Sunday, July 24, 2016

Birding Along Black Lake Saturday Morning


Park Entrance on Wood Rd. 8/10 mile south of Pontaluna.

Last week Charlie DeWitt sent me a slew of great photos he's taken over the years at one of his favorite stomping grounds, Black Lake Park.  They'll be part of a program we're putting together about birding Muskegon County.

Yesterday I wanted to take some site photos and see the new boardwalks for viewing the lake itself.  

Boardwalk at the southwest corner of the park.

It was a warm-to-hot morning but comfortable in the woods except for some annoying mosquitoes and occasional road apples on the trails.  I found 25 bird species in less than two hours, many of them vocalizing.


Highlights included this Osprey out over the lake, Yellow-billed Cuckoo (presumably the same bird singing from south, east and north), Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Indigo Bunting and all the usual suspects except Eastern Bluebird 

Boardwalk at the northwest corner of the park.

Tiger Swallowtail on the field north of the parking lot.

It's impressive how many trails this park provides through various habitats considering how relatively small it is! 

- Ric

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