Eastern Wood-pewee

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Rick Hamlin had a new yard bird yesterday, this Eastern Wood-pewee.

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Of Tawas Birds and Predators

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Several of us birded the Tawas area over the Memorial Day weekend.  There were lots of birds (providing Feller with a comfortable lead over Charlie, Kathryn and me in the annual race) but two of the more notable events involved mammal predators.
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At Nayanquing Marsh we witnessed one of four American Coots suddenly spashing down into the water, flailing with its wings for a couple minutes while its head remained under water, then lifelessly being pulled over to the marsh grasses near shore by the predator which appeared to be a mink (or possibly an otter).  The other coots reacted at first with confusion, then apparent concern (as they approached their flailing comerade), then caution, and soon disinterest as they resumed their foraging.
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At Tawas Point on two occasions we saw young foxes, three shown here were frolicking beside the Sandy Hook Trail on Saturday morning.  Charlie had seen five kits earlier in the week at this location.
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- Ric
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Ruddy Turnstones Among Dunlin at W.W.

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I found three of these Ruddy Turnstones on the rocks along the southeast corner of the west lagoon at the Wastewater today (May 25).  They were among a large flock of Dunlin. Rick Hamlin . .

Swainson's Thrush

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Rick Hamlin emailed, "I found this Swainson's Thrush in our front yard yesterday picking around under a pine tree."  (I like Rick's "yard birds".)
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Thanks for Pictures

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Thanks to Charlie DeWitt and Carolyn Weng for sending some photos from Saturday's Big Day Count; I've posted them in the article on the homepage.  Click here.
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Mystery Bird I.D.? and Big Day = 115

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We got an email with this picture asking for I.D. help with this Mystery Bird photographed Saturday in Berrien County. Thanks for your ideas.
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On Saturday May 21 our group conducted its annual Big Day Count.  Traveling around Muskegon County we recorded 115 different bird species, a nice number but nowhere near our record of 157.  For details click here.
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Chickadee says "Big Day Tomorrow"

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After last night's picnic several MCNC members walked south of the Hoffmaster pavilion and saw this stalwart Black-capped Chickadee standing guard at his front door.  He's here to remind you that tomorrow (Saturday, May 21) is our Big Day Count.  Click here for details.
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Spring Bird Walk at Snug Harbor

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I spent a few hours this morning birding the Snug Harbor trails both south and north of Ruddiman.  Interesting sightings included Bruce Delamarter, Kay Kotzian, a Wood Thrush building a nest, several warblers along "Warbler Alley" and my first Scarlet Tanager of the year.
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- Ric
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Location:    Snug Harbor Area
Observation date:    5/18/11
Number of species:    34

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis    4
Mute Swan - Cygnus olor    4
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos    3
Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo    1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura    2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus    2
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens    1
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus    1
Downy/Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens/villosus    1
Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus    1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens    1
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus    1
Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus    2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata    3
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos    3
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus    6
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor    2
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis    1
Wood Thrush - Hylocichla mustelina    2
American Robin - Turdus migratorius    8
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis    5
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia    3
Magnolia Warbler - Dendroica magnolia    2
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens    4
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla    3
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla    1
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas    4
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina    7
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia    2
Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea    1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis    5
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus    5
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater    4
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula    3
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis    6

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)
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Merlin Eats Blue Jay

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My wife Nancy and I were watching birds in the backyard this afternoon (May 17) and all of a sudden they all stopped moving.  I told her that something was hunting in the area.  We looked around a bit and found this sitting in a tree over the house eating what I believe to be a Blue Jay.  I am leaning towards Sharp-shinned or Cooper's based on his size but someone else told me that they thought it might be a Merlin.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks,

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Rick Hamlin

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Yes, it's a Merlin.  That's a pretty good yard bird!  Thanks for the great photos!  - Ric

New Life

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Barn Swallow getting a drink. A lucky shot of an American Redstart. Great Blue Heron takes flight. Bonaparte's Gulls at the Wastewater. Baby House Finches waiting for their next meal.  Bald Eaglets checking the view. Newborn fawn hiding in the grass.

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Don Neumann

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Peregrine at the Wastewater

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Dee and I saw a Peregrine Falcon at the southeast corner of the East Lagoon at the Wastewater this afternoon (May 15).

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Feller DeWitt

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Sandhill Crane Nest, May 15

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As good fortune would have it, my visit on Sunday afternoon to this Sandhill Crane nest north of the Muskegon River was perfectly timed.

Wading toward the nest, I could hear persistent piping notes, so I expected to find one or two chicks. However, when I pushed past the dense woody brush surrounding the nest, I was surprised that the calls were not coming from the solitary chick but from the egg! A close-up photo shows just the tip of a bill poking from that egg.

After a few hasty shots, I quickly departed the area so that the emerging chick and its parents could finish the laborious extrication.

While Sandhill Cranes have almost certainly bred in Muskegon County for the last several years, I believe this is first actual nest documented in the county. Larry Walkinshaw, likely the world's foremost crane expert in his time, resided between Muskegon State Park and Pioneer Park for many years. During his research travels, he tracked down numerous crane nests in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, but I am not aware of any local nests that he may have found. This is not surprising given how less numerous cranes were decades ago.

I can certainly remember when cranes were an uncommon sight around Muskegon. Nowadays, hundreds of migrants can be viewed from the dunes, and public lands like Muskegon State Game Area and the Muskegon Wastewater System now host them all summer. Nests such as this further demonstrate the remarkable recovery of this majestic species.
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Brian Johnson
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Least Bittern and Warblers at M.L.N.P.

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Today, May 15th, I saw a Least Bittern, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and a Magnolia Warbler at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve. The Least Bittern was in the same area as the Common Moorhen.
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Mike Boston
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Sunday Pelicans and Eared Grebe

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May 15 to Mich-Chat:
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At 10:00 am there were about a dozen American White Pelicans in the Grand River on the east side of the draw bridge in Grand Haven.  I viewed them from Ferry Park which is on the ne corner of US-31 and W. Savidge St.  The park has a walk that goes under W. Savidge St. so that the river can be viewed.

At 10:30 there was an Eared Grebe on the west side of the east lagoon at the Muskegon Wastewater facility.  The bird was near the isthmus between the two lagoons and near the gull nesting area. 
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I did not see either of the two ibis previously reported in Muskegon.

Good Birding,
Mike Overway
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Note:  I know of only one Ibis at Muskegon (the White-faced at Wastewater Saturday evening) and have heard nothing since then about that one.  - Ric
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New Gulls

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I made a drive thru the Wastewater this morning (Sunday) to try and find the Ibis. Did not see it, though there are 6 Bonaparte's Gulls in the west lagoon; they were too far out for pictures.
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Don Neumann
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Of Swans, Mockingbirds and Other Good Stuff

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With the Ibis identified and my North American Migration Count numbers tallied and sent to Brian, I'm going to lump a few items into one post to save time:
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1.  Keven Feenstra emailed and sent a photo:
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Hi Ric:

I look at the Muskegon bird blog all of the time and really appreciate it.  I was just wondering if you could help me ID this bird.   I see a lot of swans but noticed this one that was segregated from the mute swans.    Could someone positively ID it for me?  I suspect it is a trumpeter swan but am not sure.  The bird is in the Newaygo area.

Thank you,

Kevin Feenstra

I replied that the mark in front of the eye made me think Tundra rather than Trumpeter, but that I'd post the picture to see what anyone else thought.  Comments welcome.

2.  Phil Vreeman emailed some photos he took of the Ibis to help with its identification, but since Caleb has already ID'd the bird using Bruce's photos, there's no need to post Phil's.

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However, Phil also mentioned this other stuff from Friday (May 13):

"... the female Harlequin Duck continues at Pere Marquette; I had 3 Hooded Warblers and a Black-throated Blue Warbler in the mix at PJ Hoffmaster.  At Lane's Landing the Willow Flycatchers are back in force; also, a pair of Bald Eagles, Virginia Rail, Sora, Fox Sparrow, and some warblers (the usual suspects plus Magnolia and American Redstart).  Then at the Wastewater I had mostly usual suspects; I did find two Grasshopper and one Vesper Sparrow, 8 Horned Grebe and 1 Eared Grebe.  The highlight here I almost missed if it wasn't for Carolyn was, of course, the Ibis ..." - Phil

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3.  Feller DeWitt phoned today to say that he had a Northern Mockingbird near the entrance to the Cobb Plant this morning while doing his North American Migration Count.

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NOTICE:  Feller emailed later: " The Mockingbird flew out of the bushes along side of the electric gate that goes back to the old city dump just south-east of the Causeway. It flew into a tall tree just to the West of the road, rested about 30 seconds and flew down to the bike trail then up on to the fence that encloses the Cobb plant property. It was about 100 feet south of the guard shack. Due to all the activity on the bike trail today this bird is probably not chasable.

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Three Ibis Photos

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Bruce Delamarter sends us these three photos of the Ibis at the Wastewater (see previous post).  These have allowed Caleb Putnam to positively I.d. the bird as White-faced.
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IBIS AT THE WASTEWATER !

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Carolyn Weng reports an Ibis at the Wastewater this evening (May 13).  She thinks it's a Glossy, but possibly a White-faced.  At any rate, Brian says this would be a Muskegon County record either way.
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When one of our photographers sends me a shot, I'll post it here.  Carolyn reports the bird in Basin C-8.  That would be one of the "dry cells" or "rapid infiltration cells" south of White Road about 1/4 mile east of the Wastewater entrance on Maple Island Road.
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- Ric
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Thursday Birds

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It has been about a week since I visited the Wastewater.  I spent a couple of hours out there today (May 12) and found several new birds.  I found about 50 Dunlin and what I believe are Least Sandpiper in one of the areas north of the west lagoon.  I think they are called the dry cells.  These birds were very small.  There was a Killdeer in the same area and the little shore birds looked to be about 3/4 the size of the Killdeer.   I also found a Bobolink in the same area hanging out with the blackbirds.  I saw several Upland Sandpipers in the dry cell area as well.  There were 9 Turkey Vultures sitting in one of the freshly plowed fields.  It seemed like the Eastern Kingbirds were around every corner.  Spotted Sandpipers were seen several times as I traveled around the lagoons.  I also saw Horned, Eared and Pied-billed Grebe in the east lagoon.  I am including a photo of the last Great Horned Owl photo that I got of the owlet and adult on the nest.  I stopped by to check on them today and as I got out of my truck, I could hear the crows going crazy.  Shortly after that, I saw the owlet flying across a field with a crow entourage.  My wife and I have been watching this nest since early March.  Many thanks to Dan Lockard for the info.

Rick Hamlin

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Wednesday Bird Photos

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Rick Hamlin photographed this female American Redstart today and Charlie DeWitt took the Dunlin, Horned Grebe and Grasshopper Sparrow at the Wastewater and the Ruffed Grouse at Lane's Landing.
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Chase Me!

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Mother Killdeer (taken in my field while cutting grass) leading me away from her four little ones. The little guy (or girl) below is about the size of a ping-pong ball with a marble for a head.
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Don Neumann
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Veery?

I saw this bird, which I believe to be a Veery, at the Hofma Preserve in Grand Haven on Sunday, May 8th. Can anyone confirm or deny the I.D.?

Mike Boston

Pelicans at MLNP Wednesday Morning

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Feller DeWitt reports four American White Pelicans on the sandbar at 10:00 this morning viewed from the overlook platform on the south side of the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve.  
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Little Friends Are Back

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Just a quick shot of this male Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
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Ahhh -- Spring at last! :)
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Mike VanderStelt

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As with many of Mike's shots, this one should be clicked and then clicked again to count the feathers!  - Ric
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Monday Birds

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I saw my first Bobolinks (8) of the year at the Wastewater this morning (5/9), though not where I usually see them (grassy cells).  They were actually in the road in front of me as I drove north along the road on the east side of the east lagoon.

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Jill Henemyer

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After several days of trying to see this bird, I finally saw it today (Common Moorhen at Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve).  Don Neumann was there also.  We think there may be two of them.
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Carol Cooper
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