Surf Scoters at Pere Marquette Park

Looking for waterbirds from the south lighthouse at Pere Marquette Park this morning Charlie DeWitt, Chip Francke and I saw four Surf Scoters fly from Lake Michigan to the Muskegon Channel.  (Charlie's photo.)

Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-crowned Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Juncos were the identifiable small birds on the rocks along the pier (presumably having found themselves over the big lake at first light).

Chip and I then sat near the east end of the channel for a little over an hour.  We saw only one raptor (Red-tailed Hawk), a few small birds and woodpeckers, and about 650 migrating Blue Jays.

Hudsonian Godwits at Resource Recovery Center

September 27 Email:

I located 6 Hudsonian godwits in cell D10 at the Muskegon Wastewater yesterday (9/26).  They are still being seen as of today (Tuesday).  They have moved to D12 last I heard.  In addition to the godwits, I found dowitcher sp., greater and lesser yellowlegs, willet (continuing in E2), Baird's, least, and pectoral sandpipers and killdeer, semi-palmated, Am. golden and black-bellied plovers.  All these birds were seen in either D10 or E2.  

- Chip Francke

Cranes at the Resource Recovery Center Today

September 22 Email:

I swung through the Wastewater today.  Sandhill Cranes all through the basins.

- Don Neumann

Thanks for the info. and picture, Don.  Seems as if they're using it as a staging area on their migration south.  (See Dayle's Sept. 2 post below).

- Ric

Birding Grand Haven

I birded Grand Haven this morning finding several birds but nothing remarkable.

At East Grand River Park I found 19 species, none out-of-the-ordinary.  

At Harbor Island I saw 22 species including three Wood Ducks, three Great Egrets, a Belted Kingfisher and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Wood Ducks

Most of the woodland habitat there was overgrown with White Snake Root, particularly the fringes along the walkways.

Cranes Staging Thursday at MCRRC ?

Dayle Vanderwier counted 151 Sandhill Cranes at 8:00 p.m. yesterday (Sept. 1) on the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center properties.