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Christmas Bird Count 2014 - Lessons learned by a newb - burnt potato chips

http://burntpotatochips.org/cbc-2014.html

Christmas Bird Count 2014 - Lessons learned by a newb. Sun 21 December 2014. The Christmas Bird Count. Has been on my to-do list for a few years but just hadn't worked out. What's not to like about getting up really early and tromping around in the woods on a cold December day counting birds? Lessons from my first CBC. Wear warm socks. Wear two pair. Wear good boots. Otherwise, you'll find yourself wondering how you can get through another 7 hours when you can't feel your toes. Birds are tough. Even ...

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birding - burnt potato chips

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As I was driving into Stony Creek Metropark on Saturday, I was going through a few options for birding. With the recent warming and a perfect sunny day, I was hoping for the first Pine Warblers (. Of the season. There's a stand of pines near the Lakeview . Red-tailed Hawk at Bear Creek Nature Park. Haven't blogged in forever. I'm not even sure I remember how to use my blogging platform. Oh well. Here's a Red-tailed Hawk (. We saw on a Wednesday morning bird walk at Bear Creek Nature Park. Around 4p today...

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Brown Creeper on the Osprey Trail - burnt potato chips

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Brown Creeper on the Osprey Trail. Mon 29 December 2014. On the way home from McGaw I decided to stop at Stony Creek Metropark and do a little birding. Like yesterday, there were an outrageous number of Common Mergansers and the Bald Eagle keeping watch. They had moved a bit toward the north dam. I need to figure out how to get closer to that shore to get a better look at the ducks and the eagle. Note slightly curved and downward pointed bill. Creepers have gray, brown or reddish morphs.

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Bad weather, good birding - burnt potato chips

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Bad weather, good birding. Tue 21 April 2015. First stop was the Osprey Trail and while it's too early for the spectacular trillium show here, I did see some Trout Lily leaves and a nice patch of Marsh Marigold near the trail head on the stream side. Not sure what these little flowers are - maybe Hepatica? Doing their aerial acrobatic bug catching over the lake. I looked towards the south and saw a bunch of Buffleheads, a bunch of American Coot, and some other things that were too far away to make out&#4...

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Eco Days at Seven Ponds Nature Center - burnt potato chips

http://burntpotatochips.org/eco-days-seven-ponds.html

Eco Days at Seven Ponds Nature Center. Mon 04 May 2015. One of my favorite nature centers, Seven Ponds. Held their annual Eco Days celebration this past weekend. Beekeepers, native plant sales, and (as always) home baked goods just made it a little easier to trek out there and check out the spring birding and early wildflowers. Arrived early to bird before the nature center opened and came upon this regal fellow (? On my way to the prairie. It's a Blanding's turtle. Easter phoebe (by the bridge).

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Birding - never know what you'll see - burnt potato chips

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Birding - never know what you'll see. Sun 08 February 2015. After leaving, I needed to stop at Whole Foods to pick up a few things. As I'm driving through the parking lot of The Village, I notice a pretty big bird perched on a railing on top of one of the stores. Parked, grabbed my camera and got a nice look at a beautiful Cooper's Hawk. You never know what you are going to see when you go out birding. Nature is My Therapy. Seven Ponds Nature Center. Red and the Peanut.

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Winter McGaw Visit - Trees - burnt potato chips

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Winter McGaw Visit - Trees. Mon 29 December 2014. Quite a bit of this on western side of entry trail. Stand of large hemlocks are on the northern end of the ridge. We measured one to be approximately 95 feet tall. They can live many hundreds of years. Provide dense cover and would be a place to look for ruffed grouse (which are known to be in McGaw). Once established they create their own micro-climate (shady, dry, acidic soil from decaying leaves). Should be a great site for spring songbird migration.

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wildflowers - burnt potato chips

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Bad weather, good birding. Around 4p today I thought about going birding (to avoid grading) but figured it was so windy and cold that the birds might be hunkered down. Then, I went anyway. Am I glad I did. Before that story, I should admit that I had already birded at the Auburn Hills . What a day for a new birder at Saginaw Wetlands Nature Sanctuary. As part of the 2013 Wildflower Walkabout. Sponsored by the Michigan Nature Association. I visited the Saginaw Wetlands Nature Sanctuary. Headed over to Sha...

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First big birding weekend at Stony Creek Metro Park - burnt potato chips

http://burntpotatochips.org/spring-birding-weekend-scmp.html

First big birding weekend at Stony Creek Metro Park. Sun 12 April 2015. We had our first sunny warm spring weekend and it just happened to coincide with the monthly Stony Creek Birding walk. Huge turnout. Stop 1 was at the boat launch to check out the Loons and a myriad of other waterfowl. A Common Loon cooperated nicely and let us get a scope on her. All I managed was a bad picture - I need a bigger lens! Finally noticed the yellow tail tips and red waxy secretions. First Eastern Towhee of the year.