Snowy Owl on Saturday's CBC

December 26:  Ethan Kibbey sends us this photo of a Snowy Owl taken with the Central Group (see post below) on Saturday's Muskegon CBC near the Hartshorn Marina bike trail.

Snowy Owl by Ethan Kibbey

City of Muskegon Christmas Bird Count

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !

Yesterday (Dec. 23) three groups of birders censused a 15-mile circle (centered downtown) on our annual City of Muskegon Christmas Bird Count.  When the final numbers are compiled, we'll post them here.

The "bird of the day" was this Marsh Wren found by the Central Group near the abandoned B.C. Cobb Plant and photographed by Ethan Kibbey:

The South Group found two Common Ravens at the Wood Road bridge near Black Lake.

Nothing exotic was found by the North Group, but Carol Cooper took these photos on the Muskegon State Park walk from Snug Harbor to the Muskegon Channel:

Some of us met for lunch near the spiral (and possibly haunted) staircase in the Cherokee Restaurant.

- Ric

One-Quarter of the Wastewater CBC

On Wednesday Dec. 20 at least a dozen people helped Brian Johnson with the annual Muskegon Wastewater Christmas Bird Count.  When more data is compiled, I'll post it here.

At the moment I have just the numbers that Jim Zervos and I collected from 8:30-11:40 a.m. driving 24 miles in the Northeast Quadrant, a "piece of pie" with its point at the intersection of Ravenna Road (Newaygo Rd-35) and White Road and its "outer crust" curving from just north of Bridgeton east and south to Bailey.

- Ric

swan sp. (Cygnus sp.)  2

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  5

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  11

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia)  3

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  63

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  5

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  2

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  22

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  20

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  6

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  6

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  2

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  45

American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  18   

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  9

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  6

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  1

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  12

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  33

Snowy Owl at Grand Haven Friday

This Snowy Owl was at the Grand Haven Channel for a while in the late afternoon.  There was too much foot traffic so after about 45 minutes, the owl took off.

- Charlie DeWitt

Hermit Thrush and Yellow-rumped Warbler

December 19 Email:

Tracy and I had this Hermit Thrush at the house yesterday and we have a continuing Yellow-rumped Warbler too.  Haven’t been able to get a decent picture of the warbler yet.

- Jim Zervos

Three Snowy Owls at Muskegon State Park

 Snowy Owls

These two were on the north breakwall
about 100 meters from the end.

 Snowy Owl

This one was on the north inner arm.

It flew to the south pier for a few minutes,
then took off for parts unknown.

All pictures were taken from the south inner arm.

- Charlie DeWitt