Birding Update

I've been pretty busy with school and work, but here are a few sightings from when I was able to get out the past couple months:

Brief glimpse of a few Snow Buntings at Saugatuck Dunes on October 24.

Surf Scoter at Reed's Lake, MI on November 2. (Rare for Kent Co.)

Rufous Hummingbird in Kentwood, MI on November 17. (Lifer and rare for the state) Sorry for the poor quality of the photos; they are taken through my binoculars with an IPhone.

Tundra Swan at Reed's Lake on November 21. (Haven't had good luck finding this species)

And finally, Purple Sandpiper at Pere Marquette Park on November 30. (Lifer and rare for the state)

I will try to post "updates" more frequently and elaborate on the sightings in the future.

171 species for Kent Co., MI this year, makes my year total to 233 species.

Birding Update

So, I haven't posted anything in a little while (a few months!), so here is an update of what birding I have done in the past months. On June 3rd, I assisted in leading a birding trip for the Cerulean Warbler Weekend. We had a very small group, but we managed to find over 80 species. The trip went through birding spots throughout Allegan and Barry Counties, Michigan. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera. Here is a list of the highlights: Ring-necked Pheasant (Allegan SGA), Ruffed Grouse (Lifer! Allegan SGA), Red-shouldered Hawk (On nest, Barry County), Grasshopper Sparrow (Lifer! Allegan SGA), Dickcissel (Allegan SGA), Bobolink (Allegan SGA), Cliff Swallow (Allegan Dam), Sedge Wren (Lifer! Allegan SGA), Black-billed Cuckoo (Allegan SGA), Upland Sandpiper (Allegan SGA), Northern Harrier (Allegan SGA), Cerulean Warbler (Lifer! Only heard, Barry SGA), Orchard Oriole (Allegan SGA).

Random sightings throughout the past months:
A few trips to the Cannonsburg SGA in late June, yielded, Hooded Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, and Red-headed Woodpecker.
Caspian Terns at Versluis Lake in late summer.
A first, for me, for Michigan, I found a Forster's Tern at Grand Haven SP, in August. (Pictures to be added)
Peregrine Falcon in downtown Chicago.
A trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, gave me Trumpeter Swan, Common Raven, Common Loon, Bald Eagle, and Osprey.
Olive-sided Flycatcher at Huff Park.
American Golden Plovers at the Caledonia Sewage Ponds. (Pictures to be added)
Black-throated Blue Warbler and Canada Warbler, on a trail near my house.
And another Trumpeter Swan at the Baker Sanctuary, where I lead nature walks for Cranefest.

My Year list so far is now at 225 species.

-Travis Mangione

Pictures From The Florida Trip

Here are several pictures from the trip. There are a lot, and most are not good quality, but I thought I'd post them anyway.

 American White Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, and Snowy Egret.

 Black-necked Stilt

 Northern Mockingbird

 Loggerhead Shrike

 Little Blue Heron

 Great Egret

 Anhinga

 Wood Storks

 Roseate Spoonbills

 Common Gallinules

 Bronzed Cowbird

 Swallow-tailed Kite

 Common Ground Dove

 Red-headed Woodpecker

 Common Nighthawk

 Brown-headed Nuthatch

 Ruddy Turnstone

 Laughing Gull

 Sanderlings

 Royal Tern

 Sandwich Tern

 Burrowing Owl

 Northern Bobwhite

 Wilson's Plover

 Osprey

 Nesting Least Terns

 Black Skimmers

 Unidentified Gull. I think it is either a Herring Gull or a Lesser Black-backed Gull, because I know it is not a Laughing, Ring-billed, or Great Black-backed. This was on Tigertail Beach.

 Willet

 Prairie Warbler

 Prairie Warbler Singing

 Limpkin

Egrets, Ibis, Herons, and Pelicans

Last Update

     The past week I have done little amounts of birding. I did see, however, several new birds close to where I am staying. I saw a Limpkin on a short bike ride along Collier Blvd. I also saw a Northern Bobwhite, heard a Barred Owl, saw a Great Horned Owl, and heard Chuck-will's-widows all close by my house. Yesterday I went to Tigertail Beach on Marco Island when I realized I had forgotten my binoculars. How stupid can I be? I was far enough from home so I didn't bother to go all the way back. I started walking and birding by raw sight and sound. On the course of the walk I heard and saw Prairie Warblers, saw Wilson's Plover, Willet, and other common shorebirds. I did not find my target, which was the American Oystercatcher. My trip list is now at 93 Species and being that today is my last day, it will probably be the official number for the whole trip. My next post will be after June 3rd after the Cerulean Warbler Weekend where I am going to be an Assistant Tour Guide for one of the Birding Tours.

Ciao for now,
-Travis

Very Quick Update

       I saw a Northern Waterthrush and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Clam Pass a couple days ago. Also I saw 8 Burrowing Owls on San Marco Road on Marco Island. Trip list is now at 86.

Florida Trip Part 2

       On the night of May 7, I went to the Rookery Bay Reserve Boardwalk off Shell Island Road. As soon as I got there, I heard and saw dozens of Nighthawks. It was pretty cool because they dove down right next to me. A couple Shrikes passed by. When I got to the viewing platform, I saw my first ever American White Pelican, along with a couple Roseate Spoonbills and a Northern Harrier. On the way out I also saw my first Common Ground Doves, making my total for the evening 15 species.
       The next day, I was able to go to Eagle Lakes Community Park. A Bronzed Cowbird greeted me at the start of the trail. It was a good day of birding. I found 47 species including, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, American White Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill, Swallow-tailed Kite, Common Gallinule,  Semipalmated Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Blue-winged Teal, and Black Skimmer.
       Over the next couple of days, I saw White-eyed Vireo and Bobolink. May 11, I went to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, but the highlight was on the drive. On Collier Blvd. I saw Muscovy Ducks (Unfortunately they are domestic), but on Immokalee Road I saw 4 Crested Caracaras. I was very surprised to see them, because I didn't think I would be able to on this trip. Once at Corkscrew I only saw 19 species, none of which held any interest.
       Yesterday, May 13, I went to Serenity Walk Park and saw Brown-headed Nuthatch and Red-headed Woodpecker. That evening, I went to the Naples Pier and saw my first Least Tern and had good looks at Sandwich Terns.

My Florida Trip List is now at 82 species. When I get back in June, I will try to post all my pictures.

Florida Trip Part 1

 It was finally May 6, and my families trip had begun. We started driving down from Michigan to Southwest Florida for my brothers wedding. We will be staying for almost the whole month, therefore I will have a lot of time for birding. The drive was long, but not too bad. On the drive, I saw 51 species of bird, including two new birds for me, Cattle Egret and Florida Scrub Jay. The full list of birds sighted on the trip are below. I will write an update on the trip soon.

(The list is not in taxonomical order; Sorry!)

1. Canada Goose
2. Eastern Towhee
3. Wild Turkey
4. Brown Pelican
5. Magnificent Frigatebird: Venice Beach
6. Anhinga
7. Double-crested Cormorant
8. Great Blue Heron
9. Great Egret
10. Snowy Egret
11. Little Blue Heron
12. Tricolored Heron
13. Cattle Egret
14. Glossy Ibis
15. White Ibis
16. Wood Stork
17. Eastern Bluebird
18. Black Vulture
19. Turkey Vulture
20. Osprey
21. Bald Eagle
22. Red-tailed Hawk
23. Red-shouldered Hawk
24. Swallow-tailed Kite
25. American Kestrel
26. Sandhill Crane
27. Black-bellied Plover: Venice Beach
28. Sanderling: Venice Beach
29. Laughing Gull: Venice Beach
30. Rock Pigeon
31. Mourning Dove
32. Eurasian Collared Dove
33. Chimney Swift
34. Northern Mockingbird
35. Brown Thrasher
36. Boat-tailed Grackle
37. Common Grackle
38. European Starling
39. Fish Crow: Siesta Key
40. American Crow
41. Pileated Woodpecker
42. Red-bellied Woodpecker
43. Blue Jay
44. Florida Scrub Jay: Oscar Scherer State Park
45. Barn Swallow
46. American Robin
47. Northern Parula
48. Northern Cardinal
49. Red-winged Blackbird
50. Eastern Meadowlark
51. House Sparrow