Lake Erie Metropark and Belle Isle

No photos from Lake Erie Metropark (LEMP) hawk watch this morning, but the hawk flight was very active. I saw three juvenile Golden Eagles fly over and numerous Red-shouldered Hawks. Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures were also well represented. Blue Jays and Crows joined the hawks in taking advantage of the north wind.

But then it became too cold for me. I left to get a sandwich for lunch and continued on to Belle Isle for some little bird birding. Belle Isle was very birdy this afternoon.

A view of Detroit from across the river.

This Ring-billed Gull was disappointed when it realized I was not going to feed it.

This one had hopes for the same. I don't know why any blog entry needs two photos of Ring-billed Gulls, but when you see my Hermit Thrush below ...

Literally, I saw Hermit Thrushes too numerous to count. This is the only dreadful photo I was able to get before my camera batteries died.

In addition to Belle Isle's resident birds, which all seemed present, and all of the Hermit Thrushes, I also saw two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, one Eastern Phoebe, one Blue-headed Vireo, one Nashville Warbler, one Orange-crowned Warbler, one Fox Sparrow, one Chipping Sparrow and one female Purple Finch feeding with a flock of House Finches.

This is a shot of the fall colors around the lake of the Ford Fairlane Estate on Sunday morning. Not very birdy here for me this morning.