Tag Archives: Pipits

Greater White-fronted Goose, October 16, 2014

Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose (click to see the larger version)

The adult Greater White-fronted Goose was still at Montrose this morning, October 16. I first saw it in the lake with Canada Geese south of the restrooms, and I saw it again with Canada Geese on the grass just east of the bait shop as I was driving out.

I also walked around the point for a little while and there seemed to be good numbers of passerines around, especially White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows. Some of the other birds I saw include:

Horned Grebe – 1
Red-tailed Hawk – 1, the continuing juvenile I presume
Black-belled Plover – 2 at the east end of the beach
Sanderling – ~8, all at the west end of the beach
Chimney Swift – ~300 swarming low over the point
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 1 male
Horned Lark – 1 flyover at the beach
Winter Wren – 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – ~6
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 2
American Pipit – 1 flyover
Lapland Longspur – 1 flushed from the beach
Tennessee Warbler – 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – 5
Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
American Tree Sparrow – 1, my FOS
Fox Sparrow – 1
Rusty Blackbird – 4, all in the dunes
Purple Finch – 2, 1 male and 1 female
Pine Siskin – 1

September 26, 2014

Montrose was very birdy this morning, September 26. I hadn’t been there in over a week but I was impressed with the number of warblers around. Dominant among these were Tennessee, Blackpoll, Yellow-rumped, and Palm. I also had a couple of Northern Parulas and a male Black-throated Blue Warbler, all in the Magic Hedge. Other birds of interest this a.m. include my first Hermit Thrush of the season, a flyover American Pipit at the beach, a calling Sedge Wren in the dunes, and 5 flyover American Golden-Plovers at the beach. I didn’t have any Nelson’s Sparrows in the dunes but this is prime time for them.

Franklin’s Gulls, October 26, 2013

Karen and I spent a couple hours at Montrose on October 26.
The highlight were a 100 or so Franklin’s Gulls. Most were flying over
and continuing south but a few spent some time on the beach. The largest
flock was about 50 birds, the smallest 4. This is one of my best counts
of Franklin’s Gulls at Montrose ever, a consequence no doubt of the
recent strong westerly winds. In addition to the Franklin’s we had a
number of other birds of interest, including:

American Bittern – 1 in the dunes
Bonaparte’s Gull – 6, all first cycle birds
Short-eared Owl – 2 flying around the dunes and over the lake
Greater Yellowlegs – 1 on the beach
Wilson’s Snipe – 1
American Woodcock – 1
Lapland Longspur – 1
Snow Bunting – 2
American Pipit – 1

West winds in late October do a birder good.

Nelson’s Sparrow, September 22, 2013

Montrose was fairly slow this morning, September 22, at least compared to the reports from the day before. It seems like it’s always like this. My best find was a Nelson’s Sparrow in the meadow northeast of the Magic Hedge, the first of hopefully many more to come. I also had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a somewhat early Golden-crowned Kinglet, and a couple American Pipits on the beach.

On a side note, today’s Nelson’s Sparrow represents a birding milestone for me, the first time in 35 years at this game that I’ve seen all 7 Ammodramus sparrows in the same year. I had Baird’s Sparrow in North Dakota in May, Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows in Delaware in August, and LeConte’s, Henslow’s, and Grasshopper Sparrows in the Midwest in the spring.

May 14, 2013 – South Winds Rock!

Montrose was fairly busy this morning. Obviously last night’s south winds brought in some birds. There were good numbers of Savannah and White-crowned Sparrows and a notable influx of American Redstarts and Common Yellowthroats. Overall warbler numbers and diversity were low though. Here’s some of what I saw in about an hour and a half:

Common Tern – 3
Green Heron – 1
Turkey Vulture – 1 flying south. A good bird for Montrose in the spring.
Black-billed Cuckoo – 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 1, a good bird for Montrose at anytime
Eastern Wood-Pewee – ~6
Least Flycatcher – 3
Alder/Willow Flycatcher – 1
Eastern Kingbird – ~6
Great Crested Flycatcher – 1
Red-eyed Vireo – 1
Warbling Vireo – 1
Marsh Wren – 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 2
Wood Thrush – 1
Veery – 2
Gray-cheeked Thrush – 1
Swainson’s Thrush – 2
Gray Catbird – ~20
American Pipit – 1
Cedar Waxwing – ~12
Tennessee Warbler – 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – 1
Nashville Warbler – 2
Northern Parula – 1
Cape May Warbler – 1
Magnolia Warbler – ~5
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 1
Black-and-white Warbler – 3
Blackburnian Warbler – 1
Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
Palm Warbler – 2
Wilson’s Warbler – 1
Northern Waterthrush – 2
Common Yellowthroat – ~15
American Redtstart – ~15
Scarlet Tanager – 1
Clay-colored Sparrow – 1
Savannah Sparrow – 50-100, everywhere, in the dunes, in the meadow, in treetops
Lincoln’s Sparrow – ~10
Swamp Sparrow – ~20
White-crowned Sparrow – ~75
White-throated Sparrow – ~15
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 3
Indigo Bunting – 1
Bobolink – 3
Orchard Oriole – 1

May 1, 2013, Finally

Montrose was really hopping this morning. It never ceases to amaze me what a couple days of south winds can do in spring. In about an hour and a half I saw the following birds (not a complete list):

Piping Plover – 1, the unbanded male
American Avocets – 2, flew in from the south and landed on the beach around 6:30
Little Blue Heron – 1 adult flying south over Lake Michigan with 2 Great Blue Herons
Green Heron – 1
Red-headed Woodpecker – 1 near the golf course pond
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
Least Flycatcher – 1
Great Crested Flycatcher – 1
Eastern Kingbird – 3
Sedge Wren – 1 in the meadow
House Wren – ~5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 2
Veery – ~4
Swainson’s Thrush – 3
Gray-cheeked Thrush – 1
Gray Catbird – 3
American Pipit – 1
Orange-crowned Warbler – 2
Nashville Warbler – 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler – ~40
Palm Warbler – ~20
Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
Yellow Warbler – 2
Hooded Warbler – 1 female in the Magic Hedge
Ovenbird – 1
Yellow-breasted Chat – 1 near the water feature
American Redstart – 1
Field Sparrow – 1
Henslow’s Sparrow – 1 in the meadow
Savannah Sparrow – ~30
Swamp Sparrow – ~40
Lincoln’s Sparrow – ~10
White-throated Sparrow – +
White-crowned Sparrow – ~10
Bobolink – 1 male
Purple Finch – 1

I probably missed a few things but you get the idea.