Cinnamon Teal Still at MCRRC

This morning Mike Boston took this photo of the previously-reported Cinnamon Teal on the east end of the east lagoon at the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center (the Wastewater).

Henslow's Sparrow on Neighborhood Walk

Today on a neighborhood walk Beth Miller photographed this Henslow's Sparrow eating seeds right by the road.

Monday and Tuesday Birding

Carol and I had some things to do in Muskegon and drove along Wood Rd. between Wilson and Pontaluna Rd. to check for birds.  Carol shot this picture of a Hermit Thrush by Black Lake Park.

We decided to go to the Sternburg Rd. McDonalds for lunch.  I had just started to eat my fries when Carol said, "What is that?".  There was a Red-tailed Hawk standing near the road eating something. Cars going by didn't bother it.  After it flew, I checked to see what it had been eating.  There weren't any feathers, but it looked like a duck bill on the ground.  

After that we went up to Messinger Rd to check on some wildflowers.  I spotted this Ruffed Grouse on the side of the road before the HQ building.

On the way back out from the yellow gate we spotted this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Carol got a picture of it drinking sap.

We also saw about 10 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Tuesday morning I went to Black Lake Park to take some night sky pictures.  I got there about 5:20 a.m.  While I was setting up the camera, I could hear a Great Horned Owl calling in the distance.

- Charlie and Carol DeWtt

Dune Harbor County Park

I made my first visit to Dune Harbor County Park this morning, sort of previewing our April 23 field trip.  Despite the cold, somewhat windy conditions, birds were plentiful.  Many of them were gulls and Double-crested Cormorants resting on the island and flying here and there.  

Notable were a Great Black-backed Gull and this Common Loon which called three times during the morning.

I also saw Wood Duck, Canvasback, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted and Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Eastern Bluebird among the 32 total species.

This new park is similar to Ottawa Dunes County Park in that both use back-dune property decimated by sand mining and allow nature back in.  There's only the one trail 2.2 miles around the lake.  Walking is a bit easier because the trail is firm virtually everywhere (some at ODCP is beach sand).  There are no hard climbs at either park.

Although access is from Lincoln Street along the park's eastern border, the best birding habitat is on the west and south sides of the lake through wooded areas (unlike the eastern side which is more open).  For the same reason there should be fewer people walking themselves and/or their dogs along the west side.

Golden Eagle, Both Teals and an Osprey

 March 31 Email:

... the golden eagle is still around the wastewater as of today (3/31), also blue and green winged teal, and an osprey from Newaygo. 

- Kevin Feenstra