Turnstones, Pelican, Lesser Black-backed, Etc.

September 23 Email from Mike Boston:

Ruddy Turnstone by Mike Boston

I saw this Ruddy Turnstone along with two others on the breakwater at Pere Marquette Park this morning as well as close to twenty Sanderlings. I also spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull on the beach among the many Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. 

September 22 Email from Ken Sapkowski:

American White Pelican by Brad Heath

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) CONFIRMED
- Reported Sep 22, 2017 10:51 by Brad Heath
- Winnetaska Rd, Muskegon, Michigan

American Golden Plovers

American Golden Plovers are pretty easy to find at the Wastewater right now. I saw this one on the center dike Sunday afternoon.

- Mike Boston

Dowitcher This Morning -- Which One?

September 14 Email:

I was at the Wastewater this morning and saw this Dowitcher.  Due to the fog I couldn't get a really good photo of it, probably wishful thinking but I was hoping it was a Long-billed, as I always do. Maybe someone will get out there now that the fog has burned off and confirm Long or Short. 

- Mike Boston

North of the Muskegon Channel Today

Easterly winds and yesterday's Mich-lister report of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks migrating over the western U.P. had me walking Muskegon State Park this morning.  More than half of the 22 species I found may have been migrating, but only the American Kestrel was a raptor.

Most of the birds were foraging along the curve of the road between the channel parking lot and the ranger station, including Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Magnolia Warbler, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Brown Thrasher, Nashville Warbler, Northern Flicker, plus chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, cardinals, catbirds, downies and jays.

Some of the birds flying past Jeff's Dune may have been migrating (jays, flickers, cormorants, hummingbirds) but the Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks just flew around with no apparent direction.

Young (no red tail) Red-tailed Hawk

- Ric

Hummingbirds Visiting Often

We had few hummingbirds this summer, but this week they're visiting our feeder every few minutes.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird female this morning.

- Ric

Snug Harbor to Lost Lake on Saturday

I found twenty bird species while birding the Lost Lake trail north of Snug Harbor this morning.  Every parking space in the fisherman's half of the parking lot was occupied by a vehicle-and-trailor!

Lost Lake

The woods were fairly quiet except after two friendly encounters with family groups along the trail.  As their laughter subsided, bird activity increased both times.

This young Red-shouldered Hawk was perched in the bare tree on the far side of the lake when I arrived (visible in the center of the Lost Lake photo when viewed full size).

Then it dropped into the marsh grasses, grabbed a yellow-green snack and flew back to the left side of the same tree to eat it.

I was glad to see this immature Red-headed Woodpecker at the top of a tree near the parking lot.  They used to be common there, but not anymore.

Other birds included two Sandhill Cranes flying overhead, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Lost Lake, two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds where the trail intersects Ruddiman, two Pileated Woodpeckers, one of the small brown thrushes (Hermit? Swainson's? Gray-cheeked?) in the Hemlock woods, plus vocal Black-capped Chickadees and American Goldfinches along most of the way.  

A very cool, beautiful morning -- it felt like fall.

- Ric