Lake St. Clair in Spring with Sora, Yellow Warbler, Wood Thrush and Golden-crowned Kinglet

[Lake St. Clair Metropark, MI. Spring 2016]

As if to atone for Michigan's long, hard winter, the arrival of Spring transforms, what had been a largely bird-barren landscape, to feathered life -- unfrozen water beckons waterfowl while marshes attract rails and wrens. The forest floor and grasslands sprout thrushes, blackbirds and sparrows.  

With such an explosion of avian life, Lake St. Clair is nothing short of a miracle of renewal which, in turn, invites birders to explore its resident as well as migrant species. Signature species such as Wood Thrush, Wood Duck and Golden-crowned Kinglet herald the changing of the seasons. Indeed, the arrival of Spring is almost a sacred event in the annual calendar of birding as it brings the magic of migration to our continent.

In photographic homage to the miracle of Spring, we offer the following eclectic collection of species:

Ducks and Rails

• Sora
• Wood Duck

Sora is a tiny rail that can be located by the "whinny" call they make and this particular individual was found in the same way at the edge of the marsh.

While the rail's grey and brown plumage blends in perfectly with the marsh, the Wood Duck drake is a real standout:

Unlike the Mallards that are ubiquitously conspicuous, the Wood Duck remains reclusive -- confined to the inaccessible interior of the wetlands.

Thrushes

• Wood Thrush
• Veery 
• American Robin

Wood Thrush is our brightest thrush:

Wood Thrush comes to us every Spring from South America and makes our forests come alive with its hauntingly beautiful song. Like many of our neotropical migrants, it crosses the Gulf of Mexico in a single overnight flight.

Veery is another thrush from S. America (in this case, Brazil).

Unlike the Wood Thrush and the Veery, the American Robin or "Garden Thrush" is equally at home in suburbia as it is in forests:

Warblers

• Yellow Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• Myrtle Warbler 

Perhaps our most anticipated family of songbirds are the warblers and the Yellow Warbler is a breeding species at Lake St. Clair: 

The male (above) in breeding plumage is truly resplendent while the female below is considerably duller:

Common Yellowthroat is another breeder:

This is a skulking species and, unlike the Yellow, quite difficult to see. The female (below) is a dull version of the male but without the mask:

Unlike the Yellow and Common Yellowthroat warbers, the Myrtle Warbler is just passing through:

  

This species will continue to its breeding grounds in Northern Michigan.

Sparrows

• White-crowned Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Swamp Sparrow
• Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow is found across the Continent:

However, note that, compared to the Western Subspecies, the Eastern race has black lores.

White-throated Sparrow is another attractive sparrow:

Other familiar species included Swamp Sparrow:

... and, Song Sparrow:

Blackbirds

• Baltimore Oriole
• Rusty Blackbird
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird

The Icterids or New World Blackbirds are a large family of songbirds including Orioles, Meadowlarks, Blackbirds and Grackles.

The Baltimore Oriole is a breeding species at Lake St. Clair as is the abundant Red-winged Blackbird:

Rusty Blackbird, however, is a species in passage:

Brown-headed Cowbird were displaying to attract a female's attentions:

The rest:

• Tree Swallow
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Brown Creeper

Tree Swallow is a breeder at the park and at this time, these swallows are busy looking for tree cavities:

Northern Rough-winged Swallow briefly alighted to gather nesting material:

Kinglets can numerous in migration one day and gone the next:

Brown Creeper is hardy species and found at the Park year-round:

The sheer diversity in species is testament to the varied habitat that can be found at Lake St. Clair Metropark; and, Spring is the magical season that brings out the full richness in the birdlife that can be found here in Southeast Michigan.

Birding the Yucatan Part II: Hacienda Tres Rios featuring Rose-throated Becard and Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

[Solidaridad, Quintana Roo. April, 2016] 

It was no coincidence that the hotel chosen for this blogger's sojourn in the Yucatan was a former nature park (incidentally, one that has recovered from Hurricane Wilma's legendary devastation wreaked in 2005). 

The sweet implication of this fact meant that simply meandering the hotel area could yield some lifers in a birding locale that offered a surprisingly rich assortment of habitats (mangroves, coastal, woodlands). Indeed, while other guests enjoyed the (dare I say mundane) attractions of the resort such as the pool and the beach, this blogger was lugging his photographic apparatus to remote areas of the hotel grounds to savor species such as:

1. Rose-throated Becard
2. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
3. Yellow-billed Cacique
4. Social Flycatcher
5. Common Black Hawk
6. Laughing Falcon
7. Tropical Mockingbird
8. Altamira Oriole
9. Magnificent Frigatebird
10. Plain Chachalaca

Rose-throated Becard is a very scarce visitor to SE Arizona and S. Texas (indeed, this blogger's maiden sighting was in Texas in 2012). It was earlier classified with the Tyrant Flycatchers and even the Cotingas, however, it is now placed with the Tityras.

The male, shown above, is a striking combination of charcoal grey, black crest and a deep rose throat. The female below is a warm cinnamon and buff-brown:

While rare in the US, this Becard was seen both at the Hacienda as well as at Muyil.

This pair was getting ready for nesting and seen constructing a nest.

And now, the Owl:

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is a tiny owl about the size of a Starling. It is surprisingly common in the area and its rhythmic hooting can be heard at dusk in seemingly any wooded area. If you look at the EXIF information on the photograph, you will notice the very low shutter speeds necessitated by the crepuscular habits of this raptor.

Our next bird is an Icterid (New World Blackbird) and was a target species for the blogger: Yellow-billed Cacique.

 

Not much to look at; however, it is highly secretive and gave extremely stingy views.

This was not the case with the Social Flycatcher -- like many Tyrant flycatcher species, it can be found perching conspicuously:

 

Social Flycatcher looks like a smaller version of Great Kiskadee.

Toward the beach, a Common Black Hawk was observed roosting:

 
But the real prize for outstanding neotropical raptor of the trip must belong to Laughing Falcon:

Captured in fading light, this falcon's call is said to resemble laughter.

More familiar was the Tropical Mockingbird:

Next, the Altamira Oriole's range barely extends into Southern Texas; this Central American songbird is the largest Oriole found in the US.

The Altamira Oriole is also remarkable for making the largest nest of any songbird in North America; and, this blogger was fortunate to witness a male in the process of building one.
 
Nearer the beach, Magnificent Frigatebird, a species familiar to those in Florida, were flying by:

Finally, Plain Chachalaca -- the vocalizations of this bird, for those who have not heard them before, can be uniquely eerie:
 

This landfowl also ranges into Southern Texas (as recently reported here).

Finally, some Bonus animals:

The Coati above is a member of the Raccoon family while the Agouti below is a large rodent:

The Yucatan is rich in birdlife and while the best birding is in the South (towards Muyil), even the touristy areas can offer some fascinating species for the intrepid birder -- species such as Yellow-billed Cacique, Rose-throated Becard and Laughing Falcon.

A Perfect Ten: Signature Warblers of the Southwest Featuring Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart and Olive Warbler

[Southeast Arizona. April 2016]

A quick trip to Tucson in late April for some flash birding afforded this blogger an opportunity to revisit the spectacular "Warblery" of the area featuring both migrating warblers as well as arriving breeders -- a group of ten signature warblers that can be enjoyed in the Southwest at this time of year, namely:

1. Red-faced Warbler
2. Lucy's Warbler
3. Grace's Warbler
4. Townsend's Warbler
5. Audubon's Warbler
6. Wilson's Warbler
7. Olive Warbler
8.  Black-throated Grey Warbler
9.  Painted Redstart
10. Orange-crowned Warbler

Of this "perfect 10" grouping of warblers, we lead with this blogger's personal favorite, the incredible Red-faced Warbler:

Red-faced Warbler seen on Mt. Lemmon

Best seen in the Sky Islands of Southeast Arizona from late April through early August, these Mexican warblers are seasonal breeders in montane forests of the region. This blogger's favorite venue for observing this stunning species is Mt. Lemmon where they may be reliably found.

Unconfusable with any other species in the region, this warbler is instantly recognizable due to its black bonnet, red face, light-grey body and white nape and rump.

According to the well known expression "See Rome and die" -- the eternal city is so enriching and fulfilling that the satiated visitor is left with a feeling that their life's mission has been accomplished with no further desire to see anything else. It would not be unreasonable to coin a parallel expression for the Avian world -- "See the Red-faced Warbler and die"!

Compared to the striking crimson aesthetics of the Red-faced Warbler, the Lucy Warbler's coloration may seem a bit bland:

Lucy's Warbler seen at Sabino Canyon

The Lucy's Warbler is a light grey warbler with ivory underparts; the crown and rump are rusty brown.

Lucy's is our only desert warbler and they can be quite common in the arid canyons of SEAZ.
 
Unlike Lucy's, Grace's Warbler is found in the mountain forests of the Sky Islands:

Grace's Warbler seen at Rose Canyon, Mt. Lemmon

Grace's Warbler seen at Madera Canyon

Grace's Warbler was observed at both Madera Canyon and Mt. Lemmon (General Hitchcock Campground and Rose Canyon).

Grace's Warbler seen at Mt. Lemmon

Grace's Warbler is a breeding species in SEAZ unlike the next species, Townsend's Warbler, which is just passing through on its way to the Pacific Northwest:

The male Townsend's Warbler sports bold black facial markings and throat; the female lacks the black on the throat and has olive markings instead.

Townsend's Warbler seen at Madera Canyon

Audubon's Warbler is currently recognized as a subspecies of the Yellow-rumped Warbler:

Audubon's Warbler seen at Florida Canyon

Like the Townsend's, and Audubon's, Wilson's Warbler is also just passing through:

Wilson's Warbler seen at Florida Canyon

Olive Warbler is more of an "honorary warbler" than a true warbler -- DNA studies have shown that, while similar in habits to wood warblers, the Olive Warbler is genetically distinct and it is currently placed in its own monotypic family:

Olive Warbler seen at Rose Canyon

The male Olive Warbler is striking with its turmeric head and black mask. It is a breeding species in SEAZ.

Black-throated Grey shares the black mask of the Olive Warbler but it is a typical warbler:

Black-throated Grey Warbler seen at Florida Canyon

Painted Redstart, like the Black-throated Grey, is another breeding species and on a couple of occasions, they were observed gathering nesting material:

Painted Redstart seen at Mt. Lemmon

This, like the Red-faced Warbler, is another iconic warbler of the Southwest.

Painted Redstart with nesting material. Madera Canyon.

We conclude with the drab Orange-crowned Warbler seen at Florida Canyon:

Birders often talk of the distinct set of Eastern warblers and Western warblers in the country; however, it is the Southwestern warblers such as the Red-faced Warbler and the Painted Redstart that are the true gems of the warbler family in the US and there is no better place for the intrepid birder to find them than in the Sky Islands of Southeast Arizona.