Monday, August 2, 2010

Birding Kensington Metropark in Milford Michigan


I went to Kensington Metropark today with my wife and son, and well, did a little birding! (Don't tell my wife!) I took my point-and-shoot camera, so excuse the resolution and quality of the photos.

Kensington Metropark is basically a giant plot of land that is mainly forested, along with a flooded artificial lake (via dams) and swamps. There are also meadows, little meandering mini-creeks, flooded grasslands, marshes.... just a really nice assortment of habitats. This park also had something not seen around Windsor, ... hills! This metropark also features a golf course, nature trails, nature center, small farm area, Pontoon boat river tour, kayak and canoe rentals, and I'm sure I'm missing other stuff (oh yes, a waterpark with slides). Very nice place to visit. I didn't feel that it was commercialized... great value all around. The website to this great park is http://www.metroparks.com/parks/index_all.aspx?ID=6&r=0

I heard (through flickr friends in Michigan) that this park had Sandhill Cranes, but did not realize they breed there and are easily seen there. I probably saw Sandhill Cranes on 5 different occasions! They're not lifers as I saw them in Florida in March.

Some birds I saw include:
Sandhill Crane
Eastern Bluebird (volunteers maintain a network of Bluebird houses all over the park. Very cool!)
Black Capped Chickadee
White Breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker
Red Tailed Hawk
Osprey (fly over upon arrival in the parking lot)
Various gulls
Various Swans
Great Blue Heron
Crows
Double Crested Cormorant
House Sparrows
Grackels & Robins

Chipmunks and deer were abundant as well.


A few photos from a prior Ojibway Park visit include an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail & Green Heron perched in a tree over a slough/ditch behind the nature center at Ojibway park.


Good birding!
Dwayne

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