Rouge River Bird Observatory Latest Bird Sightings

Latest Dearborn Bird Sightings
Rouge River Bird Observatory

May 2000
May 29: Migration is really winding down. In Sunday's rain, only 33 species were recorded on campus, but later in the afternoon Fred McDonald found 2 singing male Orchard Orioles along the Rouge channel, both roughly between Southfield and Michigan Ave. One was a second-year male (bander's lingo meaning born last year, although birders often refer to this age as first-year) the other an after second-year male. It's interesting to note that Orchard Orioles were farily common summer residents around the turn of the century in this area. Their declines over the last few decades is a bit of a mystery. They nested regularly near the Henry Ford estate until a few years ago, one of the last really reliable places in the metro area to find them (they now seem most reliable at Crosswinds Marsh). This year has seen an increase in the number of sightings in the region.
Today only a few migrants were around: Magnolia and Blackpoll Warblers, American Redstart, and Swainson's Thrush. However, we confirmed the presence of two Red-headed Woodpeckers in the swampy area along the Rouge, west of the UM-D/Henry Ford Community College border. It's perfect nesting habitat and at least one has been present for weeks. This could be the first nesting on campus since the 1970s when they were bullied out by Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

Banding results 21 to 26 May: 5 days, 111 birds (96 new, 15 recaps) of 27 species. Highlights include Black-billed Cuckoo, American Woodcock.

May 24: The season's first Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was found today.

Banding results 15 to 20 May: 4 days, 141 birds (112 new, 29 recaps) of 38 species. Highlights include Orchard Oriole, American Woodcock, Blackburnian Warbler.

May 20: We banded a second-year male Orchard Oriole that had been singing near the Organic Garden (which borders Henry Ford Community College). A Connecticut Warbler sang persistently in the "usual" place, along the edge of the meadow with the shagbark hickory in it (north of the Rose Garden on the way to Fairlane Lake). Jim Fowler reported one from Greenfield Village as well. An observer reported a possible Summer Tanager along Fairlane Drive near the Rose Garden gate. And I watched a Red-tailed Hawk eat a banded American Woodcock! He flew off with most of the bird, including the band. Yesterday, Jerry Sadowski heard a singing Kentucky Warbler west of Fairlane Lake in the rain.
May 19: We've been flooded and rained out banding the last couple days, but Jim Fowler reports a male Hooded Warbler at Greenfield Village today.
May 16: The Prothonotary Warbler has hung around through today, either near the Pony Barn/banding station, or in the Rose Garden by the stone gazebo.

Banding results 8 to 13 May: 4.5 days, 175 birds (142 new, 33 recaps) of 38 species. Highlights include Prothonotary Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, American Woodcock

May 13: High winds and the passage of a cold front kept numbers down today. We did band a beautiful male Prothonotary Warbler today, an RRBO first after some near-misses in the past. Also interesting were a female Hooded Merganser on the Rouge River (she's been present for weeks) along with an American Coot.
May 11: Today we recorded 22 warbler species, the most interesting being a "Brewster's" Warbler along the meadow near the lake, the latest arrival being Wilson's Warbler. This afternoon, an Orchard Oriole was along the edge of the woods along Fairlane Drive between the Ford estate and the banding station. So the good variety continues, although numbers have not yet reached a peak. We did have our best banding day so far with 70 birds of 25 species.
May 10: A Worm-eating Warbler was reported in the drizzle this morning by Fairlane Lake, one of 20 species of warbler we recorded without a regular survey before it started to rain. We also banded our spring first Mourning Warbler, and an Osprey and a Philadelphia Vireo were also found. In the evening, our first Common Nighthawks arrived.
May 8: A Kentucky Warbler, found yesterday, is still on campus. Yesterday it was on either side of the Great Meadow (between the Estate and Fairlane Lake), most reliable about 3/4 of the way to the lake on the east side. This morning it was just past the north end of Fairlane Lake. Blackpoll Warblers in west Dearborn were new arrivals yesterday. Today it was Gray-cheeked Thrush. The Red-headed Woodpecker was also still present. A Pine Siskin was found at a Dearborn feeder.
May 6: Today we had 71 species; 20 were warblers. Highlights were Black-billed Cuckoo (new early date), Red-headed Woodpecker (calling loudly and checking out dead snags in the swamp, it would be great if they would nest), and Cerulean Warbler, also down in the swamp. Warblers were: GOLDEN-WINGED (1st of spring), TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE, NORTHERN PARULA, YELLOW, CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA, CAPE MAY (1st of spring), BLACK-
THROATED BLUE, YELLOW-RUMPED (still numerous), BLACK-THROATED GREEN, BLACKBURNIAN, PALM, BAY-BREASTED (1st of spring), CERULEAN, BLACK-AND-WHITE, AMERICAN REDSTART (1st of spring),
OVENBIRD, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.

Banding results 1 to 5 May: 5 days, 135 birds (126 new, 12 recaps) of 28 species. Highlights include Blackburnian Warbler

5 May: 73 species were recorded today, 18 of which were warblers. Highlights were 2 Cerulean Warblers and a White-eyed Vireo. We also had our first spring record for Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Canada Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Red-eyed Vireo.
4 May: AnEastern Kingbird was our only new arrival today.
3 May: The first spring Wood Thrush and Gray Catbirds were singing away today. An Indigo Bunting was a day earlier than our previous early record. A female Hooded Merganser on the Rouge River was a late date for Dearborn. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Greenfield Village was the season's first.
2 May: New arrivals on campus today were Lincoln's Sparrow, Warbling Vireo, Common Yellowthroat, and Ovenbird. At Snow Woods in west Dearborn new arrivals included Eastern Wood-Pewee, Swainson's Thrush, Veery, and Chestnut-sided Warbler.
1 May: Lots of White-crowned Sparrows today, both in the nets and in the bush, along with a good influx of White-throats. We also banded a Least Flycatcher, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Northern Waterthrush. Other new arrivals seen were Black-and-white Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, and Great Crested Flycatcher. A Blue-winged Warbler was at Greenfield Village.

Last month's sightings. More Archived sightings are listed below
Interested in receiving updates on the bird sightings at UM-Dearborn via e-mail? Contact Julie Craves .