The other day started out with a beautiful full Moon. Soon Susan and I were heading out to look for a bird that is a rare nesting species in Michigan. We were headed to Sharon Mills. There are nice trails that pass through grasslands and skirt the woods. Milkweeds had monarch caterpillars and milkweed tussockContinue reading “Searching for a rare bird in Michigan”
Tag Archives: birds
Shorebirds at Whitefish Point
Spending a lot of time on the shore and sand dundes at Whitefish Point means that you will see a lot of shorebirds. The obvious target for the majority of birdwatchers is Piping Plover. But there are a lot of other shorebirds as well. Adult Piping Plover. Piping Plover chick running across the stones andContinue reading “Shorebirds at Whitefish Point”
Red-headed Woodpeckers
With so many woodpeckers in Eastern North America how is it possible to haver a favorite bird. Pileated Woodpeckers are large, loud and flashy birds. Black-backed and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are rare and occasionally hard to find. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are fun to find But for me it’s Red-headed Woodpeckers. While exploring areas near Grayling, Michigan thatContinue reading “Red-headed Woodpeckers”
Grayling birds
So the other day we decided to spend a night in Grayling which is in the heart of Kirtland’s Warbler country. It’s been years since we stayed in that area, probably since before 2009 when we built the cabin. Regardless, it was a blast. One of the spots that we visited had tremendous numbers ofContinue reading “Grayling birds”
First full day of summer 2024
We spend a lot of the summer at our cabin at Whitefish Point, Michigan. Spring migration is long over, although yesterday we had a small kettle of eleven Broad-winged Hawks overhead. Now we talk long walks looking for flowers and insects, drive to favorite sites for birds and orchids or light for moths (more onContinue reading “First full day of summer 2024″
Birdathon at Whitefish Point.
Well, as expected the day started out drizzly and with mist until about noon. The number and variety of birds was lower than the day before. But we managed about 135 species with about a dozen observers. Money raised with this effort will go to supporting the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. In the course ofContinue reading “Birdathon at Whitefish Point.”
A busy day
Our day started with finishing what we needed to in the garden. There are 46 tomato plants (various cherry, roma and beef beef), 27 hot peppers (9 varieties), 15 basil and a new rosemary. Hopefully they will all make it until we’re home later in the month. On our way north we stopped just eastContinue reading “A busy day”
Whitefish Point and traveling
It’s always sad when we head south from Whitefish Point, but we have a house to take care of in Ann Arbor. It was nice seeing Troy, Dan and Alison for a while before leaving. On the way home we stopped at King’s in Moran to get salmon, lake trout and pasties for three mealsContinue reading “Whitefish Point and traveling”
Time for some harriers
I love watching harriers migrate. Of all of the raptors they have the most-bouyant flight. Additionally when seen well you can identify males, females and juveniles. This is a juvenile harrier. This is probably a juvenile female that passed close to me. At the same time there are always eagles to watch at Whitefish Point.Continue reading “Time for some harriers”
Spruce Grouse
We had several friends visiting Whitefish Point, here to see birds. After breakfast we all got into one car and headed off to an area where Spruce Grouse are common. None of us were disappointed. We found three male Spruce Grouse. Photos from behind show the stunning tail. The rust-colored tail tips are stunning. Here’sContinue reading “Spruce Grouse”
Michael's Place 