Michigan Big Year: Bohemian Waxwing Bonanza

The first several trips I took in search of birds for my Big Year were forays into the field tied to other errands, which helped ease my guilt over driving all over the place to look for birds. My trip to Reeds Lake was done as a side trip to Lori's doctor's visit, at a facility a half mile from the lake. On January 8th, we combined a trip to Costco on the west side of Grand Rapids to a hunt for a Smew, a Eurasian merganser that had been reported on Allegan Lake, about 20 minutes farther south. 

As with so many rarities, we found the Smew thanks to the group of birders already there with scopes and binoculars. At first it was hidden behind a dock, but came out within minutes, and I took some photos with my iPhone and scope (digiscoping). It is a species that is often purchased and bred by bird fanciers, and it is likely this is a bird that escaped from a collector rather than one that got here of it's own accord. If I was doing some sort of a formal list that would matter, but in this case I'm not going to sweat it too much. I also added Bonaparte's Gull at the lake, and an American Kestrel on a wire along Fruit Ridge Ave on the way home.

Smew, Allegan Lake, January 8

January 9th was the coldest day of the season (9°!), so we stayed home with fires blazing in the wood stoves. I wondered how the cold temps would affect the lakes in the area--one of the reasons we were able to see birds like the Smew is because it's been relatively warm here so far this winter. While highs in the 30's and lows in the 20's don't sound all that warm, it's still 5° to 10° above average for January, and it's been enough to keep lakes, most rivers, and even the shoreline and bays of Lake Michigan mostly ice free.

By January 10th the weather had warmed, and I had been alerted by a friend of a flock of Bohemian Waxwings--a totally new bird for me, one I'd been wanting to see for years--in the Pigeon River Country of Northeast Michigan. I think she was out looking for one of the elk herds the Vanderbilt area is famous for but found birds instead. Upon checking eBird I saw that this was near Inspiration Point, a known spot for waxwings as well as Pine Grosbeak, another not-so-easy-to-find Michigan bird. It was a three hour drive, but Grayling was right on the way, and I needed to restock prints at the AuSable Artisan Village, a gallery I had just rejoined in the fall. It was the perfect excuse to go look for birds.

After many detours and the GPS taking us down Forest Service two-tracks, or trying to take us down roads that literally no longer existed, we finally found the spot. I slowed as we neared the road for Inspiration Point because I could see birds flying all over the place. Across the road was a pullout, and I stopped before we reached it to get my gear and put some spikes on my boots, and there by the side of the road was a Pine Grosbeak, calling from a tree right next to the car. I pulled up into the turnout and saw the area lined with crabapple trees, still with fruit, and they were FULL of birds.

I parked the car near one tree and got out and stood in the open with my camera. The birds could not have cared less. They moved from tree to tree, eventually landing right next to the car where Lori had a clear view.  They flew overhead and I could hear the sound of their wings. 

This was only my second time seeing Pine Grosbeak, and I was able to get much better photos this time around (though I'd still like better). They are such gorgeous finches in raspberry and terra cotta, with those bold wingbars and blue-gray backs. 

Male Pine Grosbeak, a Northern Michigan specialty

Female Pine Grosbeak picking at crabapples. 

But the show stopper for me was the big flock of Bohemian Waxwings. In most places in Lower Michigan one sees Bohemian Waxwing as an individual or two mixed in with a flock of Cedar Waxwing. To find a flock of nothing but Bohemians was a bit overwhelming. I didn't know where to look, but settled on birds that were next to the car as the lighting was better for photos. 

Oh my.

These birds are distinguished from the Cedars by their overall gray appearance (Cedars are more yellow and brown), the rufous on the undertail coverts (Cedars are white), and the yellow and white tips on the flight feathers which make the zig-zag stripe down the wing.

I was gobsmaked watching these stunning birds, and if they hadn't flown off after about 15 minutes I might not have ever left. Last word I had (January 30th) is that the trees are now bare and birds have moved on.

As we turned and headed for home (this time on actual, plowed roads!) we saw a Ruffed Grouse fly across the road. A moment later I realized there were several birds along the road near a little wetland where there were also crabapples. I tried stopping quickly and the anti-lock brakes kicked in, grinding and crunching and not really stopping us, even though I was only going about 10 miles an hour. We finally came to rest about 40 feet away, and I managed a few photos before the birds spooked and flew into the woods.

Ruffed Grouse heinie.

 

We ended the day with three new species for the year, one lifer, and a boat-load of photographs. There were at least 50 waxwings in the flock and another 20 grosbeaks, and we counted seven grouse in the covey. Well worth the three hour drive!

Allegan Lake, Jan. 8

48) Smew (lifer)

49) Bonaparte's Gull

50) American Kestrel

Inspiration Point, Jan. 10

51) Pine Grosbeak

52) Bohemian Waxwing (lifer)

53) Ruffed Grouse

A Ruff day in Yellowstone

Yellowstone 2016 continued:

While we'd had great weather for most of our trip, (unlike the weather there this past September, when it was snowing), it didn't hold for the whole trip. Friday was grey and rainy and cold. We visited the Artist Paint Pots, and got caught out in the cold rain, so didn't see much of it. We ended up driving south from Madison on the Grand Loop, stopping at Old Faithful to buy a few souvenirs, (but didn't stay for the eruption), checked out the Lewis Lake campground, (where I had a squirrel throwing pine cones at me), and on down to the south entrance where we had a picnic lunch. I was feeling a bit crabby, not having had an opportunity to do any hiking. Short days, long drives, and dogs meant much of the trip had been spent in the van, and I was getting a bit stir crazy. So Lori offered to stay with the boys while Lisa and I picked a trail near Lewis Lake, where we stopped again on the way back to Madison.

We had two options from the parking area: Shoshone or Dogshead trail. We picked Dogshead, though in hindsight I wished we'd picked the other, as I think we would have had some nice views of Lewis Lake. In any event, we gave ourselves two hours, one out and one back, set an alarm, and headed out. The hike was pretty uneventful, but it felt good to get out and stretch my legs. We had walked about 1 1/2 miles, and knew our timer was about to go off, when we realized it was looking pretty ominous. We turned to head back a little early, but after about five minutes, little frozen pellets started falling from the sky.

We donned our rain ponchos and took shelter under a tree, hoping it would stop, but instead it came down even harder. The wind kicked up too, and the trees swayed above us. There was really no option but to keep walking through the onslaught. The sleet mixed with rain at times, until the trail turned into a river of ice. We were quite happy to get back to the van.

Sleet begins to cover the Dogshead trail

One mile of this pelting us and we were happy for the warm van!

Friday being something of a bust, and knowing Saturday would be our last full day in the park, we were more determined than ever to find what was starting to be our nemissis bird: the Great Gray Owl. GGOW (birder lingo) breed in Yellowstone, and was a bird none of us had seen. While they occasionally show up in Michigan, I knew our best bet was to see one while out west. We were determined to find this bird.

We asked around at the Madison campground, and the staff there said try up by Canyon Village, that one had been seen there earlier in the year. So we headed that way, hoping to get lucky. Along the way, we decided to take another one of the side drives, which took us along the Gibbon River and the Virginia Cascades (see map below). We had really enjoyed our other detours, so gave this one a shot too.

We stopped numerous times along the road so I could take some photos of the scenery.

Virginia Cascades

Oh those glorious colors of Yellowstone autumn!

Walking back to the van after taking the picture above, I heard a rustling in the leaves next to me. I stopped dead and waited, holding my breath, when out walked a Ruffed Grouse hen. I couldn't believe what I was seeing--I've never been within 40 feet of a grouse as they tend to explode out of the brush any time you get near them. But this little lady wandered out right in front of me, cocked her head to size me up, then pecked and poked her way towards the van. I couldn't take pictures fast enough.

An amazingly unafraid Ruffed Grouse hen.

She pecked at the ground and nipped off leaves to munch while I watched her, smitten. She reminded my of our chickens back home.

Grouse having lunch.

She eventually crossed the road, but stayed well within our sight. I got in the van and switched cameras, and kept shooting out the window. This was such a treat I didn't want to waste it.

Yes, we're still watching!

As we were getting ready to leave, she came out from behind the spruces and posed oh so prettily among the wild strawberries, leaving us with an experience we won't forget.