One of the more frustrated birds to show up in this county.  After hitting up Duck Lake late on the 22nd still trying for some oddball waterfowl (Canvasback) or non-normal Gulls (Lesser-black Backed seem to be showing up), I received a call from Doug McWhirter that he had a Red-throated Loon the morning of the 23rd.  Ah!!  Why does work get in the way...oh yeah because it creates the means for the way.  Luckily I was able to hit up Duck Lake the following morning, on a less than stellar morning.  Heavy fog, mixed with some rain just made viewing terrible out there.  

Back to the Loon, I visited Duck Lake 4 times the week of 11/22.  Every time what I saw was a lone Common Loon out on the lake.  I admit the first time I saw it, I gave it a lot of looks as it was by far the palest winter plumage Loon I have seen.  

This horrible picture is the loon I was able to find in the fog on the morning of the 24th.  It looked a lot like the Common Loon I caught on the 22nd.  

One nice part of that foggy morning was catching what I consider a fairly interesting picture of the waterfowl in the fog.  

My next chance to get out there was not until Thanksgiving morning.  Again not great conditions to view birds.  I called it a loon sp. this morning.  Not even worthy of taking any photos in the conditions it was in (as in I have deleted the pics I did take).  It was fairly close looks, and I lean towards calling it another/same Common Loon.  Every bird this weak looked to have too significant of a bill for me to call it anything else.  Unless I wanted to go for Arctic Loon maybe:-)

Last shot came on Friday, with yet more reports of the Loon out on the lake. Again this dang bill just too darn big for me to see it as anything else.  It does look like this is potentially a different bird from the bird on 11/22.  Looks a little more defined on the border from black to white on the neck.   This is, I think, supported by Marc North observing 3 Common Loons on the following morning.  

All in all a pretty frustrating week.  I really hoped I could tick this one of the list of Code 5 birds for the county.  It would have been one more, not expected, in the long shot to get to 200.  I have no doubt I'll catch one at some point.  

I'll rest with being able to pick up the Canvasbacks on Duck Lake to get to 191 for the year.  9 more birds in 31 days is going to be an awful stretch.  I've not pursued the incredibly cooperative Harlequin Duck in Jackson.  I may have to jump on that one this coming weekend, if nothing interesting shows up around here.  

Some bonus was a White-throated Sparrow showing up under my feeder the past week.  Latest reports in Calhoun County on eBird.  These 3 cycles of Ring-billed Gulls allowed me to stay close for some decent shots.  

Good grief, it has really been 17 days since my last post?!?!?  I've made a little progress on the Calhoun County Birding site, so there is that, and a great little vacation up north.  Sure enough the day after I get back, Doug McWhirter reported a California Gull on Duck Lake. This would be by far the rarest bird seen in this county, at least amongst the eBird reports (American Flamingo would have to rank as rarer).   As I write this it has still not been confirmed on eBird.  Not surprising considering this is a MBRC review species.  Hopefully it can go through the review process and be approved.  

I was able to get out there the next morning to try to look....nada.  Even at 7:30 a.m. the gulls were already off the lake.  I returned at 4:00 p.m., and plenty of gulls, but they were approximately 1800-2000 feet away.  A Herring Gull caused a brief stir for myself, but Tom Wheeker, Bruce Cohen and myself soon spied a Juvenile Herring Gull swim past it showing it to be what it was.  At that distance, the size of the Herring Gull didn't look as large as they truly are compared to the Ring-billed Gulls.  Another trip the following day yielded the same results. Plenty of Ring-billed Gulls, but not another interesting Gull in the group.  

2 Days later the Great Franklin's Gull invasion occurred in the East, and we were lucky enough to be included.  Again Doug McWhirter was at the right place (Duck Lake) at the right time (the day of the big influx in to Michigan).  I was able to get out there the next morning (thank you for it being a Saturday!!).  Very dark, overcast, and luckily I timed it right.  Was able to sight 4 Franklin's Gulls in the midst of some Ring-billed Gulls, and a nearby Bonaparte's Gull for a good comparison.  It was a good thing, as when I returned later that night to try to get some better pictures, there were none to be seen.  

I did say I wanted better picture right?  Could be years before these guys show up around here again.  The previous sighting for the county was in 2008.  This is the second rarest bird I have seen in the county.  A great treat, just wish it could have been enjoyed longer, and in better conditions.  

Shortly after Homer Sewage gave up a Cackling Goose for #190 for the year.  2 Birds ahead of my pace from last year.   Again I start to feel that twinge of regret from not chasing some "easy" birds earlier in the year.  Franklin's Gull wasn't even on the radar for the birds to try to still get to 200 this year.  So it was a bonus, as far as that goes.  The Franklin's and Cackler also put the county up to 208 for the year, only one behind last year (my Short-eared Owl doesn't show up on eBird for some reason, so we are probably at 209 already).  Another great year for birding in Calhoun.  

This past week also allowed me to run in to a few other birders that have birded the county quite a bit.  Leah Dodd and Daniel Toronto and Doug McWhirter I was able to meet, and discuss further the birding in the county.  The more eyes, are proving to be the better for the birding in the county.  

For my own benefit, another look at 10 birds to get to 200.

1. Red-breasted Nuthatch
2. Pine Siskin
3. Canvasback
4. Barred Owl
5. Tundra Swan (despite my sightings being in the Spring)
6. Greater White-fronted Goose
7. Northern Saw-whet Owl
8. Merlin (airport has been bare of Kestrel's to hassle)
9. Common Redpoll
10. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gull Lake has had one, so maybe he will come over this way)

A quick run today around the county this morning, with a focus on waterfowl netted my best looks yet at Snow Goose.  

P DR N between 19.5 and 21 Mile, and then up 21 Mile to R DR N had minimum of 250 Sandhill Cranes in the various farm fields.  Brief looks at Horned Lark, but I was unable to see too much other movement.  Some very distant small flocks that I was unable to identify.  

I swung by 23 Mile Road for a quick look, and zero shorebirds hanging around now.  Duck Lake offered up a decent mix of birds, but the bright sun made staying in one spot difficult, at least on the West side.  Really wish there were some better spots to view on this lake.  A couple of Common Goldeneye, still large numbers of American Coots and Ruddy Duck on the lake.  

The WTP offered very little.  Some easily spooked Canada Geese, a handful of Buffleheads, and a few Ring-billed Gull but nothing else interesting.  I drove down 27.5 Mile road, intending to check out Gordon Lake just in case, when some Birding Mojo happened.  A small pond just South of O DR N, before the Gordon Lake access, has never really yielded anything of note.  Today and nice big bright white bird caught my eye.  After a quick turnaround I was getting my best look yet at a Snow Goose.  

This small pond doesn't even register on the "normal" Google map, as you can see below.  This was definitely an unexpected find, and much welcome to add this new year bird today.  Now if I could only get another Greater White-fronted Goose at my next stop in Homer

Yeah, that wasn't foreshadowing, unfortunately.  No such luck at Homer.  It was a decent mix of waterfowl, and a couple of Killdeer still hanging around.  Nothing to get too excited about though.  

This all lead me back to looking in to some numbers I have looked at in the past couple of weeks.  This time last year, doing my Calhoun County Big Year, I had 188 birds with an American Pipit on 10/26.  I went 0-November and snagged up 6 birds in December to get to 194.  I am having some minor regrets on not going after some other birds earlier in the year, just because I was so focused on 206 lifetime number.  

Birds I didn't go after, that I won't get another chance this year:

1. Blue-headed Vireo - last seen on 10/10
2. Wilson's Warbler - seen numerous times at Meijer on Columbia
3. Lincoln's Sparrow - maybe a slight chance of them still being around.  Some November records still.  
4. Virginia Rail - I did not go chase
5. Olive-sided Flycatcher - I did not go chase, or look for

Birds that I still might have a chance for this year:

1. Red-breasted Nuthatch - would be a County lifer
2. Pine Siskin - a County lifer nemesis
3. Canvasback - still a possibility that I didn't chase earlier in the year
4. Barred Owl - should hit up the trails at the zoo if I can.  Seems reliable there
5. Snowy Owl - looks like we might get another irruption this year
6. Tundra Swan - still a possibility
7. Golden Eagle - seems like quite a few sightings around, compared to what I remember seeing last year.  May have to go out "Hawk-watching" some day.  
8. Greater White-fronted Goose - still possible I picked one up late last year
9. Cackling Goose - picked up quite a few of these later in the year last year
10. Lesser Black-backed Gull - picked up late last year
11. Glaucous Gull - picked up on 12/31 last year.  
12. Northern Saw-whet Owl - if I can get close enough one night at Hart's Lake maybe they will be be there.  
13. Merlin - I had one in mid-November at Ketchum Park last year
14. Northern Shrike - Would be a lifer
15. Red Crossbill - not seen since 2013 in the County
16. White-winged Crossbill - would be a first eBird report for the County
17. Common Redpoll - not seen since 2013 in the County

I guess there is always the shot still at 200, but those first 5 sure would make it a lot easier.  Have to hope for a decent irruption on some of the latter ones.  Hate to waste such a great miracle of shorebirds seen this year.  Had I only known, I might have pushed just a little bit harder.  Still have definitely had a great year already, and thoroughly enjoyed it.