Good News, Bad News, Good News

I birded Hofma Preserve south of Grand Haven this morning. Approaching the marsh, I thought "GOOD, the water is low enough to get to the boardwalk and the habitat looks dry enough for Sedge Wrens this year."  Even the two boards blocking the boardwalk seemed temporary.

Then I looked left.  What was that "new" boardwalk out on the marsh?

BAD!  That was a section of this boardwalk -- a tenth of a mile from where it belonged, after being torn off by wind, water or ice.  So much for birding this marsh anymore.

But on the walk back to my car, I met a local guy who said the boardwalk was scheduled to be repaired next month!  GOOD!

Even this morning's abbreviated trip produced 16 bird species and two Year Birds: Eastern Phoebe and Ring-necked Duck.

- Ric

American Woodcocks Tonight

Several unsuccessful tries for American Woodcocks this month indicate that they're not using the Airline Road blueberry patch (which had its blueberries removed last fall).  This evening I found two peenting and flying overhead at the next-nearest blueberry patch on the other side of I-96.

- Ric

Eastern Towhee Today

I work out here at the wastewater.  This Eastern Towhee was outside my office this morning.

Eric Imbault
Environmental Compliance Manager
Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center

Eric, thanks for the photo.  That's a good bird to see!  - Ric

Bobcat at the Wastewater Today

Ken Sapkowski and Brenda Eikenberry saw this Bobcat south of the West Lagoon at the Wastewater today.

Bobcat by Glenda Eikenberry

Of Owls, Woodcock, and Rusty Blackbirds

A pair of Great Horned Owls who-who-whoo'd in their high and low pitch at my house before I got up this morning.  It was the third time I'd heard them this winter, but the first time I'd ever heard the strange, somewhat doglike sound accompanying their hoots.  I found it later as the third sound in my Sibley app: "Female Calling".

About two hours later Charlie DeWitt observed an American Woodcock near the inner gate at the end of Messinger Road at the State Game Area headquarters west of DNR headquarters.  

An hour later our March field trip began at that location.  Among the 23 species that nine of us found on our walk along the Maple River were 18 Rusty Blackbirds!  Later we drove around the Wastewater properties finding 33 bird species.  

Pictures and a more complete report are posted on our homepage.

Still later, after our trip ended, Rich and Shirley Shadle drove around the Wastewater properties.  They saw and took these photos of a yawning Snowy Owl and an apparently healthy Trumpeter Swan.  I had seen one that appeared to be near death this morning.  If this is the same swan, perhaps it had eaten something that didn't agree with it -- that can happen at the Wastewater.

- Ric

Black Lake

Ring-necked Duck

American Wigeon

Canvasback

I took a ride to Black Lake this afternoon to look for ducks.  There were 150 plus Ring-necked Ducks, 20 Canvasbacks,  2 American Wigeon,  2 Wood Ducks,  6 Ruddy Ducks,  some Redheads and Scaup, and 1 Pied-billed Grebe.

- Charlie DeWitt

I birded Black Lake this morning from the bridge to a walk around the park.  No unusual bird species among the 20 I observed, but two Year Birds: Sandhill Crane (thanks, Janet!) and Song Sparrow.

Interesting rock along the trail north of the creek.

Mute Swan

Later I drove around Harbor Island hoping for some of the good stuff Charlie's seen down there.  I found nothing new, but if you need a grackle ...

- Ric

Harbor Island and Home

I went to Harbor Island this morning and added American Wigeon, Gadwall and Redhead to my Harbor Island list.  There were 4 Killdeer on the soccer field.

When I got home I had this Carolina Wren at my feeder.  This is the first time for me to have a Carolina Wren in my yard.

- Charlie DeWitt

Mallard

Ruddy Duck

Female Surf Scoter

Mute Swan "coming in hot"

Greater Scaup

I spent an hour on Harbor Island this morning and had 18 species: Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle and Herring Gull.

- Charlie DeWitt

Harbor Island

Common Grackle 

 Ring-necked Duck

I found 12 Common Grackles on Harbor Island this morning.  I also had 2 Ring-necked Ducks in the Grand River.

- Charlie DeWitt

Red-Shouldered Hawk

 

On a Sunday drive up the lakeshore this morning, Carol and I saw this Red-shouldered Hawk in a tree west of Lions Park in Whitehall.

- Ric

Muskegon Wastewater

This afternoon at the Wastewater I had 2 Sandhill Cranes and 1 Eastern Meadowlark.  Both were north of Laketon west of Seba.

- Charlie DeWitt

Mostly Winter Birds Today

I drove around the Wastewater properties this morning hoping for some early spring species but saw mostly winter stuff: Rough-legged Hawk, Snowy Owl, Common Redpolls, etc.  There were several Red-winged Blackbirds (but I had those near home already), Horned Larks, two each of Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier and Red-tailed Hawk.

This eagle was hurrying after prey on foot on a field north of White Road.  Nothing else unusual this sunny cold morning.

- Ric

Harbor Island

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Goldeneye

Black-capped Chickadee

Killdeer

 

On March 3 I saw my first Red-winged Blackbird on Harbor Island.  Today there were about 30.  I also had a Common Grackle and 2 Killdeer, both First of Year birds for me.

- Charlie DeWitt

Boys Will Be Boys

Red-breasted Mergansers

I went to the Muskegon Channel this morning and watched the boys trying to impress the girls.

- Charlie DeWitt