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 Jackson Audubon Society

 The Audubon Society of Jackson County, Michigan

Magee Marsh Trip 05/02/2017

Wednesday, May 24, 2017 1:10 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

Twelve birders from Jackson Audubon braved the rain and the cold on May 2 to visit Magee Marsh, east of Toledo.  This location is generally a hotspot of warbler activity during the spring, but as I often say, “nature is not Disney.” You have good days and not so good days.  While the group only saw five warblers, there were, as always, other highlights to the trip.  Three vireos were counted and a whip-poor-will was lounging within view of the boardwalk.  The high wind and the rain made for some difficult viewing and we stayed off the easternmost exposed portion of the boardwalk.

Some of the group continued to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to look for shorebirds.  We were treated to a large flock of greater yellowlegs.  In among the shorebirds was a group of American Pipits.  We tried to council a killdeer against setting up her nest on the path to an observation tower but I don’t think she was listening. 

Spring is a great time of year for bird watching. On the same day, I saw my first of year purple martins and likely last of season juncos.   It reminds me how much I enjoy the change of the seasons and lets me pause to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.

Species list:

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Turkey Vulture

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

Greater Scaup

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Sandhill Crane

Killdeer

Greater Yellowlegs

Solitary Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper

Dunlin

Wilson's Snipe

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Common Tern

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Whip-poor-will

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Least Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Purple Martin

Tree Swallow

N. Rough-winged Swallow

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

American Crow

House Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Eastern Bluebird

Veery

Swainson's Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

American Pipit

Cedar Waxwing

European Starling

Blue-headed Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Palm Warbler

Scarlet Tanager

Northern Cardinal

Song Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Northern Oriole

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow


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