Black Lake Park Today

 American Robin

 Cedar Waxwing

 Song Sparrow

 Black-capped Chickadee

 Swamp Sparrow

 Osprey

Wood Ducks

These are some of the birds I saw at Black Lake Park this morning.  I had a total of 26 species on my two- hour hike.  There were 21 Pie-billed Grebes on the lake.

- Charlie DeWitt

Monday Sandpiper and Thursday Migrants

The last report I saw of a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper sighting at the Wastwater was on Monday the 7th.  

This morning I spent two hours at the south wall of the Muskegon Channel.  Blue Jays continued to stream by (1st hour ~730, 2nd hour ~200 = ~930).  Their behavior is fascinating.  Southbound crows (100) outnumbered northbound crows (50).  So what are they doing?

Only 21 migrating raptors (16 sharpies, 2 kestrels, 1 harrier, 1 Coop, 1 peregrine), 3 migrating woodpeckers (probably red-headed's), 5 Monarch butterflies and ~200 non-jay migrating songbirds.  Wouldn't it be nice to know more!

- Ric

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper on Sunday

The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was still being viewed by several people in the Wastewater C-1 cell at 11:15 this morning.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Avocet and Migrants

At 11:00 this morning Mark Moerdyk reported the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and an American Avocet on the Muskegon County Wastewater properties.

There were considerably more "raptors" migrating* over the Grand Haven Channel this morning (25 in 20 minutes) than the Muskegon Channel yesterday morning (13 in 110 minutes).  Plenty of Blue Jays southbound over both (30 at Grand Haven, 280 at Muskegon).  

- Ric

* 20 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 7 Broad-winged's, 4 Turkey Vultures, 2 Redtails, 1 Cooper's, 1 Bald Eagle, 3 unidentified raptors, 310 Blue Jays.

Two More Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Photos

Here are two more photos of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper emailed to us from Bruce Delamarter.  

Thanks, Bruce.  As you can see from the posts below, it's also been photographed by others!  Thanks, everybody!

- Ric

Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper

The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was still in the same cell as of 6:00 p.m. Friday, 10-4.  And, oh, by the way, he has a friend.

- Don Neumann

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Still Here

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

photo by Carol DeWitt

The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was still at the Muskegon Wastewater as of 11:30 a.m. 10-04-2019.

- Charlie DeWitt

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

- Charlie DeWitt

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at the Wastewater

Thanks to Glenda Eikenberry and Ken Sapkowski for calling to inform us of a confirmed Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at the Wastewater this morning.  It was in Section C of the rapid-filtration lagoons; i.e., the center area of the grassy fields south of the entrance road (White) and north of the aeration lagoons.

A quick check of eBird indicates this is only the third sighting of the species in Michigan, the second in July 2017 at Point Mouille State Game Area near Detroit and the first in August 2016 at the Muskegon County Wastewater Management System.

It's an Asian species, similar to a Pectoral Sandpiper, a rarity along the west coast of the United States.  If you get a photo, please email it and we'll post it here.

- Ric

Swainson's Hawk and Rambi

Catching up after being out of town for a week:

The "dark redtail" we watched on our Ottawa Sands field trip September 21 proved to be a Swainson's Hawk ID'd by Charlie DeWitt's beautiful photo on our homepage.

Mike VanderStelt has not seen Rambi or his Mourning Dove friends since last week. 

- Ric