Winter's Last Gasp, I Hope.

     It is getting so that I am so used to birding in the snow that I almost have a Pavlovian response to the sight of it falling - "Must. Go. Bird. Now." So, this morning, when I walked the dogs to the accompaniment of snow pellets bouncing off my jacket, it just seemed right to jump in the car and head to Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery. I found Trumpeter Swans at the hatchery, but also in an old corn field on 40th Street near M43, for a total of 5. Duck numbers are falling, but there are still good variety around. A remarkable 200 or so Tree Swallows were zipping back and forth over the big pond at WLFH.
     When I left the hatchery, I pulled into the boat access at Wolf Lake, across the street from WLFH. There I found this guy, who didn't seem all that troubled as I unloaded my gear and took a few pictures.

Osprey - Wolf Lake

    There was also a Pileated Woodpecker, some Common Mergansers, and a few Blue-winged Teal present there.
     At Maple Lake, most of the ducks have dispersed or moved on, but there was still a breeding plumaged Common Loon and a breeding plumaged Horned Grebe present.
     If you'd like to join me as I try not to miss any of the wonders of spring in Van Buren County, we will be meeting at Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery's parking lot on Monday, April 15, at 10 AM. Hope to see you there!

Hard Core Birding

Somewhere there must be a rule written down that it must snow on Mondays at Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery! Today the snow wasn't much to speak of, but the wind briskly kept us company throughout our visit. Duck-wise, most of the mergansers were gone, but Canvasback numbers were up. There were only a few geese and we didn't see a single swan of any species. The ponds past the observation platform have been drained down since last week, and some Killdeer were foraging in the mud, along with some Mallards and a Green-winged Teal. In the second pond past the observation platform, a pair of Sandhill Cranes tolerated a fairly close approach as they fed, preened, and fended off some other cranes that thought to join them.

 

The wind followed us to Maple Lake, where I have come to expect it. By the bridge to Maple Isle, a bunch of coots were joined by a couple of  Horned Grebes in close to full breeding plumage. Duck numbers were way down around the island but we did see our first Ruddy Ducks, including a nice breeding plumaged male. The Ruddy Ducks flushed suddenly when a Common Loon came up from underneath them! We were almost as surprised, because that was our first clue there was a loon there at all.

There were still quite a few ducks on the lake on the east side of the road, including redhead, goldeneye, and a few red-breasted mergs. We didn't see any Hooded or Common Mergs today.
      Once again, the tea at the end of the outing hit the spot. I'd like to thank everyone who has been taking the time to come out and share the Van Buren County birding experience, including first timer Jean Ketchum today. The only thing better than being lucky enough to live in this amazing place is being able to share it with friends! We are planning to do it again next Monday. Eventually, I just know it is going to warm up! Check with me for details on time and meeting place. Until next time, bird on!

Gifts of the Earth

Sometimes the first few days of Spring feel like a series of presents from the Earth. Even though I am often just doing errands and not really birding, my mother taught me that it is rude to ignore an offered gift. So, this morning while I stood waiting for Shine the Whippet mix girl to finish her business, I got goosebumps watching a group of three Red-tailed Hawks soar over head, followed shortly by a Sandhill Crane. Then I was roaring down 38th Avenue on my way to Kalamazoo, when out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed something white out in the corn stubble. Some quick action on the brakes and the letter R on the gear shift got me into position to see these guys. You can't really see the yellow spot on the bill in the photo, but it was obvious through binocs. 

Tundra Swans, Van Buren County

I did make it to Kalamazoo eventually, and on the way home decided to make a quick stop at Briggs' Pond in Paw Paw. Lucky for me, it is on the way! : ) In addition to a few coots, I saw a few of these guys - this one looked like he was just climbing out of his winter bed in the bottom of the pond.

Painted Turtle, Briggs' Pond

Earlier in the week conditions were definitely more winter like. We saw this Sandhill Crane at Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery on Monday. You can barely see our first Green-winged Teal of the season facing away from the camera a little to the right of the crane.

Sandhill Crane, Green-winged Teal and Gadwall, Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery

And these Northern Shovelers standing on the ice at Three Oaks Ponds on Saturday were wondering what happened to the water.

Northern Shovelers and Ring-billed Gull, Three Oaks

Come to think of it, it feels like this week I had a front-row seat to the show I have been looking forward to all winter - The Coming of Spring. Don't change the channel now, folks. The show is just getting started!

Diving Duck Bonanza at Maple Lake

Oodles of diving ducks were concentrated at the north end of Maple Lake in Paw Paw today. This is the area where the boat launch ramp is located. The ice situation presently steers the birds close enough to shore for some excellent viewing opportunities. Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Lesser Scaup, and Redhead are all present, numbering in the dozens for each species. Common Goldeneye are also numerous, although less so than the others. There is still a single Ring-necked Duck hanging out here, as well as the ever present semi-domesticated Mallards, etc. I'd suggest that if you want to see these birds, you go soon. The next few days are forecasted to be warm, and the ice that is concentrating the birds will soon be gone.

Hooded Mergansers

Common, Goldeneye and Merganser

Redhead

Ring-necked Duck

Some of the many Mergs and Goldeneye

For directions on birding Maple Lake, see the post previous to this one. Good luck, all!

Birding Maple Lake and Briggs' Pond

Briggs' Pond from the Red Arrow Highway side (dam side)

         As the word gets out about Paw Paw, Michigan's great birding, more and more people are asking, "Where the heck is Briggs' Pond? How do I find all those herons, ducks, and geese?" So I thought it was time for a tell-all post people can refer to!

          Basically, Maple Lake and Briggs' Pond are in the heart of Paw Paw. Briggs' Pond appears under several names depending on where you look, so I decided I like Briggs' Pond and I am sticking to it.  From I94, take Exit 60 towards Paw Paw. This puts you on Kalamazoo Street, which is also M40.  All the locations I describe are entirely west of M-40, except for the last one. All of these locations are mostly surrounded by private property, so please behave appropriately. Keep in mind that waterfowl move, so check all locations before giving up on a particular bird.

1. Marshy area of Briggs' Pond - From Kalamazoo Street, turn west on Commercial Street. The St. Julian Winery is on the northwest corner and is hard to miss. Follow Commercial until it deadends at Briggs' Pond, next to the old Paw Paw Press building. A missionary group is slowly renovating the building, but they told me it is fine to bird from the corner of the building. This spot overlooks the marshy area of Briggs' Pond. Depending on water level it can be good for shorebirds in season. This is where I usually find American Black Duck. Green and Great Blue Herons are resident, and I often see Great Egrets here. This is the spot where I most recently saw Greater White-fronted Geese and Cackling Geese. In summer, this is a great spot for watching the resident ducks, geese and swans raise their broods. Green Herons also nest here.

2. Dam Side of Briggs' Pond - When you leave the marshy area, go back out to the first stop sign (Gremps Street) and turn left. Follow this street to the traffic light, which is Michigan - this is the name for Red Arrow Highway where it goes through Paw Paw. Turn left. After you pass the state police post, you can either find a spot to park along the road to bird Maple Lake to the north, or you can continue on the parking lot for the dam trail on the south. Check both the pond on the south and the lake on the north side of Michigan. The hybrid goose featured in my last post hangs out around the dam trail. If you bring bread, you will get to see all the local resident geese and ducks. Or even if you don't bring bread. They are always hopeful. The little trail over the dam can be productive at times. I once found a snapping turtle laying eggs back there!

3. Maple Isle - Maple Isle isn't open in the winter time, but, in season, it can be a great vantage point. Parking is across the street next to the nursery. From the Dam Side parking lot, turn right back onto Michigan and go back to the second light (Kalamazoo Street). Turn left. After you pass all the in-town residences, you will see the gate and sign for Maple Isle on the left.

4. Boat launch ramp - On the north side of the lake from Maple Isle you will see the boat launch area. Depending on the ice situation, this part of the lake can be great for diving ducks. The only access to check the east arm of the lake is from here, scoping from the sidewalk.

There are a couple of other areas where you can get some frustrating peeks at the lake, but please be mindful of commonsense, traffic laws, and privacy issues. And let us know what you see! Good birding!

This Ring-necked Duck and his odd companion hung out around the boat launch ramp this winter. 

 

Briggs' Pond from Commercial Street