Piping Plover at Muskegon State Park

Piping Plover

I hope they nest again this year.

- Charlie DeWitt

Warbling Vireo Nest

Warbling Vireo building its nest on the Wastewater properties.

- Charlie DeWitt

Birding Grand Haven on Memorial Day

I birded Harbor Island and East Grand River (Flahive) Park in Grand Haven this morning.  There were birds, but few migrants.  Water was of course extraordinarily high at both places.

Among the 20 species at Harbor Island were Warbling Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Baltimore Oriole and Black-and-White Warbler.  The 17 species at Flahive included Eastern Wood-Pewee, Warbling Vireo, Purple Martin, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole and American Redstart.

Cedar Waxwing at Flahive Park

Baltimore Oriole at Flahive Park

- Ric

May 16 Covid Big Day Count

On May 16, 2020, our methods were different than the third Saturdays in previous years, but we still conducted a Big Day Count of sorts despite the Covid-19 epidemic and the need for social distancing.  We found 137 bird species in Muskegon County that day.  Click here for a full report.

Stilt, Black Tern, Trumpeters and More

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 Black-necked Stilt

The trick to finding the Black-necked Stilt is to find a wet cell. We were first told that it was in Cell D5 and that is where we found it.  45 minutes later that cell was dry and the bird was gone. It was later located in Cell C11.  When we first got to the wastewater, Cell C11 was dry.

 Black Tern

on the north end of the center dike.

Trumpeter Swans

in the "D" cells

photo by Carol DeWitt

We also had Grasshopper Sparrow in the "D" cells and an Eared Grebe in the south east corner of the east lagoon.

- Charlie DeWitt

Black-necked Stilt at Wastewater

Ken Sapkowski phoned this evening that Ethan Kibbey saw a Black-necked Stilt this afternoon on the Wastewater properties.

Blackpoll Warblers on Harbor Island.

There were two Blackpoll Warblers at Harbor Island this morning.

Charlie DeWitt

April 23 Osprey Identified !

Back on April 23 (older posts below) we posted "Can We Identify This Osprey?" with a photo by Kevin Feenstra of a banded bird with some numbers identifiable.  Kevin found out and sends this image of explanation.  Thanks!

 - Ric

Two Birds with Attitude

Bruce Delamarter sends this photo of a Red-winged Blackbird attacking a Mute Swan.

Whimbrels and Little Blue Herons

May 15 Emails:

“Unusual, but there were two Little Blue Herons at the clay pond at the Wastewater today around 11 a.m.  I saw the head only of one there two days ago — was glad for this confirmation.“

- David Holmberg

“11 Whimbrels on the Wastewater center dike this afternoon.”

- Mark Moerdyk

Grand Haven This Morning

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

 Warbling Vireo

 Nashville Warbler

Blue-winged Warbler

These are some of the birds I saw at East End Park, Grand Haven.  I also had a Blue-headed Vireo and a Great Crested Flycatcher.  At Harbor Island I found a Wilson's Warbler and a Blackburnian Warbler.

Charlie DeWitt

Raven at Black Lake This Morning

I birded Black Lake Park this cool, beautiful morning.  I found 40 bird species the best being a Common Raven flying and "crawking" northbound just above the treetops near the creek.

Other notable species included Sandhill Crane, Red-shouldered Hawk (a pair chasing each other and vocalizing), Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet ...

...  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, House Wren, Wood Thrush, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush (both sides of the creek south of the parking lot), Magnolia Warbler (blurry photo of perhaps the same bird as ten days ago?) ...

... Palm Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (several singing, including this male), ...

... and Eastern Kingbird (my 100th Year Bird) on a post on the far side of the parking lot as I was leaving.

- Ric

Baltimore Oriole Battle

Two Baltimore Orioles went after each other beak-and-claw in our backyard this afternoon.

 - Ric

Yellow-crowned Night-heron at SGA

May 10 Email:

I'm looking at a Yellow-crowned Night-heron at the Muskegon State Game Area, north side of the Maple River about 100 yards past the yellow gate at 11:15 a.m. Sunday.

Yellow-crowned Night-heron by Mike Boston

- Mike Boston

Migration Count at the Preserve

It was cold and windy this morning for an annual bird migration count at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve.  High water prevented birding some areas including a submerged section of boardwalk on the northeast side.  The 27 warblers were on the east side out of the wind.

Palm Warbler

I found 215 individuals and 41 species including Pied-billed Grebe, Sandhill Crane, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Tree and Barn Swallows, White-crowned Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Tennessee, Nashville, Palm, Yellow and Yellow-rumpled Warblers, and Common Yellowthroat.

Baltimore Oriole

- Ric

Caspian Terns in Grand Haven

There were 15 Caspian Terns on the Grand Haven North Pier

I drove around to the Harbor Island boat ramp and counted 30 Caspian Terns.

- Charlie DeWitt

Cape May Warbler Yesterday

Greg DeWeerd and Ken Sherburn saw a Cape May Warbler at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve yesterday afternoon; a Lifer for Greg.

Backyard Today

Baltimore Oriole

This guy just dropped onto Carol's backyard orange slice.

Wastewater Wednesday

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 Upland Sandpiper 

On White Road by the "B" Cells.
 I also had my FOY Eastern Kingbird in the "B" cells.

Eared Grebe 

The grebe was about 200 yards west of Swanson on the south side of the east lagoon.  In the same location were two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

- Charlie DeWitt

First Grosbeak and New Bluebird

Our first Rose-breasted Grosbeaks arrived today.  So did an Eastern Bluebird male inspecting both of our boxes while aggravating our back neighbor's male. 

- Ric

Phalarope and Hawk Photographs

May 5 Emails:

I saw this Wilson's Phalarope on the south end of the west lagoon at the Wastewater on Monday evening.  - Mike Boston

On Tuesday Bruce Delamarter photographed this Red-tailed Hawk.

- Ric

Bohemian Waxwing, Bittern and Yellowthroat

May 4 Email:

Today I saw my first small flock of Cedar Waxwings including a Bohemian Waxwing flying overhead and landing in a cottonwood near me giving me a great view at the McKee property (the sand docks between the Harbor Town condos and Edgewater Street along Muskegon Lake).  I also saw my first Common Yellowthroat.  An American Bittern has been hanging around the ponds on the property.  I have sighted it three times in the last four days.   

- Fred Simmons

Good News Could Have Been Bad News

This afternoon I took a walk on the property across the road and heard a House Wren.  Good!  Year Bird #88.  But it was calling from near the meadow box.  Bad! -- if it pipped the bluebird eggs!    

Nope!  Daddy Bluebird flew in with bugs.  I'm guessing they were for his kids, so too late for the wren.

- Ric

Good Backyard Bird !

I'm happy with the birds I see in my backyard here in Fruitport Township.  But look what Torsten Pawlowski sees in his backyard up on the Muskegon River:

Bald Eagle by Torsten Pawlowski

- Ric

Grosbeak, Oriole, Loon, Magnolia & Palms

I birded Black Lake Park for two hours this morning, then East Grand River Park in Grand Haven for an hour.  My year list grew by seven.

The 32 species at Black Lake Park included Common Loon, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, Palm Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Returning north on the path over the creek I watched a male grosbeak.  A Palm Warbler hunted the grass of the trail, followed by a male Magnolia Warbler flitting along the branches above the water, then a gang of three chickadees and two kinglets swarmed around my head within arm's length (why?), and back at the culvert a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher popped onto the branches.  An unforgettable few minutes!

East End and the Flahive Boat Launch looked like a water park this morning.  Among the 18 species were Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, and my 84th Year Bird, Baltimore Oriole.

- Ric