Photo of the Week: Belted Kingfisher at the Marsh

White-breasted gray-blue bird, with black-banded neck and distinctive shaggy feathered crest on head perches on tree branch.

The rattling sound was distinctive as I rounded the curve of the road heading to the marsh.

I paused to listen more carefully.

Checked the regular haunts where I’ve seen the Belted Kingfisher in the past.

Not on the scraggly stump on the south side of the marsh.

Not in the overhanging limb of the tree on the far side of the marsh. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Belted Kingfisher at the Marsh

Photo of the Week: Ross’s Goose in Michigan, Third Month in a Row

small white bird swims lazily in the blue water.

The Ross’s Goose is a rare bird to find in Michigan.

But that’s not what it seems like this year, as I’ve seen one in each of the first three months of 2020!

In three different counties. What a treat!

With its breeding grounds in the Arctic, the Ross’s Goose migrates through central Canada and through the central United States, west of the Mississippi River.

Seeing one this far east, near the Great Lakes, is pretty special.

Seeing three in three months in three different counties, amazing! Continue reading Photo of the Week: Ross’s Goose in Michigan, Third Month in a Row

Photo of the Week: Harris’s Sparrow in Michigan

Brown sparrow with white wing bars, black crown and bib with pink bill feeds on the ground near the pruned rosebush.

With its beautiful black bib and pink bill, the Harris’s Sparrow is one of the prettiest sparrows I’ve seen. The largest sparrow in North America, the Harris’s Sparrow stands out amidst the House Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and House Finches as it feeds on the ground. And what a surprise to see it in Michigan! It… Continue reading Photo of the Week: Harris’s Sparrow in Michigan