Michigan RBA--20 May 2004

Thu May 20 08:33:03 EDT 2004

--RBA

*Michigan
*Statewide
*May 20th, 2004
*MIST052004
-Transcript

hotline: Michigan
number: 269/471-4919
to report: 269-556-9510 or wuepperj at hotmail.com
compiled: 20 May 2004
compiler: Jon Wuepper

MICHIGAN REVIEW SPECIES MENTIONED:

LEWIS’S WOODPECKER* [ACCIDENTAL] (Keweenaw County)

TRICOLORED HERON* [CASUAL](Kalamazoo County)
ARCTIC TERN* [CASUAL] (Berrien County)
BLUE GROSBEAK* [CASUAL] (Allegan County)
LARK SPARROW* [CASUAL] (Saginaw 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 (and a hybrid) mentioned:

Snowy Egret (Berrien County)
Cattle Egret (Berrien County)
Stilt Sandpiper (Washtenaw County)
White-eyed Vireo (Berrien County)
‘Lawrence’s” Warbler (Berrien County)
Northern Parula (Berrien County)
Yellow-throated Warbler (Berrien County)
Kirtland’s Warbler (Wayne, Crawford, Oscoda cos)
Cerulean Warbler (Berrien County)
Worm-eating Warbler (Berrien, Van Buren cos)
Kentucky Warbler (Berrien County)
Connecticut Warbler (Berrien County)
Dickcissel (Berrien County)

This is the Michigan Statewide Bird Report for Thursday, May 20th, 2004, 
which is being sponsored by the CONSERVATION FUND. Check out their website, 
http://www.conservationfund.org

NOTE: Due to the incredible amount of reports this week, I am only able to 
post the highlights. (Including the 20 or so messages received since last 
night!) Lack of time and space (mostly time), has prevented me from 
reporting every uncommon species reported. However, all records received 
will be forwarded to the Spring Michigan Bird Survey compiler, Jack 
Reinoehl, for publication in “Michigan Birds and Natural History.”

IN KEWEENAW COUNTY, on the afternoon of May 18th, Tom Auer, Lawrence Binford 
and others located a LEWIS’S WOODPECKER* at Copper Harbor (village). They 
watched it move from tree to tree, before loosing sight of it around 2:20pm. 
For more information on this incredible sighting, you may contact Tom at 
t_auer at lycos.com , or call 906-370-7582.

In BERRIEN COUNTY on May 14th, Phil Chu located an ARCTIC TERN*, at the 
Three Oaks Sewage Ponds. This bird was not relocated the next day, May 15th, 
during the 16th Annual Southwest Michigan Team Birdathon. Participants (22 
teams, roughly 100 observers) of the Birdathon collectively tallied 183 
species, and generated about $28,000 as a result, for various conservation 
related organizations. Highlights that day were 1 SNOWY EGRET, seen at Three 
Oaks Sewage Ponds (first seen May 11th, not relocated after May 15th.), 
WORM-EATING WARBLER (at Rosemary Beach near Grand Mere State Park). KENTUCKY 
WARBLER, CONNECTICUT WARBLER (Warren Dunes State Park), NORTHERN PARULA, 
CERULEAN WARBLER, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (all Forest Lawn Road), HOODED 
WARBLER (Warren Dunes and Warren Woods State Parks), WHITE-EYED VIREO 
(Warren Dunes State Park and along Forest Lawn Road), DICKCISSELS, along 
Mill Road (“Avery Road” in DeLorme) and Kruger Road. On May 14th, Scott 
Manly observed a WORM-EATING WARBLER at Grand Mere State Park. On May 15th, 
Phil Chu found a “LAWRENCES” WARBLER along the Yellow Birch Trail at Warren 
Dunes State Park. 2 CATTLE EGRETS were seen around a private pond, in 
Royalton twp on May 13th-14th.

Dr. A. Salvagione called last night to report a LITTLE BLUE HERON, observed 
while canoeing the Saint Joseph River on May 16th. The bird was flushed near 
"Industrial Island" and the Morrison Channel, between Saint Joseph and 
Benton Harbor.

In SAGINAW COUNTY, a LARK SPARROW* was seen and photographed on May 12th, at 
the Shiawasee National Wildlife Refuge. Its location was about 20 yards 
north of the gate at the Waterfowl Trail parking lot, at the west end of 
Curtis Road.  Curtis can be reached by taking M-13 south of Saginaw and 
turning west onto Curtis Road.

In ALLEGAN COUNTY on May 17th, Rick Brigham and others found a BLUE 
GROSBEAK*, in the Allegan State Game Area.  Rick reported: “…to get to this 
bird look for the only dirt road on 58th Street, that leads off to the east 
between 116th Avenue and 117th Avenue. Park on the shoulder of 58th St. as 
the service road is for ‘Authorized Vehicles Only’ and a short hike down it 
is required and worthwhile. Once the road passes through the first row of 
trees, curve right until it ends in an area used to dump tree stumps and 
fill dirt. Search for the bird on the stump piles and in the thick 
vegetation in the immediate vicinity….”

In KALAMAZOO COUNTY, the TRICOLORED HERON*, reported last week at the 
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, was still present (on Wintergreen Lake) as of May 
17th.

In VAN BUREN COUNTY on May 15th, Jim Granlund found a WORM-EATING WARBLER, 
south of South Haven, along Deer Lick Creek. Directions, courtesy of Jim: 
“…This location can be reached by traveling south of South Haven on Blue 
Star Highway and turning back north on 76th Street (not signed, but it is 
the next road after 12th Avenue) and then immediately west on 13th Avenue.  
The road turns back north and then west eventually dead ending against Lake 
Michigan.  This is a bit confusing but Deer Lick Creek does appear on the 
DeLorme map and the bird is where the creek reaches Lake Michigan.  The bird 
was found at the bridge over the creek.”

In WASHTENAW COUNTY on May 17th, Mike Sefton reported 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, at 
the northeast corner of the big pond at the Ann Arbor Landfill.

In WAYNE COUNTY, May 16th, Curtis Powell found a KIRTLAND’S WARBLER, at Van 
Buren Park. No reports of relocation of this Federally Endangered Species. 
This individual was without a doubt, a passing migrant.

In both CRAWFORD (Grayling area) and OSCODA COUNTIES (Mio area), May 10th, 
singing male KIRTLAND’S WARBLERS were reported back in the Jack-pine 
barrens. Guided “Kirtland’s Warbler Tours” will be conducted by the U.S. 
Fish & Wildlife Service from May 15 through July 4, 2004 departing from the 
Holiday Inn in Grayling, Michigan. The tours are offered daily at 7:00 a.m. 
and at 11:00 a.m. and are free of charge.

The U.S. Forest Service will conduct daily tours from May 15 through July 2, 
2004 (except on Memorial Day) with tours departing at 7:00 a.m. from the 
U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Office in Mio, Michigan. The USFS tour 
will cost $5.00 per person under the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program.

For more information on the KIRTLAND’S WARBLER, go to:
<http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hmnf/pages/kirtland.htm>
also:
<http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hmnf/pages/warbtours.htm>
and:
http://midwest.fws.gov/EastLansing/tour.html
and/or:
http://midwest.fws.gov/endangered/birds/Kirtland/kiwa-facts.html

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, May 27th, 
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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