Kittiwake, Pine Grosbeaks Huron Co

[Karl Overman]

Today, our birding foursome (Jim Lesser, Robert Epstein, Scott Jennex  
and myself ) had a productive day of birding around the Thumb in  
pleasant weather.  The highlight of the trip was an immature BLACK- 
LEGGED KITTIWAKE spotted for us by Scott Jennex at Harbor Beach,  
Huron County on Lake Huron.  The bird was flying inside the lengthy  
breakwall at the harbor and  was last seen flying up a channel by the  
power plant.

A goal of today's trip was to look for winter finches.  We were at  
least partially successful in that we found 8 PINE GROSBEAKS feeding  
low on the abundant Michigan Holly (botany is not my forte I should  
add) along Loosemore Road.  Loosemore Road is a short dirt road  
running between M-25 and Oak Beach Road near the tip of the Thumb.   
It starts from the south side of M-25 across from the Day Use  
entrance to Port Crescent State Park.  I was actually surprised not  
to run across Bohemian Waxwings there today.  I strongly suspect they  
are in that area this year.  Myles Willard has told me that he has  
already had Bohemians on his property in southern Tuscola County,  
considerably further south in the Thumb than Loosemore Road.

Other notable birds today for us included a WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE in  
the harbor at Port Austin, Huron County and a SHORT-EARED OWL flying  
along the shore of Lake Huron at mid-day at the end of County Road in  
the Grindstone City area of Huron County.


Cheers,

Karl Overman
Farmington Hills, Mi.