Failed eBird's April challenge

For anyone interested:  Here are the details of the eBird's May challenge.

Couldn't cut the mustard for April's challenge.  I started this month birding on April 1st at Belle Isle in response to the eBird April challenge.  (Truthfully, Belle Isle is the only place I've birded this year.)  The challenge:  chose one place and bird that location twenty times during the month of April and document all sightings.  I tried but didn't make it.  Twenty times is a lot and many of the days were already occupied by other commitments.  As of yesterday my April visits numbered fourteen.  I am going to try to get back either today or tomorrow to round out my effort at fifteen visits.  

You can review the details of the April challenge in the link.  Will link the April eBirder(s) of the month when announced.  By contrast May's challenge seems a little easier and many are likely to participate.  April weather in my location began with cold, north wind days that persisted through Easter.  Nevertheless, with each visit I seemed to find a new bird. 

For no particular reason and in no particular order, I chose these photos to document my effort.  I did enjoy the challenge and found birds I probably will not see again this year.  I also saw birds that I had not seen in many years because I have not paid attention to seeing waterfowl. 

Common Loon.  No doubt about it, a handsome bird.

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted merg pair and Horned Grebe in the foreground

Terrible photo, but possibly my only chance to see a Fox Sparrow this year.

Another horrible photo.  It is only me or do others find Hairy Woodpeckers difficult to find?  Here there are a pair.  It seems like Hairy Woodpeckers should be easier to find on Belle Isle.

A Bufflehead photo where the bird's eye can be seen!

Blue-winged Teal

Pied-billed Grebe.  Super cute little bird.

Bald Eagle landing clumsily on a piece of floating debris.

There is a nesting pair on the island.  They are an attractions for the many non-birders who have read about them on social media and visit the island to see them.  I have been stopped by many who have asked "do you know where the eagle's nest is?"  The nesting Osprey are also gaining some traction with non-birders. 

Fishing Osprey

Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)

Doing other reading this morning, I was reminded of Cooper's hawk reclassification to the genus Astur changed from Accipiter in 2024.  The change was based on recent genetic research suggesting that the Cooper's Hawk is more closely related to the American Goshawk (now Astur atricapillus) than to other members of the Accipiter genus such as the Sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus).  Incidentally, American was added to the name of goshawk in 2023 to differentiate it as a distinct species from the Eurasian goshawk (Astur gentilis).  Prior to this change the goshawk was considered a single species Northern Goshawk (formerly Accipiter gentilis).  From: Google's AI summary.  There are also plenty of on-line articles to read more detail about this.  

To read a more personal account of Eurasian Goshawk read (if you haven't already) Helen McDonald's 2014 book H is for Hawk which made the NYTs top 100 list for that year.  I often use Thriftbooks links for books on this blog, especially older books that can be purchased cheaply on-line.  In the case of H is for Hawk, however, Thriftbook reviewers give it only three stars.  It's been a long time since I read it but I would have definitely have given more than three stars.    

Caspian Tern

American Kestrel.  After seeing almost every visit in Jan, Feb, and March, I saw only once in April.  There is a nesting pair on the island.

Black-crowned Night Heron.  Seen and photographed many visits.

This really bothers me.  I saw the bird again yesterday.  From Nashua Canal it had made its way to Muskovy Lake.  See May 3rd post:  Fishermen - what to do if you hook a bird.

Field Sparrow

Just removed a crawling wood tick from my neck that came home with me following yesterday's visit.  I was hoping that our cold and relatively snowy winter would keep the little bastards' numbers down.  Wishful thinking.  Now that more and more white-tailed deer are on the island the risk of picking up deer ticks (the Lyme tick) will increase.  

Finally, I went to Belle Isle on April 30th to achieve fifteen visits for the month of April.

A river runs through it

Yesterday two young men, probably in their late teens, were fishing in Belle Isle's Nashua Canal.  I asked if they were catching anything and they said they had each caught a couple of bass.  They explained that the bass hid under the roots and logs at the edges of the creek.  One of them said, hopefully, "there are also pike in the canal".  The other boy added, "Did you see that the swan had a fishing lure stuck in its bill.  Yeah, it looks like someone hooked it and then cut the line."

I had walked past the Mute Swan, alone and swimming slowly, considered taking a photo but didn't.  I didn't notice the fishing lure. With this new information I hustled back to see if I could see the fishing lure. 

The swan's bill seems slightly opened, most likely, because of the lure.  Every few feet it would shake its head slowly back and forth in its vain attempt to dislodge the lure.  I wondered how long it had been like this.  I thought the neck of the bird appeared to be skinny.  Also, it's not my sloppy camera work that makes the swam appear to be listing to the left.  This is how it was swimming.  Most swans are paired up and nesting. This poor creature appeared miserable.

Earlier in the winter I saw a Herring Gull at the Humbug Marina with the same predicament.  As with the gull, unfortunately this swan's prospects for survival are poor.

After photos I passed the fishermen and said, "good luck."   I was twenty feet beyond, when one called out, "hey, just got a bass."  I went back for photos.        

The bass was about ten inches in length and appears to be a small-mouth bass.  I should have asked.  They would have known.  I asked if the fish was big enough to keep.  "Nah, we don't keep them.  I'll just throw it back."  My kind of fishermen.  

This map is at the end of the Nashua Canal at the kayak portage.  Everyone has their favorite place.  This is mine. A true gem.

Addendum 05/02/2025

In the American Birding Podcast for May 1st, host Nate Swick and his guest panel Gabriel Foley, Frank Izaguirre and Purbita Saha reviewed the article titled:  Angler perceptions of pelican entanglement reveal opportunities for seabird conservation on fishing piers in Tampa Bay by B. Alexander Simmons.

A very quick review: the article is an extensive study and review of anglers attitudes, perceptions and awareness about pelican entanglement in fishing gear and anglers confidence for knowing what to do if a pelican becomes entangled and opportunities for angler education.  Hint:  don't cut the line. 

From the Florida Audubon:  Fishermen's Tips for Releasing a Hooked Bird. 

Finally, I found this mesmerizing fifteen minute You Tube video from Last Cast Adventures titled:  What to do if you ACCIDENTALLY hook a BIRD - Cormorant.  

Fifteen minutes might be a deterrent for some to take the time to watch but I watched the whole video and found it fascinating.  I was struck by a few things.  1.  The guy making the video is an earnest and skilled fisherman.  2.  He was fishing alone from a kayak.  He must have been wearing a GoPro camera.  3.  He was persistent.  4.  One needs to be careful.  5.  I was struck by the fact that it is probably possible to intentionally hook a bird.

The comment that the young Belle Isle fisherman made to me "Yeah, it looks like someone hooked it and then cut the line" suggests that he knew the line should not have been cut.  Until I heard the ABA podcast yesterday I didn't know this and would never have done this bit of research to educate myself.  I have often been struck by some of the similarities between birding and fishing.  People do both either alone or with companions.  People have a variety of skill levels.  Just as there are rules for responsible birding etiquette, there are also rules for responsible fishing etiquette.  I doubt a single fisherman will review this blog entry (LOL), but hopefully birders will read down to the addendum.  As I mention in the body of the post, this is the second time this year I have seen this.

Thanks to Nate Swick who suggested that this particular article be reviewed and presented on the American Birding Podcast.

Native Gardening from the NYT

The Four Ecologically Crucial Things You Should Do in Your Garden by Elizabeth Roach, April 9, 2025.

I commented on this recent NYT article and received very helpful feedback about how to manage tall meadow plants that grow too tall and then fall over because they have no supporting meadow plants around them.

Elizabeth from NYC responded with this:  "It’s not as nature would do it, but try the “Chelsea Chop.” Basically, cut those perennials back when they reach about 6 inches. They’ll both stay short and thicken up.

You can get fancy and do a graduated circle. Cut lower on the outside of a clump, gradually cutting higher toward the inside. You can leave the original rangy growth in the middle. You’ll get a longer bloom time, and the short stalks will hold up the longer ones on the inside."

I have several plantings that I need to try this with:  Ironweed, false sunflower, blazing star come quickly to mind.

The comments section closed before I could thank her. 

A cure for my doldrums

Originally I wrote winter in front of the word doldrums in my blog title, but I removed winter so doldrums stands on its own.  Any doldrums.  Does not have to be winter doldrums.  I've said it many times, Belle Isle is my favorite place in Michigan.  Can that be true?  Of all the places?  I think it is.  Possibly this is because it's so close to home and is an easy getaway for me.  And there are always surprises. Honestly, I'm not sure I would have had the incentive to revitalize my stagnant birding  without Belle Isle so nearby.  This, plus the fact that multiple quick two to three hour visits this past cold and, relatively, dreary winter got me out and away from my doldrums.  I don't think of myself as a winter doldrums person, but this winter I became acquainted with this side of myself and had to find an answer for such an unpleasant state of being.

     

Common Loon (Gavia immer) and six below.

Last Friday, April 4th was a beautiful day and the birds did not disappoint - even prompted me to make my first Wayne County Discord post.  Turning right from the bridge I glanced over the grass to the river and saw close waterfowl that I could not identify from the car.  I have not seen the three species selected for this post in some significant number of years.  And, as the photos mostly reveal, so close.  

A couple of hours later two Common Loons in different plumage were found quite far out beyond the beach bringing the day's count to four.  

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)

Female and male Red-breasted Mergs with Horned Grebe in foreground.

 

At least twelve counted.

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus).  At least twenty were on the river.

The eBird April challenge is the bird and checklist at least 20 times from the same location.  The better to experience how spring migration evolves over April and May.  I considered trying to do this at Belle Isle but it seems highly unlikely that I'll be able to pull it off.

Friday, April 4, 2025 eBird checklist 

Additional findings on Tuesday, 04/08/2025

Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).  There were three.

Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors).  There were four.

Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator). 

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata).  There were six.

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Addendum 04/19/2025:  The number of Red-breasted Mergansers and Horned Grebes grew significantly in the days following 04/04/2025.  Though not included in my original post, the number of Bufflehead has also been high thoughout the month.  They are just starting to diminish now.  Two Common Loons were present as recently as 4/15.