On the 22nd a text went out for the Kalamazoo Birding about a Smew sighted at Sherman Lake.  I wasn't dressed for it, but I booked out there immediately.  I was one of the first ones to the boat launch, but the bird was nowhere to be seen.  Adam Byrne was in contact with Ross Green and Michael Bowen who were watching the bird still.  Eventually another birder contacted a local home owner and we were able to head down there.  I waited a little bit and found the Barrow's Goldeneye there, before heading down.  

Sure enough I was able to get onto the female Smew mixed in with Hooded Mergansers and Canada geese.  I got some ID'able pics of her.  Now we just need to see what the MBRC says about the bird.  Could be an escapee.  She did fly away shortly after I left, and since then has not been re-sighted.  Could be a once in a lifetime sighting.  Well worth the trip and the freezing temps.  

Christmas Eve I decided to head out for a little bit and see if I could find some winter flocks.  I've not seen Snow Bunting or Lapland Longspurs yet this year.  The yard I think is pretty tapped out.  I thought about how hard it is for birds to even find the feeders I have. I had passed a flock of 30 European Starlings that were less than 1/4 a mile away.  I know they hang out regularly in the area, but I rarely get them at my feeders.  Redpolls or Grosbeaks could pass by very easily.  

After a little bit of driving around, and missing out on ID'ing a flock of birds I came across a huge flock on 10 Mile Rd just south of I DR S.  It was all Redpolls.  I started scanning and snapping pics of any lighter colored bird.  I posted on Whatbird.com, as I think I could have as many as 5 Hoary Redpolls.  As of this typing I have confirmation on one that I knew was a no doubter.  So I am at 241 for the county.  Not bad adding 4 new ones in the past 6 weeks or so after going through quite the drought.  I only had 3 new county birds last year.  

The Hoary is the rarest bird I've found in the County, besides the Northern Goshawk.  Going to take some more ones rare like these if I am going to try to get to 250 eventually.  At this point I will probably have to settle for 1-2 a year if I am lucky.  Have to be prepared for some years with zero new ones.  I will still try to get out some more before the end of the year although the options are dwindling for any County lifers, could make my year number a little more respectable.  Once the Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Glaucous Gull get added we will be at 217 for the year in the county.  In line with our high of 218.  We could still get a Greater White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose, Short-eared Owl, Long-tailed Duck, Golden Eagle, or Snowy Owl.  

Since I started birding the birds I have dipped on:

1. Ruffed Grouse
2. Upland Sandpiper
3. Yellow-headed Blackbird
4. Northern Saw-whet Owl
5. Lark Sparrow
6. Least Bittern
7. Louisiana Waterthrush
8. Connecticut Warbler
9. Red-throated Loon (the unicorn)

December has been pretty uneventful.  I've been unable to get past my high for a day, and am one short for the month with possibilities running out.  One "highlight" was this incredibly huge flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds I found in a random farm field.  Imagine the other species of birds that have been victimized just by this group.  How many Kirtland's Warblers aren't around now because of birds from this flock.  

Weebly killed everything I wrote as the video was uploading.  Summary was I dipped on finding a flock of Snow Buntings, and 2 big flocks of Common Redpolls.  One of which has an accepted Hoary Redpoll mixed in with it.  This was a county first found by Dr. Dale Kennedy.  Hopefully I can stumble on some more flocks now that I have pulled the trigger on the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary.  

Saturday the 19th was the Battle Creek CBC.  Relatively uneventful for me, except for a surprising Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the middle of December was a little surprising.  The big news was an e-mail of a Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull on Duck Lake by Dr. Kennedy.  This is a long overdue bird for the county (or so I thought).  I rushed home, let the dogs out and then booked out to Duck Lake.  

There were thousands of gulls as close to the shore as I have ever seen them.  Within 500 feet on the South end.  I immediately started to search, but couldn't find a really good candidate for this bird.  As I scanned I ran across a giant all white gull.  A juvenile Glaucous Gull was mixed in with them flock.   A really nice bird for around here.  I kept scanning and eventually came upon a giant gull with very dark wings, and an all white head.  An Adult Great Black-backed Gull was here!!  One bird I thought we should have had around here by now.  When I went to enter it into iNaturalist checklist I found out that someone had reported one to iNaturalist this past August, for a sighting from August of 2018 at Binder Park Zoo.  Crazy.  

The next day the juvenile was reported again, as well as a Lesser Black-backed Gull.  It might turn out to be a decent Gull winter here.  Really just need an Iceland Gull to cap things off now.  I hope to try to get out a little bit more as Chaos should be in much reduced volume the next 2 weeks <fingers crossed>.
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