Towhee and Wigeon on New Years Day

Several of us birded from 8:00 this morning into the early afternoon looking for birds to begin our New Year Lists.  Ten species from the south breakwall at Pere Marquette Park to the east end of the Muskegon Channel, none noteworthy.

Fifteen species at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve highlighted by the male Eastern Towhee "talking" and hopping around in the low branches near the bridge at the entrance (see Charlie DeWitt's photo above; Carol Cooper's photo below is probably of the same bird).

Twenty-two species on the Wastewater properties including three brown Northern Harriers, an American Wigeon among the Mallards and Gadwalls in a rapid-filtration lagoon just south of White Road north of the West Lagoon, and a first-year White-crowned Sparrow along the entrance driveway to the headquarters. (Not to mention Charlie's Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs above which he found after I left ... grrrr!)

- Ric