Very weird first half of the year birding - 2 new County birds including #250!

7/1/2023

Can't believe I haven't really done anything on the birding in Calhoun this year. It has been a really weird year. I've not had a whole lot of motivation to head out after back-to-back 110% Big Years. Chaos hasn't been bad, so no excuse there. Just not a lot of motivation to get out there constantly. Schedule is a little different this year, and not as flexible. The 2 weeks vacation to go to N.C. also cut into things for migration. Despite that my numbers had been close to 3rd most at various points this year, until May came.

One thing I have tried to do is make sure I take Hercules with me. I think there was only 3 or maybe at most 4 times I've not had him with me. Hitting up Woodland Park got to be difficult with him with the flooding and mud. So I can't say I am going 100%. Another demotivator is my really only goal this year was to get #250 at some point. I later added just doing enough to get 200 this year, to keep my 10 year average at that number. It's okay though. Herc loves going for walks, and swims if there is water, so it is worth it.

Another weird thing about this year is there really weren't any rare birds showing up. We had some decent flooding on P DR N, but didn't really get anything rare there as far as shorebirds. That whole area was a hot spot for Lesser Black-backed Gulls. I think I had a a high of 6, but up to 9 were seen in the area in early spring. It wasn't until April 16th we really had some super rare show up. We were at Brooks and I was letting Herc get his feet wet, when I saw a large group of big white birds on the water over in Upper Brace Lake. It was past time for any groups of swans to be around. Put my glass up and saw 12 American White Pelicans. I was able to get word out and a couple of other birders were able to see it before they took off. Got to check them off as self-found now. Later that same day I got very, very distant looks at Forster's Tern on Duck Lake. Not a reliable bird to get every year.

Really nothing else out of the ordinary appeared until May 9th when notice came out of a phalarope being spotted out near 21.5 Mile Road in a fluddle. Pic on the way driving there confirmed Wilson's Phalarope. I got there just in time and have just some horrible pics of county bird #250, and a lifer. Not even worth posting on here. Really wish I had better looks at it. Was a bit of a letdown from what should have been a pretty happy moment.

I took Hercules for a walk along Kimball Pines trail and managed to catch a White-eyed Vireo singing for a minute or so. Not what I was expecting to find there, so that was a nice surprise. Another nice surprise before I left for N.C. was a Canada Warbler in the yard, for yardbird #159. After I got back I nabbed #160 with a Cerulean Warbler singing in the treetops here. A couple of really nice surprises.

Managed to nab a few other targets after I got back in Marsh Wren, Acadian Flycatcher (in a reliable spot), Dickcissel showed up on 10 Mile Road again, Orchard Oriole. Tried several spots for Sedge Wren but was striking out. I did get them eventually, but they weren't the highlight of that checklist. I took dvantage of somewhat cooler temperatures, after rain came through, and walkedHerc at Brooks on 7/8. Nothing really exciting there, but decided since we were close to D DR S, and decided to let him swim at Upper Brace Lake for a bit, we would try for Sedge Wren there. No Sedge Wren there though, so kept driving down D DR S. Was checking some long grass near the Eaton Test track fence and saw this bird flush up into a dead tree. I put my camera on it and had to do a double take that I wasn't seeing a weird juvenile Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It was a freaking Lark Sparrow!!! A Lifer and #251 for the county. Not a bird I had on my radar at all. The only other record we have of it is on restricted Military property, and then cause they only crossed over the county line when observed. I did managed to see it a couple more times while there, and got some better shots the second time. Still in shock finding this bird.

Maybe this will be enough to get me going for the rest of the year. Below are some of my better shots from this year.

Sharp-shinned Hawk was pretty active on the feeders this winter