Northern Harrier Is Our Club's Logo
Photographs of birds at Harrisville State Park.
Please tap on pictures to enlarge.
Please tap on pictures to enlarge.
Hooded Warbler photographed by Moira Maus at Harrisville State Park.
|
Summer Tanager photographed by Thomas Heatley at Harrisville State Park.
|
| coded_harrisville_state_park_bird_checklist.docx |
RARE TO ACCIDENTAL BIRD SIGHTINGS WITHIN ONE MILE OF DOWNTOWN HARRISVILLE.
Late Winter and Spring
2021
Late Winter and Spring
2021
RED CROSSBILL JANUARY 31 LAUGHING GULL MAY 12
SAGEBRUSH SPARROW FEBRUARY 18-22 SWAINSON'S WARBLER MAY 16
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL MARCH 12 EVENING GROSBEAK MAY 16
CAROLINA WREN MARCH 18 NEOTROPIC CORMORANT MAY 17
ZONE-TAILED HAWK MARCH 26 ORCHARD ORIOLE MAY 17-21
BRAMBLING MARCH 27 BLACK TERN MAY 17
LITTLE GULL MARCH 29 T0WNSEND'S SOLITAIRE MAY 19
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE APRIL O5 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE MAY 19
SAY'S PHOEBE APRIL 06 KENTUCKY WARBLER MAY 20
CASSIN'S KINGBIRD APRIL 06 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER MAY 20
PRAIRIE WARBLER APRIL 07 ACADIAN FLYCATCHER MAY 20-27
HEERMANN'S GULL APRIL O8 BLUE GROSBEAK MAY 22
WESTERN KINGBIRD APRIL 08 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE MAY 23-June 13
FERRUGINOUS HAWK APRIL 17 WORM-EATING WARBLER MAY 23-24
SWAINSON'S HAWK APRIL 19 ARCTIC TERN MAY 24
GREAT CORMORANT MAY 03 WESTERN TANAGER MAY 24
CALIFORNIA GULL MAY 08-23 BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW MAY 27
This is the best description I can give to the Bristle-thighed Curlew which has it's breeding grounds in Alaska and migrates to some pacific islands for the winter. There are only about 7,000 left in the wild. Migration is poorly known. They have shown up on the west coast. This bird was the size of a Whimbrel. The first thing I noticed was the long orange tail and rump. The tail had darker bars. Next, I looked at the head and saw a black sort of crown with a long downward pink bill with a dark point. The bill was slightly longer than the head. The over all upper body color was brown with spotty looking feathers. The underparts were pale. I could not see the legs or feet. The bird was heading north just behind seven Whimbrels about 100' above the waters of Lake Huron. It was about 90' from me as it flew past. This was at Harrisville State Park in front of the main bath house at 6:15 PM. I had 10x50 binoculars. I do believe that if a White Wagtail that breeds in the same area of Alaska as this curlew does and shows up in Michigan, why not the curlew?
CHIHUAHUAN RAVEN MAY 31
Another great sighting! This is the best description I can give to the Chihuahuan Raven which flew in from the Southwest U.S. At 3:30 PM, I heard in the distance, from my backyard patio, a very loud KRAAK call that was constant as the sound approached from the SW. As the call got louder, I finally observed a raven or crow that was mostly gliding along continuing the whole time calling a much different sound than a Common Raven. It seemed smaller than a Common Raven, and had a somewhat wedge-shaped tail. Of all the Common Ravens and crows I have heard in 40 years of birdwatching, I never heard this call before. The call is very much higher than a Common Raven. The call matched the call tape on the Cornell website. I listened to all of the raven and crow calls; and nothing comes close to the calls I heard today, except this raven. I had my 10x50 binoculars with which I observed the raven for over 2 minutes as it called the whole time. KRAAK, KRAAK, ETC!
Summer, 2021
JUNE
WHIMBREL JUNE 02 SPOTTED TOWHEE JUNE 19
COMMON GROUND DOVE JUNE 06 BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE JUNE 19
LONG-EARED OWL JUNE 09
About the Boat-tailed Grackle. The bird I observed was picking through debris while wading in the water in a quarry. It flew to a telephone wire overhead where I clearly saw that it had a very rounded head that was darker purple than the rest of the light purple body. The eyes were yellow. The beak was the length of a Common Grackle. While breening itself, the legs seemed very long while doing it's head which was not bowed. The tail was amble and bushy. It made calls that were different from the Common Grackle. There were Common Grackles about calling, too. It was larger than a Common Grackle. This year is going to be quite the spring and summer for rarities like I have never seen before in my 40 years of birding!
JULY
2020
FIELDFARE MAY 15 CALIFORIA GULL SEPTEMBER 15
ROSE-THROATED BECARD MAY 30 COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD OCTOBER 15
2019
KING EIDER MAY 15 TRICOLORED HERON AUGUST 15
2018
LONG-TAILED JAEGER APRIL 15 PACIFIC LOON MAY 15
BREWER'S SPARROW MAY 15 COMMON GROUND DOVE JUNE 15
2017
LESSER REDPOLL JANUARY 08 POMARINE JAEGER MAY 15
RED-RUMPED SWALLOW APRIL 30 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE NOVEMBER 15
VARIED THRUSH MAY 15 RED PHALAROPE NOVEMBER 15
2016
YELLOW-BILLED LOON APRIL 15 SWAINSON'S HAWK MAY 15
ARCTIC TERN MAY 15 NORTHERN GANNET JUNE 15
MEW GULL MAY 15 EURASIAN SISKIN DECEMBER 15
2015
LESSER FRIGATEBIRD APRIL 15 BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD MAY 18
LARK SPARROW MAY 16 WESTERN GREBE MAY 19
PLUMBEOUS VIREO MAY 17 FISH CROW JUNE 15
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER MAY 17 SNOWY PLOVER SEPTEMBER 15
2014
BLACK VULTURE MARCH 15 SWAINSON'S HAWK MAY 15
NORTHERN HAWK OWL APRIL 15 HEERMANN'S GULL MAY 15
JACK SNIPE MAY 14 WESTERN TANAGER MAY 16
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW MAY 14
2013
VIRGINIA'S WARBLER MAY 12 CAVE SWALLOW OCTOBER 18
PACIFIC WREN MAY 14 SABINE'S GULL OCTOBER 20
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT MAY 15 CLARK'S GREBE OCTOBER 21
WILSON'S PLOVER MAY 16
2012
SAY'S PHOEBE MAY 14 GRAY KINGBIRD MAY 15
EURASIAN WIGEON MAY 14 VERMILION FLYCATCHER MAY 16
PARASITIC JAEGER MAY 15
2011
SWAINSON'S WARBLER MAY 15 HOODED WARBLER JUNE 17
2010
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK MAY 15 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL SEPTEMBER 15
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER MAY 16 WHITE-WINGED DOVE OCTOBER 15
SOUTH POLAR SKUA AUGUST 15
2009
KING RAIL JUNE 15 BARROW'S GOLDENEYE DECEMBER 14
SAGEBRUSH SPARROW FEBRUARY 18-22 SWAINSON'S WARBLER MAY 16
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL MARCH 12 EVENING GROSBEAK MAY 16
CAROLINA WREN MARCH 18 NEOTROPIC CORMORANT MAY 17
ZONE-TAILED HAWK MARCH 26 ORCHARD ORIOLE MAY 17-21
BRAMBLING MARCH 27 BLACK TERN MAY 17
LITTLE GULL MARCH 29 T0WNSEND'S SOLITAIRE MAY 19
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE APRIL O5 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE MAY 19
SAY'S PHOEBE APRIL 06 KENTUCKY WARBLER MAY 20
CASSIN'S KINGBIRD APRIL 06 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER MAY 20
PRAIRIE WARBLER APRIL 07 ACADIAN FLYCATCHER MAY 20-27
HEERMANN'S GULL APRIL O8 BLUE GROSBEAK MAY 22
WESTERN KINGBIRD APRIL 08 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE MAY 23-June 13
FERRUGINOUS HAWK APRIL 17 WORM-EATING WARBLER MAY 23-24
SWAINSON'S HAWK APRIL 19 ARCTIC TERN MAY 24
GREAT CORMORANT MAY 03 WESTERN TANAGER MAY 24
CALIFORNIA GULL MAY 08-23 BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW MAY 27
This is the best description I can give to the Bristle-thighed Curlew which has it's breeding grounds in Alaska and migrates to some pacific islands for the winter. There are only about 7,000 left in the wild. Migration is poorly known. They have shown up on the west coast. This bird was the size of a Whimbrel. The first thing I noticed was the long orange tail and rump. The tail had darker bars. Next, I looked at the head and saw a black sort of crown with a long downward pink bill with a dark point. The bill was slightly longer than the head. The over all upper body color was brown with spotty looking feathers. The underparts were pale. I could not see the legs or feet. The bird was heading north just behind seven Whimbrels about 100' above the waters of Lake Huron. It was about 90' from me as it flew past. This was at Harrisville State Park in front of the main bath house at 6:15 PM. I had 10x50 binoculars. I do believe that if a White Wagtail that breeds in the same area of Alaska as this curlew does and shows up in Michigan, why not the curlew?
CHIHUAHUAN RAVEN MAY 31
Another great sighting! This is the best description I can give to the Chihuahuan Raven which flew in from the Southwest U.S. At 3:30 PM, I heard in the distance, from my backyard patio, a very loud KRAAK call that was constant as the sound approached from the SW. As the call got louder, I finally observed a raven or crow that was mostly gliding along continuing the whole time calling a much different sound than a Common Raven. It seemed smaller than a Common Raven, and had a somewhat wedge-shaped tail. Of all the Common Ravens and crows I have heard in 40 years of birdwatching, I never heard this call before. The call is very much higher than a Common Raven. The call matched the call tape on the Cornell website. I listened to all of the raven and crow calls; and nothing comes close to the calls I heard today, except this raven. I had my 10x50 binoculars with which I observed the raven for over 2 minutes as it called the whole time. KRAAK, KRAAK, ETC!
Summer, 2021
JUNE
WHIMBREL JUNE 02 SPOTTED TOWHEE JUNE 19
COMMON GROUND DOVE JUNE 06 BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE JUNE 19
LONG-EARED OWL JUNE 09
About the Boat-tailed Grackle. The bird I observed was picking through debris while wading in the water in a quarry. It flew to a telephone wire overhead where I clearly saw that it had a very rounded head that was darker purple than the rest of the light purple body. The eyes were yellow. The beak was the length of a Common Grackle. While breening itself, the legs seemed very long while doing it's head which was not bowed. The tail was amble and bushy. It made calls that were different from the Common Grackle. There were Common Grackles about calling, too. It was larger than a Common Grackle. This year is going to be quite the spring and summer for rarities like I have never seen before in my 40 years of birding!
JULY
2020
FIELDFARE MAY 15 CALIFORIA GULL SEPTEMBER 15
ROSE-THROATED BECARD MAY 30 COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD OCTOBER 15
2019
KING EIDER MAY 15 TRICOLORED HERON AUGUST 15
2018
LONG-TAILED JAEGER APRIL 15 PACIFIC LOON MAY 15
BREWER'S SPARROW MAY 15 COMMON GROUND DOVE JUNE 15
2017
LESSER REDPOLL JANUARY 08 POMARINE JAEGER MAY 15
RED-RUMPED SWALLOW APRIL 30 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE NOVEMBER 15
VARIED THRUSH MAY 15 RED PHALAROPE NOVEMBER 15
2016
YELLOW-BILLED LOON APRIL 15 SWAINSON'S HAWK MAY 15
ARCTIC TERN MAY 15 NORTHERN GANNET JUNE 15
MEW GULL MAY 15 EURASIAN SISKIN DECEMBER 15
2015
LESSER FRIGATEBIRD APRIL 15 BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD MAY 18
LARK SPARROW MAY 16 WESTERN GREBE MAY 19
PLUMBEOUS VIREO MAY 17 FISH CROW JUNE 15
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER MAY 17 SNOWY PLOVER SEPTEMBER 15
2014
BLACK VULTURE MARCH 15 SWAINSON'S HAWK MAY 15
NORTHERN HAWK OWL APRIL 15 HEERMANN'S GULL MAY 15
JACK SNIPE MAY 14 WESTERN TANAGER MAY 16
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW MAY 14
2013
VIRGINIA'S WARBLER MAY 12 CAVE SWALLOW OCTOBER 18
PACIFIC WREN MAY 14 SABINE'S GULL OCTOBER 20
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT MAY 15 CLARK'S GREBE OCTOBER 21
WILSON'S PLOVER MAY 16
2012
SAY'S PHOEBE MAY 14 GRAY KINGBIRD MAY 15
EURASIAN WIGEON MAY 14 VERMILION FLYCATCHER MAY 16
PARASITIC JAEGER MAY 15
2011
SWAINSON'S WARBLER MAY 15 HOODED WARBLER JUNE 17
2010
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK MAY 15 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL SEPTEMBER 15
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER MAY 16 WHITE-WINGED DOVE OCTOBER 15
SOUTH POLAR SKUA AUGUST 15
2009
KING RAIL JUNE 15 BARROW'S GOLDENEYE DECEMBER 14
