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