Metro Beach Spring Banding Begins

On Saturday, April 3, four volunteers and I opened the banding station at Metro Beach for the 7th spring season since the project was re-instated in 2004. The expectations for this early in the season include lingering winter birds like American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos as well as some early migrants including American Goldfinches, Golden-crowned Kinglets and Brown Creepers. The warm weather of the past two weeks resulted in the warmest "opening day" we've ever had...one year there was still ice in the swamp. It was also one of the least productive opening days in some time, with only 10 birds banded and 3 recaptured. My best guess is that the winter birds had departed on the warm weather, as not a single American Tree Sparrow was in the banding area, and only a couple juncos, while some of the early spring migrants had not yet arrived in numbers.

It took us a little over two hours to get the station set up, as we had to relocate the net lanes (not too hard) and there were a couple minor changes that I made to the setup. The Swamp Nets now consists of an enclosed "U" with two 18-meter nets and a 12-meter net, rather than the open "U" used before. The Willow East net was reduced from an 18-meter net to a 12-meter net, as that site is becoming even more open as the willows in that area seem to be dying off. A slightly different position was tried there, but it didn't look much better. The planned controlled burn of the entire marsh to control Phragmites has not yet occurred, and the weather does not look promising in the next week. This invasive control program will certainly be of great benefit to the health of the local ecosystem, but will affect long-term comparisons of banding data. But it will also provide a potential opportunity to closely monitor bird populations during and after such a burn. Studies have been done on the effects of burns in prairie habitats, but I am not aware of any studies monitoring bird populations after a Phragmites burn, so this could present an interesting an unique opportunity over the next 5 years.

Banding highlights for Saturday, April 3 included of course the first bird of the season, which happened to be a Black-capped Chickadee in the Field Nets. On the same net run was another chickadee that was banded already, and in checking it out later at home I found that it was banded in 2007.

Two Song Sparrows were also recaptured, one banded as a hatch-year in fall 2009 and one banded as an after second-year in fall 2007. The first Swamp Sparrow of the season was also captured, the first of many more to come. Metro Beach is probably the most productive banding site in Michigan for this species.

We did get a taste of early migrants, with a single Brown Creeper banded. I am always amazed to see the long, decurved bills of these birds, and also the fascinating eyelid shape (not round), which they share with the wrens.

And a small group of Golden-crowned Kinglets in the banding area provided us with three to band, two males and one female.

Interesting birds observed but not banded included several Tree Swallows circling over the marsh all day long, but never coming down low enough to check out the nest box by the Field Nets. But they will do that soon enough. A Winter Wren was heard singing off and on, and at least one Tufted Titmouse was in the banding area, where they are infrequently encountered. In the unconfirmed category, Harry saw a bird around the Field Nets that he said looked like a waterthrush. This early in the season, Louisiana Waterthrush would be more likely than Northern, but the bird was not captured nor re-sighted. Perhaps most interesting was the pair of Cooper's Hawks that are again working on the nest in the maple tree near the Willow East net. The smaller male is a streak-breasted second-year bird and the larger female is an adult of unknown age with rufous-barred underparts.

Over the winter, I received an interesting notice from the Bird Banding Lab. A Brown-headed Cowbird that was banded as a second-year female at Metro Beach last spring on June 6, 2009 was found dead near Clyde, Sandusky County, Ohio on October 10, 2009. This is 80 miles just about due south of Metro Beach, and is the second cowbird banded at Metro Beach encountered elsewhere (the first was banded in spring a couple years ago and found only two weeks later to the northwest in Saginaw County).

Thanks to Harry Lau, Rose Lau, Tessa Lau, and Tom Schlack for helping out today.

====================
Banding Data
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SATURDAY, April 4, 2010
Sunrise (E.S.T.): 6:12
Time Open (E.S.T.): 7:15
Time Closed (E.S.T.): 12:30
Hours Open: 5.25
No. of Nets: 4.25-13.25
Net Hours: 61.313
Temperature (F): 50-63
Cloud Cover: 70-100%
Wind: SSE-SW @ 7-10-15 mph
Barometer: 29.82-29.71
Precipitation: Light rain during take-down
No. Banded: 10 (plus 3 recaptured)
No. of Species: 7
Capture Rate: 21.2 birds per 100 net hours
Volunteers: Harry Lau, Rose Lau, Tessa Lau, Tom Schlack

Black-capped Chickadee - 3 (plus 1 recaptured)
Brown Creeper - 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 3
American Robin - 1
[Song Sparrow - 2 recaptured]
Swamp Sparrow - 1
American Goldfinch - 1

Hummingbirds are coming!

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have established a firm presence on the U.S. Gulf Coast, and are heading north. Track their progress on the wonderful website here: Hummingbirds.net. Once they get to Michigan, you can track them, and report your own sightings, to the Great Lakes HummerNet.

Is spring really on the way?

Last week, I mentioned the arrival of Red-winged Blackbirds and this week there have been courting Mourning Doves, arriving Common Grackles, and singing Tufted Titmice to reinforce the progression of the season. Now is also a good time to check out the Hummingbirds.net website to track the progress of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, which are arriving along the Gulf Coast right now. Also, the Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) in the back yard have now bloomed and, although this is a European wildflower not native to our area, it is always nice to see them bloom, always before the Vernal Equinox. Some years they get covered with snow when blooming...hopefully not this year!

Last summer was highlighted by a lack of insects, which allowed for greater explorations of wetland and bog areas than in most years. The flowers seemed to be relatively unaffected, but some of the birds may have had a tough time finding enough to feed their young. One of the more spectacular flowers in open marshes and wetlands in southeastern Michigan is the Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus palustris), photographed here at the Pte. Mouillee State Game Area. A better name might be marsh mallow...or perhaps not!

Smaller, but no less interesting plants in the marsh include the uncommon Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens), which has many colorful relatives in the western U.S.

Much less conspicuous is the Marsh Bellflower (Campanula aparinoides).

I didn't spend too much time in prairie habitat in summer and fall 2009, but did search through some open fens, where in addition to getting a case of poison sumac, also found some other interesting flowers including the Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa).

In the wetter areas of this fen, the robust Water Smartweed (Polygonum amphibium) was found.

 And Michigan's most attractive species of milkweed, the Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) was fairly common in the fen areas that were explored in summer of 2009.

In the woodlands, the weird and wonderful saphrophytic Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) was a replacement for the Squawroot from spring.

An unexpected flower in the woodlands in summer is the aptly named Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus), which commonly grows in light gaps in deciduous woods.

A trip to southeastern Ohio to give a hummingbird presentation in July allowed us to explore some new areas for flowers. The gangly American Ipecac (Gillenia stipulata) is uncommon in Michigan but was easy to find here.

Common in Michigan wetlands, but interesting nonetheless, is the appropriately-named Turtlehead (Chelone glabra).

A very rare wetland species in Michigan is the Water Willow (Justicia americana), as we are near the northern edge of its range, but it was quite common at Lake Alma State Park, Ohio.

One of the flowers we really wanted to see in southeastern Ohio, as it does not occur in Michigan at all, was the Purple Fringless Orchid (Platanthera peramoena). With the help of a friend at the Ohio DNR, botanist Jim McCormac, we had a dozen "historical" sites to check where the species had been reported in the 1960s. This species seems to be closely tied to floodplains. We lucked out at two locations, one in a ditch along the highway through Lake Hope State Park where we were staying, and along the lakeshore at Lake Alma State Park. It was quite a striking orchid...

Later in summer and into early fall, the woodlands had fewer interesting plants but there were still a few, including a saphrophytic orchid species, the Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata), represented by just a single plant at this locale.

And the Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema atrorubens) had begun fruiting with its bright red bunch of fruits where the spadix had been in spring.

A short, but large-flowered aster species, the Large-leaved Aster (Aster macrophyllus), was also in this woods.

But once again I was drawn to the bog, where orchids and other interesting plants are found. One of my favorite orchids is the Grass Pink Orchid (Calopogon tuberosus), which bloomed nicely in 2009.

Often associated with the Grass Pink is the Rose Pogonia Orchid (Pogonia ophioglossoides), a smaller species that grows lower to the ground, with a single flower per plant.

Of course with beauties such as these, it may be easy to see why orchids hold a fascination with some people, including me, but some species reveal their beauty only if you get down on your hands and knees to examine their tiny, fairly colorless flowers. The Club-spur Orchid (Platanthera clavellata) is one of these. It is odd in two ways. One is that the lower lip is saw-toothed at the end, and the other is that the flowers are usually tilted away from what one would consider the "normal" orientation.

Then there are the extremely rare species. If I told you were I'd found this tall, elegant Eastern Prairie Fringed-Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea), I'd have to kill you! Just kidding of course. I'd never tell as it is a Federally Endangered species.

Once summer gives way to fall, members of the Composite family dominate the scene. One interesting flower, which persisted into early October in the bird banding area at Metro Beach until early October, was the Nodding Bur Marigold (Bidens cernua), which has seeds that will stick tenaceously to your clothing.

The latest bloomers are typically the goldenrods and asters, which are notoriously difficult to identify, especially for amaterus like me. So, while I have some confidence that the flower in the photo below, the last flower I saw in 2009 (mid-November), is a Small White Aster (Aster vimineus), I won't argue if anyone else has a better idea what it might be! [March 12 update! A more experienced botanical friend has suggested that this might be Bushy Aster (Aster dumosus), and after reviewing various guides in my library, I agree.]

This concludes the reminiscences of last summer's flowers and as spring arrives this blog will again turn to birds as the main subject. Hopefully this little diversion into the deep, dark, botanical corner of my interests helped you get over your cabin fever.

The end of cabin fever?

Although the male Red-winged Blackbirds singing outside my window, where there are still piles of snow, signal that spring is coming, it is still about two months until we'll see our first major push of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds into Michigan. In the next week or two, the Snowdrops will be blooming in my garden, and we have clearly once again made it through the deepest, darkest depths of winter. But cabin fever can get the best of us, so I thought this might be a good time to look back on some of the wildflower photos I took last year. I'll post in two installments, one with spring flowers and another with summer and fall flowers.

Most years, I spend some time with the spring wildflowers in April, but this year we made a special trip to an undisclosed location to see, and photograph, one of the rarest (and smallest) species of Trillium in Michigan, the Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale) which blooms in early April and is known from only two or three locales in the state.

Another rare Trillium species, found only in one county in the state (but widespread farther south), is the Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum), which blooms during May.

While doing breeding bird surveys in late May at the Barton Nature Area north of Ann Arbor, I was surprised at the abundance of the Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus).

Rich woods are a great place to find wildflowers, and in particular one of my favorite families, the orchids. Some friends who share the same enfatuation were very kind in sharing information on where these blooming jewels were located, and of course whenever possible I returned the favor. One particular location in Washtenaw County is particularly good for an orchid called Puttyroot (Aplectrum hyemale), or sometimes called Adam and Eve Orchid. It is fairly inconspicuous when in flower, consisting of a spike of perhaps a dozen flower each about 1/2 inch wide, but is unusual in that its leaf emerges after blooming and persists all winter.

Another woodland orchid that can be difficult to find is the Showy Orchis (Orchis spectabilis). Not to be confused with the much larger Showy Ladyslipper, this orchid is small, but beautiful.

And in a wet swale, in an open area in this woods, the Yellow Ladyslipper (Cypripedium calceolus) was found as well.

There were other interesting plants in these rich woods as well, including a rather inconspicuous but fairly uncommon plant, the Green Violet (Hybanthus concolor).

A trip was made to southwestern Michigan to see a "lifer" orchid, and one of the strangest species to occur in Michigan. The Lily-leaved Twayblade (Liparis lilifolia) is most common in prairie areas, and sometimes in woodlands, and a good friend in Kalamazoo County had some on his property. Another name I've seen for this orchid is one of my favorite plant names; Mauve Sleekwort.

Each flower is perhaps 3/4 of an inch long, but note the interesting details, including the broad pale pinkish lip, and the narrow hairlike tendrils, which are actually specialized petals, dangling from each flower.

In late spring, bogs become more interesting although very often they can be difficult to access as insects very quickly become a problem. In 2009, the cool conditions seemed to reduce the biting bugs significantly, with the result that "bog trotting" was a very pleasant experience. One bog that I visited several times in 2009 was reached by going through a rich woodland, which contained some interesting flowers, including the odd Squawroot (Conopholis americana) which is saphrophytic, drawing its nutrients from the roots of trees.

Another interesting, and uncommon, plant is the Indian Cucumber-Root (Medeola virginiana). This plant always draws the eye of the orchid-searcher as the whorled pattern of its leaves is very similar to one very rare and one endangered species of orchid. But the blooms of course are very different, looking like small (one-inch diameter) greenish-yellow tiger lilies.

Once in the bog, the vegetation changes dramatically, and among the many carnivorous Pitcher Plants and Sundews one can also find the tiny flowers of the Small Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), if you're willing to put your chin down into the mat of mosses!

Of course bogs are the domain of orchids, and several species were found here in late spring, including the Pink Ladyslipper (Cypripedium acaule), sometimes called Mocassin Flower.

Perhaps one of the most spectacular orchids in Michigan is the Arethusa (Arethusa bulbosa), sometimes called the Dragon's Mouth.

This ends the first installment of my wildflower wanderings from 2009. Until the next posting, try to stay warm!

100 Eagle Weekend!

This past weekend, February 20 & 21, 2010, I was priviledged to participate in the Birding on Ice event, co-sponsored by a number of organizations including the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Tropical Birding Tours, the American Birding Association, Friends of the Detroit River, Michigan DNRE, DTE Engergy, and Consumer's Energy. I was asked to represent the American Birding Association, which allowed me to attend all events as a local source to answer questions and help with bird identifications. Each of the two days had the same itinerary, which consisted of four field trips and an evening dinner with presentations. Many new birders attended, which was great, as well as a few more experienced observers. The highlight of the day for many was perhaps the presence of Bald Eagles on all four field trips, on both days, resulting in about 96 eagles counted on Saturday and about 115 on Sunday. Many other birds were seen, of course, and a complete accounting is presented below.

The first field trip began at 7:00 a.m. on the beach of western Lake Erie at the J.R. Whiting Power Plant. The idea was to view birds in the warm water channel outflow from the plant, and on the lake, as well as watch the sun rise. Sunrise was at about 7:20, but before then the whistling wings of many ducks could be heard flying overhead, and the distant calls of courting Common Goldeneyes could also be heard. A group of Great Blue Herons decorated the ice edge adjacent to the outflow and numerous ducks and gulls were farther out in the water and on the ice. On Sunday, Josh from Tropical Birding found an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. On Saturday, two Coyotes trotted out from the woods near us and walked far out onto the ice, well beyond the open water holding the ducks, until they were nearly out of sight. Unfortunately, we had to depart at 8 a.m. to make it to the next field trip destination.

The power plant in Monroe was the next destination, as DTE Energy very generously allowed a limited number of birders to come in and view areas normally closed to the public. We passed a groomed field where they were attracting nesting Herring Gulls so that they would not nest on building rooftops, where they can cause expensive cleanup operations and even damage. The gulls appeared to be pairing up, and even poking around with the vegetation beginning to build nests. Some waterfowl were present in some of the ponds, including a Pied-billed Grebe on both days, but once we got to the very broad warm water outflow where it met Lake Erie, we saw many more birds. Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, and Double-crested Cormorants were found along this channel, which are difficult to find in February in Michigan. On Saturday, a Great Egret was in the channel, which is a very rare occurrence, and quite surprising was the Common Map Turtles basking on branches at the waters' edge, among the cormorants. There were at least three of them on Saturday and about a dozen on Sunday. The air temperature was 35 degrees both days, but the water temperature can very from 45-56 degrees this time of year. This field trip produced the bulk of the Bald Eagles on both days, with about 75 present on Saturday and about 90 present on Sunday. Some of my better photos of this concentration are included here. I'm sure that many other photographers got better images than mine, as I had to focus on helping other see and identify birds.

After spending nearly two hours touring this plant, we next headed north to the headquarters of the Pte. Mouillee State Game Area. Jerry Jourdan was the lead for this locale, and his scouting on Friday determined that the inner ponds were all frozen so the itinerary was changed to view birds around the parking area for an hour or so. An American Pipit, present here since November, was easily found and viewed by all participants. An 11-year old birder from Ohio told me this was his 100th life bird. Surely, many got good photos of this bird. On Saturday, there were Tundra Swans among the more numerous Mute Swans, as well as other ducks including Buffleheads and close Ruddy Ducks. On Sunday, the Tundra Swans had apparently departed this part of Lake Erie, perhaps signalling the beginning of their northward migration.

After lunch, the groups spent a couple hours at Lake Erie Metropark, where good numbers of Canvasback, with a few Redhead, scaup, and on Sunday a good number of Ruddy Ducks were found among the Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, and Mallards along with a few American Black Ducks and Gadwall. From here, some headed into downtown Monroe where a nice dinner was provided to those who registered, along with two presentations by the excellent guides from Tropical Birding Tours. Josh Engel discussed birding options around the United States, by season, highlighting many well-known birding locales and a few lesser-known sites as well. Iain Campbell, co-founder of Tropical Birding Tours, presented options for world-birding, how to maximize your effort and expenses, to see as many birds as possible, depending on your level of interest. Both presentations were very well done, informative, and with numerous wonderful bird photos, which surely stimulated interest among the groups to travel to see birds.

Birds seen during this weekend, by my best accounting, included:

CANADA GOOSE- Both days. A few at all locations.
MUTE SWAN - Both days. Most were at Pte. Mouillee with a few at other locations.
TUNDRA SWAN - Saturday only. Most were at Pte. Mouillee where perhaps a couple dozen were seen.
GADWALL - Both days. One or two at the Whiting Plant, Pte. Mouillee, and Lake Erie Metropark.
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK - Both days. A few at all locations.
MALLARD - Both days. A few to dozens at all locations.
CANVASBACK - Both days, but fewer birds were in close on Sunday. Hundreds were at the Whiting Plant and Lake Erie Metropark, and smaller numbers at Pte. Mouillee.
REDHEAD - Both days. A few among the Canvasback flocks.
LESSER SCAUP - Both days. A few among the Canvasback flocks, though few could be identified to species. Individuals in flight at Pte. Mouillee and at fairly close range on the water at Lake Erie Metropark provided identifiable views to some participants.
BUFFLEHEAD - Both days. A few at all locations.
COMMON GOLDENEYE - Both days. Dozens at the Whiting Plant and Lake Erie Metropark (especially Saturday), and a few at other locations.
HOODED MERGANSER - Both days. A few at the Whiting Plant and Lake Erie Metropark.
COMMON MERGANSER - Both days. Dozens, or more, at the Whiting Plant and Lake Erie Metropark, and a few at other locations.
RUDDY DUCK - Both days. A few at the Whiting Plant, Pte. Mouillee, and Lake Erie Metropark on Saturday, and more than 100 at Lake Erie Metropark on Sunday.
PIED-BILLED GREBE - Both days. One or two at the Monroe Plant.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT - Both days. Only at the Monroe Plant, where perhaps 30-40 were roosting along the warm water outlet.
GREAT BLUE HERON - Both days. 65 on Saturday and 25 on Sunday at the Whiting Plant. Perhaps 20-30 at the Monroe Plant both days. A few at Pte. Mouillee and Lake Erie Metropark.
GREAT EGRET - Saturday only. Along the warm water outlet at the Monroe Plant. Very rare in winter in Michigan, but perhaps increasing?
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON - Sunday only. One immature flying overhead at first light at the Whiting Plant was seen only by me. At least one along the warm water outlet at the Monroe Plant.
BALD EAGLE - Both days. Seen at all locations, with more on Sunday at the Monroe Plant and Lake Erie Metropark and fewer at the other locales.
NORTHERN HARRIER - Sunday only. Seen by early-arriving attendees at Pte. Mouillee.
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK - Both days. One flew very close to the group, twice (!), at first light on the beach at the Whiting Plant on Saturday, and one was perched in a tree near the entrance at Lake Erie Metropark on Sunday but probably not seen by participants.
COOPER'S HAWK - Saturday only. One along I-75 on the way to the dinner in Monroe, so probably not seen by participants.
RED-TAILED HAWK - Both days. Only along I-75 between tour locations, possibly not seen by participants. Several on Saturday, only a couple on Sunday.
AMERICAN KESTREL - Both days. Only one each day along I-75 between tour locations, almost certainly not seen by participants.
RING-BILLED GULL - Both days. A few at all locations.
HERRING GULL - Both days. Dozens at all locations, but hundreds at the Monroe Plant where they appeared to be pairing and beginning nest site selection.
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL - Sunday only. An adult found by Josh Engel at the Whiting Plant, about two minutes before we had to leave!
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL - Both days. A few at all locations.
ROCK PIGEON - Both days. Many at both power plants and along I-75.
MOURNING DOVE - Both days. Only a few seen flying over at each site, but a few perched along I-75.
BELTED KINGFISHER - Both days. One seen well in the scope, probably the same female, along the warm water outlet at the Monroe Plant.
DOWNY WOODPECKER - Both days. Only one or two at the Whiting Plant and Lake Erie Metropark.
HORNED LARK - Both days. A few calling overhead, but not seen, at Pte. Mouillee, and perhaps elsewhere. Almost certainly not noted by participants.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE - Both days. A couple at Pte. Mouillee and Lake Erie Metropark.
AMERICAN ROBIN - Both days. A few, including singing individuals, at the Whiting Plant and Lake Erie Metropark.
EUROPEAN STARLING - Both days. Mainly at the plants and along I-75.
AMERICAN PIPIT - Both days. Seen well by most participants, even in the scope, as it fed along the perimiter of the parking lot at the Pte. Mouillee headquarters. This bird has apparently been present since November, and is one of very few (if any?) February records for the state, and the species has never successfully over-wintered here.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW - Both days. A couple to a few at the Whiting Plant, Pte. Mouillee, and Lake Erie Metropark, though not very cooperative.
SONG SPARROW - Sunday only. A couple were singing feebly from the marshes along the road to the beach at the Whiting Plant.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW - Both days. A few at Pte. Mouillee.
DARK-EYED JUNCO - Both days. A few at Pte. Mouillee, and along Campau Road.
NORTHERN CARDINAL - Both days. A few, including singing individuals, at all locations.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD - Both days. A couple singing males at the Whiting Plant, and perhaps elsewhere.
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD - Saturday only. A flock of 8 males was at the corner of Jefferson and South Huron River Drive on the way to the Pte. Mouillee field trip after lunch. Not seen by anyone else.
HOUSE FINCH - Both days. At least one singing male at Pte. Mouillee, but probably not heard by participants.
HOUSE SPARROW - Both days. Mainly at the plants. Likely not seen by participants.

47 species total.