A Good Day in Michigan

It was an early start, about 5:00am to be inexact.  The four of us (Dave, Calvin, John, and I) assembled at the car ready for Calvin to show us the birds we needed in the Grayling area.  We made a quick stop for coffee and rolls.  The first target was the Kirtland's Warbler (web photo) which we found near Stephan Bridge Rd, the location where I saw my lifer over forty years ago.  Today we heard as many as 8 of these splendid birds in a christmas tree-like forest of jack pine.  We got excellent looks at a couple of the birds including one that teed up in a dead snag.  Then it was on to the Fletcher grassland where we had no more than stepped out of the car when we heard both Upland Sandpiper and Clay-colored Sparrow.  We had a nice walk around the grassland with many Vesper Sparrows and Field Sparrows singing.  As we were leaving the area traveling down a wooded two-track, Dave saw a young grouse scamper across the road.  We all piled out and I managed to flush the mama grouse, giving me a catchup bird as a bonus.  I celebrated by buying a round of coffee at McDonalds from where we headed back to Calvin's house.  Since Calvin remembered several thngs he had to do, he decided to stay behind while the three of us went on to the Upper Peninsula.  On to the north and over the Mackinack Bridge we entered the UP.  We reconnoitered the sites we would hit first thing tomorrow morning and headed to Paradise where we booked into Curly's Motel.  We cleaned up and went to dinner at Brown's Fish House where we all had the whitefish which was excellent.  Energized, we drove west to Seney NWR where we drove he wildlife loop twice, the second time in earnest as darkness fell in hopes of hearing Yellow Rail.  With the wind blowing a little too much, we didn't hear the rail  We'll have to try again tomorrow night.  We left the refuge at 11pm, drove back to Paradise, and hit the hay around 12:15am, having set the alarm for 5:00am to get an early start tomorrow.  The four new birds raised the total to 647.