The only place I went birding during the past two months was Belle Isle. Belle Isle is close to home and I can easily go for just a couple of hours. I knew there would be waterfowl there and I have not paid attention to waterfowl in a long time. I was past due. I also happened to be extremely cold these past two months and very gray. I tried to get out on the few sunny days we had. I was successful only a couple of times.
Common Goldeneye floating with Hooded Mergansers.
Female Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Cackling Goose
Rusty Blackbird
Redhead
Hooded Merganser
American Wigeon seen at Ford Field Park
First cycle Ring-billed Gull
I saw American Kestrel - there were two - during each of my visits.
The improbably named (to me) Ring-necked Duck - the first I have seen in many years.
The arrows point the a cluster of Ring-necked Ducks in the Blue Heron Lagoon. I find it interesting that they hang out together. True also for Canvasbacks, whose massive flotillas also had fewer Redheads and scaup species intermingled. Canvasbacks are the undisputed kings and queens of abundance in the Detroit River around Belle Isle. They deserve their own photo spot, but the relatively small flotilla below is more representative.
First spring male Northern Cardinals looking grumpy, but then cardinals usually look grumpy.
Song Sparrow
Tundra Swans
Another Redhead
Female Scaup, probably Lesser
Wood Duck
Female Common Merganser
I did find one seasonally uncommon bird for Belle Isle on January 27th - a flyover Turkey Vulture. This was a surprise. Even more of a surprise was that I got identifiable photos.
It's two days before the end of February and I am not going to have the chance to get to Belle Isle again, so this is my two month winter review. It's been a tough winter (at least for me), but perfect for re-acquainting myself with our local waterfowl and a few other birds. I can't say that waterfowl is my favorite group of birds, but I certainly have a lot of respect for them.
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