Photo of the Week: Cooper’s Hawk at Belle Isle State Park

medium-sized brown-barred white-breasted hawk perches on bare branch.

One of the first things you learn as a birder is to look up to see the birds.

And in winter, it’s a lot easier to look for birds in the trees and shrubs: there are no leaves to hide the birds.

When I noticed the sounds of animals along the trail at Detroit’s Belle Isle State Park had suddenly gone quiet, I knew there had to be a reason. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Cooper’s Hawk at Belle Isle State Park

Photo of the Week: Snow Bunting in Winter Plumage

Rust-colored sparrow-sized white bird pauses as it forages on the group.

While seeing Snow Buntings in southeast Michigan isn’t uncommon in winter, seeing one relatively close by before it flies off with a flock of dozens of birds is unusual.

Which is why I was excited to find this Snow Bunting foraging for food with several Song Sparrows on a snow-covered grassy ridge.

The small group seemed oblivious to my vehicle, as I stopped in the parking lot to take several photos near the frozen marsh off the Detroit River. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Snow Bunting in Winter Plumage

Photo of the Week: Common Merganser

Long white-bodied, black backed duck with bright red bill swims alone in the open water.

One of my favorite birds to see in winter in southeast Michigan, the Common Merganser swims low on the water as it dives to hunt for fish in winter.

The male Common Mergansers long white body with black back, deep green iridescent head, and bright orange-red slender bill stand out in the open water when compared with other ducks that sit higher in the water. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Common Merganser