Unexpected

This morning I met my good friend Diana at Nichols Arboretum for a walk and to meet her new puppy.  As I was leaving home to drive to Ann Arbor I thought twice about not having my binoculars or camera and returned for them.  It's a good thing. 

About an hour into our walk along the main trail leading from the river to Geddes Road I noticed a small, yellow bird flitting in the branches of a big-leafed tree that had lost quite a few leaves.  I put my bins up and saw a Wilson's Warbler.  Surprised and also knowing that November 2nd was a late date for this bird I tried for a photo but forgot that I hadn't loaded the camera battery.  Fortunately there was sun on the tree and the little bird seemed content to flit around and stay put while I fumbled with the battery.  My photos don't reveal that the sun was shining so you'll have to take my word for it. 

  

I don't know Michigan's or Washtenaw County's data for late dates, but I have access to old Dearborn (Wayne county) data.  In The Birds of Dearborn: An Annotated Checklist, 2007, Julies Craves notes that Wilson's Warbler typical fall departure date is 18 September with latest fall departure date identified as 8 October (in 1995), pp 66-67. Anyway it was a thrill to see this Wilson's Warbler, especially for me who has done so little birding of late.  I entered the sighting on eBird with the photos.  This being an out of the ordinary autumn, it's still good to get the chance to document outlier sightings.  I was reminded yet again of what a great place Nichols Arboretum is. 

My brain must have been synapsing with late dates because when I first saw this bird on the ground beneath a small bush I thought it was a Swainson's Thrush.  

Then it popped up and made its chip note.

Hermit Thrush - so nice to see.

All summer long I heard Carolina wrens singing throughout my neighborhood.  I counted at least three and possibly four singing males in various locations.  On Sunday, two Carolina wrens graced the pile of branches I have been stacking for the past few years for exactly this reason.  I'm hoping they over winter in my yard.  I have the perfect south facing place for them.  The bird in the photo above and the one below are actually different birds.  The sun was shining on the stack of branches and I think they were really enjoying it.

The only photo I didn't get this morning, but wish I had, was of Diana's puppy.  Next time.  Completely charming and adorable dog.

Addendum:  I googled Michigan's late date for Wilson's Warbler and found a 2020 PDF update of Ottawa County's annotated checklist.  Birds of Ottawa County, Michigan:  An Annotated Checklist.  The five year update was compiled by Chip Franke, Carl Manning and Judy Manning, 31 May, 2020.  Unfortunately, the changes do not include a late date for Wilson's W.

eBird's bar chart is a little difficult to interpret but identifies 3 Wilson's W. records in November and four in December.