Great Black-backed Gulls at Grand Haven

Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls

I went to the Grand Haven north pier to check for ducks.  Nothing new.  What I did find was 15 Great Black-backed Gulls, 12 adult and 3 immature.  This is the most I have seen at one time on the pier.  The picture has 7 adult and 1 immature, plus some Herring Gulls.

- Charlie DeWitt

Winter Birds and HAPPY NEW YEAR !

December 30 Email:

Hi Ric:

I just thought I would pass along some bird pics from the Wastewater from the end of this week.  They are Snow Buntings bathing (and drying), Common Redpolls, and a Gadwall.    

Happy New Year!

- Kevin Feenstra 

Thanks for the photos, Kevin.  I was out there Saturday morning with my son and grandson looking unsuccessfully for an owl.  We did see a large flock of Common Redpolls and two Snow Geese among hundreds of Canada Geese.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !

- Ric

Golden Eagle and MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Judy Fleener had Brian Bialik send me these excellent pictures of a Golden Eagle he photographed last Wednesday at the Wastewater.  - Ric

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Video of Redpolls Last Wednesday

Carol Cooper sent this iPhone video of Common Redpolls along the center dike December 19, the day of the Wastewater Christmas Bird Count.  I finally figured how to post it.  - Ric

An Interesting Local Sighting

Yesterday one of the groups conducting the Muskegon Wastewater Christmas Bird Count reported a Eurasian Collared-Dove west of Ravenna along Heights-Ravenna Road.

- Ric

Monday at the Wastewater

 Bald Eagle

 Snow Geese

Red-tailed Hawk 

I had a chance to visit the Muskegon County Wastewater on Monday.  Not a lot going on bird wise, but it was a nice day to be birding.

- Charlie DeWitt

Wisdom Lays Another Egg at 68

December 9 Email from Ken Cook (who presented our October program) with information intended for some of our club members.  - Ric

I was thinking that some folks in your club may find the attached of interest.  Feel free to pass on as appropriate.  I had the privilege of taking this photo of Wisdom when I was at Midway Island a few years ago.

While it is not ultimately known for sure how long any Laysan Albatross lives, this particular documented one is now at least 68 years old.  As of 2018, it is claimed to be the oldest known banded bird released into the wild.

I can tell you that when I was there, all of the biologists knew where this bird was, and always kept an eye on it.  It was a continuing topic of conversation.

The attached (click here to read) appeared in recent news releases to indicate the egg-laying a couple of weeks ago.  To me these type of surprises are what makes taking photos such as this so interesting and enjoyable.

Thanks!

- Ken Cook

Short-eared Owl Friday in Ottawa County

Thanks to Ken Sapkowski for informing us that Carl and Judi Manning watched a Short-eared Owl late yesterday morning (!) on a field east of 128th Street south of Bingham (a couple miles southeast of Hemlock Crossing park in Ottawa County).  Even if you don't try to see the bird, click here to see Judi's many beautiful photographs!

- Ric

Soft and Hard Birds at Pere Marquette Park

 Purple Sandpiper

 Long-tailed Duck

Carryliteus Plasticus 

On Tuesday I went to the Muskegon south pier looking for the Purple Sandpiper (posted below) and I found it!  That's #212 for the year.  There were also 3 Long-tailed Ducks.

On the way back to my truck I noticed a duck along the shore in some brush, just past the high water mark.  After a long slow approach, I was able to get close enough to grab it.  When I got it in my hand, it was very docile.   It must have been a captive at one time because there was a length of string on it.  Upon closer inspection, I found it to be a Carryliteus Plasticus.  When I turned it over, there was the unmistakable sound of BB's rattling inside.  So I thought the only humane thing to do was bring it home.

(Carryliteus Plasticus originates in Italy.  It comes in many colors and shapes and imitates most North American waterfowl.  It starts to be seen on lakes and ponds in the U.S. around mid-September until late November.  It can be seen in flocks as small as six and as large as dozens, oftentimes near boats.)

- Charlie DeWitt

Redpolls on Sunday

November 18 Email:

I saw 30-40 Common Redpolls along the north shore of the west lagoon at the Wastewater on Sunday.  Looks like this might be a good year for irruptive winter birds.

- Mike Boston

Purple Sandpiper and Long-tailed Ducks

At the south breakwall this morning looking for Mike Boston's Purple Sandpiper (posted below) I found Miles McNally, Jill Henemyer, Ken Sapkowski and Glenda Eikenberry who had already found the bird.  It was about three-quarters of the way from the breakwater elbow to the lighthouse on the left (lakeward) side.

On our walk back Ken, Glenda and I also saw this pair of Long-tailed Ducks just inside the elbow.

- Ric

Purple Sandpiper on Saturday

I found this Purple Sandpiper on the breakwall at Pere Marquette beach on Saturday afternoon. 

- Mike Boston

Thanks, Mike!  It's been awhile since we last had one at Muskegon.  - Ric

Pelican/s at White Lake

Earlier today Caleb Putnam posted this:

Taken from Mich-Listers Facebook page yesterday - seen at Goodrich Park on White Lake in Whitehall at an unknown time yesterday.  If anyone has a chance to check on this bird today, please do! Spots to check would be anywhere on the circumference of White Lake from Lake Michigan to Whitehall and potentially on the impoundments between the causeway and US-31.  Please update us all right away if you confirm the bird as a Brown Pelican.

Now it's noon.  Carol and I headed up there this morning.  We were unable to find a Brown Pelican.  However, on the Montague side from the Maple Grove Yacht Club parking lot we observed this American White Pelican flying and then landing along the shore a few hundred yards east of us.  We totally lucked out to be at the right place and the right time for Year Bird #169 (if I were counting).  We kept looking around White Lake but could not find another pelican.  - Ric

Late Report: Kinglets at Black Lake Park

On October 18 I counted 12 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at Black Lake Park.  Some were very tame and gave me a chance to photograph them up close.

- Charlie DeWitt

Evening Grosbeaks Etc. on Saturday

Ted Ogren had five or six Evening Grosbeaks on his feeder about 2:30 this afternoon!

Only three raptors north of the channel at Muskegon State Park this morning (2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Bald Eagle).  The path up to "Jeff's Dune" held several of these "digger wasp" holes.  (Thanks to anyone who can tell us more specifically what animal creates these "perfectly-drilled" holes.)

Lillian Remus's 100th Today !

Richard Mullally's email and photos regarding longtime nature club member Lillian Remus are posted on our homepage.

Red Phalarope and Little Gull

October 23 Email:

I saw this Red Phalarope at the Wastewater on Sunday afternoon.  I didn't know about the Little Gull* so I missed that, but this was a nice surprise.

- Mike Boston

A Mich-listers report says the Little Gull was still at the same location as in Ken's post below after 5:00 p.m. today (Tuesday 10/23).   - Ric

Little Gull Sunday Afternoon

Ken Sapkowski reports that the Little Gull first reported by Steve Minard yesterday was still at the Wastewater this afternoon.  At 1:00 it was in with a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls near the easternmost aeration cell (Number 5) behind the administration building near the north end of the center dike.

Mergansers and Siskins on Saturday

Had 2 pair of Hooded Mergansers on my pond this morning, and just before the rain moved in a group of Pine Siskins flew by.  - Don Neumann
                                          

                                             

Thanks for the report and photos, Don.  Our group was birding in Ravenna at that time.  A short report with photos is posted on our homepage.  - Ric

White-fronted Geese and Eared Grebe Remain

October 15 to Mich-Listers:

The previously reported White-fronted Geese at Muskegon Waste Water were seen this afternoon by myself and Robert Bochenek.  We viewed them in a field below us on the dike road in with say 130 Canadas.  We picked out three of them.  We also saw an Eared Grebe from the central causeway.

In brutal weather we tried for the Mew Gull at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River without success. The waves were washing over the break walls and nothing could rest on them.  

Cheers,

- Karl Overman

Kinglet, White-fronted Geese and Eared Grebe

October 12 Email:

This must have flown into the glass door at a store we are at in Grand Rapids.  Just moved it over and set it down.  - Mike VanderStelt

Golden-crowned Kinglet by Mike VanderStelt

October 14 to Mich-listers, 10:30 a.m., from his iPhone:

At the Muskegon Wastewater facility just past the viaduct between the two pools there are 4 Great White Fronted Geese in a farm field with Canada Geese. The Eared Grebe was near the landfill corner.

- Ed Lewandowski, Macomb County

Migrating Hawks on Thursday

Jeff Johnson, back in West Michigan for awhile, phoned yesterday (October 4, 2018) with these numbers of migrating raptors after a couple hours on "Jeff's Dune"* at Muskegon State Park north of the Muskegon Channel: 

Turkey Vulture -  2  (counted as "raptors" by hawk-watchers)
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Osprey - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 5
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 6
Unidentified Accipiter - 1  (either a sharpie or a Coop)
Unidentified Raptors - 3

Jeff noted that these numbers are unofficial.  The flight was very high on a mostly blue sky, so a few numbers are "best estimates".

He also observed many Blue Jays, three migrating Sandhill Cranes, three non-migrating Bald Eagles (2 adults, 1 immature), and one non-migrating Red-tailed Hawk.

*  The dune with the trail post northeast of the ranger station.  In the fall of 1998 Jeff conducted an actual hawk-watch from that location which was followed to a lesser degree in subsequent years by members of our club.  Those counts indicated that an east-wind element is not necessary for a raptor migration over Muskegon.  (I think some of the migrating raptors fly lower on an east wind and are thus easier to see.)  Yesterday during Jeff's count the wind was from the north.  - Ric

Bugs, Birds, and Deer from Newaygo

October 1 Email:

Hi Ric:

Here’s a few pics from the Muskegon River around Newaygo.  Every year we have a tiny mayfly that hatches on the cloudy days in the fall called a Blue Winged Olive.  To give you an idea how tiny they are, look at the picture of the Spotted Sandpiper.  The birds are drawn to the river when this happens and there are a lot of smaller birds by the edges of the river.   

Have a great week…

- Kevin Feenstra

Kevin, always good to see your pics, and you have a great week too!  Those smaller birds look like what birdwatchers call "Empy flycatchers" (in the genus "Empidonax").  If so, they're very hard to tell apart unless they sing.  Probably Least, Willow or Alder, possibly Acadian, and even Yellow-bellied is possible during migration.  If anyone seeing these has other thoughts, please comment.  - Ric

Blue Jays Migrating; Hawks Not

I spent an hour this morning near the east end of the Muskegon Channel.  Despite no east in the wind, I was hoping a few hawks might fly by.  They did not.  460 Blue Jays did.  I also counted 10 other bird species plus a few butterflies.

Outbound Lake Express

- Ric

Two Plover Species at the Wastewater

September 20 Email:

There were four American Golden Plovers and one Black-bellied Plover on the center dike Thursday evening.

- Mike Boston

Birds, Bugs and a Game of Tag

Previewing next weekend's field trip I walked around some trails at Black Lake and Hoffmaster Parks this morning.

Sunlight filtering into the woods at Black Lake Park.

Black Lake was birdy (18 species including Cooper's and Red-shouldered Hawks, Belted Kingfisher and the usual backyard birds); Hoffmaster was not.  So long as I kept moving, bugs weren't bothersome, but stopping for even a second brought swarms of mosquitoes, some even landing on DEET-treated skin.  Hopefully there will be fewer next week.

At 9:45 on the Christmas tree field south of Judson east of Wood, a small group of American Crows harrassed and were harrassed by a large juvenile Cooper's Hawk.  All started on the ground, then flew after each just above the saplings, then landed, then flew up and chased again, several times for several minutes.  One of the crows crawked like a raven during these confrontations, and the hawk or one of the crows bill-clicked like an owl.  It was fun to watch! 

White-fronted Geese at Wastewater Today

September 13 Email:

While birding at Wastewater today I found three Greater White-fronted Geese mixed in with many Canada Geese. They were on the west side of Swanson Road south of White Road. Got a picture of one of them.

- Jim Zervos

Buff-breasted Sandpipers on Sunday

September 9 Email:

Hi Ric,

No photos, but there were three Buff-breasted Sandpipers on the center dike today.

- Mike Boston

Snug Harbor Walk

A cool breezy walk at Snug Harbor this morning produced 24 bird species, none unusual, but three that are more often heard than seen: Eastern Wood-pewee, Wood Thrush and Red-eyed Vireo.  I couldn't morph any of the several vireos into a Tennessee Warbler; the best warbler was a Magnolia.  

Other species included Pied-billed Grebe, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe and Common Yellowthroat.  A turkey apparently dropped this feather near the trail:

 - Ric

Kevin's Recent Bird Photos

September 4 Email:

Hi Ric:

I thought I would pass along some recent bird pics to you. This is a heron eating a nightcrawler and a merlin from the wastewater from this morning. The osprey, goldfinch and red-headed woodpecker are from the Muskegon River during the last week.   

Have a great week! 

- Kevin Feenstra

American Goldfinch

Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Red-headed Woodpecker

Merlin

You too, Kevin.  Keep sending pictures like this whenever you want!  - Ric