Ann Arbor Spoonbill

Heavily birded Washtenaw County has done will with rarities, with a redshank a year or so ago and now another first state record in Roseate Spoonbill.  

I made it there on about day 3 of its week and a half long stay.  The bird was out of sight when I arrived, but after a while a Great Blue took off and flew back to the back corner of the marsh, and less than a minute later the spoonbill flew out.  It landed distantly, then flew much closer and proceeded to feed.

I'm not sure I've ever seen one feed at close range.  The base of the bill was a lot more square than I remembered and the bird would bob its head somewhat as it swung its neck back and forth while working its bill to filter the water.  

With the two hour drive ahead of me that I wanted to finish before darks I didn't wait to see how long it would stay and found myself walking away from a simply crazy bird.

a Tiscornia lifer

 though it looks like I eBirded a Short-billed at Tiscornia 10 years ago ... who knew?

A Short-billed Dowitcher flew in to Tiscornia with a willet this morning.

Both appeared to be adults with some worn breeding feathers, and a few very worn retained feathers from the winter.

The dowitcher's bill was the same length as the willet's, though a lot skinnier!

Interesting how the birds use them in very different ways though.

I somewhat screened the birds from a beachwalker who detoured around us ... into the gulls, who flushed, taking the sandpipers with...

birds!

 I mean, amazing what you see when you actually go birding!

Hopefully back in the saddle, though I'm sure I've made that promise before.

Tiscornia was pleasant this morning.  A willet came in briefly in the early morning light.

After a loop up to Klock a group of avocets also flew in from the south.

They turned out to be adults still very much in breeding plumage.

As opposed to one of the motley Lesser Blackbacks that have taken a liking to the local beachgoer's refuse.

Hide and Seek

 
Following our views of Rosita's Bunting the sun was getting pretty high and the temperature climbing.  But that didn't stop a Lesser Ground-Cuckoo from starting to call from deep in the brush.  This was a unique bird, picture a half sized roadrunner dressed for a carnival.  That being said, it had no intention of going out, being very content to stay deep in the sticky thicket.

How would you give directions for the 1 inch cylinder of visibility for others to see this thing?  You can sort of see the blue and yellow bare skin surrounding the eye.

It would walk slowly on the ground, blending in pretty much perfectly with the leaf litter.

Finally it did tee up, though this window was only about a foot wide.

It was one of the coolest birds of the trip.  This Roadside Hawk was potentially interested in seeing it as well...

though its motivation may have been a little different.

The Orange-fronted Parakeets on the other hand, they didn't give a rip!