Midwest Trip for Three 'Lifers' and a Longspur ~ April 21, 2026

Today's plan was to drive back into the United States at Detroit, cross Michigan, and continue through Chicago on the way north to the Henry Mueller Family Conservancy near Sheboyan, Wisconsin where a colony of Great Tits live. I had seen a Great Tit in Jamestown, Rhode Island back in 1997, but it was considered an escapee and, therefore, never accepted as a wild bird. I left my Leamington, Ontario motel very early in the morning so that I would beat the Detroit rush hour traffic. I crossed over the Ambassador Bridge, went through customs, and drove through Detroit and all across Michigan. I then went around the bottom of Lake Michigan, through Chicago, and headed north for Wisconsin. I reached the Henry Mueller Family Conservancy just after noon. I walked along the boundary between the conservancy property and 706 Panther Avenue and listened for the distinctive call of the Great Tit. The lady at that address has several feeders in her backyard and has been very accommodating to birders wanting to see the Great Tit. While watching those feeders from there, I saw Black-capped Chickadees, Purple Finches, and heard a Pine Siskin.

Black-capped Chickadee

Purple Finch

Then I noticed a bird in the tree right next to me and realized it was my "official" 'life' Great Tit!

Great Tit

It flew off into the conservancy area. I was planning on birding the conservancy area anyway, so I took a slow walk along the trails through there. It was now early afternoon but, thankfully, there was still a lot of bird activity that included several Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Along the main trail just before reaching the river, I was surprised to find an Orange-crowned Warbler!

Orange-crowned Warbler

I heard a few more Great Tits singing their song and eventually found one singing near the top of the canopy.

Great Tit

I met a birder and her daughter walking the trail and I showed them the area where I had the Orange-crowned. We couldn't find it, but we did find a Red-headed Woodpecker, an Eastern Towhee, and a Yellow-bellied Sapucker.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Eastern Towhee

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

I headed down another loop trail and found several Hermit Thrushes.

Hermit Thrush

The other birder had told me a couple birding places that were close by to check out. I followed her directions to the Arthur Jerving Conservancy. Birds seen at the nearby outlet to Lake Michigan included 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Bonaparte's Gulls, 11 Ring-billed Gulls, 2 American Herring Gulls, a Common Loon, around 150 Double-crested Cormorants, and 2 Black-capped Chickadees.

At the conservancy itself, I saw 12 Blue-winged Teal, 3 Lesser Scaup, a Killdeer, a Black-capped Chickadee, one Tree and 3 Barn Swallows, 3 American Tree Sparrows, one Song and one Swamp Sparrow, 5 Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Northern Cardinal.

Blue-winged Teal

Lesser Scaup

I then made another short drive to where I was told Eurasian Collared-Doves were often found. When I stopped and checked under the feeders in front of the house, I heard a Eurasian Collared-Dove calling from beyond it. I drove around to the alley behind and found two of them perched on a wire.

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Just down the road from there was Lakeview Park. Its lakefront access gave views of the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan and the western side of Lake Michigan.

Birds seen from there included 3 Bonaparte's Gulls, 4 Ring-billed Gulls, 2 American Herring Gulls, 2 Caspian Terns, 3 Common Loons, and around 100 Double-crested Cormorants.

Caspian Tern

I left the Sheboygan area and headed south back towards Illinois. I stayed at the Chalet Motel of Mequon, just short of Milwaukee.

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