Origins and Stories

It's been a while since I've posted (a while being a bit of an understatement), and for that I apologize. I'm also kind of apologizing to myself, for while I always find time to attend to my professional writing endeavors, this project, my personal project, falls to the side.

I spent quite a while (like way too long) considering what my next topic should be:

• End-of-year recap for 2017?
• New birds seen in 2018?
• Birder interview?
• Update on my nature photo journal?

I tossed ideas back and forth, even starting a few drafts, but would inevitably sidetrack and abandon each attempt. After a whole bunch of this, I realized I was spending way too much time worrying about what to write instead of just writing (which seems to be a classic writers' problem, doesn't it🤣).

When I loosened my grip on the outcome, the topic finally came.

When, why and how did I become a birder?

I've always appreciated birds, but until a few years ago I didn't know much about them: how many species we have locally, what they're named, how they sound - you get the gist. I was a nature lover but not yet a bona fide bird nerd.

That all began to change the first time I saw a Cedar Waxwing, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, then other birds I'd never seen before. I wondered,

    How could I coexist with such beautiful creatures and not even know they're there?

    Is it possible to find them again? 

    And, What else is out there for me to discover?

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
Don't judge the lack of rosy breast; this is a female and she's beautiful in her own right😁

After seeing these birds and asking these questions, I embarked on a mission to pay more attention. I searched more so I found more; noticed more, so I discovered more. I bought my first field guide (a Peterson if you're curious) and started making little check marks next to the birds I saw - my first official Life List.

I took the next step in my birding journey during summer of 2014; but not without help. You see, there's this magical thing about my partner, Jason, where he seems to always lead me toward the things I cherish most. It's never in a forced way but more like a soft nudge in the right direction. It's like he sees sparks in me that I don't see, and helps me find substance upon which to ignite my inner fire.

In this case, we found that substance at Red Oaks Nature Center during a seminar on how to use eBird. Jason was the one who discovered the event and suggested we go. I remember that night vividly, sitting at Red Oaks learning about eBird; savoring corny "birder jokes" I didn't yet understand, because I knew someday I would. I was excited and intrigued to learn about this new way to track my sightings and learn more about the birds around me. In case you don't know, eBird is an online birding community created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology to collect sightings from birders all across the globe. Anyone can use it to record sightings, search for birds nearby, look at historical data, and access articles and other resources (click here to set up your own eBird account!).

♥ Jason hand-feeding a White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) ♥

I opened my eBird account that summer and haven't stopped birding since (and I mean that pretty literally. I'm basically always birding except when I'm inside with no windows, thinking about birds 🤣). This passion of mine is so pervasive and persistent, it's hard to believe it started just a few years back - but it's true. What was once a vague inkling now has life of its own, and guides me through my days.

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) on Jason's hand. Life is good.

This seems like a good time to mention one last thing. I recently uncovered stacks and stacks of my old diaries. While reading through them, I was surprised to find so many references to birds. I'd forgotten how long ago my appreciation for them started, stretching way back into childhood. Those days, I didn't know the science nor specifics of birds, but the Love was clearly there. I wrote about birds with a sense of admiration and awe I still feel today. It was within a loving space those early seeds took hold; then much later, and again fueled by Love, my passion for birds would blossom.

Here's a few photos of those old diary pages, in order from oldest to most recent:

Age 6

Age 6 (I'm thinking this is a Cardinal and a
Canada Goose but can't be certain)

Age 13 (I'm impressed with this one, and some day need to figure out what birds these were)

Age 13

Age 14

Age 21

Age 23 (Okay, so this one isn't very accurate
in terms of  bird migration timing, but hey, you get the point 🤣)

And one year after this last note, I sat inside Red Oaks Nature Center, becoming a bona fide birder.

Happy birding!! (')< ♫
Love,
Little Bird Nerd

Photo Journal 2016: August

August was an enjoyable month for me. The bird activity was starting to pick up again after July's lull. The foliage continued to grow. Late summer wildflowers bloomed while hummingbirds buzzed the trails. I seemed to soak up as much sun as I could, and the woods felt more alive than they had in July.

Enjoy these images of the progress of my photo journal. It can also be viewed week by week and in greater detail on my Little Bird Nerd Facebook page.

August, Spot 1

Spot 1: August, 2016, Weeks 32-35

 August, Spot 2

Spot 2: August, 2016, Weeks 32-35

 August, Spot 3

Spot 3: August, 2016, Weeks 32-35

Life Birds:

After a slow July, my birding kicked back into gear this August. There was never a shortage for shorebird viewing, as one new variety would show up at the beach almost daily. These were some of the best and most close-up views of shorebirds I'd ever had. All of these provided opportunities for study and I felt like I came out of August with a slightly better understanding of shorebird identification. Just don't quiz me on gulls yet; I haven't quite gotten there. ;)

Throughout the month, I saw 5 new life birds or "lifers" (birds one sees for the first time). These included: 

Baird's Sandpiper, first seen at Robert H. Long park and later seen at Lake St. Clair Metropark (the pair pictured below). The commonly used distinguishing feature of these little guys is their long wing projections, far past the tail.

Baird's Sandpipers, LSCMP

Blue Grosbeak, seen along the M5 Metro Trail in Oakland County. There was a pair of grosbeaks that some hoped would nest along the trail. I was lucky enough to happen upon the male singing constantly, even over loud traffic. I saw him flitting around in the trees above me, but never could get a great photograph with the lighting. As a side note, there was some concern that some people were going off the trail and getting too close to the grosbeaks' possible nest. While we all love a good photograph, it is more important to not disturb a nest or get too close to a bird that might be scared off and never return. Part of sharing the love of birding is sharing the responsibility to take care of the birds.

Blue Grosbeak, M5 Trail

Marbled Godwit, seen at Pointe Mouille State Game Area. I took my sister on this adventure where she was absolutely wowed by Mouillee and all the shorebird viewing. She even spotted me not one but 2 American Avocets, one of my very favorite birds, and the first anyone had seen of them that day, even though many bird watchers were out before us looking for the Godwit. Great find, Madeline!!

Marbled Godwit, Pointe Mouillee SGA

Red-necked Phalarope, found at Lake St. Clair Metropark, as part of the wave of awesome shorebirds that visited over a few weeks. After photographing this one, the very next day there were two Red-necked Phalaropes! Now the only "local" phalarope I am missing from my life list is the Wilson's.

Red-necked Phalarope, LSCMP

  
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, spotted at Lake St. Clair Metropark with the help of eBird reports and Tom Heatley, who was with me when I was finally able to identify this cute little flycatcher. As any birder will tell you, flycatchers present difficult ID challenges, and are often undistinguishable aside from their calls. This one seemed a little easier than others, with its short stout shape and its yellow hues.

Comparisons
Last year's January through August total species count: 198
This year's January through August total species count: 227

Photo Journal 2016: July

July brought lots of sunshine, not much rain, and tons of growth, especially around Spot 1 (which grew increasingly difficult to access as the entrance became overgrown). In my personal life, I was dealing with my mom's recent diagnosis of breast cancer, and trying to balance family time, my relationship, school, and multiple jobs. I would say being out here in nature was both a godsend and a detriment to me, for my sanity and for my productivity levels, respectively. Nevertheless, I am always at home during a walk in the woods, and the summer sun soothed my soul. <3

Enjoy these images of the progress of my photo journal. It can also be viewed week by week and in greater detail on my Little Bird Nerd Facebook page. Not much has changed this month except for more leaves, more flowers, fewer birds, and much drier ground.

July, Spot 1

Spot 1: July, 2016, Weeks 27-31

July, Spot 2

Spot 2: July, 2016, Weeks 27-31

July, Spot 3

 

Spot 3: July, 2016, Weeks 27-31

Other July Happenings:

July is a notoriously horrible month for birding around here. Birds are either up north nesting, or hanging near their local nests, not allowing for many viewing opportunities. Leaf coverage is more dense than any other time, making it additionally difficult to view what is there. It's probably for the best that this lull exists, as it provides a breather between spring and fall migration. Instead of birding, it's a good time to focus on butterflies, dragonflies, flowers, and other parts of nature. July is also prime time for the part of birding that isn't out in the field- the study and research portion. I enjoy this aspect of birding nearly as much as being out in the field, as I've always loved to learn and soak up as much information as I can. Finally, July gives us birders a good chance to spend some quality time with the people in our lives, as we are often absent on birding chases during the surrounding months.

My only first-of-the-year species sighting (both for the county and the entire state) came at the very end of the month, in the form of a few Sanderlings at LSCMP. It was fun to watch them running characteristically in and out of the waves on the shoreline, surrounded by a few other small shorebirds for good comparison looks.

 

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Comparisons
Last year's January through July total species count: 181
This year's January through July total species count: 214

Photo Journal 2016: June

Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser)

As spring gave way to summer, the vernal ponds began to evaporate. Because of this, the changes this month were most evident in Spot 2. Although I welcomed the warm temperatures, spring will always be my favorite season, and I wished those ponds could stay.

June, Spot 1

Spot 1: June, 2016, Weeks 23-26

June, Spot 2

Spot 2: June, 2016, Weeks 23-26

June, Spot 3

Spot 3: June, 2016, Weeks 23-26

Other June Happenings:

Life Birds

This month brought 6 new birds into my life. This is great for June, which is not typically the best birding month. In fact, of the 16 FOYs I saw in June, 6 of them were lifers, which gave me a 37.5% lifer-to-FOY ratio for June. Alright, enough statistics (NEVER!), I'll get back to the storytelling. :)

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea)

If you recall, last month's summary mentioned "Code Red, White, and Blue". This refers to my three target birds I set for myself this year. May brought Red, the Red-headed Woodpecker, and June happened to bring Blue, the Cerulean Warbler. Andrew Simon and I took a morning trip out to Port Huron State Game Area, which is a known summer site for these gorgeous warblers. As we followed directions outlined by other birders, we sat patiently waiting to hear the warbler's call, or to see a flash of blue. For a while, the only calls and flashes of blue were coming from the many Indigo Buntings in the area. After standing in the same spot for a time, we decided to head back to the car, as we had other spots to check and a storm was coming. In one of those wonderful moments where you just start to give up and let go, in flew a male Cerulean Warbler, allowing us to view it and get pictures. It was a lifer for both of us and we were so excited!

The near-threatened Henslow's Sparrow has declined in numbers due to habitat loss. Fortunately, our local area still supports at least one of these birds, as it was conveniently tucked into a field not far from home. In this same field were more Bobolinks than I'd ever seen in one place; and these birds always make me think of my Grandma, who says she grew up with Bobolinks all over her farm property. While standing in grasses up to my waist, scanning for small brown birds, this tiny sparrow happened to be sitting just in front of me! Its sparsely streaked breast and small size, along with its facial patterns and head shape, helped confirm this bird's identity. I was very happy with the sighting as well as the photographs I was able to capture.

Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii)

Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii)

As the break between spring and summer semesters came to a close, I decided I wanted to do a Big Day of birding before getting back to "the grind". So, on June 26th, friend and classmate Andrew and I decided to join forces and bird hard. We began our trip at Oak Openings in Ohio, which is a beautiful, huge park that I'd like to return to. Our first sighting was not of a bird but of a birder who was very helpful in providing directions to hotspots around the park. We were looking for Summer Tanagers and Lark Sparrows, and found the latter with little effort (thanks to our aforementioned friend!). Although we didn't find the tanagers, I was more than content to spot this distinctively marked, large sparrow which nests in sand dunes. This bird is the only member of its genus, and when compared to the Henslow's Sparrow above, it is obviously quite different in almost every way: size, shape, pattern, behavior, and habitat.

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)

Our next stop was back in Michigan, to a farm road called Meyers Road, near Ann Arbor. This stop proved to be a winner, teeming with just about every meadow bird we could expect: Dickcissels (the lifer we were after, which we decided looked like a mix of a meadowlark, a sparrow, and a grosbeak), Eastern Meadowlarks, a Northern Mockingbird, Bobolinks, Horned Larks, Killdeer, Eastern Bluebirds, Barn Swallows, and more. I joked I was really glad we didn't drive all the way out to a dusty old farm road and strike out. It would have been a little harder to swallow than if we'd struck out at an "official" park, somehow.

Dickcissel (Spiza americana)

The final stop on our Big Day was Pointe Mouillee, a birding treasure trove located off Lake Eerie in Monroe County. Here we rode our bikes in nearly 90-degree heat, and covered much of the giant wetland territory. We found a lifer gull, a Franklin's Gull, which added to my pitifully short gull list. In my defense, gulls are arguably the most difficult of bird families to ID, with endless subtleties and variations in plumage. I was also lucky enough to see my lifer Black Tern, a beautiful bird which I hope to see soon in my home county, as they are known to fly around Harsen's Island during the summer.

Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Memorable FOYS (first of the year sightings):

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

This Piping Plover sighting was magical. My Love, Jason, and I spent almost a week up near Traverse City, Glen Arbor, and Pearl Lake. Of course there was some birding to be done! One of my main targets was the Piping Plover, which we tried for on multiple occasions before finding this one. As we crept along the shoreline at Sleeping Bear Point, we kept our ears open for "peeps" and our eyes open for movement. Out of nowhere came a single "PEEP!" which caused Jason and I to look at each other with excitement, then look around. It was behind me and right near the tide, a single Piping Plover standing there on the rocks. I was able to snap a few quick pictures and then, just as mysteriously as it had appeared, it flew off out over the open water and disappeared. We had to be there at that exact moment to have seen this endangered bird, and I was grateful for the chance. <3

American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

For a comparison between the Black-billed Cuckoo and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, click here to read my first edition of "Two Birds".

Comparisons
Last year's January through June total species count: 181
This year's January through June total species count: 213

Common Loon (Gavia immer)

Photo Journal 2016: May

Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)

"It was May, the best of months nearly everywhere..." -Phoebe Snetsinger, Birding on Borrowed Time

This month brought some of the most noticeable changes to my nature plots. From sparse to full greenery, spring breathed life into the woods. The vernal ponds filled up to the brim, and by the fourth week, began to collect a filmy coating on their surfaces. I even got to take some of my nature plot photos on my 27th birthday (Week 20- May 16th).

May, Spot 1

Spot 1: May, 2016, Weeks 18-22

 May, Spot 2

Spot 2: May, 2016, Weeks 18-22

 May, Spot 3

Spot 3: May, 2016, Weeks 18-22

Other May Happenings:

Life Birds

May was a 5-lifer month for me, which is nothing to complain about!

In the birding community, we joke that there is often a sacrificial birder. This is a birder who decides to call it quits for the day, knowing by Murphy's Law that right after leaving, some great bird is going to appear. The sacrificial birder can also be a birder who goes out of town, and while out of town, a rare bird appears in his or her home county. Well, local birding legend Tom Heatley happened to be out of the country this May, searching for his last bird family (he found it!). We figured his absence would make him the ultimate sacrificial birder, and we were not wrong.

Whooping Crane Capture- Photo by: Kevin Rysiewski

The first of these 5 life birds (birds I'd never seen before) was a species that when I heard of its presence in Macomb County, I immediately thought it had to be a joke.  My friend Andrew had been scanning the eBird reports and stumbled across a record of 4 Whooping Cranes in Romeo, MI. We analyzed the GPS position of the reported sighting and tried to determine where these mysterious cranes could be. In the following days, Andrew did the legwork, driving around the reported area in search of this rarity. Finally, on May 3rd, he texted me in a fury of excitement- he'd found the cranes! I was about an hour away, and was about to search a local park for a recently spotted Blue-headed Vireo (not a rarity, but a FOY for me). I was also supposed to take my dad out for dinner for his birthday in approximately 2 hours. Going for the cranes would mean leaving right that second, driving as quickly as possible, viewing them for a maximum of a few minutes, then driving over an hour straight to the restaurant. I wrestled with this mentally, but I was already on autopilot, driving toward the expressway. Seeing the cranes was one of those moments that command silence. I was struck by the reality of what I was seeing, and aware of the fragile state of this protected species. With fewer than 500 wild birds left on the planet, this was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting. As I was pulling up, I was joined by an Operation Migration vehicle, which had come to collect the cranes and bring them back to their breeding area in Wisconsin, where they would have a much better chance of reproducing with the other cranes in that population. The four cranes had completed their first solo migration from the Mississippi Basin back up north. Interestingly, they had reached the exact latitude point at which they needed to be, but were a bit too far east on the longitude. I was happy for their mistake. The capture of the cranes is something I would have liked to witness, but I had to rush off for my dad's birthday dinner. I exchanged a few words with Andrew and Chris DeWolfe, who introduced himself as "the only Ebirder in Lapeer County" and sped off back down the dirt road, grinning from ear to ear. Click here to read more of this story from Operation Migration's blog.

Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)

May 7th brought 3 lifers in one day! First we found a Lincoln's Sparrow along one of the Ford House Bird Walks with Wild Birds Unlimited Grosse Pointe Woods. As new co-leader of these walks, it was exciting to be able to get a lifer with new birders who were also seeing some of these birds for the first time. After this great bird walk (where we also found the uncommon Hooded Warbler, one of my favorite warblers), I received news there was a Red-headed Woodpecker at Stony Creek!

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

At the beginning of the year, I had set three top bird targets, which I nicknamed, "Code Red, White, and Blue" for the colors of the three target birds. Red was the Red-headed Woodpecker, followed by Northern Shrike (white) and Cerulean Warbler (blue). I headed straight from the Ford House to Stony Creek Metropark, where Kevin R. and Andy W. showed me my lifer Red-headed. Shortly after, Kevin clued me into a spot to find a Louisiana Waterthrush, which is also an uncommon bird I'd been hoping to find. Sitting in the microcosm of a swamp which this bird calls home; the LoWa singing and flitting about, was about the most peaceful moment I could dream up.

Finally, at the end of the month, I located two Yellow-billed Cuckoos at Nicholson Nature Center. Their ka-ka-ka-ka-kow calls helped me narrow down where they were perched, and when I saw their brightly spotted tails and unique profiles in flight, I was overjoyed.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

Memorable FOYS (first of the year sightings): 

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens)

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

This month provided FOY sightings of 19 warblers, from common warblers like Black-throated Green and American Redstart to the less common Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat (which has the potential to be taxonomically split apart from warblers altogether), and the most surprising of all- the Kirtland's Warbler, whose appearance may have been the first ever documented appearance of this bird in Macomb County. With the help of Jeff Steinmetz and all of the other diligent birders who posted their sightings, I was able to witness this bird in my own home county. This sighting made the Sterling Heights Nature Center a birding Mecca for a few days, with hoards of birders coming to document this bird one usually must go Up North to see.

Kirtland's Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii)

Click here for a very interesting radio take on the Kirtland's Warbler story.

Other great FOYs include: Common Nighthawk, Bobolink, Eastern Screech-Owl, and Clay-colored Sparrow.

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Comparisons
Last year's January through May total species count: 170
This year's January through May total species count: 197