Chris Izworski's daily Michigan birding report turns to Calhoun County this morning, where the past two weeks have delivered 105 species across the county and a genuinely noteworthy finding that warrants immediate attention if you can get out today.
Blue Grosbeaks Holding at 25.5 Mile Road Solar Farm
The news here is straightforward: Blue Grosbeaks have been present and consistent at the 25.5 Mile Road Solar Farm since at least August 4, with multiple sightings of two birds on the 4th and 6th, and a single bird confirmed as recently as August 8. This is not a vagrant that appeared once. This is a breeding or recently fledged presence that has held for five days. For Calhoun County, this is the kind of sighting that stops the calendar. Blue Grosbeaks are rare in Michigan and rarer still in the Lower Peninsula outside of the southwestern corner counties. Get there if you can make it work. The solar farm infrastructure provides the open scrub and grassland edge habitat these birds favor, and the pattern suggests they are still present this morning.
Waterfowl Building at Duck Lake WTP
Duck Lake Water Treatment Plant continues to be the county's strongest waterfowl draw. One hundred Canada Geese were recorded there on August 8, along with ten Mallards and eight Tree Swallows. The south-southwest wind in today's forecast at 5 to 12 miles per hour will not trigger any major movement, but the continued congregation suggests the site remains productive through early August. If you are working through county shorebirds or looking for late migrants in the coming weeks, Duck Lake should stay on the rotation.
Gull Activity at Bailey Park
Eighty Ring-billed Gulls at Bailey Park as of August 6 represent solid late summer gull numbers for Calhoun County. Bonaparte's Gulls have also shown up at a separate location (Albion Road crossing 29 1/2 Mile Road) with 21 birds as of August 2. The Ring-billed concentration is the more reliable site if you need gulls. Standard early August fare, nothing exceptional, but worth noting if you are compiling a county year list or tracking local gull phenology.
Sandhill Cranes and the P Drive North Corridor
Fourteen Sandhill Cranes were observed on P Drive N between 19.5 and 21 Mile on August 8. This is a solid count for southern Michigan in August and suggests either a small staging congregation or a family group with juveniles. The P Drive area has historically been productive for grassland species and open country birds. Check it if you are in that part of the county.
Hotspot Recommendations for Today
If you have time this morning, the 25.5 Mile Road Solar Farm is the obvious target for the Blue Grosbeaks. Bring binoculars rated for scrubland work and plan to scan the grassy margins where solar arrays meet unmowed field. Light starts at 6:40 AM, and dawn chorus ends by 8:10 AM, so you have a window, though grosbeaks are not primarily dawn singers. If you are not chasing the grosbeaks, Brooks Nature Area or Woodland Park and Nature Preserve remain reliable multi-species sites with 192 and 187 all-time species respectively. Both should produce decent songbird activity in early morning, though August is not peak for most warblers yet. Fall warbler movement is just beginning, and most will still be in basic plumage.
Weather and Timing
Today runs 85 degrees under mostly sunny skies with a 42 percent rain chance building toward afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Tonight the rain becomes more certain. Tomorrow clears slightly but stays warm. The moderate south wind today is not strong enough to push significant wave-throughs of migrants, so you are not looking at any dramatic overnight shifts. Plan your morning accordingly and expect scattered activity rather than fallout conditions.
For the full county map and live eBird data as it reports in, visit https://birding.chrisizworski.com.