Vermilion Flycatcher -- Marquette County 10/23

[theowlranch@aol.com]

Howdy folks,
 
Well the great birds just keep rolling in the UP. A male VERMILION FLYCATCHER has been present up in Big Bay, Marquette County since October 11th. I received word of a possible Vermilion this morning, and Scott Hickman, Mark & Joanie Hubinger, David Pavlik & Zach Gayk headed up to the bay to check it out, where we were pleased to find (1st year type?) the bird. The bird spent most of the 3 hours we were up there catching bugs and traveling around a couple of yards along Lake Independence. 
I will have photos of the Vermilion in the 2006 photo gallery of www.UPBirders.org in just a few minutes.
 
The homeowners are open to birders coming to their place, however I think they are a little suspicious of some sort of circus unfolding on their front lawns. The bird can be seen just fine from the road, and perhaps people should refrain from going into backyards after the bird. It frequently would circle around a couple of houses working a circuit, and was never not visible for more then 5 minutes. I'm sure I'm just preaching to the choir here, but please best behavior, I would like to be able to bird in Big Bay after this little cutie passes on. Directions to the bird are below.
 
I (and several other birders) will be out first thing in the morning to look for the Flycatcher. Any and all updates will be posted asap.
 
Good Birding!
 
~Skye Haas
 
P.s. The GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE is still coming to the feeders of Louie Taccolini in Marquette for anyone hoping to get a two-fer.
 
 
---Directions
 
>From US 41/M-28 go into downtown Marquette up Front Street. Take Front all the way through town till it deadends at Fair Street. Make a left and take to Presque Isle Ave/4th Street. Make a right on Presque/4th and take to Wright Street. Take Wright a few blocks to Sugar Loaf and make a right. Go down Sugarloaf until it deadends at Hawley. Make a left. Hawley is also County Road 550 (the Big Bay Rd.). Take CO RD 550 all the way north for 25 some miles to the Village of Big Bay.
Upon reaching Big Bay drive through the town to the north end. Stay on the 550 Road, it will curve you around to the left (where it may be called Balke Street?). Make a right onto Schenk. Also a tip is to follow the signs to the first 2 signs for the Lighthouse. Go down the Schenk passed the Bay Cliff Health Club. The road will curve around to the right and become the KBC Road. Stay on the paved road all the way to the Flycatcher house. There will be a 3rd sign for the lighthouse going down a dirt road about 2 miles down on the KBC Rd. Stay to the right on the KBC/KD Road and go .7 miles down this road. The house is on the left  (grey colored with a latticed railing around the front porch) and the house number is N3824. To park, go pass the house to a little dirt cul de sac right by a dam on a river going out of the Lake. Try to avoid parking on the lawns or going down any of the private roads nearby. 
 
The bird spent most of it's time either on top of the TV antenna of the grey house or in the large open yard across the road.
 
 
 
 
 
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/mich-listers/attachments/20061023/2c8d1853/attachment.html