Photo of the Week: The Biggest Week of American Birding 2016

Bay-breasted Warbler

With close to 70 people packed six deep on the boardwalk, peering closely into the woods about 20 feet in front of them, you’d wonder what could hold the attention of so many people.

Especially when you discover everyone has braved 10-20 mile per hour cold winds out of the north and west off Lake Erie, along with snow showers in mid-May, to view a brightly-colored tiny animal that could easily fit into the palm of your hand. Continue reading Photo of the Week: The Biggest Week of American Birding 2016

Photo of the Week: Bonaparte’s Gulls at Ford Lake

Two Bonaparte's Gull swimming on Ford Lake

Spring brings thousands of birds through southeastern Michigan, as raptors, songbirds, and waterbirds migrate north to Canada and beyond for their summer breeding season.

And this weekend, spring migration brought through the Bonaparte’s Gull, a small bird that winters along the coastline of Texas, Mississippi, and Mexico, but spends its summer breeding season in the taiga and boreal forest of central and western Canada. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Bonaparte’s Gulls at Ford Lake

Photo of the Week: Common Loon at Newburg Lake

Common Loon

What a treat! Seeing the Common Loon at Newburg Lake was a FOY (first of year) find for me. Check out the bright red eye and the white collar, distinguishing marks for the Common Loon. If I hadn’t read about the sighting in our Michigan birding email list, I would never have known the loons… Continue reading Photo of the Week: Common Loon at Newburg Lake