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Rouge River Bird Observatory |
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Rouge River Bird Observatory |
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February 2003:27 Feb: The sunflower fields continue to be productive. The European Goldfinch is still present, as are two Fox Sparrows, many White-throated Sparrows, six Common Grackles, and six Red-winged Blackbirds, along with hordes of the usual suspects.
23 Feb: An adult Bald Eagle is seen soaring over west Dearborn.
21 Feb: The first Common Grackle of the season is found in west Dearborn.
16 Feb: The Gray Catbird and Hermit Thrush continue in the Craves east Dearborn yard.
January 2003:
30 Jan: An adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was found across the river from campus.
27 Jan: A Swamp Sparrow and Northern Flicker are still present on campus. The Gray Catbird in the Craves yard was seen all weekend, and banded on 26 Jan.
19 Jan: The European Goldfinch continues to be seen at the Ford sunflower fields at Southfield and Hubbard in Dearborn, along with Fox Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, and White-crowned Sparrows, amid the more common species. Two new species were found today: a Field Sparrow and a male Purple Finch. A Hermit Thrush was in the Craves yard today.
18 Jan: A Gray Catbird was in the Craves yard today.
15 Jan: The European Goldfinch was seen again at the Ford sunflower fields at Southfield and Hubbard in Dearborn. An estimated 1,200 House Sparrows, 600 House Finches, at least two Fox Sparrows, at least 30 White-throated Sparrows, hundreds of American Tree Sparrows, and thousands of Dark-eyed Juncos are also present. Elsewhere, two Brown Creepers, 9 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Winter Wren were found just across the Rouge River from campus.
14 Jan: A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen near Fairlane Lake today, along with a Hermit Thrush. A couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Northern Flicker were also observed today.
10 Jan: A singing European Goldfinch was carefully studied at the sunflower fields (see below).
The Northern Mockingbird has been seen again at TGI Friday's and flying across Evergreen Road (9 Jan) and today in the pine trees in front of the CASL Annex building on campus. A Swamp Sparrow today was a first campus winter record. Two Golden-crowned Kinglets continue on campus, as do one or two Northern Flickers. Around ten White-throated Sparrows are wintering at the EIC feeders.
1 Jan: The Detroit River MI/ON Christmas Bird Count was held today and the Dearborn portion had a record 51 species. Uncommon species were Black-crowned Night-Heron, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Brown Creeper (4), Winter Wren (2), Golden-crowned Kinglet (16), Yellow-rumped Warbler (5), Swamp Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brown-headed Cowbird. The Northern Mockingbird was behind TGI Friday's at Fairlane Mall; this bird has been around since October 2001. Really great birds were at the sunflower fields planted by Ford Motor Co. at Hubbard Drive and the Southfield service drive: our first winter record of Chipping Sparrow (4!, photographed), Fox Sparrow, and second winter record of White-crowned Sparrow along with hundreds of other birds. White-throated Sparrows continue to be abundant, with at least 30 at this location, and ten on campus. Click here for details.
