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For the Muskegon Wastewater Christmas Bird Count on December 15, I walked the trails and backwoods of the Muskegon State Game Area. My route has varied rather little since I first participated on this CBC in 2002. Altogether, I encountered 216 birds of 28 species. While the species' total matches the previous record and is four higher than the previous average, the count was well below the previous mean of 291 and not much higher than the low of 181.
I hiked 3.1 miles in the morning (red), and 4.0 miles in the afternoon (green).
The woods seemed abnormally quiet. Fortunately, mild weather conditions promoted detections and salvaged what would have been a bleak tally. Big misses included Mourning Dove (present 6 of 8 previous surveys), Pileated Woodpecker (present every previous year), Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler (present 5 previous years), and Dark-eyed Junco (present 7 previous years). Three Northern Cardinal (average 14) and four American Goldfinch (average 13) were also ridiculously low.
On the plus side, five Brown Creepers tied the previous record, and nine Golden-crowned Kinglets bested the previous high by two. The latter had also set a record total at the Muskegon bird banding station this past fall. A single Ruffed Grouse, the first since the 2005 CBC, demonstrates just how uncommon this species has become over the last few decades.
Along the Muskegon River, I encountered a flock of 11 Eastern Bluebirds. The Mosquito Creek marsh produced Winter Wren (fourth record from this survey) and Swamp Sparrow (second record). A single female Red-breasted Nuthatch was in the nearby hemlocks.
I also heard three species of owls. Two Great Horned Owls were dueting west of the MSGA headquarters in the afternoon, and two Eastern Screech-Owls had earlier responded to my audio-lure along the Muskegon River. I failed to call a Barred Owl south of the Muskegon River, but a bird along Holton-Duck Lake Road after the survey was more cooperative.
- Brian Johnson
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