Photo of the Week: the Inconspicuous Wilson’s Snipe

plump brown shorebird with long brown bill and buffy patterns forages for food in the marshy mudflat.

I’ve probably walked by dozens of mudflats with Wilson’s Snipes in them, without realizing I should have lifted my binoculars to my eyes to peruse the piles of mud in search of the shorebird.

While Wilson’s Snipes are considered a widespread shorebird in North America, they can be hard to find.

Why? Continue reading Photo of the Week: the Inconspicuous Wilson’s Snipe

Photo of the Week: Early Morning Riser, Red-winged Blackbird

Black bird with red and yellow epaulets sings loudly as it perches on the bare tree branch.

The sounds of Red-winged Blackbirds filled the marsh in the early morning at Sterling State Park in Monroe, Michigan for the first official weekend of spring in Michigan. Along with blackbirds, you could hear the territorial song of American Robins and the loud calls and squeals of Ring-billed Gulls as they foraged for food in… Continue reading Photo of the Week: Early Morning Riser, Red-winged Blackbird

Photo of the Week: Sandhill Crane Takes a Closer Look

red-crowned bird with long gray curved neck takes a closer look.

This red-crowned Sandhill Crane is one of a group of cranes that overwintered in Michigan at nearby local park where I go birding. I saw it foraging for food near the open water of the lake shoreline. The majestic Sandhill Cranes are an incredible sight to see, as the large gray birds with long neck… Continue reading Photo of the Week: Sandhill Crane Takes a Closer Look