Birds at Grand Haven This Morning

I spent some time walking Linear Park on Harbor Island this morning before meeting Jeff Johnson for some hawkwatching in downtown Grand Haven.

The 21 species on the island included Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Catharus thrush (probably Hermit), four identifiable warblers (Magnolia, Palm, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green) and this mystery bird:  

A Yellow-rumped Warbler showed itself nicely ...

... but most of the little birds foraged deep in the thickets and branches like this Magnolia Warbler:

Jeff and I shivered in the cold north wind from 10:00-12:00 recording a local Red-tailed Hawk plus 18 migrating raptors:  8 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Bald Eagles, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 American Kestrel, 1 Unidentified Accipiter, 1 Peregrine Falcon, and my 182nd Michigan Year Bird: a Northern Goshawk that showed itself twice on the other side of the channel during the first hour, then powered its way south shortly before noon.

- Ric

Golden-Plovers at the Wastewater

I saw these American Golden-Plovers on the center dike at the Wastewater on Sunday, the 28th.  I also saw two Black-bellied Plovers on the north shore of the west lagoon.

Mike Boston

Hawk Migration Friday at Grand Haven

On Friday, Sept. 26, Jeff Johnson counted 156 migrating raptors at Grand Haven from 10:30 a.m. until noon: 136 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 9 Broad-winged Hawks, 6 Cooper's Hawks 4 American Kestrels and 1 Northern Harrier.

Hawk Migration Thursday at Grand Haven

Jeff Johnson reports what appeared to be the following migrating raptors crossing the Grand River Channel at Grand Haven Thursday morning between 10:55 and 11:55:  3 American Kestrel, 2 Northern Harrier, 81 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 8 Cooper's Hawk and 1 Northern Goshawk.  All birds were easily detectable and flying by quickly.

Hawk Migration Wednesday at MSP

Unlike last Thursday, Jeff Johnson and I met intentionally this morning at Muskegon State Park for some hawkwatching at "his dune" north of the channel.  From 10:00 - 11:30 we counted 42 migrating raptors (37 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Northern Harriers, 1 American Kestrel and 1 Cooper's Hawk) plus the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (pictured in the post below) and another kestrel which did not appear to be migrating.

Plenty of Northern Flickers on the property again this morning plus a Pileated Woodpecker in the trees to our west.

I saw this Merlin perched in a tree north of the channel on my drive in, and this Eastern Phoebe was hawking bugs from a picnic table below the dune.

- Ric

Hawks and People on Jeff's Dune Today

By pure coincidence Jeff Johnson and his brother Tim found me atop "Jeff's Dune" at Muskegon State Park this morning. Larry Burke and Pat (?) (another Grand Rapids birder) also showed up.

From 11:30-12:30 we recorded 57 raptors: Sharp-shinned Hawk-47, American Kestrel-4, Cooper's Hawk-2, Broad-winged Hawk-2, Northern Harrier-1 and Turkey Vulture-1 (all but the redtails, eagle and vulture apparently migrating).  I left at 12:30 while the others counted more than 50 migrating raptors in the next hour as well.

Here are Jeff and Larry scanning north and an immature Red-tailed Hawk perching south.

- Ric

Wastewater and State Game Area Saturday

Lake Effect clouds and reports of the Sabine's Gull took me east this morning.  Miles McNally saw the gull near the center churning lagoon at Wastewater five minutes before I arrived at 8:45.  No one else (including Rick Brigham, Steve Minard and Phil Vreeman) saw it while I was there.

I left at 9:30 and spent the next two hours at State Game Area walking along the Maple River from headquarters out toward Lane's Landing.  The only warbler was Common Yellowthroat.

Other sightings among twenty species included two Sandhill Cranes, several Wood Ducks, a Red-shouldered Hawk and this Lincoln's Sparrow.

- Ric

Sabine's Gull at Wastewater Friday

At 3:30 this afternoon Hank Veldman reported that he and Dave Elbrecht were watching a Sabine's Gull along the north shore of the West Lagoon at the Wastewater.

After the Storm

After the rain on Wednesday I spent some time at the Grand Haven north pier.  I saw 3 Sanderlings, 1 Least Sandpiper and this Semipalmated Plover.

Charlie DeWitt

Baird's Sandpiper Saturday at the Wastewater

Here are two photographs from Saturday morning at the Wastewater.  I'm not one to I.D. shorebirds, but after consulting some books I'm counting this as a Baird's Sandpiper.  It was foraging along the north side of the west lagoon after Jim Ponshair and the feral cat (see comments for details) and before Tom Beeke and the Hudsonian Godwits (which reportedly departed by Labor Day).

- Ric