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