Chippewa County)
White-eyed Vireo (Macomb, Berrien cos)
American Crow (Chippewa County)
Northern Parula (Berrien County)
Yellow-throated warbler (Berrien County)
Cerulean warbler (Berrien County)
Worm-eating Warbler (Bay, Washtenaw cos)
Kentucky Warbler (Hillsdale, Washtenaw, Berrien cos)
Summer Tanager (Kent, Berrien cos)

This is the Michigan Statewide Bird Report for Thursday, May 6th, 2004.

*BREAKING NEWS*:

Fide, Adam Byrne:

"This evening [May 5th] a male EURASIAN SISKIN* was found at the Whitefish 
Point feeders.  The WPBO staff will be looking for this bird again tomorrow 
[May 6th] morning and will let us know if there are any additional 
sightings.  Of course, origin is of major concern with this species.  The 
only accepted ABA area record is from Attu Island, Alaska, yet there have 
been unaccepted records from many eastern locales (Ontario, Maine, 
Massachusetts, etc.).

Also, there is a young male WESTERN TANAGER* frequenting a feeder in 
Paradise.  It can be seen at feeders in the front yard of a red house on the 
west side of M-123 just north of the Baptist Church in Paradise.  Apparently 
the bird showed up at the home around Saturday, but the staff just found out 
about it today.  Please view the feeders from the shoulder of the road."

At the Point Mouilee State Game Area in MONROE COUNTY, May 2nd, Adam Byrne 
and Skye Haas found 2 (1 male, 1 female) BLACK-NECKED STILTS* in the Huron 
River, about 50 yards in from the Sigler Road entrance. Other highlights 
that day were SURF SCOTERS and 9 WILLETS (in cell #4).

In BAY COUNTY, Nayaquing Point on April 29th, Ken and Sandy Hoover reported 
a YELLOW RAIL, viewed on the south side of Kitchen Road, just a bit east of 
Tower Beach Road, about 15 feet off the road. On May 1st, a WORM-EATING 
WARBLER was seen at the entrance to Tobico Marsh (many observers).

In MASON COUNTY on April 30th, Brian Allen found a WILLET, at the west pond 
of the Ludington Waste Water Treatment Facility on 6th Street, in  
Ludington.

In KENT COUNTY on May 1st-3rd, a male SUMMER TANAGER was seen along the 
south side of Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids.

In HILLSDALE COUNTY on May 3rd, Scott Jennex located a KENTUCKY WARBLER, at 
the Lost Nations State Game Area. Directions: The bird was found near the 
Skuze Rd entrance. To get to the Skuze Rd entrance continue south on 
Pittsford Rd. for another 1/4 mile and go right (west). Continue until the 
road turns to dirt (just past Gilbert Rd) then another ½ mile or so on your 
left is a parking area with a path leading into the woods. Take the path 
(again, need to relocate here and there due to down trees) until it is 
completely blocked by an uprooted tree. The KENTUCKY WARBLER was working the 
area off to the right.

IN WASHTENAW COUNTY on May 4th, Eric Hutson found both WORM-EATING WARBLER 
and KENTUCKY WARBLER were reported. The WORM-EATING WARBLER was found at 
Nichols Arboretum, on the south side of Dow Field, where a small trail leads 
into the woods toward a Rhododendron. The KENTUCKY WARBLER was in the east 
edge of Dolph Park, off of Park Lake Drive on Ann Arbor's west side. Eric 
saw it in the vicinity of a small creek south of the Park Lake entrance.

In MACOMB COUNTY, at the Metro Beach Metro Park, Allen Chartier banded a 
WHITE-EYED VIREO on May 4th.

In SANILAC COUNTY on April 30trh, a PIPING PLOVER was seen at Port Sanilac.

In CHIPPEWA COUNTY on May 2nd, Jerry Ziarno found a pair of BLACK-BACKED 
WOODPECKERS, at the Shelldrake Campground, behind campsite # 16.  Shelldrake 
Campground is reached by going roughly Northwest on Vermillion Road for 1.2 
miles from Whitefish Point Road. The hard-topped portion of Vermillion Rd. 
ends at this point.

Highlights from the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (CHIPPEWA COUNTY) this 
week (fide Karl Bardon & Adam Byrne): 1 SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER*, on April 
29th; 1 NORTHERN HAWK OWL, on May 1st, at the parking lot, being chased by 
AMERICAN CROWS; 1 LONG-EARED OWL (date?); 1 BOREAL OWL caught in a mist-net 
on night of May 2nd-3rd. An adult FRANKLIN’S GULL was seen on May 3rd; 
Single SWAINSON’S HAWKS were reported on April 24th, 30th; May 1st, 3rd.

In MACKINAC COUNTY, April 29th, the previously reported SNOWY EGRET was 
still present, ear Point LaBarbe.

In ALLEGAN COUNTY on May 3rd, Rick Brigham relocated the pair of HARLEQUIN 
DUCKS, which have been present for several weeks, among the pilings at Oval 
Beach, in Saugatuck.

In BERRIEN COUNTY on April 29th, Andre Moncrieff photographed a first-spring 
male SUMMER TANAGER near Berrien Springs (not relocated). On May 5th, Tom 
Beeke found a KENTUCKY WARBLER, at Warren Woods State Park, at the location 
where the bridge formerly crossed the Galien River. On May 3rd, Tim Baerwald 
and Gordon Atkins found a KENTUCKY WARBLER in Warren Dunes State Park (exact 
location unknown). On May 4th, I heard a KENTUCKY WARBLER in Warren Dunes 
State Park, along Yellow Birch Trail. I heard it, in the distance, between 
the two boardwalks, on the north side of the trail. On Sunday, May 3rd, John 
van der Linden reported a WHITE-EYED VIREO, along the Saint Joseph 
riverfront in Niles. (Exact location is unknown, but my guess would be along 
the Bond Street [city] Park.). The WHITE-EYED VIREO reported last week, from 
Warren Dunes State Park, was still present as of May 5th. YELLOW-THROATED 
WARBLERS & NORTHERN PARULAS at Forest Lawn Road this week. CERULEAN WARBLER 
on private land near Berrien Springs on May 6th.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, May 13th, 
2004. To report your sightings, please leave a message at the sound of the 
tone or call Jon Wuepper at 269-556-9510. Thanks for calling and good 
birding.

RECCOMENDED ORNITHOLOGIAL JOURNALS, WEB SITES, ETC


“Michigan Birds and Natural History”. Our state ornithological journal. 
Contains the Michigan Bird Survey, etc. (New link)
http://www.michiganaudubon.org/mbnh/mbnh_home.html


Michigan Bird Records Committee website: 
http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/rouge_river/MBRChome.html

“North American Birds”, a quarterly journal, published by the     American 
Birding Association: http://americanbirding.org/publications/nabgen.htm

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