Hudsonian Godwit on Wednesday

September 30 Email:

I saw the Hudsonian Godwit this morning near the southeast corner of the east lagoon.

- Mike Boston

Sunday at the Wastewater

 Hudsonian Godwit

Sunday afternoon Carol and I went to the Wastewater looking for the Hudsonian Godwit.  We found it along the shoreline at the northwest corner of the east lagoon.

- Charlie DeWitt

Hudsonian Godwits etc. Saturday Morning

Brenda Eikenberry and Ken Sapkowski phoned shortly after noon that they were heading for the Wastewater to see two Hudsonian Godwits reported this morning on the pipe near the northwest corner of the east lagoon.

I had considered birding the Wastewater this morning, but instead walked Ottawa Sands County Park.  The closest thing to godwits were these Pied-billed Grebes.

I took this picture "for the record" figuring I could get closer for a better shot.  Well, I got closer, but they knew I was there and submerged.  Two minutes later I saw just the head of one spying on me from the lake grass for a few seconds.  That was it until much later as I was heading for my car and saw them far off on the surface again (laughing).

Other birds of interest included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, three Red-tailed Hawks spending their morning around the eagle-nest dune, lots of Blue Jays flying around in flocks (one of 48 birds), and three probably-migrating species (3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 American Kestrel, and 1 adult Red-headed Woodpecker flying southbound over the trees southwest of the lake).

- Ric

Grand Haven North Pier Wednesday

Pectoral Sandpiper

Black-bellied Plover

I went looking for the American Golden Plovers that were reported on the 22nd but didn't find any.

- Charlie DeWitt

Another Photo from Saturday

Better late than never: Along with the other stuff posted on our homepage, Beth Miller photographed this Ring-billed Gull with a frog Saturday morning at the Grand Haven north pier.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Still at Grand Haven

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

 Common Tern

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper (see post below) was very tame.  It walked within 3 feet of my lens.

- Charlie DeWitt

Snow Geese on Sunday

 

September 20 Email 1:27 p.m.:

Five Snow Geese in the field south of the observatory at the Wastewater best seen from the north side of the east lagoon.  Should still be there. 

- Ken Sapkowski

Merlin Chasing Buff-breasted Sandpiper Today

Our group had a memorable field trip down in Ottawa County this morning.  The report with details and pictures is posted on our homepage.

Some Raptors Migrating Today

Conditions seemed good for hawk watching this afternoon, so I spent a couple hours watching the sky from east of the Silversides.  I saw at least 25 Red-tailed Hawks migrating high above the Muskegon Channel (many other raptors too high to identify were also probably Red-tails).  Other migrants included 6 American Kestrels, 6 Turkey Vultures, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Monarch butterfly.  Nothing unusual among the other ten species.  

- Ric

Four Good Birds Reported Today

September 16 Emails:

"I saw this Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Golden-Plover near the north end of the center dike at the Wastewater on Tuesday evening.  A  Black-bellied Plover was also present, but I couldn't get them all in the same shot."

- Mike Boston

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"Osprey, west end of vat's at Wastewater."

- Bruce Delamarter

September 14 Email: "I saw at least four Common Nighthawks swooping around Lane's Landing at daybreak this morning; they were on the east side of the path." - Mike Boston

Later, Bruce Delamarter photographed this young Merlin along the south side of the east lagoon at the Wastewater.

Not Such Wild Ducks

Mike Boston photographed this bird on the center dike at the Wastewater this morning and wondered what kind of domestic duck it is.  I'm guessing a female farm Mallard.  Does anyone know for sure?

Meanwhile on the Grand River Greenway bike path in Spring Lake this morning I wished I had my camera when I saw that one pair of ducks were Redheads.  Eventually they swam close enough to get a for-the-record with my iPhone -- not the wildest individuals!

- Ric 

Terns and Red Knot at Grand Haven

Red Knot

Common Tern

Terns

Common and Forster's Terns 

Yesterday there was a Red Knot on the Grand Haven north pier.  The last time I had that species on the pier was September 4, so I don't know if this is the same one or not.  There was also a mixed flock of Common and Forster's Terns.

- Charlie DeWitt

 

Recent Dawn Flights

For the last two weeks I've occasionally watched Little Brown Bats flying above our backyard at dawn.  Something even "better" this morning: one (maybe two) Common Nighthawks, Year Bird #145 this crazy Covid year.

- Ric

Grand Haven Saturday Morning

I birded Harbor Island for two hours this morning.  It was not quite as watery as last time, but still flooded.  Again there was a Peregrine Falcon on the smokestack.

Grand Haven birder Linda traded me a Bald Eagle for a Great Egret.

Northern Flickers (perhaps a family) flew and called around the property.

Today's 21 species also included Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher and Warbling Vireo.

Later, due partly to Charlie's Broad-winged sighting on Monday (posted below) and partly because of the east wind and perfect hawk-watching sky, I spent a half hour watching for migrating birds from the south channel wall in Grand Haven west of the Coast Guard station.  Not surprisingly, the only raptor I saw might have been one of Charlie's birds: a Broad-winged Hawk above the Kitchel-Lindquist hill on the north side.

Only two other birds flew straight south over the channel and out of sight: a Double-crested Cormorant very high in the sky and a much lower Chimney Swift.  Three southbound Monarch butterflies may have been heading for Mexico.

- Ric

Broad-winged Hawks

On Monday (Aug. 31) Charlie DeWitt photographed these adult Broad-winged Hawks a long way out at Ottawa Sands County Park.  It seems early, but that close to Lake Michigan, perhaps they were already migrating? *

- Ric

* Or perhaps not.  See post above.

Red Knot Still at Grand Haven Monday

As of 8:30 a.m. Sept. 1, the Red Knot was still at the Grand Haven north pier.

- Charlie DeWitt