Loud Yard Birds This Morning

This Pileated Woodpecker preened his feathers and called from the telephone pole at the corner of our yard today.  A Northern Flicker kee-YEER'd from a tree nearby.  A loud duet.  It didn't sound like love.

- Ric

Dragonfly / Damselfly Field Trip

I was part of Jerry Lang and Dave Dister's group of six this afternoon as they hunted dragonflies and damselflies at their first location, the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve.  Later the rest of the group visited Lost Lake and Black Lake.  Photos and a complete list of species recorded for the entire trip are posted on our homepage. 

I know nothing about these bugs, so the walk was reminiscent the 1980's with people like Tim Hicks and Margaret Drake Elliott naming birds from brief glimpses and distant sounds.  Today's guys were catching glimpses and checking books for bug names.  Hopefully I got the captions right for these pictures:

Blue Dasher

12-Spotted Skimmer

Eastern Pondhawk

( Charlie's photo is posted on our homepage. )

(Part of my mind was able to pay attention to the birds, so I counted 22 species on this walk around the preserve.  Of note were Common Yellowthroats singing their witchety-witcheties at half the normal pace and independent fly-overs by four closely-related cousins: Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Great Egret and Least Bittern!)

- Ric

Harbor Island American Goldfinch

This was Wednesday on Harbor Island.

- Charlie DeWitt

Hooded Mergies and Louisiana Waterthrush

July 23 Email:

Here’s a family of mergansers feasting on crayfish on the Muskegon River below Croton; it seems the Hooded Mergansers much prefer crustaceans over fish. 

- Kevin Feenstra

Thanks, Kevin!  

This morning Ken Sherburn and I walked the trail from Snug Harbor to Lost Lake and then returned along the dune paths.  We counted 29 bird species along our way, all usual suspects except for the 29th: a Louisiana Waterthrush eating bugs in the small stream beside the Snug Harbor parking lot.  (That would be my 168th Year Bird if I were counting.)

- Ric

Butterflies and a Peacock Today

July 18 Email:

Best shot I could get, either the breeze was rocking the leaves, or ...  ;)

Butterflies

Also, we have a Peacock out here, hanging with some Turkeys!  I don't know where it came from, but I'll ask it as soon as I finally see it for myself.  A neighbor got this picture of it crossing the street in front of her house:

Peacock

- Mike Vanderstelt

Ken's Shorebird Photos

Regarding the previous post:

Attached are the five photos I put on my eBird list today ... Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers were the other shorebirds we saw.  Birded the low water cement cell only.
- Ken Sapkowski

Short-billed Dowitchers

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Stilt Sandpiper

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American Avocets

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Willet and Lesser Yellowlegs

Willet

Shorebirds at the WW on Saturday

Ken Sapkowski phoned at noon today to report Short-billed Dowitchers, Stilt Sandpipers, American Avocets and a Willet in the drawn-down aeration cell at the Wastewater.

Mocker Ruins Starling Photo

July 6 Email:

I was at the maintenance building on Laketon at the south Wastewater property this morning and I was trying to get a good picture of this European Starling when the Northern Mockingbird that's been hanging around photobombed my shot.

- Mike Boston

Tough break, Mike.  Could've been a good shot.  - Ric

Upland Sandpiper from England

The British visitors (pictured in the June 12 post below) emailed this photo and message yesterday:  

Hi Ric,

Thanks very much for a great birding trip.  We really enjoyed it.  Image of the Upland Sandpiper is attached as promised.

Best Wishes for the future,

- Keith and Maureen

Keith and Maureen were lucky charms that day.  The Upland Sandpiper mom walked right beside our car requesting that we leave.  Just beyond her (unbeknownst to us that day) was the Henslow's Sparrow territory.  And just beyond that was the Northern Mockingbird.  - Ric 

Snake with Goby

July 3 Follow-up Email:

Hi Ric:

Sorry they flew by and I was preoccupied so no pic  The only thing I got yesterday was a snake eating a goby.   

Have a happy holiday!

Best,

- Kevin 

Snakes and fish are "nature" too.  Thanks!  - Ric

Night-herons, Egrets, Etc. on Muskegon River

July 3 Email:

Hi Ric:

Just a quick note:  I saw two Black-crowned Night-herons downstream from Giles Road on the North Branch of the Muskegon River about half way from the launch to Muskegon Lake.  There were also egrets, bitterns, Little Green Herons, etc.  I just thought I would pass this along in case anyone is interested.  

I hope you are well…

Best,

- Kevin Feenstra

Yes, I'm doing fine, and yes I'm sure people will be interested.  Thanks!  - Ric