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Summer 1997:
29 August: Migrant warblers continue in modest numbers. Today we found the first Black-throated Blue and Wilson's, and yesterday the first Black-and-White and Chestnut-sided.
25 August: New migrants banded today were Veery, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and "Traill's" Flycatcher. The Tennessee Warbler from 18 August was recaptured. Three American Redstarts and one Blue-gray Gnatcatcher were also observed; gnatcatchers are very uncommon in the fall.
22 August: A Canada Warbler was seen today, as well as two Red-breasted Nuthatches (those were in my Dearborn yard).
18 August: A Tennesee Warbler was banded today, along with another sorry-looking Swainson's Thrush.
17 August: A Sanderling, the first Dearborn record, was found on the concrete channel of the Rouge River today by Gary Hutman, along with 4 Least Sandpipers. The Sanderling brings Dearborn's total to 249 species.
15 August: A Swainson's Thrush was banded on 15 August. While most Swainson's Thrushes migrate later, a portion leave their breeding grounds early and complete their pre-basic molt on a stopover area...one of the few Neotropical migrants that begins migrating before finishing their molt. On the concrete channel of the Rouge River, Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers were seen on 2 and 9 August.
Breeding birds as of 23 July: Field work this summer has concentrated on an on-going study of Wood Thrush, so area-wide surveys have not been done. However, here is a list of nesting birds, with interesting species in bold: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Turkey Vulture (our pair from last year returned), Red-tailed Hawk (one pair fledged two young at the Ford Research and Engineering complex on Oakwood), Ring-necked Pheasant, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo (two pair heard through most of the summer, nests not found), Eastern Screech-owl, Great Horned Owl, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker (at least 3 pair on campus), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe (see below), Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallow, N. Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow (see below), Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper (see below; last seen earlier this month), Carolina Wren (at least 3 pair on campus, one nest reported in west Dearborn, other birds at Greenfield Village), House Wren, Eastern Bluebird (nest at Greenfield Village failed), Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird (our familiar Rotunda/Greenfield bird seen recently, acting uncharacteristically quiet and sneaky), Cedar Waxwing, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Ovenbird (heard late in June and again on 21 July), Scarlet Tanager (?, paired off in June, not heard or seen lately), Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting (bumper year), Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird (so far, no hosts seen feeding young), Baltimore Oriole, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow. First year in awhile we've not had nesting Orchard Orioles.
16 June: Recent surveys
have focused on our nesting birds. Allen Chartier found a pair of
Brown
Creepers feeding 3 recently fledged young. This is the first
confirmed nesting for Wayne Co. For the first time in years,
Eastern
Phoebes are nesting under the Evergreen Road overpass above the Rouge
River. Several of the overpasses are hosting growing colonies of
Cliff Swallows. Although the dirt pile at Greenfield Road
and Butler has shrunk, the Bank Swallows have returned to nest again
this year. Scarlet Tanagers are still heard on campus; if
they remain it will be the first nesting in 3 years. Three territorial
Wood
Thrush are all males from previous years, color banded as part of an
on-going study. I'll post details on the study this summer.
Finally, Rick Simek heard a singing Cerulean Warbler on 9 June!