Did someone say Kirtland’s?

Howdee all,

Watch what you say on the Boardwalk of Magee Marsh. When someone mentions the K word..heads turn, hearts begin to beat faster.

Bodies get in gear and quickly head in the direction the K word was uttered.

Hundreds of people amass to hopefully get a glimpse of the *K* Bird.

Such was so during The Biggest Week in American Birding this year. Not once but three times.

Last year while at the Biggest Week Jeff and I did not see a Kirtland’s and I don’t believe that any were seen.

 

Kirtland's Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (Parulidae), named after Jared P. Kirtland, an Ohio doctor and amateur naturalist. Nearly extinct just 50 years ago, it is well on its way to recovery. It requires large areas (> 160 acres) of dense young jack pine for its breeding habitat. This habitat was historically created by wildfire, but today is primarily created through the harvest of mature jack pine, and planting of jack pine seedlings.^[1]

Since the mid-19th century at least it has become a restricted-range endemic species. Almost the entire population spends the spring and summer in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan and winters in The Bahamas. From Wikipedia

 

First sighting of Kirtland reported at Ottawa NWR..There was a mass exodus of birders from Magee Boardwalk to Ottawa NWR when the twitter alert went out.

Just a handful saw the bird.

All here did not.

Video of birders waiting and watching for the*K* Bird seen by just a few at Ottawa NWR.

Dawns Tale of the Second sighting…

May 9th

It was early morning~Jeff and I were on our way out of the Motorhome when I got a twitter alert to my phone that a Kirtland’s Warbler was seen. Adrenaline pumps thru my body. This is the last of the Eastern Wood Warblers we needed to add to our Life List. A difficult bird to see in most places,unless you go to its breeding grounds.

  I told Jeff to forget about dropping off a Guitar to the Park owner~Lets high tail it to Magee Marsh.

The K Bird was seen on the boardwalk just a few minutes earlier.

I was supposed to be helping Adrian Binns with a Bird Sit at nine and It was close to nine.

We drove towards the east end of the Boardwalk and noticed people streaming out of the boardwalk. Word was the the K bird had flown over the water area and had not been re-found.

I felt obligated to go to the sit and told Jeff to call me if the K bird was re-found.

Friends Debbie and Dave called~

The K bird was being seen again....

I ran from the West end of the boardwalk to the eastern area off the boardwalk  hoping I would not be too late.

Many people had nice looks of the K bird.

A life bird for Jeff and me.

Yes people actually jump off a wheelchair to see the K Bird! ;) see below

Yipppppeee..I made it!

I had a few good looks of the K bird~~ Way up there in the tree.

A male Kirtland’s Warbler.

Read Bobby Harrison’s post of how this bird was found on the boardwalk.

Saturday May 12th..

A female K bird was found by three young Amish birders on a new Crane Creek Estuary Trail.

Bird was seen here for quite a while.

Jeff and I went out around 5 to see if people were still seeing it.

They were.

And so did we.

Much better looks than the male K bird.

She looks lovely with flowers..

She sits and preens..

Oblivious to her large audience.

Isn't she a beauty?

It was so exciting to see not one but two of these rare Warblers!

Thanks Biggest Week!