I've been putting this off longer than I normally would have.  Especially when an incredibly rare county bird shows up.  The morning of Saturday the 19th I lost my long-time little girl, Angeline.  After we got back from the U.P. she started have some more issues related to her heart murmur.  After a week on the medicine she seemed like a new dog.  More alert, even doing some running.  Like she was a back to only having one bad leg, not too.  We battled through a UTI a couple weeks after and seemed to have that behind us.  About a week prior she started to cough again, and a couple days later found out she had pneumonia also.  We tried antibiotics to get it kicked, but she gradually went downhill to where she wouldn't eat.  Saturday morning after trying to get some medicine in her she went to meet Big Sis Abby in Doggie Heaven.  Even more than a week later I still miss her so much.  She was the sweetest dog I have ever known.  She really deserved a better life than she had.  Herc has been doing a good job trying to keep me distracted and seems to be much more attached to me this past week.  

My birding continued to be very limited as I didn't want to be very far from her while she was trying to fight through everything.  White-winged Crossbills have showed up nearby, and those haven't been reported since 1923 on eBird from historical records.  I have checked the Burr Oak Cemetary in Athens a couple of times as there is a good cone crop.  No luck there, but I did get this really different Red-tailed Hawk on 2/12.  Not sure this is an abieticola, as there isn't much streaking.  That super buffy coloring under the wing though is not normal for the borealis around here.  I've gotten no third party feedback on it though.  

On 2/13 I finally got my FOY Red-headed Woodpecker.  On 2/17 I briefly caught a glimpse of a Cooper's Hawk nabbing a European Starling in mid-air.  Some rough pics of it on a branch with the bird.  On Monday the 21st Amy Lyyski had White-winged Crossbills at Huntington Hills subdivision.  I tried for them but it wasn't meant to be.  A Cooper's Hawk greeted me at the entrance.  A vehicle was behind me when I saw a glimpse of a bird at the top of a tree, so I couldn't stop.  Then when I turned around a couple walking their dog down the road were blocking me from trying to get there.  Once I did, no bird.  I did manage a FOY Red-winged Blackbird back home though.  The Eastern Towhee continued through the 15th (and then again today I heard it calling).  

A therapy walk on 2/23 got a FOY Great Blue Heron at Bridges Park as it flew in to roost for the night.  Finally on the 24th Herc and I took a lunch and went back to try to see the Crossbills.  We pulled into the tennis courts and I spotted a bird at the top of a tree across the street.  Put my binoculars on it, and sure enough a White-winged Crossbill!!  I flew as I started to snap pics though.  I started to drive out, and then decided to make another lap around.  Stopped again at the tennis courts and this time I saw 4 birds, and 1 stayed right at the top long enough to get some decent enough shots.  This made bird #246 for the county.  Never imagined I could get that many birds here when I started.  My potential goal of getting to top 200 in Michigan may take a backseat to trying to get bird #250 for the county.  ​

Finally on the 27th at Riverside Cemetary/Albion Millpond I spotted 6 Cackling Geese mixed in with some Canada.  I thought maybe I missed out on this bird for this season.  I did not manage to see the Snow Goose that has been here off and on.  That may be a tough one to try to get still this year.  I'm still way behind my pace for last year (72/83), and missed February high number from last year, by quite a bit (61/73).  Both those numbers are still well above any high prior to last year.  So if I don't insist on traveling all over the state to get to 300, I should still be able to get around 200 in the County again.  

As I stated above though, I think my focus is going to be to try to get #250 this year.  I do still have the "Ruff" that hasn't been voted on by the MBRC yet.  I'm not counting on it though.  That would mean I need to try for 4 more birds after the Crossbill.  Target species according to eBird are:

1. Evening Grosbeak (I think this is bolstered to the top spot by some eBird records from irruption in late 70's)
2. Ruffed Grouse (very, very unlikely)
3. Least Bittern - will have to focus on the backwater at Grevers and maybe Brooks where I believe one was seen before.
4. Northern Bobwhite - not happening
5. Rufous Hummingbird -probably not

Really only one of the above I can realistically target.  Red-throated Loon is my unicorn, Connecticut Warbler would be possible, American Bittern would be targeted in same spots as Least Bittern, and Louisiana Waterthrush at a couple of spots.  

 It has been a very weird start to the year for the county.  Somehow I am still at same pace as last years best.  The county is running better than last years best pace also.  Some really rare over-wintering birds have popped up so far this year.  We had a mild start to the year so lakes were still open.
Mine in bold

• ​Double-crested Cormorant on 1/1 in Albion (first January record for the county)
• Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1/1
• American Wigeon - I had it on the backwater here 1/1 (first January record for the county)
• Northern Shoveler - 1/1 (first January record for the county)
• Great Black-backed Gull - one hit wonder 1/1
• Gadwall - still on open water in big numbers at Duck Lake WTP 1/2
• White-winged Scoter on Duck Lake I had on 1/2
• Field Sparrow on 1/4 (first January record for the county)
• Golden Eagle -continuing juvenile
• 24 Common Grackles on 1/14
• Snow Goose and Cackling Goose have been showing up in Albion
• Fox Sparrow and White-throated Sparrows at Whitehouse
• Wilson's Snipe!!! - was spotted at McClure Park - the first in Michigan this year (first January record for the county)
  
• I had an adult male Eastern Towhee show up on 2/2 about 6 weeks earlier than earliest record.  

It really has been a crazy start to the year for the county.  White-winged Crossbills are still on the target list as they are showing up in Kalamazoo, Allegan and Jackson.  I'm going to keep trying to see if I can find some.  I spent some time at Grover's and had no chance there, as none of the trees had cones.  Driving around we have some pines with cones scattered here and there, with Athens Cemetery and Oak Ridge Cemetery having suitable trees.  

As I mentioned I had a couple of American Wigeons on the backwater here, my first January record of them, and first county January record.  I also added Bufflehead, Gadwall, Swamp Sparrow, Canvasback and White-crowned Sparrow to my January list.  Open water to start the year, definitely helped this out.  The Swamp Sparrow was sighted while doing the Albion CBC.

On Jan 15 had a large flock of Snow Buntings at 6 Mile road.  My single frame count was 218, with likely more outside the frame.  Also on the 15th at Pine Creek Wetlands I had some of my best shots of a great looking Dark Morph Rough-legged Hawk.  On Jan 22nd I finally caught the large flock of Lapland Longspurs on B DR N in Albion.  I had a frame count of 203, with likely even more outside the frame.  I believe this is the largest flock we have had reported in the county.

This winter seems to be a little lighter on the action at the feeders.  Only a handful of accipiter passes at the feeder so far this year.  On 2/1 I had a Red-tailed Hawk make an amazing pass at the feeder as I looked out.  I could hear the air flowing over its wings from inside, and it was angled about 80 degrees to the ground.  it didn't nab anything though.  The next day I had my first Sharp-shinned Hawk for the year.  I noticed it only because I happened to glance outside and noticed nothing was at the feeder.  A shape in the trees caught my eye.  I initially though Mourning Dove till I noticed it was sitting upright.  Sure enough a Sharpie was monitoring the feeders.  It took off after a bird up in another tree, then proceeded to hide in some other trees to the south.  Shortly after dogs had to go out, and Angeline booked out towards the feeders.  I didn't see the hawk, so I think she spooked it.  It was while we were out there Herc was sniffing around a small cedar near the feeders.  Out popped an adult male Eastern Towhee.  I had no optics on me so I recorded it as Eastern Towhee.  It was only after that I thought Spotted Towhee could be a possibility in the winter.  Luckily it showed back up, and I was able to get pics to nail the ID.  Really great bird for this time of the year, not super rare, but still good.  

On 2/5 I finally got over to Whitehouse and nabbed the Fox Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow (my first Feb record).  I didn't find the Hermit Thrush, but really didn't put in a great effort either.  On the 6th I finally got a Turkey Vulture as I headed south on M-66 to Athens.  Bald Eagles were all over the place down there.  I had somewhere between 5-7 of them around the Athens area.  On 2/9 I had my earliest record for Common Grackle for the year.

The highlight for the 9th, and for the year, was a fluke flyover.  The dogs just happened to drag me outside, and fortuitously had my binocs on me.  I noticed a large bird gliding over heading south.  I put my binoculars on it, and two large white patched under its wings made it an easy ID.  #155 for the yard, Golden Eagle!!!  It is likely the same juvenile that has been seen just south of here once, and also several times North of Marshall near the R DR N area.  What a great bird to get for the yard count!!

I'm really surprised I am at where I am so far as I've not been able to get out as much as I'd like.  I've had a couple weekends I never went out, and several just going out one day.  Angeline has had some health issues since we got back from up North, so have been trying to keep an eye on her as much as possible.  She seems better, but still day to day on symptoms so future outings will hinge on how she is.  Still want to target crossbills though.  My list of possible birds to add to county list is really dwindling down.  Getting harder to add new one, and either crossbill would be a new one.