The Local Scene

So last Saturday, I went to a "Beginning Birder's Workshop" here in Traverse City, at the Boardman River Nature Center.  It was my first time at the Nature Center, which was lovely, and also a morning of discovery for me.  The presenter kept talking about "the club," as in, "Would anyone from the club like to comment about purchasing binoculars?" and "Members of our club have some photos in the back if you'd like to look at them."

Club?  What club?

It turns out there is a local birding club here (duh)...the Grand Traverse Audubon Club!  So I promptly signed Mark and I up as members, and now I have more activities to attend.  I will have to miss the next regular meeting, which will be a "Bird ID Challenge" (probably wouldn't do too well with that, anyway) due to a prior commitment, but will try to make the "Dance of the Woodcock" field trip on April 13.

We took a little walk after the workshop, and I got to see a new bird out on the lake, a redhead duck.  I don't have a picture of that one, but I do have a couple of new arrivals to the bird feeder at our house.  One is the house finch, and the other I'm not sure of.  Another yellowy-brown bird with black and white wings...bay-breasted warbler? pine warbler?  Have only seen this bird once.

Here is the finch:

And here is the mystery bird: