Category: Birds

Life at a snails pace

by Gregorio Perez, posted in Birds, Environment
Snail and toad are friends, originally uploaded by Goyo P.
Slowing down is natural as we grow old.  But I feel like I was born for a slow pace.  I have always preferred canoes, bikes and hikes.  Expressways make me nervous.  I told my Dr. about it.  He asked what I did about it?  I told him, “ I drive country roads instead”.  It’s true.  One day a few years ago I decided I would permanently avoid them whenever possible.  When I tell people this they look at me funny.  Society is all about cars and living fast.   But I chose a different path and I don’t regret it.

Living sans interstate turn my trips into journeys…not destinations.  Lately I’ve put a lot of miles on country roads.  When my art festival season ended I decided I needed to spend more time with nature.  Actually, my last art festival was a birding festival.  I participated in the Crane and Art Festival in Marshall, MI.  I had a great weekend selling art.  But what I really enjoyed was the experience of watching the Sandhill Cranes come in to roost at night.  The weather was great.  Each night I would spend the evening sitting on the observation hill under the moonlight to listen to the cranes in the Baker Sanctuary.  I soaked in the changing colors of the night sky.  Each morning I woke up early, made coffee and took off to watch the sunrise burn through the morning fog.  I drove the back roads to enjoy the fall colors.  Every now and then I would pull over and watch the cranes fly overhead as they left the sanctuary for their day time feeding grounds.

After the festival I drove the back roads to Dexter, MI to canoe/flyfish the Huron River with my friend Sherm.  We didn’t catch much but we did see plenty of birds.  My favorite bird along the way was an Osprey with his piercing call.  The Huron Metroparks are great sanctuaries in southern Michigan for nature lovers.  I particularly enjoy the Dexter Huron Metropark with it’s variety of Oaks along the river.  My favorite thing to do there is to look for Burr Oak acorns. 

The following weekend I drove the country roads to Thorn Lake in southeastern Jackson County.  Along the way I pulled over a half dozen times to photograph Sandhill Cranes in the local farm fields.  I stopped to look at old barns, small ponds with Kingfishers and the occasional Kestrel on a wire.  Thorn Lake is a sanctuary in itself with waterfowl numbering in the thousands.  I was even fortunate to see a pair of Bald Eagles hunt and catch an unlucky Coot for dinner.  To really see or ID the birds you need a scope.  I’m putting a scope on my Christmas wish list.

On a drizzly day last week I spent an hour or so walking through Furstenburg Park along the Huron River in Ann Arbor.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets were bouncing around in all the trees like pinballs.  I like this park in the winter too.  It’s a great place to see Pine Siskins as they feed on Black Alder trees along the river.  The paved trail from Gallup Park to Nichols Arboretum is also nice.  Warblers hang out along the river during migration.  I saw my first Cape May Warbler there this Spring.

The other day I drove the country roads to the Haehnle Sanctuary near Jackson, MI.  Birders are showing up in large numbers to get a view of the Sandhill Cranes as they fly in to roost for the night.  Some leave disappointed because of the low numbers.  Before they hop back on the interstate to head home I want to tell them to take the country roads home.  They may find them in large numbers along the way in the fields.  The water levels at the marsh are not ideal this year.  Weve had a lot of rain this fall.  So most of the Sandhills have been bypassing the marsh.  But it’s still pretty awesome to see them fly directly overhead. 

This past weekend was the best weekend of all this month.  A friend invited me over to her property in southwest Lenawee County.  Being a Lenawee County resident I love to go birding here.  Birders are hard to come by in Lenawee.  Lenawee is a farming community.  As Leopold stated in his Sand County Almanac, bread comes before conservation in hard times.  And Lenawee has seen some very hard times lately.  Hard times made it easier for the mineral industry to come in and drill.  Hard times push farmers to maximize the crop acreage which reduces riparian buffer zones and grassland habitat.  Hard times bring in industrial farmers and CAFO’s.  Hard times have been bad news for clean water and bird habitat.  It’s been so hard I’ve considered writing off Lenawee County as too far gone.  The conservation battle seems too great.  The constituency here does not support conservation.  But there are passionate people here willing to work for conservation.  Lynn Henning is one.  And, my friend Janet is another.  She broke the drain tile in her farm field and reestablished some old wetlands that were previously drained for farming.  She invited me over to go birding on her “farm”.  It’s true that it used to be a farm.  But it’s a sanctuary now.  It’s not just a sanctuary for birds, trees, wildflowers and amphibians.  It’s a sanctuary for those who cannot live without pasque flowers, according to Leopold.   It’s for those who love to fall asleep to the sound of Chorus frogs, those who still remember the sound of a Northern Bobwhite and those who prefer Gentian to Garlic Mustard.  My day with Janet on her “farm” renewed my hope for Lenawee.   It is not “too far gone” as I once believed.  There are conservation efforts in Lenawee.  You just have to get off the interstate and look for them. 

To see some of Janet’s work visit her youtube channel.

Birding in January

by Gregorio Perez, posted in Birds
 

Snow Bunting in foreground, originally uploaded by Goyo P.

What’s the point of birding in the Winter?  Well, besides the fact that I enjoy being outdoors there’s a scientific benefit to counting birds.  After I count birds I record my findings at Ebird.org Ebird states, “Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales”  For an even more detailed explanation go to their website and check it out.
I took a day off work yesterday to do an all day bird count.  My objective was to find some Arctic variety birds.  Specifically, I was looking for Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs and Horned Larks.  My objective was to drive the country roads to Ramsdell Park near Devils Lake, go for a quick ski, and then take the country roads home.  Well I didn’t have to drive one mile out of Tecumseh before I spotted a flock of birds circling the Dairy Farm on Russell Road.  I pulled over, got out my binoculars and started counting.  I counted approximately 100-150 birds.  While I was counting the farmer came out on his John Deere tractor to see if I was ok.  We had a brief conversation.  I told him about the birds and he looked at me like I was crazy…ha!  Story of my life.  Anyway, he let me walk in his field to get some close-up pictures.  That’s where I took the picture above.  In this picture there are several Longspurs, a few Horned Larks and one Snow Bunting in the foreground.
I spotted a few other flocks of Horned Larks on my way to Ramsdell Park.  But the most exciting sighting was a flock of 92 Wild Turkeys crossing the road.  They were skittish when I pulled up.  I got a few out of focus pics before they exploded into the sky, half running, half flying, wings crashing into the woodland trees.  In an instant they were gone…disappeared…vanished like ghosts.
When I arrived at Ramsdell Park I wasnt planning on counting birds.  I was planning on skiing.  But when I clicked into my binding something felt wrong.  I looked down and noticed my shoe has peeled away from the sole…total boot failure.  I swore a little but then realized I had my hiking boots in the car and my snow cleats.  So instead of skiing I hoofed it into the park with my camera and binoculars.  I didn’t expect to see much.  Half of the park is prairie grass, all of the water was frozen and it was snowing.  But, it is a great place to see woodpeckers in the woods.  When I did get to the woods I heard some very loud drumming and that perked me up a bit.  It sounded like a Pileated.  The trail seemed to be heading right towards the drumming sound.  I walked slowly.  But by the time I got to the end of the trail the drumming stopped.  He must have seen me.  So I turned around to head back, but as soon as I did he started to call….that loooooong kak, kak, kak which goes on for about a minute.  I turned around and sat on a bench and waited.  Suddenly he flushed, I raised my binoculars and saw him flying deeper into the woods which happens to be private property.  I wouldn’t chase him anyway.  Pileated Woodpeckers are very skitterish.  They always flush and fly away before I spot them.
Today the plan was to head to Hidden Lake Gardens to see if I could spot the Purple Finches.  I just recently spotted my first Purple Finch there about two weeks ago.  Others have also seen them.  So I headed down the old Munger road on the east side of the property.  There’s a cold front moving through.  It’s windier today than it was yesterday.  It’s harder to find birds on windy days…harder to see movement…harder to hear the birds…and I’m not as patient.  I get cold standing around too much.  I have to keep moving to stay warm.  I didn’t see any Purple Finches and I wasnt seeing too many birds in general so I decided to do some bushwhacking.  I took a deer path into the woods and came upon a hidden little grassy knoll.  It was beautiful even in the winter.  I made a mental note to return there in the Spring.  Eventually I made it back to an “official” trail.  I wasnt having much luck so i just decided to head back to the car.  But then I heard some Barred Owls calling in the distance.  That was pretty exciting.  I was half temped to see if I could go find them, but I was getting chilled.  I was pretty much done for the day but that’s usually when you see good birds…when you least expect it.  When I entered the north parking lot I saw a solitary bird fly in front of me.  It looked like a Junco but it was too big.  I wandered over to the bush it went into and spotted an Eastern Towhee….figures I didn’t have my good camera.  I could have gotten some nice pics since he let me stand 20′ away to watch him.  Oh well, that’s usually the way it goes.
All in all I’ve seen some good birds the last two days.  Highlights being the Arctic varieties, the large flock of Turkeys, the Pileated, the Barred Owls and then the Eastern Towhee.  I got some good exercise and lots of fresh air.  Now it’s time to relax.  I picked up some Ann Arbor Brewing Co Stout on my way home.  Time to chill and get back to my kindle.

Bird Count, Hidden Lake Gardens

by Gregorio Perez, posted in Birds

Results from Birding at Hidden Lake Gardens for three hours (1-4 pm) on January 9th, 2011.

Chickadee, 17; Crow, 5; Blue Jay, 11; Titmouse, 11; Cardinal, 10; Yellow-rumped Warbler, 5; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1; Downey Woodpecker, 8; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; Mourning Dove, 6; Starling, 29; Flicker, 1; White-Throated Sparrow, 8; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Junco, 4; Goldfinch, 2; Golden Crowned Kinglet, 4; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1; Northern Mockingbird, 1; Bluebird, 6.

We get our fair share of dreary overcast days here in Michigan.  So when the sun comes out I need to get out.  It was a nice leisurely day.  I took my time getting ready, dressed warm, put on my snow gators, charged my camera battery, and donned my snow cleats.  I headed over to HLG.  The gardens were beautifully covered in snow.  A few cross-country skiers were out.  I turned on the “my tracks” app on my phone and put it away.  I found some new trails the last time I was there.  They aren’t on any map.  I prefer the trails less travelled.  But first I stood atop Phlox Hill and admired the view.  I didn’t like the fact that the gardens mowed down the Big Blue-stem for the winter.  I’m sure they had a good reason.  I hope they had a good reason.  I prefer the nature to look natural.  Anyway, I had a lot of trail ahead of me.  I listened for the Pileated.  I heard some loud drumming and headed in that general direction.  But, the drumming stopped.  It didn’t matter.  I found myself in a quiet hidden place off the beaten path.  I took my time and recorded birds.  They were all over; mostly White-throats, Chickadees and Cardinals.  Then I heard something different.  I heard a whistle.  Whistles are mostly for spring so I tuned in.  I saw the bird.  It looked like a female Purple Finch.  But it sounded like a vireo.  I never did get a really good look and it didn’t stick around long.  I didn’t record it.  I’m leaning towards a Purple Finch.  My friend Darrin spotted one near there a few weeks ago.  I could have used his expert eyes and ears today.  I also spotted that Yellow-rumped warbler in the same location.  I was 95% sure it was a YRW but it was far away.  Luckily I ran into a small flock further up the trail.  I phished for them and they came closer…coincidence?  I don’t know.  I’m not a good phisher.  I think it was just my lucky day.  They were clearly YRW’s.  It was slower going as I headed out of the thickets and into the open fields.  A small flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets crossed my path and landed 10′ away.  They were feeding in the tall grass.  As I walked closer they flew closer.  I thought I had the perfect photo op.  But they were too close for my lens to focus on them.  They reminded me of that movie “Red October” where Sean Connery turned his submarine into the path of oncoming torpedos to cut the distance so the torpedo’s safety mechanism wouldn’t allow them to explode.  I didn’t know Kinglets were so knowledgeable in zoom lens technology?  Sean Connery would be proud of them.  My last good bird of the day was next to the parking lot.  A Northern Mockingbird was hanging around the gazebo.  It was a good birding day at HLG.  I got some sun, exercise and fresh air.  What more could you ask for?

Birds to the rescue!

by Gregorio Perez, posted in Birds, Environment, Nature, The Heron
Yellow Warbler, Copyright Gregorio Perez

Any of my friends will tell you I get a little goofy about birds.  My dad introduced me and my brothers to birds.  I don’t recall a moment in my childhood when we did not have a bird feeder in our yard.  For a few years we even raised chickens.  Today I have my own feeders.  I like to photograph birds.  My artwork is about birds.  I enjoy identifying them by their song.  I own a good pair of binoculars for watching them.  I get updates via email on birding in Southeast Michigan.  I participate in bird counts.  On the 19th of December I helped count birds for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.  Every year I learn something new about birds that fuel my passion for them.  One of my favorite birds is the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos).  There are several books out there about the American Crow which describe their intelligence and social behavior.  I’m also impressed by the world travelling migratory warblers who travel thousands of miles without a gps.  The more you learn about birds the more you realize they don’t get the respect they deserve.  I personally think we humans would be a better species if we deflated our egos a bit and allowed ourselves to learn something from the birds.  They are perfectly adapted for survival on this planet.  We seem to be struggling in that regard.

I’ve given this a little thought.  Given our current problems with our economy and climate why not look to nature for answers to sustainability?  Organic farming practices are bird friendly and earth friendly.  Planting native plants and trees are bird friendly and earth friendly.  Keeping our watershed clean is bird friendly and earth friendly.  The things we can do to help the birds also help our planet.  That’s why I’m promoting the recreational birding industry in my hometown.  It’s good for the birds and it’s good for the planet.  This isn’t a new concept.  I’m also a member of Trout Unlimited (TU).  TU fights for the protection of trout habitat for the sport fishing industry.  Trout are the saviors of the great rivers of northern Michigan.  Unfortunately trout can’t save us here in Lenawee.  Geographically the River Raisin Watershed is too warm to sustain them.  So what else is there?  Birds!  Birds! Birds!  The River Raisin Watershed is located in the path of two major bird migratory flyways.  Let your imagination run wild here.  Lenawee County is also a major agriculture community.  We could be leading a transition from industrial farming to organic farming.  Instead of constructing more manufacturing plants why not reestablish the wetlands that once existing before they were drained for farming?  Could birds be the answer to a failing economy and a deteriorating climate?  I realize it’s not that simple.  One might argue that capitalism will prevent this from ever happening without Government intervention.  If you read the history of our great National Park Service you will find this to be true.  The human spirit is hell-bent on destruction and devours everything in its path.  But there are also equal amounts of faith in the human spirit.  If trout can protect the great rivers of northern Michigan can the birds save us here?  The answer lies in how much Faith we have and whether we live according to it.