Saturday's Big Day Count

For over half a century on the third Saturday in May our club has conducted a Big Day Count.  Object: To find as many bird species as possible in one day in Muskegon County.  The record is 156 recorded long ago.

On May 21, 2022, nine people began around 5:00 a.m., were accompanied at times along their way by eight more, and concluded with six at 8:30 p.m.

Here are the results in the order in which species were recorded:

Big Day Count

 May 21, 2022

4:45-10:25 Lane's Landing 78 species  

Red-winged Blackbird

American Robin

Common Yellowthroat

Swamp Sparrow

Wood Thrush

Green Heron

Canada Goose

Mourning Dove

Yellow Warbler

Common Nighthawk

Gray Catbird

Eastern Wood-pewee

Sora

Song Sparrow

Black-billed Cuckoo

Barred Owl

Pied-billed Grebe

Wood Duck

Indigo Bunting

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Blue-winged Warbler

Common Grackle

Mallard

Warbling Vireo

Ring-billed Gull

Blue Jay

Tree Swallow

Scarlet Tanager

Eastern Kingbird

Northern Flicker

Great Blue Heron

American Crow

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

Cedar Waxwing

Virginia Rail

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Harrier

Hooded Merganser

Willow Flycatcher

Baltimore Oriole

Barn Swallow

American Coot

Gadwall

Spotted Sandpiper

Orchard Oriole

American Goldfinch

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Great Egret

Veery

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Chimney Swift

Alder Flycatcher

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Great Crested Flycatcher

Sandhill Crane

Blackpoll Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-eyed Vireo

Prothonotary Warbler

American Redstart

Downy Warbler

Northern Parula

Blackburnian Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Brown-headed Cowbird

White-breasted Nuthatch

Yellow-throated Vireo

Acadian Flycatcher

Cerulean Warbler

Belted Kingfisher

Eastern Bluebird

American Bittern

Common Raven

Ovenbird

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Killdeer

Black-and-White Warbler

10:30-12:30  MDNR Headquarters Muskegon State Game Area  9 more species

Brown Thrasher

Eastern Phoebe

Turkey Vulture

House Sparrow

House Wren

Chipping Sparrow

House Finch

Tufted Titmouse

Field Sparrow

1:00-3:30  Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center  26 more species

Upland Sandpiper

Eastern Meadowlark

Grasshopper Sparrow

Horned Lark

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

European Starling

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Black-necked Stilt

Cliff Swallow

Dunlin

Bank Swallow

Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Duck

Savannah Sparrow

Herring Gull

Wild Turkey

Lesser Scaup

Bobolink

Vesper Sparrow

Rock Pigeon

3:45-4:30  2160 Jensen Road  2 more species

Lewis's Woodpecker

Pine Siskin

5:00-5:50  Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve  6 more species

Red-tailed Hawk

Mute Swan

Bald Eagle

Purple Martin

Lincoln's Sparrow

Swainson's Thrush

6:05-7:40  Snug Harbor and Lost Lake Trail  4 more species

Marsh Wren

Pine Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Red-headed Woodpecker

7:45-8:00  Lake Michigan Beach at Muskegon State Park  1 more species

Double-crested Cormorant

8:10 - 8:30  North Side of Muskegon Channel  1 more species

Eastern Towhee

That's a Total of 127 bird species.  Thanks to all who participated!