Willow Run Airport this morning

Following Jerry Jourdan's blog entry reporting a singing Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) heard in the woods near Willow Run airport, I went out there this morning.  No Prairie Warbler for me.  I even went south on Beck Road and approached the woods from behind via a road that ran along some baseball fields.  One of my favorite warblers, and now that I live in Michigan I just don't get to see them anymore.  My only Michigan Prairie Warbler comes from Berrien County last June.

If you want to see a good Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) photo, definitely go to Jerry's blog. But, still I was pleased with my photo from this morning to use here.  I heard and saw quite a few Bobolinks and enjoyed their flight displays.

Fortunately, I was able to first hear - its buzzy vocalization is so revealing - and then see the Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum).  Despite warnings from other birders posted this past week, I got out of my car and walked up to the chainlink fence and poked my camera though.  I took three shots and when I downloaded them to my computer I could not find the bird in any of them.  

Willow Run airport is Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) heaven.  I took many photos of several different birds this morning, but selected this photo because of the raised crest and the bird is perched on the ground and not on the chain link fence.  

At the end of my time at the airport, I found this American Robin (Turdus migratorius) with a broken leg.  The bird flew from this perch down to the ground.  Despite landing awkwardly, he appeared to be okay.

Jerry wrote of missing the Upland Sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda) and I missed them this morning, too.  I was discouraged by this.  I was there on Tuesday, May 19th and saw four at that time.  One appeared to be sitting on a nest.  At the time of that visit, the grass appeared to have been recently cut.  As all four were seen in the mown grass, it seemed to me that they would be safe in that spot.