Sighting Report: May 5, 1996

Things have been picking up, and it's time I posted new sightings to the Web! The last couple of days have brought in some new species, although not in great numbers. Here's the migrant run-down for spring thus far:

• Pied-billed Grebes arrived on 18 April, and we've kept about 12 around...and one day last week hit a high total of 16 grebes feasting on the goldfish on Fairlane Lake!
• Green Heron: 25 April
• On 24 April, I observed a male Cooper's Hawk building a nest on the floodplain. He continued for several days, but hasn't been spotted working on the nest recently. It was along a well-traveled path; perhaps he moved to a quieter location.
• Broad-winged Hawk seen 26 April over the area where this species has attempted to nest in the past.
• Bald Eagles are unusual in Dearborn, and two were seen being harassed by Red-tails on 28 April.
• Spotted Sandpiper:3 May
• Chimney Swift: 21 April by Gary Hutman was an early record
• Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers first showed up 19 April, and have been scarce
• Eastern Kingbird:4 May
• Most swallows (Cliff, Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged) arrived about 19 April
• The Red-breasted Nuthatch banded on 4 November 1995 that hung around our feeders all winter was still being seen last week
• House Wrens came back 24 April, and at least one pair of Carolina Wrens are on territory, one in the Rose Garden/south end of lake area
• Golden-crowned Kinglets were not seen in good numbers this spring after their arrival 17 April, but Ruby-crowns are still plentiful since they arrived on 24 April. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers came on the same day, and at least 6 were seen in one area this morning.
• Hermit Thrushes appeared on 18 April, but have been very scarce, with only a few reported
• Brown Thrasher:18 April
• Wood Thrush:3 May
• A singing male WHITE-EYED VIREO was found on 3 May by Jerry Sadowski and Mike Harhold. WEVIs nested here in 1983 and have been seen in most years, but this is the first sighting since two were banded in fall 1992.
• Solitary and Yellow-throated Vireo 1 May and 3 May respectively
• WARBLERS:
  • Tennessee - 2 May
  • Nashville - seen early on 21 April by Rick Simek; none again until 4 May
  • Yellow - 4 May
  • Black-throated Blue - 4 May
  • Yellow-rumped - 24 April
  • Black-throated Green - 27 April
  • Pine - 21 April
  • Palm - 27 April
  • Black-and-white - 30 April
  • Northern Waterthrush - 29 April
  • Common Yellowthroat - 4 May
• Eastern Towhee:19 April, good numbers this year
• Chipping Sparrow:19 April
• Field Sparrow:18 April
• Fox Sparrow:12 April
• Swamp Sparrow:25 April
• White-throated Sparrow:19 April, many this week, diminished today
• White-crowned Sparrow:27 April