A Kentucky Warbler showed up at Red Oaks Nature Center's Friendship Woods yesterday evening, marking the standout find in Oakland County so far this week. The sighting was flagged multiple times in the eBird system, suggesting at least one bird worked the understory long enough for several observers to connect. This is a legitimate rarity for the county during spring migration, and if the bird lingered overnight, it may still be present in the Friendship Woods tract this morning.
Beyond that headline, Oakland County has posted 176 species in the past 14 days, a solid mid-May total for the region. The county's top hotspots are delivering the goods you'd expect for early May: warbler action is ramping up, waterfowl are still moving through, and the dawn chorus window stretches from 5:51 AM to 7:51 AM, giving you nearly two hours to work breeding season resident songbirds alongside migrants still in transit.
Warblers and the Early May Push
Drayton Plains Nature Center continues to be the workhorse location, with Yellow-rumped Warblers (6 individuals), Northern Yellow Warblers (4), Nashville Warblers (4), and Common Yellowthroats (4) logged just yesterday. That level of warbler activity on a single site is worth your time, especially with a calm to light wind (5 to 14 mph from the WNW) and partly sunny skies. Red-winged Blackbirds and Northern Cardinals are also holding at Drayton Plains, confirming the habitat is active across multiple guilds.
The Kentucky Warbler at Red Oaks Nature Center is the outlier. This species breeds in mixed deciduous forest with dense understory and bottomland settings, conditions that Oakland County provides in scattered patches. Friendship Woods sits in Madison Heights on the eastern side of the county and merits a dedicated trip if you're chasing this one. A Brewster's Warbler hybrid was also noted at the same location on May 6, suggesting the site is concentrating migrants in the right habitat.
Waterfowl Movement and Shorebirds
Water levels and overnight temperatures have kept dabbling ducks and diving ducks staging in the county's metro parks. Robert H. Long Park hosted Hooded Mergansers (4), Mute Swans (4), and Ring-necked Ducks (4) as recently as May 6. Drayton Plains turned up Mallards (4) and Canada Geese (13) yesterday. These are not rare birds, but they confirm that the wetland network is functioning and worth a scan on your way through.
Lesser Yellowlegs are the shorebird story, with 8 individuals at Rose Center Road in Holly on May 6. This is a reliable migrant shorebird for Oakland County, and lingering birds are often found in shallow edges, temporary pools, and mudflats around the larger parks and managed wetlands. Indian Springs Metropark still has American White Pelicans on the books from late April, though the most recent report is a week old at this point.
Weather and Timing
Today shapes up as a birding day. Partly sunny conditions, a light northwesterly wind, and temperatures climbing only to 53 degrees will keep migrants on the ground longer rather than pushing them through in a rush. The dawn chorus window is prime: get to a site like Kensington Metropark or Stony Creek Metropark early and work the trails while resident warblers and vireos are vocal. Tonight brings a chance of showers and cooler overnight lows in the 39-degree range, which could reset the migration pulse for Friday.
Tomorrow looks even better, with mostly sunny skies, a lighter wind from the southwest, and temperatures reaching 61. If today's dawn chorus doesn't deliver, Friday morning should see a fresher wave of migrants moving through.
Where to Spend Your Morning
Red Oaks Nature Center in Friendship Woods should be your first stop if you're interested in the Kentucky Warbler. If you're already out chasing warblers, Drayton Plains Nature Center is showing consistent activity and sits centrally in the county. It has checked 11 warbler species in the past two weeks based on the current data, and the habitat is right for spring migrants. Kensington Metropark also holds 242 all-time species and is a larger option if you want to cast a wider net.
Check https://michiganbirdingreport.com for the live map and full county data.