Chris Izworski's daily Michigan birding report focuses on Livingston County this morning, where 113 species have turned up over the past two weeks and a remarkable Yellow-breasted Chat incursion has dominated the notable sightings. The chat, typically a southern breeder, has been reported repeatedly at Island Lake SRA since June 21, with eight separate observations flagged by eBird. This is the kind of vagrant activity that makes late June interesting even as peak migration has passed.
Waterfowl and Waterbirds Concentrated at Kensington
Wood Ducks continue to anchor the county's highest count at 17 individuals, all reported from Kensington Metropark in the past two weeks with the most recent sighting on June 23. Canada Geese number 10 at the same location, and Mute Swans hold steady at 5. Hooded Merganser, a breeder in scattered numbers across Michigan, has been recorded three times at Aspen Hollow as recently as June 20. Kensington is doing the work in this county right now for anything with webbed feet, likely because breeding birds are tied to territories and nesting sites around the park's lake system. The Mute Swan numbers should be monitored; breeding populations of this invasive species continue to expand in southern Michigan.
The Yellow-breasted Chat Situation at Island Lake
This is the story. A Yellow-breasted Chat, a species that has never been reliably established in the Michigan breeding avifauna, has been present at Island Lake SRA since at least June 21. Six separate checklist entries pinpoint it to the main Island Lake SRA area, with one additional report from Island Lake Recreation Area in Brighton on the same date. The chat is a skulker, and its presence in early breeding season in southern Michigan remains unexplained. Chats prefer open brushy habitat with some scrubby growth; Island Lake SRA's management zones should hold the right structure. This bird warrants careful attention if you head to the area. One or two sightings could be a vagrant; this many observations over three days suggests the bird is holding. Document it if you connect.
Breeding Specialties and Swallows
Purple Martins have been recorded six times at West Crooked Lake, the highest count for that species in the dataset and consistent with breeding activity. Bank Swallows, another late-season breeding specialty in Michigan, have three reports from Kensington Metropark. Swamp Sparrows, a wetland breeder, number 5 at Kensington as well. Eastern Towhees have appeared three times at Huron Meadows Metropark. Indigo Buntings, always reliable in the county during breeding season, show 3 reports from Cabin Road in the Brighton SRA complex. These are the species that should be setting up territory right now; late June is their established breeding window.
Weather and Timing for Today and Tomorrow
Today brings partly sunny conditions with a 48 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, topping out at 77 degrees with southwest winds at 8 mph. Tonight will see showers and thunderstorms move through with lows around 58. Tomorrow remains unsettled with a slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms continuing, winds from the west-southwest at 6 to 12 mph. The southwest wind today could push a few lingering migrants into the county, though we are well past the main push. More importantly, the instability tonight and tomorrow may trigger nocturnal calling and movement among breeding birds as they respond to pressure changes. The morning window is still decent, with sunrise at 5:58 AM and the dawn chorus window running from 5:28 to 7:28 AM. If you are targeting breeding birds or the chat, an early push before the rain develops is your best bet.
Where to Focus
For waterfowl and wetland breeders including Purple Martins and Bank Swallows, Kensington Metropark remains the obvious choice. For the Yellow-breasted Chat, Island Lake SRA is non-negotiable; the bird has been reported eight times there in the past four days, making it the strongest lead in the county. Huron Meadows Metropark and the various Brighton SRA access points hold the dry-land breeders like Eastern Towhee and Indigo Bunting. The county has tallied 113 species in the past two weeks, a solid mid-year total, but the data reflects active coverage of the major parks rather than county-wide completeness.
For live updates, detailed checklists, and the county map, visit https://birding.chrisizworski.com.