Travel Day

May 22, 2019

We spent today traveling from Oregon, Ohio to Grayling, Michigan. We stop at this place near Houghton Lake to look for Soras and Rails. We didn’t t find any, but we do see many Red-winged Blackbirds and some good looks at some Swamp Sparrows. We had to walk along a dike that had e
Reclaimed grey water that supplied the water to the marsh.  We also stop on a road that fellow traveler Diane saw on eBird that they had seen a Cerulean Warbler. We don’t find that but do see a Black and White Warbler, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, many Yellow Warblers and American Redstarts.

American Redstart 

American Redstart

The group searching for birds near Houghton Lake

Walking along the dike

Magee Marsh and Howard Metro Park

May 21, 2019

Swainson’s Thrush

Bald Eagle

We return to Magee Marsh to see if any new birds have shown up. We get some more views of the Magnolia Warbler and the Blackburnian Warbler. Also the beautiful Chestnut-sided and the Black-throated Blue Warbler. I finally get a good look at the Canada Warbler. These birds are so beautiful, I wish I could get some photos of them!

Female Blackburnian Warbler

We are entering the long boardwalk at Magee Marsh 

We spent some time at Howard Metropark where there were huge bodies of water and marshland. The first bird we saw was a Yellow-headed Blackbird, which are common in Oregon east of the Cascades, but a rarity in Ohio. We met several people who had traveled to this spot just to see it. This sign was at Howard Metropark and shows the birds we have been seeing the last few days. We did not see the two birds on the far right.

Awesome Birds

Birds at the feeders at Pearson Metro Park

May 20, 2019

Ohio has many beautiful Metroparks that are funded and kept up by the townships. Pearson’s Metropark had feeders set up that we could view from inside. Here are some of our sitings.

White-breasted Nuthatch 

Northern Cardinal Female

Northern Cardinal Male

Marshes, More Birds, Lake Erie

May 20, 2019

Monday we go to Oak Openings Preserve to find some sparrows and other grassland birds. A highlight is the Lark Sparrow, the Field Sparrow and the Eastern Towhee. The birds are so difficult to photograph!  Here is an Eastern Bluebird.

Eastern Bluebird 

Our next stop is Irwin Prairie Nature Preserve. The entire walk is on a boardwalk as this is a marshy area. Ohio has gotten so much water this year that the boardwalk is barely high enough. We saw some wonderful birds with the Sora being the highlight. But since I couldn’t get the bird’s photos, here are a few photos. One of the group on a viewing tower and some flowers. 

Add caption

More birding on Sunday

Birders waiting for a glimpse of that illusive warbler!

We leave Magee Marsh as the weather is threatening to rain and travel to some marshes Where we can drive and bird from the car. It is easier to photograph the water birds. We found a few more species including the Trumpeter Swan and several gulls and terns and egrets and herons. 

Trumpeter Swan

Snowy Egret

Birding with our group

May 18-19, 2019

We met our group of birders today in Detroit. We are a group of six including our guide, David.  We spent the day at some parks around Detroit and saw some cool birds that we don’t see in the west. We don’t have many photos from Saturday, but some birds we saw are:  Eastern Bluebird, Red-headed Woodpecker,  Baltimore Oriole,  some beautiful warblers and my favorite, the Scarlet Tanager. 

Scarlet Tanager

After looking for birds most of the day, we traveled to our hotel in Oregon, Ohio. Sunday morning began at the famous (to birders) Magee Marsh on the shores of a Lake Erie. 

Our group minus Tim who took the photo

There were many crazy birders there trying to get a glimpse of all the birds feeding away as they get prepared for there migration journey across Lake Erie. Most of the birds flit around so fast that it is very hard to photograph. My favorite birds of the day were the Magnolia Warbler and the Blackburnian Warbler. 

Detroit River Walk

The view of Windsor, Canada across the Detroit River

Monument commemorating Detroit’s role in the Underground Railroad
helping  slaves to freedom  in Canada. 

A Day in Detroit

Here we are in the Ford Model A

It is all about the history of the automobile here in Detroit, Michigan!  Having only one day to explore Detroit before we join our birding tour, we decide to concentrate on cars. Our first stop is at the Ford Piquette Plant where we meet with Lisa from Antique Touring Company.  She gives a ride around the area in a classic Ford Model A while she gives us the history of the beginning of the auto industry. 

We drove by a number of the assembly plants that are now abandoned. We learned about Henry Ford, Mr. Olds, the Dodge Bothers and more.

Old Packard Plant

Henry Ford became successful when he designed the affordable Model T for the family and  perfected the assembly line. The first Model T’s were made in the Piquette Plant. We were able to tour the plant and see where the cars were made. It is now a museum showcasing the various models of Fords. 

Add caption

We ended the day in downtown Detroit along the Detroit River with views of Windsor, Canada across the river.