Two birds, 20 bucks

I had to really talk myself into going.  The birds were being reported daily on the eBird alerts.  Then, last Wednesday, the morning came bright and sunny and I didn't have anything pressing to do.  Okay, this is the day.

The first problem, even on a quiet Wednesday morning with not much going on.  No easily found parking.  The Zone parking can be tricky because of the machines.  I found a spot in Zone 106, but the machine didn't work.  I had already paid one parking ticket this past summer because I operated the machine incorrectly.  Every structure was un-manned with a giant QR code to scan.  Really?  I don't know about anyone else, but I've seen enough QR codes to last me the rest of my life.

Finally, I found a lot on Layafette Street with a real live man operating it and to whom I could pay $20 for a full day - even though I didn't need a full day.  But that allowed me to relax and even have lunch afterwards.  

I did a quick loop around Campus Martius.  Nothing.  The ovenbird had also been reported at Cadillac Square park so I walked across the street. Almost immediately, I found the tiny Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii), hanging out with house sparrows along Cadillac Square St. It was so much smaller than the house sparrows, it would have been hard to miss.  It was chasing the house sparrows around trying to steal the bread they found.  I wish the photo above was in focus.   

Here it is in the middle of the road where it found its own crumbs to nibble.

With the house sparrow hoarding its bread.

The Lincoln Sparrow appeared to be a plump little thing, especially considering how out of habitat it was and the time of year - not many seeds or bugs on those wood chips.

Along the curbside.

Next came the Ovenbird.  I carefully walked around Campus Martius again seeing only house sparrows and not even many of those.  I noticed a grassy and weedy boulevard just south of Campus Martius.  I crossed the street at a zebra crossing and slowly walked the path through the middle of the green space.  I wasn't seeing any birds.  Then, suddenly, I saw a small bird with tail cocked move into a clump of bushes.  The Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)!  

All of my photos from the morning were poor.  I deleted well over half of those I took of each bird.  I wasn't expecting to take beautiful photos.  Neither bird was in that kind of habitat.  Mostly the photos were for documentation.  Lincoln's Sparrow is one of my favorite migrant sparrows; so elegant appearing with its dainty streaking.  Ovenbirds are always special.  A birding acquaintance from many years ago used to give a talk on urban birding.  Not uncommonly an Overbird becomes stranded in downtown Detroit each autumn.     

I stopped for lunch at Layafette Coney Island and when I got back to the parking lot, I told the attendant that my $20 was well worth it.  He looked at me a little weirdly and seemed amused; of course he did, a lady with clunky camera and binoculars.  Please.