About ten days ago, a little birdie suggested I go to Sterling State Park if I wanted to see White Pelicans. That “birdie” was Mike Grosso, a local photographer I’ve followed on Facebook for awhile. Earlier this year I asked Mike if he ever encountered White Pelicans since he never posted photos of them. (Mike posts mostly Bald Eagle and Osprey photos and fantastic sunrise shots.) Well Mike remembered my question and sent me this message and posted a few Pelican photos the same day.
What followed was a flurry of back-and-forth messages wherein Mike told me a photographer friend saw upwards of 200 White Pelicans one day and he sent me one of her photos of many Pelicans lined up along the marsh shoreline.
Now, if you have followed my blog for a while you know that I post my annual “Photo Birdie Bucket List” of birds I hope to see and photograph in the upcoming year.
Here is my list of coveted birds for 2024 …
… and nope, I haven’t found any of those birds, but happily added a few new birds to my Birding Life List that I wasn’t even searching for, like the American Coot you’ll meet in today’s post, the Caspian Terns you met last week and an American Bittern, a Summer find which you have not met yet.
So, while you may not give a hoot about that Coot, or my multi-year prowl for an owl, my most-recent quest was all about those White Pelicans, a species I didn’t know existed in Michigan until this year, so I never added it to my wish list. A few online Michigan birding sites suggested checking out Pointe Mouille Marsh and/or the Gibralter Bay Unit of the Wildlife Refuge, so I set off on a wild goose chase, er … a White Pelican chase, to both venues, to no avail. Even the members of the Metroparks Photographers group I follow never post pics of White Pelicans.
So last Monday I went in search of these elusive birds. Unfortunately for me, those seabirds with their “big gulp pouches” were just passin’ through, merely migrating to warmer climes. (They could have stayed as we had temps near 80F (25C) all week.)
Not all was lost however.
It was a gorgeous Fall day, the car got a 60-mile run and I added over six miles toward my walking goal since I did the three-mile Sterling Marsh Trail twice. With the exception of a turtle that promptly plopped into the marsh as I approached it, the day was all about birds.
I began at the trailhead …
… then crossed the bridge …
… where I noticed there was not much colorful foliage. As you know from my prior posts, this was thanks to our funky Fall weather that was dry and very warm, which wreaked havoc with the colors. And this week, after four days in a row of wicked winds, most of the leaves around here are on the ground.
I started along the Sterling Marsh Trail which encircles the largest lagoon at Sterling State Park. I don’t walk at this venue much because trees and bushes line the hiking trail which hampers viewing of birds and deer (if you’re lucky), unless perchance there is an open area or overlook to get in a shot. Plus, there are tree roots galore that have split apart the asphalt trail to the point it is dangerous. You must constantly be mindful of trip hazards and not swiveling your head around to look at nature.
First, I walked down to the shoreline near the gazebo while peering for Pelicans in the location Mike mentioned and was happy to see several flashes of white embedded in the now-brown Lotus leaves across the lagoon …
… but, after zooming in on them, I realized they were Mute Swans.
I continued on my way, as leaves fluttered down and swirled around me. I stopped to take photos of a few spots of bright red Sumac leaves and some teasels popping up in those Sumac leaves …
A splash of red beyond this group of dead trees caught my eye and I knew these colorful images would at least add some interest to my post if I didn’t see any birds or critters.
Occasionally I stopped to look up and locate the two trees, home to two nesting Bald Eagle families. I found those nests, along with a Bald Eagle guarding its nest.
I have seen Bald Eagles when they used to come to uninhabited Mud Island to fish every Winter. The steam from that now-shuttered steel plant melted the ice at the Detroit River near Dingell Park, so people stood on the pavilion to watch or photograph the Bald Eagles swooping down from Mud Island’s trees to fish from the ice floes. I never got a clear shot of them, so this was exciting and I guess you could call this a bucket list image for me.
Bald Eagles build huge nests …
… and, while that very large twiggy abode is “home sweet home” to a Bald Eagle, other birds live in more modest digs, like this …
… or one of these nest boxes like you see below and in the header image.
After I took a ton of shots and waited patiently for this Eagle to search for sticks and/or food, it never moved, so it was time for ME to move along.
A very serene scene.
As I meandered along the Sterling Marsh Trail, I had a few glimpses of Mallards in the lagoon, amidst the reflections of the trees in the background.
I finally caught up with one Mute Swan who gave me the cold shoulder …
… and, while taking that photo, a Great Blue Heron that I hadn’t seen, suddenly got spooked, squawked noisily and flew off …
… but politely posed later while muttering under its breath.
After rounding a bend in the trail, I came upon a group of Great Egrets. It was a beautiful sight, even more stunning because of their reflections. Due to those double images with way too many long necks, it was impossible for me to guess how many Egrets I actually saw. They were very loud, chattering amongst themselves, perhaps discussing their migration flight plans as our Great Egrets usually depart Michigan by early November.
This is the congregation of Egrets, but I’ll have more pictures of them for this week’s Wordless Wednesday.
I kept walking and decided to just turn around and double back, hoping for another Bald Eagle sighting, but I had no luck in that regard. However, I passed a raft (group) of American Coots, which I recognized by the white bill which extends from the forehead. My new bird of the day!
Here are close-ups of a few of them. In the last photo the Coot has a dead Lotus leaf plastered against its breast.
I don’t know if this was a mini-murmuration of Starlings that was off in the distance.
Then there was this Starling that apparently liked his own company.
It was a good excursion and next year, I’ll try again for White Pelicans and hopefully I’ll get that coveted bucket image photo for me and to show you.
I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Photography Challenge: “Bucket List Images”
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Nice collection of birds!
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Thank you Kate! It was a good bird day for me! My first Bald Eagle that didn’t just look like a brown blob in the air. 🙂
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I love all birds photos. Linda. Wonderful birds collection. Marvelous PHOTOGRAPHY,Linda. Beautiful Park 🏞️.
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Thank you Raj! I’m glad you liked all the bird photos – I will have more from this trip this Wednesday. It was a great birding day!
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Thanks Linda! 😄
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The coot is cute. Great birding day for you.
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Yes, it was a fun birding day for me TD. I like that … a cute coot. 🙂
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Glad that you get my humor!
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I did! A fellow blogger often puns in his comments, especially the Wordless Wednesday posts and I think “now why wasn’t I on the ball and thought of that?”
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Nice images! I especially like the spotted Starling. There are tons of pelicans around here if you ever want to travel west. 🙂
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Thank you Janis! I liked that Starling too and I even did a Google Image Search to ensure it was a Starling. I will remember that – that’s probably where all our White Pelicans are migrating to. I did see Brown Pelicans in Cabo San Lucas many years ago.
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Lovely photos Linda. I always have a bird I want to find and sometimes find ones I wasn’t aware of 😀
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Thank you Brian! I would have felt badly if I only came home with red leaves photos. 🙂 I have posted Bald Eagle pics before where you had to use your imagination to know it was an Eagle. Our Coots look like Moorhens, only they have white markings instead of red.
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Hooray, you got that bald eagle shot you wanted, Linda! I cracked up at your word-play (prowling for owls, etc) 🙂 GREAT shot of the blue heron (mine is a bit misty)…I want a SHARP one!!!
How cool you follow a birder and can get some tips on where to see what! We have two bird sanctuaries in Spokane that I keep meaning to visit. Ugh. I follow a Facebook group, Spokane Birders, and I hesitate to post many pics because theirs are astoundingly good. When I shared my Phoebe feeding pic last spring, I thought the pic would get more notice from the group–but it got mostly a lukewarm interest. Oh well.
I’m taking part in the Cornell Lab Feeder Watch this winter. It starts this month but I have only seen a few juncos. Our yard is unprotected from hawks, so the birds stay in the surrounding huge pine trees for protection. Once we get snow, we get Northern Flicker, house finches, more quail, and juncos, all ground feeders. I have the black oil sunflower seeds at the ready and my tally sheet, LOL!
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Terri, I was excited to see that Bald Eagle and Mike posts pics of a lot of Bald Eagles. He must have a long telephoto lens because his images of their feathers and their facial features are very clear, like Wayne’s photos. Mike tipped me off on the DNR Headquarters for that Osprey nest that I wrote about last week – the Caspian Terns were an unexpected bonus that day.
The Huron Clinton Metropark Photography group is the same way. They have amazing closeups of birds and lots of deer from our 13 Metroparks. I only submitted one photo, last New Year’s Eve, of the Mallard with the feather on her beak that I used in my NYE post, something akin to a person wearing a lampshade on their head for NYE, but, same as you, it got a lukewarm reception, so I now just lurk and learn about birds I don’t see around my Metroparks.
That sounds fun with the Cornell Lab Feeder Watch – we will get Juncos once it gets colder and they eat some of the sunflower seeds I scatter for the Park birds. I’ve not seen a Quail and saw one Flicker this Summer. I always do the Great American Bird Count a/k/a the Great Backyard Bird Count which will be February 14 to 17, 2025. It’s always around President’s Day Weekend.
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Marvelous photos!
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Thank you Anne! Somewhere along the way I went from being a squirrel-er to a birder! 🙂
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You’re flying high.
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Wish I’d thought of that quip!!
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How long do you think Parker is going to last?
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That’s a good question Anne. I tried searching my blog last year when writing about Parker in my “Nutcracker Suite” post … the best I could figure was I’ve seen him there since 2015. I also think there are imposters who try the same tricks as Parker … I had one a couple of weeks ago. I was stopped and taking some photos and he climbed onto my shoe, then up my sock and onto my sweat pants, enroute to the bag I carry. That’s Parker’s trick but I gave this squirrel some peanuts and he ran away to bury them, so I am not sure. Parker usually begs for as long as he can get away with it.
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I can guarantee that when you do get those elusive shots Linda, It’ll be in a place and time that’ll catch you off guard.
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You are right about that Wayne – just minding my own business and they do a fly by as I stand there in awe. Can you imagine seeing 200 White Pelicans at one time? It would be like when Uncle Tree went to see the Sandhill Cranes every Spring at the Platte River in Nebraska when the Cranes migrated through there. I will try again next year … I’m happy I finally had a nice Bald Eagle to show you even though it was clear across the marsh.
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No, personally I’ve never seen a single white Pelican at all! I saw a Brown Pelican however.
Whatever happened to Uncle Tree anyways?
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I saw a Brown Pelican too Wayne, many years ago in Cabo San Lucas. Cabo was part of a tour and we were there one day. They are famous for their pelicans and they are in groups – I saw one only though. I remember I bought my grandmother a hand-carved wooden pelican. There was someone whittling seabirds and this one was finished and stained, ready to sell, about a foot tall. Uncle Tree took a pause in blogging – that’s what he wrote … he had three deaths of close family members in about one year’s time, so he said he was not motivated to write, so he was taking a pause. You may recall his mom died (she was in a coma for a while and had Alzheimer’s Disease for years and she lived in Missouri so he didn’t see her very often); his nephew died the first day out on his motorcycle which was a Kawasaki which is the plant where Keith worked – he was close to the nephew; then his girlfriend died in her sleep of natural causes. That’s a lot to work through – he never resumed posting. He was my first follower in 2017 and he told me to look you up!
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I hope Uncle Tree is doing better these days.
He was dealt the trifecta of death.
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Yes, I hope he is too Wayne. Uncle Tree said he was taking a blogging break. I just searched for his blog and it is still up, but he has not posted since March 2019. A fellow blogger stopped blogging after the pandemic restrictions were lifted and she and her husband could travel again. They have grandchildren out of state and have travelled to Canada, South America and Europe a few times. Laurie suspended her blog, but still checks in to read other’s blog posts.
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not sure who Laurie is?
Tree hasn’t done anything in 5 years. I think he’s done with blogging.
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She did not write a nature blog. She was a teacher and her husband was an architect and they are long-distance runners. They ran in many marathons, but now just run 5Ks or just run for pleasure. They planned trips after Bill retired, then the pandemic hit … now they are all over. She comments regularly on all the blogs she followed except when out of the country.
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Beautiful pictures Linda! Such a shame you didn’t see the pelicans but next year! The green color on the mallard duck looks like it almost could glow, so pretty! What a find and great picture of the bald eagle. He will be there nesting next year again. I would love to see a coot and your starling picture, wow! Every time you take a walk it is an adventure, I’m sure glad you share your adventures with us.
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Thank you Diane – your comments just made my day! I am bummed I didn’t see the Pelicans … I hope Mike posts if they are there next year. Or when they return in the Spring. I got behind on Facebook and reading his posts and other posts. Facebook has changed some things and my Facebook “Feed” of miscellaneous sites and people no longer displays properly so he doesn’t show up all the time, so I have to search for him and then look at all the posts at one time. Only my Facebook Groups work properly. Mike goes to Sterling State Park a lot for Eagles now that he has found two pair of them nesting and the two nests. The last post I read was about carrying sticks, so they are still working on nests. I just Googled and in Michigan the eaglets are born in April. I like that teal head glowing on the Mallard Duck too. The reflections that morning were gorgeous and you’ll see on Wednesday with the Egrets – difficult to count them due to the reflections. My first Coot. 🙂 My first Bald Eagle that looked like a Bald Eagle – usually brown blobs in the trees or sky. Thank you. I still have a lot of adventures to share, a Spring, Summer and Fall full of adventures.
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I can’t wait to see them!
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I hope you like them when you see them. I am really late getting here today – busy day with errands, running around and French lesson.
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Congratulations on finding the American Coots! I’ve never seen one before. I really enjoy seeing all your waterbirds, and of course that majestic eagle. What a lovely place to walk with all the wildlife, water reflections and fall colors.
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Thank you Barbara! I follow that Metroparks Photography site on Facebook so I am learning about all the birds and waterbirds that are around these parks, many I’d never seen before or even heard of. The American Coots look like Moorhens if you’ve ever seen them, only a white “face/beak” area instead of red. I think I found some Moorhens with their young this Summer. I’ve sorted through all the photos I’ve taken but have to match them with the draft I write when I return home from a walk. The Eagle was a treat to see too, so majestic up in the tree. It was across the marshy area, so not all that close to me. You should take a look at Mike Grosso’s FB site sometime as he does have a lot of Eagle shots and at this location.
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A fanciful and flight-filled post, Linda. Thank you!
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Thank you Pam – I am glad you enjoyed it! It was sure a fun day for me!
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Very nice shots! When you teased that you would be showing a picture of an American Coot, I was wondering if you had snagged a shot of me. 🙂
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Thank you JP – it was a fun day for me! You know it’s funny about that bird name “Coot” because every time I hear it, I think of the movie “On Golden Pond” when Katharine Hepburn’s character keeps calling Henry Fonda’s character an old coot or an old poop. 🙂
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Miss Linda………………………Cool picture of the Bald eagle……………….and it’s large nest……………………….and the White Egrets and the large Heron departing………………………..and the Starling shiny and up-close………………………cool……………………….and a “raft” of Coots………………………….I’d never get to see one…………………Keep publishing your Blogs………………….because I love them!
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Ann Marie – I did have the best day just last Monday. I am glad you gave me the directions how to get here because you know how bad I am with directions and getting lost. 🙂 It seemed every time I turned around there was something else to see. I’ve seen eagles in trees but not clear and out in the open like this one – that was exciting for me. I only see Luc at Lake Erie Metropark and that’s not the same as he is in the wooden cage. I hope to see those Pelicans and post about them. I have a treasure trove of photos taken this Spring through Fall, as I ventured out in the mostly hot weather at the bigger parks and I think you will love them too. Next week is butterflies and bees from Heritage Park – not quite as exciting as the birds though. 🙂
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Great that you saw a Bald Eagle and I like that little Coot, he’s cute haha.
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I was excited seeing that Bald Eagle Susan, even it was way across the marsh. But my first Eagle photo that you could tell was an Eagle, usually the others were too far away. That Coot is cute – looked like it was wearing a white mask on its face! 🙂
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I do love Bald Eagles, we occasionally get one around here but I haven’t seen them. Northern Ontario has tons of them though.
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I was at this park this Summer and saw the nests (which they are adding to now per Mike’s daily photos of stick and nest activity) and saw no eagles, so I figured this was a lucky day for me. I know Mike sees more than me because his photos are really up close, so he must have a huge telephoto lens. I didn’t even realize they had eagles in Ontario.
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Yes we even have pelicans!
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I hope you capture some images to share on your blog one day Susan in case I never get a chance to see them. 🙂
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I’ll try to remember to look for some. A few years ago we traveled through northern Ontario to Winnipeg Manitoba and I got a lot of photos of them
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I have two fellow bloggers who often posted pictures on their blog … one is in Tennessee and one lived near the Mississippi River and got a ton of photos there. The picture of the pelicans lined along the shoreline was amazing! I hope you find some Susan.
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I do have a of photos of pelicans that I took when we were Northern Ontario and Winnipeg but I can’t remember what year we went to look through my files ! lol
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Ha ha – I used to be able to search by blog when I referenced a post or photo to someone, but, as the blog grows, the likelihood of not finding a particular pot and/or photo grows!
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For a day without pelicans you sure got some excellent bird shots!
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Thank you Eilene! It sure was a productive day for me, even with no pelicans. The water was so calm, which I like as I got some nice reflection shots, especially the Egrets you’ll see on Wednesday. As we head toward Winter, I will savor a nice Fall excursion like this one when it is cold and snowy outside.
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Your bird bucket list reminds me of Northern Exposure when Ruth Ann and Holling start talking about the bird photos, sharing the pics. I’m sorry about no pelicans, but the other bird photos were great.
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Thank you Ally – it was a good day for bird pics for me. I can’t imagine seeing 200 pelicans lined up. I have never seen that show but have heard good things about it. I just looked and it is on Amazon Prime – maybe time to check it out.
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You had a good birding day and took some wonderful photos. I’m hoping that someday soon, you’ll see the beautiful white pelicans.
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Thank you Rebecca! I did enjoy that day. I finally got an eagle photo that looks like an eagle – you are lucky and often see eagles. I hope to see those beautiful white pelicans someday too. I always admire your photos of them.
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Great photos and love the eagle. They are so stunning
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Thank you Kirstin! My first eagle whose photo did not look like a brown blob in a tree or in the sky! They are stunning, whether perched on a branch or in flight.
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