40 New Years Day Birds

Seven of us began (and a few ended) the day looking for new species for 2013.  I quit at 12:30 with 32 species from my yard (1), the Pere Marquette breakwall (13), "Nugent Lake" (10), the DeWitt property near the airport (2), and the Wastewater properties (6).  My best bird was my last, a Golden Eagle perched in a tree a mile WNW of the Swanson-White intersection spotted by Mike VanderStelt. 

Feller DeWitt continued into the afternoon, returning to the breakwall and finding the Purple Sandpiper missed by the group this morning, concluding his day with 40 species.

Mine:  Mourning Dove, American Crow, Ring-billed Gull, Mute Swan, Mallard, Herring Gull, Red-breasted Merganser, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Tundra Swan, Wild Turkey, Black-capped Chickadee, Canada Goose, Redhead, Canvasback, Gadwall, Tufted Titmouse, Double-crested Cormorant, Greater Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, American Tree Sparrow, Red-tailed Hawk and Golden Eagle.  Some Feller Extras:  American Coot, Green-winged Teal, Purple Sandpiper, Red-necked Grebe and White-winged Scoter.

- Ric