#207 - One nemesis down, and apparently one added.

Oh the White-rumped Sandpiper irruption is driving me crazy!!  Reports from North, South, West and skipping a county to the East (Washtenaw) are all coming in with multiple numbers of White-rumped Sandpipers.  The only white rump I can see is if I turn around and look in the mirror.  I decided Saturday to give it another shot, and hit up the drainage ponds at Kellogg Airport.  There was some nice shorebird habitat there in the Spring and maybe the ponds are low enough to attract some.  

No luck though.  A nice mix of sparrows were there, Chipping, Song, White-crowned and a lone Savannah.  Some Trumpeters didn't mind me getting out of the Jeep, walking up to the fence, snapping some pics and getting back in the Jeep.  Apparently rolling up the window some crossed the line, and they flew off.  I did get a briefly cooperative Nashville Warbler, a first for the Airport.  33 new birds added to this site so far this year.  Really became a great spot throughout the year.  

Next stop on to Duck Lake, hoping I'd get lucky.  On the way to I-94 I would pass Woodland Park, so I decided I would at least give a quick look to the Juniper Trail to see what I could find.  Birding Mojo back!!!!!  Within 15 minutes I finally had a long-time nemesis, Orange-crowned Warbler!!!  #207 for Calhoun County.  After trying to turn numerous Tennessee Warblers in to OCWA, I finally had that yellow undertail I've been looking for.  Another nice sighting was a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker that flew overhead.  I initially gave it up as Red-bellied, so never pulled my camera up.  

On my way to Duck Lake I swung by Lake of the Woods, to no avail.  Instead of the normal route up 19.5 Mile to R DR N, I went down P DR N hoping for some open farmland after seeing reports of some Longspurs in Berrien I thought maybe I'd get lucky on some "lost" birds.  No suck luck, except some good looks at a good sized group of American Pipit.  Long-story short there was nothing at Duck Lake WTP, and I decided not to make the loop to Homer and Tekonsha.  Choosing rather to swing by and sort through the Pipits again.  No Sprague's, but I did come across 14 American Pipit, a couple Yellow-rumped and a very cooperative flying Cooper's Hawk.  

All and all, a great day for birding and some nice finds along with finally checking off the OCWA from a very long 2 years of frustration.  Hopefully within the next couple weeks we can get some White-rumps within someone's glass around here.