Sunday Afternoon at Patterson Park

On a southeast afternoon drive, Carol and I stopped for a 45-minute walk around Patterson Park.  Yellow-rumped Warblers were everywhere; I gave eBird an undercount of 12.  We also found two Palm Warblers (my 98th Year Bird, if I were counting).

There was also an accipiter hawk, a Belted Kingfisher, two Eastern Phoebes, a Brown Creeper, two Ruby-crowned Kinglets and several Chipping Sparrows among our 13 species.

- Ric

Many Birders and Birds at the State Park

After pulling into the Snug Harbor parking at 9:00 this morning I happened to meet Kay Kotzian and her husband, and then Steve Minard and Lizzy and Ethan Kibbey.  We talked near the paviliion for ten minutes.  They had already seen many of the species mentioned below plus a Marsh Wren (which I cannot find this week!).

I did find 30 species in my first 30 minutes, all within sight of my car, including Chipping Sparrow, Common Loon (2 in the harbor), Great Egret (3 in the harbor, but others saw more earlier), Northern Flicker, Red-breasted Merganser (36+), Brown Thrasher, Eastern Phoebe, Pileated Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Belted Kingfisher and Sandhill Crane (7 flying over loudly).  Pine Siskin called near the fisherman's parking lot.  

Kudos to Muskegon State Park for adding this third composite-topped bridge along the re-routed "Lost Lake Trail" between the fisherman's lot and the original trail.  

Winter Wren and Red-breasted Nuthatch were near the bridge, but there were very few birds from here out to Lost Lake (which looks like a "lake" again with plenty of water).

John Walhout was birding near the harbor when I returned.  The thrasher was still calling at the edge of the parking lot, but the loons and egrets had departed.  John and I added Bonaparte's Gull, Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Ruby-crowned Kinglet before noon.

No White-breasted Nuthatch, no Red-bellied Woodpecker, no Marsh Wren, but 42 species nonetheless on a very cold late-April morning.

- Ric

Loon Yesterday, Grand Haven Birds Today

Last evening Mary Poort emailed that there was a Common Loon in the retention pond south of Penney's at the Lakes Mall concerned that it perhaps could not get out.  I went over there, watched the loon as it dove for food (coming up successfully once, though I don't know with what) and heard it give its lonesome wail at 8:35.  That was great to hear again for the first time in many years!  I assumed the bird was healthy and so did George Wickstrom when I described this to him last night.  The loon was still there this morning when I headed for Grand Haven, but was gone when I returned.

This morning I didn't spend as much time at Harbor Island as I'd planned due to electrical construction on the north side and too much truck noise.  During my 90 minutes I did find 22 bird species including Red-breasted Merganser, American Coot, Northern Flicker, Peregrine Falcon, Barn Swallow, Cedar Waxwing ...

... Yellow-rumped Warbler, Swamp Sparrow and Song Sparrow:

I headed to Hofma Preserve for the rest of the morning finding 24 species including Wood Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sora, Sandhill Crane, Tree Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow and Swamp Sparrow.  No wrens.

- Ric

GBD May 5 Replaces NAMC May 12

"The North American Migration Count (NAMC) remains indefinitely suspended, though data is still being collected in many Michigan counties.  However, the Global Big Day (GBD) has been moved forward a week to May 5.  Various arguments can be made for and against changing the Muskegon County dates, but in the big scheme the GBD is currently more relevant than the NAMC.  I notice that other county compilers feel the same way.  So I'm moving the Muskegon County date to May 5."  - Brian Johnson

Lest there be any confusion, Brian's announcement has nothing to do with our club's Muskegon Big Day Count which will still be held on Saturday, May 19.  - Ric

April Field Trip Produces 54 Species

Thirteen of us enjoyed a cool spring morning finding birds at three locations today.

Photo by Carol Cooper

We began in Ottawa County at the Kitchel-Lindquist Dunes Preserve walking north and clockwise back around to the parking lot finding 26 species along our way.  Of note were Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow and Brown-headed Cowbird.

At the fisherman's parking lot north of the Grand Haven Channel we listed Long-tailed Duck, Bonaparte's Gull, Caspian Tern, Double-crested Cormorant and Purple Martin.

At Black Lake from the bridge down to and including Black Lake Park we found at least 39 species.  Of the 24 new species for this morning, Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, scaup (sp), Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed and Horned Grebe, Green Heron, a buteo hawk, American Coot, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Brown Thrasher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Common Grackle were notable.

So in about three and a half hours of bird-watching we found 54 species of birds.

Franklin's Gull on Tuesday

Just a quick note to let you know that I saw a Franklin's Gull at the Wastewater facility on Tuesday, April 17th.  I first saw it on the north edge of the west lagoon where I shot the attached photo.  I looked for it again later.  I think that it had moved to the clay pit south of Apple Ave.

Jerry Vis

Thanks, Jerry!   - Ric

Along Wood Road by Little Black Lake

3 Northern Flickers feeding on Staghorn Sumac

 1 of 35 American Robins
 (Feeding in the same Staghorn Sumac grove as the flickers)

 Hermit Thrush doing its wing flip.

Winter Wren

- Charlie DeWitt

Day of the Hermit Thrush

 Hermit Thrush

3 at Hoffmaster StatePark

Hermit Thrush

5 on Wood Road by Little Black Lake 

- Charlie DeWitt

Fox Sparrows at my Ferrysburg Feeder

Fox Sparrow

I have had 4 Fox Sparrows at my feeder this morning.  I also had 1 Song Sparrow and 1 American Tree Sparrow.

- Charlie DeWitt

Yellow-rumped Warblers Have Arrived

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Northern Flicker

There was a large influx of Yellow-rumped Warblers on Harbor Island this afternoon.

- Charlie DeWitt

Didn't Find the Whooper Thursday Evening

At 6:20 p.m. Charlie DeWitt emailed that he could not find the Whooping Crane (posted below).

Wednesday at the Wastewater

 Snow Goose

 Bonaparte's Gull

Northern Pintail

Feller and I found these at Muskegon County Wastewater.  There is still a good mix of waterfowl there.

- Charlie DeWitt

Whooping Crane East of Grand Haven ! ! !

April 11 Email from Ken Sapkowski:

Whooping Crane found by Lisa Casler.  Same location as last time.

https://ebird.org/view/checklist?subID=S44479718

https://ebird.org/view/checklist?subID=S44478375

Snow Geese and Great Egrets

 Great Egret

Yesterday afternoon Ken Sapkowski had 6 Snow Geese in the east lagoon at the Muskegon County Wastewater.

Today there were 3 Great Egrets on Harbor Island.  They were in the pond that can be seen from US-31, still there at noon today.

- Charlie DeWitt

Eared Grebe at Muskegon Wastewater

 Bufflehead

 Horned Grebe

 Killdeer

Eared Grebe

On April 5 Ken Sapkowski reported an Eared Grebe at the Wastewater.  Today I had some time to go look and found it in the southwest corner of the east lagoon.

I just drove the large lagoons and had 23 species of birds.

- Charlie DeWitt

Glaucous Gulls at Grand Haven April 5

Glaucous Gull

There were 3 Glaucous Gulls on the Grand Haven North Pier today at about 2:30 p.m., 1 adult and 2 juveniles

- Charlie DeWitt

Harbor Island 04-04-2018

 Horned Grebe

Great Black-backed Gull

Another good day at Harbor Island:

Canada Goose, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, American Crow, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Herring Gull, Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Killdeer, Peregrine Falcon, Ring-billed Gull, Turkey Vulture, Horned Grebe, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Merganser, Great Black-backed Gull, Mute Swan and Song Sparrow.

- Charlie DeWitt

Harbor Island Monday April 2

 American Wigeon and American Coot

 Ring-necked Duck

 Blue-winged Teal

 Red-winged Blackbird

Muskrat

Monday I had 20 species of birds on Harbor Island mostly ducks.  The best one for me was the FOY Blue-winged Teal.

- Charlie DeWitt