Christmas Peregrine: Can It Be Identified?

December 26 Email:

Merry Christmas!   I spent the afternoon at the Wastewater and I thought I would share a kind of cool experience.  I came across a young Peregrine Falcon near a huge flock of Northern Shovelers.  The falcon seemed very comfortable with my presence and the presence of other people in the area.  At one point, it launched from its perch, only to harass a Snowy Owl.  It returned several times to its perch after continually harassing the owl.  (I saw an eagle attack one of the owls last week, so they seem to have to deal with this sort of thing a lot).

After a while, the falcon launched in the other direction, toward the west lagoon.   It proceeded to knock down a Ruddy Duck, and after trying for over an hour to lift the duck from the ice, it gave up and flew away.  I noticed that the peregrine was banded.  I have attached a few images; the light was bad, but hopefully they will be of interest

Have a Happy New Year!   

Best,

- Kevin Feenstra

Keven, they certainly are of interest.  A fascinating account too.  Thanks!  That "butt shot" seems to show a silver band on the right leg with black "S" over blue "17" on the left.  Perhaps someone viewing this could give us more information about the bird.  It may be the same falcon I saw there on Nov. 17 (photo below) and has been reported frequently on eBird.  - Ric

Redpolls at the Wastewater

Common Redpolls

There was a flock of 200 plus Common Redpolls on the center dike at the Wastewater today.  They let me get real close.

 

- Charlie DeWitt

Birds on White Lake Friday

December 19 Email:

Attached are a few photos of some birds that were seen this past Friday.  Very surprisingly, we saw three separate Great Blue Herons on White Lake.  It was also nice to see the Snowy Owl way out on the ice away from the maddening crowd.

- Phil Willemstein

Showing Off the Wastewater

I spent this morning "showing off" the Wastewater properties to a pair of birders from Kentucky (communicating car-to-car with walkie-talkies).  We saw a nice collection of winter birds among our 27 total species.

A drive up the center dike provided nice views of a young Snowy Owl and flocks of Snow Buntings (a lifer for one of the Kentuckians) and Common Redpolls.

Through-the-windshield view of the cooperative Snowy Owl

Other species of interest included Northern Shoveler, American Black Duck, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Rough-legged Hawk, two more Snowy Owls and American Tree Sparrow.  

- Ric

Great Egrets at Spring Lake

December 4, 5:21 p.m. Email:

I just saw these 3 Great Egrets at Mill Point Park in Spring Lake.

iPhone image of Great Egrets

- Carol Cooper

Sandpiper and Snowy Owl at Muskegon Pier

Purple Sandpiper

Snowy Owl

I found this Purple Sandpiper and Snowy Owl on the south pier at Muskegon.

- Charlie DeWitt

Muskegon Wastewater Birds on Saturday

This morning I saw 16 of 18 species reported at the Wastewater today  Four Hooded Mergansers (2 male, 2 female) were on the Clay Pond among many Mallards and Canada Geese.

A flock of 75-100 Common Redpolls foraged and flew near the middle of the center dike.

A young Snowy Owl napped further north along the rocks on the east side of the dike.

A pair of very light Red-tailed Hawks sat in the trees west of the west lagoon. 

Other species of interest included hundreds of Northern Shovelers and Ruddy Ducks on the big lagoons, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle (2 adult, 2 immature), Rough-legged Hawk (dark morph) and American Tree Sparrow.  An interesting old bird was Jim Ponshair looking for birds on Swanson north of the granery.  He had seen a flock of Snow Buntings (a species I did not see).

Back home I read a report from Chip Francke early this afternoon of a Northern Shrike near where Jim and I had talked and a Snowy Owl along White Road between the observatory and the rocket launch drive.

- Ric

Muskegon Wastewater Thanksgiving Afternoon

Common Redpolls

American Kestrel

Photo by Carol DeWitt

- Charlie DeWitt

Redpolls and Buntings Friday Afternoon

Thanks to Mike Boston (see post below) Carol and I drove out to the Wastewater this afternoon and saw 100+ Common Redpolls and 100+ Snow Buntings (one flock being chased by a Merlin).  There were about 10 other cars of birders looking too, so the word got out!

- Ric

Redpolls at Wastewater Friday Morning

 

November 20 8:13 a.m. Email:

There are currently 100+ Common Redpolls on the center dike at the Wastewater and a similar number of Snow Buntings.   - Mike Boston

Purple Sandpiper at Pere Marquette Park

 Pictures of the Purple Sandpiper that I located at Pere Marquette Park this morning at 11:35 a.m.

-  Charlie DeWitt

Purple Sandpiper on South Pier Tuesday

 

November 17 Email, 11:35 a.m.:

There is a Purple Sandpiper at Pere Marquette Park on the south pier almost to the right elbow right now.

- Charlie DeWitt

Thursday, Friday and Saturday

November 13 Email from Bruce Delamarter:

This photo of a Rough-legged Hawk was taken Dec. 12 on the entrance drive at the Wastewater:

On Friday afternoon Carol and I drove around the Wastewater properties.  We watched a Merlin strafing a male Northern Harrier for a couple of minutes near the Laketon-Swanson intersection.  Six Tundra Swans were at the Clay Pond.  North of Apple we saw a brown Northern Harrier, 94 white geese (presumably Snow Geese) far out on the east lagoon, lots of Ruddy Ducks and Northern Shovelers, one Red-tailed Hawk, two Bald Eagles and two Rough-legged Hawks hover-hunting the fields near White and Swanson.

This morning I took a cold walk around Black Lake Park for awhile.  Among the 20 species were American Coot, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker and Hermit Thrush.

- Ric

More Birds Reported Today

Two November 13 Email Reports:

1. From Ken Sapkowski (Allendale):

We arrived at the Muskegon Wastewater about 2:40 PM yesterday and started on the south side of the east lagoon.  As we got closer to the center dike, we could see plenty of white geese (24).  The first group of 6 was all Ross's Geese.  The rest were too distant for me to say for sure.  Some were clearly Snow Geese and included some blue morphs.  Also, in the NW corner of the east lagoon was a lone Baird's Sandpiper, surprisingly not a rarity on eBird. 

2.  From Bruce Delamarter:

This Rough-legged Hawk was calling at the Wastewater in the basins near the east end.

Ross's Geese at Wastewater Thursday

November 12 Email:

I counted 16 Ross's geese around 2:30 pm today at the Muskegon Wastewater.  They were in one group on the south side of the east lagoon with thousands of Canada geese and a few scattered snow geese.  Four photos below.

- Chip Francke

Grosbeak, Roughlegs, Short-Eared Owl, Etc.

Evening Grosbeak

An Evening Grosbeak was at Black Lake Park this morning.  I know this is old news, but it is the first one that I have seen in Muskegon County since the 60's.  I also had a Fox Sparrow at the park.

Rough-legged Hawks

I saw three Rough-legged Hawks at the Muskegon Wastewater this afternoon.  There was also a Short-eared Owl by the first spray rig north of Laketon on the east side of Swanson at 5:45 p.m.  It only stayed a minute or two.

 - Charlie DeWitt

Golden Eagle and Other Cool Birds Today

November 10 Email from Beth Miller:

Not sure if anyone is interested, but I just saw a juvenile Golden Eagle try to take a Mallard out of one of the flooded cells at the Wastewater.  It wasn’t successful and flew to the south.  I am up here looking for the Ross's Goose and haven’t had any luck yet.

The Attack

The duck that got away.

November 10 Email from Chip Francke:

I was at the MWS this afternoon also.  I didn't see the golden eagle, but did find cackling geese (3) and snow geese (3 white, 1 blue).  No Ross's goose found. Other birds of interest were 2 dunlin still hanging around, snow buntings, rough-legged hawk, great blue heron, one tundra swan, 3 common ravens, and an immature peregrine falcon.

Saturday Morning Birding

I spent a couple hours driving the Wastewater properties yesterday.  I saw two caravans of cars which must have been outstate birding groups.

On the southside fields two Common Ravens crawked and ku-ku-ku'd from a sprinkler rig east of Swanson south of Laketon before flying to the trees along Seba south of Laketon.

Hundreds of Ruddy Ducks and Northern Shovelers plus a few dozen Mallards swam along the south half of the east lagoon.

Driving north on the center dike looking unsuccessfully for the Snow Goose and Snow Buntings reported on Friday, I scared up a young Peregrine Falcon.  It flew north scattering a large group of Herring Gulls and then perched on a pylon along the north side of the east lagoon.

My 22 species also included Red-tailed and Roughleg Hawk, Horned Lark, Eastern Bluebird, American Tree Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and hundreds of other distant ducks and gulls.

- Ric