Recent Sightings

12 Bald Eagles at Mona Lake

2012-02-10T06:30:00.005-05:00

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On February 9 Nancy Govan saw twelve Bald Eagles in flight, six over the celery flats and six off the point of Mona Lake.
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Various Eagles at Wastewater Wednesday

2012-02-09T09:51:00.003-05:00

Got this long (approximately quarter mile) shot of 2 Golden Eagles yesterday as I followed what I believed was a third who flew around a different set of trees and never re-appeared. I'm 99% sure it wasn't either of these. As I was planning on getting closer, they both flew off, up, and very high in the sky, soaring in circles, and drifting off to the east. Also, some of the usual suspects -- all on the East Lagoon.

Mike VanderStelt

Chickadee Trends

2012-02-08T12:40:00.008-05:00

Over the course of a year, I try maintaining enough bird surveys to provide a continuum of meaningful data across seasons. With enough sampling diversity and repitition, patterns may emerge that are not apparent from individual or annual censuses. Long-term data sets are requisite, but individual efforts face real-world time constraints. On the other hand, collective programs remain relatively uncommon or somewhat difficult to access. Moreover, for some sources, quality control can be a huge problem. By analyzing my own material, I can not only discern trends of potential interest but also discover deficiencies that can prompt (and encourage) me to continue or alter future surveys.

While examining my Black-capped Chickadee data from the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve banding station, I was curious whether the strong numerical oscillations were showing a wider pattern. I compared those results from the Muskegon Wastewater CBC and the Gwinn CBC (which I conduct in the Upper Peninsula). I also looked at sex-adjusted totals from my Upper Peninsula Breeding Bird Survey routes. Finally, I added data from the Muskegon Migration Count (conducted every spring) into the mix.

The graph shows general agreement between the two CBC counts (Gwinn was not run this winter). A smaller, but fairly similar pattern exists in the breeding data. Since the breeding surveys do not include juveniles, whereas CBC numbers do, the disparity in numbers makes sense. The reflecting pattern highlights a relationship between breeding adults and total winter population. Although numbers are low, the spring Migration Count trends also match reasonably well, but only if the data is adjusted by one year (to conform to the previous CBC); they show a very poor correlation to totals from the subsequent breeding season.

At the banding station, 92% of my chickadee total comprises young birds, most dispersing from breeding areas outside the preserve. Thus, the oscillations offer a fairly direct assessment of breeding productivity - albeit at an unknown geographic extent. The graph shows a weak relationship between breeding and fall numbers and another weak relationship between fall and winter numbers. The relationship would have been fairly strong, but 2009 proved to be anomalous. Consequently, cumulative banding results may be too heavily influenced by local trends or aberrations, and the lack of a strong correlation means that predicting large-scale population values from the annual totals currently remains somewhat limited.

Brian Johnson

Snowies at Wastewater

2012-02-07T18:33:00.002-05:00

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Last weekend Torsten Pawlowski of Eagles-R-Us in Texas traveled back here as he often does to take pictures of the wildlife at the Wastewater. He specifically wanted to photograph Snowy Owls. He received some pointers from some of our local photographers, the most important being not to harrass the birds. The videos and photographs he took were done so with telephoto lenses at a reasonable distance. Enjoy!
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Click for video.
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Other Competitors, Look Out!

2012-02-07T06:58:00.006-05:00

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Kathryn Mork finally emerged this weekend and birded the Wastewater (Snowy and Short-eared Owls among the regular customers). Even the European Starlings were Year Birds! Glad you're feeling better, Kathryn! At Pere Marquette she had Long-tailed Ducks and Red-breasted Mergansers. At the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve, two Common Redpolls and "a million American Tree Sparrows." Back home outside her kitchen window were two more Common Redpolls on her clothes line post!
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Redpolls and Siskins at MLNP Today

2012-02-04T19:51:00.001-05:00

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Carol Cooper reports Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve today. Here's her photo of one of each on the flat feeder!
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White-winged Crossbills

2012-02-04T19:25:00.002-05:00

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February 4 Email: "Hi, Ric, not sure if it's noteworthy or not, but I've had about two dozen White-winged Crossbills terrorizing the Hemlock in my backyard for most of the afternoon. I've never seen them before, so it was quite a sight to look out and see them scattered across the lawn and up the tree. Here are a couple of pictures I took of them this morning."
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- Donald Avery, Spring Lake
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Don, thanks! White-winged Crossbills are always noteworthy!

- Ric

Re-post of Dark Morph Rough-legged Hawk

2012-02-04T19:09:00.002-05:00

This picture would not display correctly in my post below.
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- Mike VanderStelt
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Red-tail, Snowy and Dark Morph Roughleg

2012-02-04T18:57:00.003-05:00

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All shot today at the Wastewater. Not much else to see today: 4 Bald Eagles (2 mature, 2 immature), American Kestrel, Light-morph Rough-legged Hawk and Red-shouldered Hawk.
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- Mike VanderStelt
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17 Species Morning at Wastewater

2012-02-04T13:36:00.005-05:00

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I spent a couple hours birding both sides of the Wastewater this morning tallying 17 species. Others told me of Cedar Waxwings and a darker Snowy Owl on the properties as well.
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- Ric Pedler
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Muskegon Wastewater System, Muskegon, US-MI
Feb 4, 2012 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
10.0 mile(s)
Comments: I met Grand Rapids people and Phil Willemstein this morning.
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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 60
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 7
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 1
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) 1 Light Morph
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 440
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) 1 very white, adult male?
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 7
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) 17
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 5
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 100
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) 28
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Saw-whet Owls - Fall 2011 Banding Report

2012-02-02T20:20:00.004-05:00

In Muskegon County, there are several bird species for which banding records exceed published visual or aural confirmations. Examples include Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, and Lincoln's Sparrow. .

However, the only non-passerine in this category is Saw-whet Owl. From 1961 to 1971, renowned ornithologist Larry Walkinshaw banded 12 at his home in Laketon Township. In 2005, seeking to better understand the local status of this species, I initiated a banding effort at Muskegon State Park. Although coverage each season has been greatly constrained by work obligations and my commitment to the songbird banding station at Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve, a few owls have been banded each year. The fall of 2011 proved no exception.

Banding was conducted for 30.5 hours on six evenings from November 4 to December 20. The late start date meant that we not only opened the station after most other owl stations had already closed for the fall, but also that we almost certainly missed peak migratory movements. However, the goal this year was not to accrue sheer numbers. Instead, we were trying to see how late the fall migration extended and if there were any winter residency patterns. Moreover, we were trying to increase our sample of males (which migrate significantly later in the fall).

Despite the late coverage, we still caught five birds on four evenings (including one on the final night). However, all were classified as definite or probable females. Three were immatures, and the others were more than two years old. Weights ranged from 84.7 to 105.0 grams (figures equivalent to American Robin and Common Grackle, respectively; but despite such comparisons, Saw-whet Owls have a high ratio of wing area to mass, so their wing loading is comparatively small - about 80% that of a robin by my calculations.)

There were no recaptures this year, but we finally received word that a bird we captured on November 23, 2010 had been originally banded near Cobalt, Ontario, on October 3. That female migrated at least 430 miles on a southwest track over the span of 51 evenings. Conversely, the only owls that we have banded that have appeared elsewhere have been: one found dead two years later near Flint, and one recaptured six evenings later on the opposite shore of Lake Michigan.

Below is a photo gallery of four birds from last fall. Many thanks to Kevin Klco and Carolyn Weng for their continued support.

Brian Johnson
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Redpolls, Sandpiper and Long-taileds Thursday

2012-02-02T17:05:00.002-05:00

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Kathy Neff reports about 50 Common Redpolls in her yard today! Feller DeWitt reports a male Eastern Bluebird at Ellis and Martin Roads, a Purple Sandpiper at Pere Marquette, and one small (20-25) flock of Long-tailed Ducks at Pere Marquette " ... CALLING! This was way way cool!"
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Lake Michigan Waterbirds - January Highlights

2012-02-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

Other obligations seriously limited the time I spent censusing Lake Michigan waterbirds in January. In six days of counts, I recorded 16 species. Peaks include 4 Surf Scoter (Jan. 8), 53 White-winged Scoter (Jan. 8), 715 Red-breasted Merganser (Jan. 6), 1 Red-necked Grebe (Jan. 5), 1 Glaucous Gull (two days), and 2 Great Black-backed Gull (Jan. 6). On January 12, a count of 17,420 Long-tailed Ducks was my best ever.

Brian Johnson

Eagles Kill Gulls at Wastewater

2012-02-01T21:18:00.001-05:00

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February 1 Email:
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I spent several hours at the Wastewater today watching Bald Eagles catch, kill and eat seagulls. There were eleven eagles on the east lagoon at one point. There was one juvenile in particular that was pretty deadly. I saw him capture three seagulls. He would make short work of the gulls and go right back to hunting again. When I left, all but one of the gulls he had attacked had been reduced to a pile of feathers and the lone survivor wasn't going to make it for long. The photos of the hunt are not great; he was pretty far away. The gull that he is chasing in these photos didn't make it.

Rick Hamlin.

Finally the Golden Eagle

2012-01-30T21:50:00.000-05:00

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Carol and I took a ride to the Muskegon County Wastewater this afternoon to see if we could get the Golden Eagle. I am glad we did. It was on White Road east of Swanson in the grove of pine trees on the south side of White.
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The Northern Pintail was in the Rapid Infiltration area "E" cells about E8. There were 12 Nothern Pintail total.
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Carol took the picture of the Bald Eagle by the Administration Building.
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We saw 5 Snowy Owls and 2 Short-eared Owls. The Short-eared Owls were by the airplane field. They came out at 6:10 p.m. and stayed until 6:15 p.m. They seemed to move out of the area in a hurry.

Charlie DeWitt
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Long-tailed Ducks

2012-01-30T21:44:00.001-05:00

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Monday afternoon I went to the Muskegon Channel (northside) and several Long-tailed Ducks stayed within photo distance. A Horned Grebe also wanted its picture taken.

Don Neumann
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What Bird Do You Think Rosie Saw?

2012-01-30T19:27:00.004-05:00

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Below are three emails between a lady from Illinois and me. After reading them, if you have any ideas what bird she saw, please comment or email me. Thanks! - Ric.

Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 4:07 PM
Subject: Bird question

If you could help me ID this bird, I'd appreciate it.

Yesterday while watching through my binoculars on the shores of Lake Michigan (from the Illinois side) I spotted a bird in the distance flying parallel to the shore, but out far enough that I could not get a good look. It was flying low near the water, and I kept seeing flashes of red---though I doubted it, this was unmistakable as I watched it fly for about a minute. I wondered if it was an illusion! It also landed in the water and then dived . Then, in the waves, I lost track of it b/c of how far out it was.
Thanks!
Rosie
Glencoe Illinois

Rosie,

I'd need more information to make a guess. Could you provide any details about the bird's size, shape, color other than the red, and where the red was flashing? If so, I'll give it a guess and ask a few other better birders than I.

Thanks!

- Ric

It was so far away, it made it difficult to tell, but it flew like a duck. The flash of red seemed to be on the top, and the wings were not as white as a gull but I didn't exactly see black. I was looking down from the bluff here, which is probably 100 feet above the lake.

I know this sounds crazy, but the flash of red was the most dominant sight, appearing intermittently as if it coincided with the wing stroke. The wings did not seem very long.

I have been observing birds for many years, and this was very strange to me.

Thanks for your help, and I understand that it may not be enough for you to tell. It certainly was not enough for me to figure out at all, and I have never known a water bird here to have any red. Rust, maybe, but this was red.

Thanks.

Rosie

Good Birds + Congratulations Charlie!

2012-01-30T19:16:00.002-05:00

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Carol Cooper emails that our very own Charlie DeWitt took home three places at Grand Haven's Winterfest Photo Contest last Friday, 1st in Buildings, 2nd in Sports and 2nd in Nature (Bohemian Waxwing)!
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She also reports three Pileated Woodpeckers at Riverside Park in Grand Haven along the Grand River and a Common Redpoll at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve on Jan. 25, 2012.
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Wastewater Birds Sunday

2012-01-30T19:05:00.001-05:00

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Ken Sapkowski emails:
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Glenda (Eikenberry) and I birded the Wastewater Sunday afternoon and saw the following birds:

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2 Golden Eagles
From the road that runs along the north side of the east pond we noticed
large birds diving into the deep ditch that parallels the north side.
They were near the east end of the pond and at first too far away to identify.
As we got somewhat closer they flew past us heading west and we got an
outstanding view of both birds.

1 Red-shouldered Hawk
North of White Rd 1/4 mile east of the observatory. It was in the small
oaks in front of the pines; very close to the road. Barring across chest is a
rich orange ... really beautiful bird.

1 Belted Kingfisher
In the first north-south ditch you encounter driving White Rd. in from
Maple Island

4 Snowy Owls
First in the filtration fields south of White Rd., then 2 more near Swanson
& Laketon on irrigation gizmos; one on each side of Swanson. The last
one was on Moorland. We were on the way home at 6:15PM when it swooped
past our windshield at eye level about 10 feet out.

1 American Kestrel
4 Bald Eagles
1 Rough-legged Hawk
2 Hawk sp. (unid.)
20 Horned Lark
40 Mallards
30 American Black Ducks
xx Canada Geese
Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, American Tree Sparrow - feeders by office

Birding Muskegon County Saturday

2012-01-29T20:06:00.004-05:00

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Brian Allen from the Manistee area posted this on Mich-Chat today:
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After missing one trip due to a virus attack and hearing about good birds in Muskegon one time too much I decided to splurge on gas and Tim Granger and I headed down there yesterday during what we believed to be a break between winter storms. We had heard about the Short-eared, Snowy Owls, Snow Geese seen yesterday as well as previous reports on the White-fronted Goose, Golden Eagle and the Purple Sandpipers out at the pier, not to mention all the gulls you could want at the landfill.

Our first stop was at the Short-eared Owl spot, no luck but cool to see flocks of Horned Larks and a Rough-legged Hawk there. We headed over to the waste water ponds (all frozen now) and studied the thousands of gulls at the dump which appeared to all be Herring Gulls. There were also 5 Bald Eagles adult and imm. here. Out on the ice was another large group of several hundred gulls including a first yr. Iceland Gull. We headed to the north side where the Snowy Owls and Geese had been seen but alas there were only a couple hundred Canada Geese and nothing else. Some what dejectedly we decided to make the thousand stoplight journey over to Pere Marquette park in hope of seeing the surviving Purple Sandpipers.

Winds were now gale force and no sensible humans were out by the pier so we decided to get out there and give it an idiotic try. We were in luck, near the base two Purple Sandpipers were huddling close to each other avoiding the crashing waves and ice on the outer pier where we were afraid they might be. Also there were hundreds and hundreds of ducks very close into shore like I have seen on previous stormy days on the big lake. First we saw a Horned Grebe then a small group of White-winged Scoters including a very confiding female Black Scoter surfing the waves. We went out almost to the elbow of the pier where the waves and ice made it too difficult and at the point was a juv./female Harlequin Duck! There were hundreds of Long-tailed Ducks, Common Mergansers and Common Goldeneyes also seen before our eyelids froze.

We thawed out on the way back to Swanson Rd. to try again for the SEOW, again no luck just a nice Northern Shrike. We drove some tough drifted in mucky two tracks but could not find the owl. We headed back to the WWT ponds going on the north side this time and saw a gorgeous adult Golden Eagel on the power line that let us stop and visually burn his image into our brains. We had seen some more geese flying into the north and when we got there saw 2 Snowy Owls, one very speckled and dark and the other almost entirely white. Nothing new with the geese. We headed back for one more shot at the Short-eared Owl as it was appropriatley crepuscular now just before 6:00 PM. Again no luck, too windy? Anyway a very enjoyable day despite the previous day departure of gees and the extra 200 pounds of carbon dioxide we liberated on the trip.

BA
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Another Common Redpoll !

2012-01-28T17:16:00.002-05:00

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I noticed that Mike Boston posted a photo of a Common Redpoll at his feeder a couple of weeks ago (Jan. 15 below). This is one that I found today at our feeders. Like Mike's, it is also the first in several years.
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Rick Hamlin
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Red-shouldered Hawk and Purple Sandpipers

2012-01-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

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Rick Hamlin photographed this Red-shouldered Hawk hunting along the north side of White Road across from the Observatory at the Wastewater today.
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In a message to Mich-Chat today, Chip Francke said, "There were at least two Purple Sandpipers on the pier at Pere Marquette Park today. The pier was only safe to walk for a short distance, then was solid ice and very dangerous. The birds were near the very base of the pier ... "
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Sandpiper, Goldeneyes, Long-tailed Ducks

2012-01-26T22:29:00.001-05:00

One Purple Sandpiper on the south side of the south pier 100 feet out or on the bare rocks. It is very shy. Lots of ducks off the entrance to the harbor, mostly Common Goldeneyes and Long-tailed ducks.

Feller DeWitt

Foggy Day at the Wastewater

2012-01-26T19:29:00.001-05:00

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Today I took a trip to the Muskegon County Wastewater to see if the Golden Eagle was around; no luck again! Not much going on. I saw one Bald Eagle, one dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, one American Kestrel, one Red-tailed Hawk, three Snowy Owls and one Northern Shrike. I saw the shrike make three passes at a bird that was flying over the field he was in.
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Charlie DeWitt
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Red-shouldered Hawk

2012-01-21T19:48:00.000-05:00

Late this afternoon Carol and I went looking for the Golden Eagle at the Muskegon County Wastewater. No luck on the eagle, but we did find this Red-shouldered Hawk. It was along the north side of White Road across from the Observatory.

Charlie DeWitt

Wastewater Rules and Etiquette

2012-01-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

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There have been some recent incidents of Wastewater vehicles being hindered due to improperly-parked bird-watcher vehicles and of bird-watcher vehicles driving in unauthorized areas on that property. If you bird the Wastewater properties, PLEASE observe the rules and basic birding etiquette, which would include:
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- not driving on the berms in the rapid filtration cells along the south side of White Road. There are five cells between Maple Island Road and the Headquarters, encircled and separated from each other by dike roads where it's okay to drive; but within those cells are berms (dikes without roads) which are not for vehicle use,
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- not blocking rights-of-way preventing WW vehicles from doing their job or other birders from continuing on their way,
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- Etc., etc., etc. Use common sense and courtesy.
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The Wastewater authorities have been more than generous in their policies regarding birder-watchers' access to this magnificent area. It would be a shame if the behavior of a few reduced or eliminated this access for the many.
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Golden Sunday

2012-01-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

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The Golden Eagle Ed Schools reported Saturday (below) stuck around until Sunday.

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Don Neumann
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Explorer Comments Problem Fixed

2012-01-15T20:05:00.004-05:00

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Everybody, in regard to the problems posted below about not being able to leave comments using Internet Explorer, I believe that is fixed. Thanks to Don Neumann for looking into this and sending me a suggestion made by others having similar problems elsewhere. Now when you click "Comments", a pop-up window will appear. Just read the comments or make your own comment following the same instructions as before and you should be fine no matter what browser you're using. I tried it with the post below while using Internet Explorer and not signed into my Google account. It worked fine. (Since I was not signed in, Google didn't know who I was, so I wrote my name at the end of my "Anonymous" comment; whether you non-Google folks want to do likewise is up to you.)
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Golden Eagle and Purple Sandpipers

2012-01-15T19:36:00.001-05:00

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Ed Schools reported to Mich-Listers that yesterday (Jan. 14) he saw a Golden Eagle at the Wastewater and Purple Sandpipers at the South Breakwall at Pere Marquette Park.
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Common Redpoll

2012-01-15T13:30:00.007-05:00

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Today, January 15th, is the first time I've seen a Common Redpoll Common Redpoll at my feeder since 2009.

Mike Boston

.ston

A Different Snow

2012-01-13T21:25:00.004-05:00

From the Wastewater Friday afternoon. A Snow Goose in with the thousands of Canada Goose; only saw the one.

Don Neumann

Ditching Internet Explorer Solves the Problem

2012-01-12T22:42:00.003-05:00

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Folks, regarding the problem described in the previous post, those not using Microsoft's Internet Explorer have left numerous comments all stating that they're having no problem, none stated better than this from Zachary DeBruine:.

Zachary DeBruineJan 12, 2012 01:27 PM

Works fine for me using Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera, but not Internet Explorer. I highly recommend switching browsers if you're on internet explorer, since this is one of a plethora of instances where scripting is not as powerful in internet explorer as the other browsers..

Likewise, several of you using Internet Explorer have emailed, all saying that you cannot leave a comment and in some cases cannot send me email directly from the web page as you used to do. When I use Explorer to leave a comment, the whole program locks up.
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I have no better solution than Zachary's above -- go out and download another reputable browser (they're all free). I used Firefox for a long time, but switched to Google's Chrome when Firefox had problems displaying our pages, so even though Firefox is working in this case, I'd personally steer clear of it also. On Apple computers, Apple's Safari browser has given some problems with our pages, but I've heard of no problem with the PC version of Safari. I used to use Opera to check the website and it always worked properly, and as I stated earlier, I now use Chrome and it's always worked on our pages and every website I've visited.
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For everybody, here's the excellent Snowy Owl website that Mike VanderStelt sent us (mentioned in the P.S. in the post below):
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http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/snowy.htm
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Thanks all for your comments, however you sent them!
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- Ric
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Can You Use Our Comments Page?

2012-01-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

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I would appreciate hearing from anyone who tries this:
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Click "comments" below this post and see if the Comments page displays properly, or locks. If it displays properly, please leave a comment (anonymously is fine) saying that it worked for you and mentioning what browser you're using. If it locks, back out of it (or restart your browser) and email me that it didn't work and what browser you're using.
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Mike VanderStelt brought it to my attention that Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser (the one most people use because it came installed on their computer) locks when he tries to leave a comment. I normally use the Google Chrome browser, and it works fine. However, I just tried Internet Explorer, and it locked somewhat like Mike's.
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Thanks!
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- Ric
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PS: As a "gift" for trying this, I've posted in my second comment a website address (thanks to Mike for this) that shows how to identify Snowy Owls as adult male, first year or immature male, or female. If your browser can't display our Comments page and you email me as suggested above, I'll reply to you with Mike's owl website address. How can you lose? :-)
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A Few Snowy Owl Shots

2012-01-12T11:30:00.002-05:00

Actually, I was lucky to get these as (I heard from a reliable source) someone was kicking people's tripods to get "the better" shot. I have a sneaking suspicion that Don Neumann could clear up this rumor if he cares to divuldge the culprit's true identity.

Mike VanderStelt
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Snowy Mouse-catching Behavior

2012-01-11T21:21:00.004-05:00

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January 11 Email:
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Ric,

I was out shooting Snowy Owls with Don, and several other photographers today. I told them about a Snowy Owl experience on Monday. I got to the W/W early, before the sun came up, and parked near a field that the mostly white snowy owl has been seen at recently. As the sun came up the owl was hunting the field right in front of me and at one point landed in the water flooding into the field to catch a mouse. He landed in this field several times capturing and eating several mice that I assume were being washed out of their burrows since that field had been dry for several weeks and the water must have been turned on in that field at some point in the night. After he caught the mice, he would hold them under the water for several seconds before he flew off to a spot in the grass where he would swallow the mice whole. Here is a photo that I took as he landed in the water right in front of me.
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Rick Hamlin

Loony Day at Grand Haven

2012-01-11T17:10:00.000-05:00

I went looking for the Western Grebe at Grand Haven today; no grebe. I did see a Common Loon (top picture) in front of the Waterfront Stadium. It did move up the south channel almost to the Wharf Marina. That was about noon.

The Red-throated Loon was at the pier head when I first saw it. It was moving around a lot and went up the channel as far as the old Coast Guard Station, then came back. It was doing a lot of diving and would stay down a long time. When I left the pier at 3:00 p.m., the Red-throated Loon was still there.
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I was on the South pier and while walking off the pier, I noticed 1 Great Black-backed Gull and 1 Glaucous Gull on the Grand Haven State Park beach. They were mixed in with a few Ring-billed and Herring Gulls.

Charlie DeWitt

So It's 11 Years Old and from Swan Creek !

2012-01-11T06:40:00.006-05:00

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Back on November 25 Don Neumann posted two Bald Eagle pictures, one showing a partially readable leg band. (To see the original post, scroll to the bottom of this page, click "Older Posts", and repeat the process three more times for that page.) We contacted various folks to get an ID on that bird, and yesterday Don finally got an answer in this email from Sergej Postupalsky:
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Hi Frank & Don,

Sorry about the long delay in my getting this information to you; I got sidetracked on other matters.

About the adult Bald Eagle with black color band EZ9 which Don photographed on 11/25/11 on the west side of the Muskegon Wastewater Facility in Muskegon County: The matching FWS band to color band EZ9 is 629-41572. It is not a bird banded under my permit; it was banded by Dave Best on 6/03/99 at Swan Creek/Highbanks, 6 miles ESE of Fennville, Allegan County.

The encounter should be reported to the Bird Banding Lab. Don? Dave?

We have been able to identify a number of eagles from digital photos by matching the color-band code to the FWS band number and thus establish a valid band encounter record. I've also been able to identify from photos several Ospreys by a unique combination of the FWS band and 2 or 3 color bands (color bands I use on Ospreys have no codes).

Sergej
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Western Grebe at Grand Haven

2012-01-10T17:10:00.003-05:00

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January 10 Email:
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I saw a Western Grebe in Grand Haven channel west of the coast guard station out by the state park lot Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.
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Nancy Govan
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Searching for Gulls & Geese at Wastewater

2012-01-10T07:18:00.002-05:00

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January 9 Email:
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Ric, I thought you might want to post on the MCNC site: I went to the Wastewater today hoping to relocate some of the gulls and the Greater White-fronted Goose found over the weekend by Sky Haas and friends. I found one 2nd year Glaucous Gull, one adult Iceland Gull, one adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and one adult Great Black-backed Gull (all sitting on the ice near the dump). Couldn’t find any Thayer's Gulls. There were thousands of Canada Geese throughout the MWS with some on the east pond, many in the air and some in the fields. I had poor light and distant views of most of the geese and did not see the white-fronted (although it easily could have been there).
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Chip Francke

Muskegon Area Shoreline Birds Monday

2012-01-10T07:08:00.003-05:00

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January 9 Email:
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I had no success with the Purple Sandpipers at Pere Marquette though 1 was observed 10 minutes prior to my arrival. I did turn up a Glaucous Gull in the flock at the end of the pier, but no Great Black-backed Gull. Wind was strong and waves were high. Of interest, however, was a dense cloud of Long-tailed Ducks about 2.5 miles long heading northwards in a considerably wide band (perhaps .5 miles). I observed them with two other Purple Sandpiper hunters, and then took a few more vantage points. I came up with a conservative estimate of 11,000. This started my spree.

At Kruse Park there were 500 LTDUs (perhaps from the same bunch). Hoffmaster yielded another 20 or so, for all I could see. Grand Haven hit it big with another 8,000 or so. None at Rosy Mound, Kirk Park, any of the cottage subdivisions and township parks between there and Tunnel Park, and none at Holland State Park. Did have 4 GBBGs at Holland State Park. Otherwise no luck. I'm now in search of the Hope College Snowy Owl, which was reported on top the music building on Friday! What a crazy bird to miss...

Good Birding,

Zachary DeBruine

Just Ducky -- and Is This a Hybrid?

2012-01-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

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I spent some time Monday at Northshore Marina on the Grand Haven Channel and spotted this male Hooded Merganser enjoying lunch, several Common Goldeneye, and male and female Red-breasted Mergansers (male pictured). Also, is this a picture of a Mallard-American Black Duck hybrid noted in Caleb Putnam's post?
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Don Neumann
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Winter Robins

2012-01-09T06:47:00.000-05:00

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Carol Cooper found these American Robins (at least six) who didn't go south for the winter but instead were eating holly berries at 3:00 p.m. yesterday along Giles near Greencreek Road in North Muskegon.
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Wastewater and Purples

2012-01-07T23:58:00.004-05:00

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All-

Here are some checklists from a Muskegon County jaunt with Skye Haas (of Marquette) and Jonathan Lutz (Michigan Audubon executive director). Photos of the most significant species observed are embedded in the checklists. Click on the photos for direct links to my Flickr homepage.

Wastewater at dusk (inc. Short-eared Owl):
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http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9527138

Wastewater midday (inc. Greater White-fronted Goose and 6 species of gulls):
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http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9527036

Pere Marquette Park (inc. Purple Sandpiper, Glaucous Gull, etc.):
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http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9527037

I also produced a blog post on the fantastic purple coloration I observed for the first time ever, on the upperparts feathers of the Purple Sandpipers here:
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http://aviantendencies.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-not-misnomer-after-all.html

And here's a bonus checklist from Old Rice Lake muck flats in Newaygo Co. (near Grant). No Snowy Owls there all winter, strangely.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9527029

Good Birding,
Caleb Putnam
Sand Lake (Montcalm Co.)
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Cormorant at Pere Marquette Wednesday

2012-01-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

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January 6 Email:
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I was birding in the Soo, so wasn’t able to post sooner. On Wednesday, 1/4, there was a Double-crested Cormorant on the rocks at Pere Marquette Park pier.
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Chip Francke

Adult Bald Eagle

2012-01-06T18:37:00.002-05:00

Adult Bald Eagle shot at WW today.

Mike VanderStelt
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Sandpipers at Pere Marquette

2012-01-06T06:57:00.004-05:00

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Carol Cooper took these photos while watching five Purple Sandpipers along the south breakwall yesterday.
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Don't Bother Me!

2012-01-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

A Snowy Owl being harassed by an American Crow.

Don Neumann

Golden Eagles, Surf Scoter and More

2012-01-05T07:21:00.004-05:00

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January 4 Email:
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Yesterday (Jan. 3) at the Wastewater, Joseph and I had 3 Golden Eagles. Other birds seen included 5 Snowy Owls, 2 Short-eared Owls, Northern Shrike, Cackling Goose, and Iceland Gull. At Pere Marquette we had a Surf Scoter as well.

Jonathan Lautenbach

Wastewater CBC Results

2012-01-05T06:52:00.001-05:00

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The 2011 Muskegon Wastewater Christmas Bird Count was conducted on Wednesday, December 14. Although held annually on an unofficial basis since 2000, this was the seventh sanctioned census for this location. Centered at the intersection of White and Ravenna Roads, the count circle (15 miles in diameter) mostly encompasses private farmland and forest parcels, but it also includes two large tracts of public land - the Muskegon State Game Area (MSGA) and the Muskegon Wastewater Treatment Facility. Fifteen birders from west Michigan met at the Wastewater administration building in the morning, grouped into eight parties, and began censusing their assigned areas.
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As is customary, most of survey was accomplished by vehicle. Feller DeWitt covered the NNW slice of the circle; Ric Pedler handled the NNE segment; Joseph, David, and Michael Lautenbach took the NNE area; Charlie DeWitt worked the ESE portion; Carolyn Weng, Kathryn Mork, and Kathy Neff hit the SSE section; James Ponshair and his crew (Joe Hitchings, Dave Kromer, Otto Nemecek) surveyed the Wastewater and adjacent lands; Dayle Vanderwier birded the WNW roadsides; and I spent the day hiking thru the MSGA. At noon, the group met and compared notes at Morrow’s Restaurant. While some participants headed home immediately following lunch, some (Lautenbachs, Charlie, Carolyn, Kathryn, Dayle) continued into the afternoon, and the last observer (myself) left the field at 6:30pm after a bit of owling. Combined, observers accrued 39.5 hours (6.5 on foot, 33 by car) and 375.5 miles (7.5 on foot, 368 by car) of daytime coverage.
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The weather prior to the CBC had been abnormally mild. Only 0.4 inches of snow had fallen in Muskegon during the preceding weeks, and none remained on the ground. Ice was restricted to patches on still water, and the large sewage lagoons at the Wastewater were mostly open. Winds were fairly light from the south, and count day temperatures were the highest in the history of this census. Unfortunately, such otherwise pleasant conditions were offset by a steady rainfall (ranging from light to hard) that likely reduced bird detections. A total of 15,773 individuals, representing 53 species, was recorded on this year's CBC. The individual total, considerably above the historical mean of 10,867 birds, was the third highest on record, but the species count fell one below the previous average. Compositionally consistent with past years, the four most abundant species were Canada Goose, Northern Shoveler, Starling, and Herring Gull, which together comprised 81% of the total individuals seen (versus 72% historically).
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Due to the unusual availability of open water, waterfowl were numerous this year. Nine species accounted for 77% (average 43%) of the all the individual birds recorded on the census. This was the highest ratio of waterfowl in the history of this CBC. Notable sightings included 2 Cackling Goose (third occurrence on this survey, 7179 Canada Geese (second highest), 4333 Northern Shoveler (second highest), 8 Green-winged Teal (second highest), and 4 Common Goldeneye (new high count).
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Five species of diurnal raptors accounted for 35 individuals. While these totals are lower than the past means (36.3 birds of 6.8 species), both Northern Harrier (5) and American Kestrel (14) set new records. Rough-legged Hawks (2) were unusually scarce. However, owls were well represented. All five species that have ever been recorded on the Wastewater CBC were found this year. Three Snowy Owls tied the previous record, a Short-eared Owl was the first since 2007 (habitat mismanagement at its preferred Wastewater haunts have reduced numbers in recent years), and one each of Screech, Great Horned, and Barred Owl were found at MSGA.
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Among landbirds in general, winter visitors were collectively less frequent than usual and diversity was near average. Juncos and Tree Sparrows provided the vast majority of these sightings, and no incursive species (e.g. winter finches) were encountered. Permanent residents exhibited a similar pattern, although Mourning Doves were found in record numbers. Red-headed Woodpecker had only been recorded during one previous year, so one at MSGA was most welcome.
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Summer residents (these generally comprise facultative migrants) can substantially boost CBC totals when warm weather does not impel them to migrate south. Diversity was average in this regard, as six such landbird species were detected this year. However, the individual count of 72 was particularly high and was only surpassed by the large irruption of frugivores in 2007. Highlights included 1 Belted Kingfisher, 39 Eastern Bluebirds (second highest ever), 7 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 2 Song Sparrows. In addition, 18 Northern Flickers set another record tally.
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Of all 53 species recorded this year, 22 exhibited totals reduced from previous historical means, yet 31 matched or exceeded those averages. The biggest misses were Cooper's Hawk, seen on ten prior counts, and Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Ring-necked Pheasant, each seen on nine prior counts. Absent for the three of the last four years, the latter species has also likely suffered from the recent grassland mismanagement at the Wastewater. Gulls and grassland passerines (Horned Lark and Snow Bunting) were significantly below average. Conversely, six species tied or established record highs. Since no new species were recorded on the Wastewater CBC, the cumulative total remains 99.
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The following table details this year’s results by participant. Data from the Muskegon Wastewater and the approximately 2,000 other Christmas Bird Counts are submitted to the National Audubon Society, where they can be accessed at their website (birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count). Many thanks to all those that participated this year, and we encourage all interested birders to join us next December.
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Brian Johnson
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SPECIES - COUNT (PREVIOUS MEAN)
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Cackling Goose - 2 (0.5)

Canada Goose - 7179 (2924.1)

Gadwall - 46 (98.6)

American Black Duck - 79 (161.9)

Mallard - 529 (545.5)

Northern Shoveler - 4333 (943.7)

Green-winged Teal - 8 (2.5)

Common Goldeneye - 4 (0.5)

Ruddy Duck - 4 (22.0)

Ruffed Grouse - 1 (1.2)

Wild Turkey - 57 (134.1)

Great Blue Heron - 1 (1.0)

Bald Eagle - 1 (4.9)

Northern Harrier - 5 (0.7)

Red-tailed Hawk - 13 (16.7)

Rough-legged Hawk - 2 (9.9)

American Kestrel - 14 (6.6)

Ring-billed Gull - 57 (134.5)

Herring Gull - 611 (2363.6)

Rock Pigeon - 168 (153.2)

Mourning Dove - 608 (263.2)

Eastern Screech-Owl - 1 (0.5)

Great Horned Owl - 1 (0.5)

Snowy Owl - 3 (0.6)

Barred Owl - 1 (0.4)

Short-eared Owl - 1 (0.8)

Belted Kingfisher - 1 (0.6)

Red-headed Woodpecker - 1 (0.4)

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 15 (15.5)

Downy Woodpecker - 29 (27.5)

Hairy Woodpecker - 8 (6.3)

Northern Flicker - 18 (6.0)

Pileated Woodpecker - 5 (3.4)

Northern Shrike - 1 (1.4)

Blue Jay - 103 (71.0)

American Crow - 144 (204.4)

Horned Lark - 1 (50.4)

Black-capped Chickadee - 119 (109.8)

Tufted Titmouse - 24 (26.9)

Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 (1.7)

White-breasted Nuthatch - 15 (22.1)

Eastern Bluebird - 39 (16.5)

European Starling - 624 (1495.0)

Cedar Waxwing - 143 (78.7)

Snow Bunting - 2 (116.6)

Yellow-rumped Warbler - 7 (6.4)

American Tree Sparrow - 195 (161.2)

Song Sparrow - 2 (1.3)

Dark-eyed Junco - 171 (146.6)

Northern Cardinal - 80 (57.7)

House Finch - 26 (57.7)

American Goldfinch - 193 (177.5)

House Sparrow - 77 (162.9)

Wednesday at the Wastewater

2012-01-04T17:52:00.000-05:00

Today at the Wastewater I saw some Horned Larks, four Rough-legged Hawks and this group of Snow Buntings.

Don Neumann

Short-eared and Snowy Owls + Eagle Video

2012-01-04T10:30:00.003-05:00

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I got these two shots yesterday at the Wastewater. The Short-Eared Owl is from "second hand" location info. I got from Don Neumann, who got it from Rick Hamlin. Just the fact that Rick found it in the first place was impressive -- it sure blends in! The Snowy was in its "usual spot", so I took a quick shot as I left. The Bald Eagle video (below) was the adult calling three immatures. As I drove over to that area, I saw them all flying, and this one circled the tree and landed as the three "kids" flew on. It then started calling and calling, as they seemed to pay no attention whatsoever. They never did come back. :)

Mike VanderStelt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCs_zHA0-v0&context=C3ac60d7ADOEgsToPDskJ-pFUmhJgytbsGE-Iyklni
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Cackling Geese, Gulls and Harlequin

2012-01-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

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In a January 3 Message to Mich-Listers:
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Had some fun in Muskegon after this morning. There were a couple of Cackling Geese with the 2,000 Canadas and LOTS of gulls (including Lesser Black-backed, Glaucous, Iceland & Thayer's) at the Wastewater. Incidentally, I stopped in the office to renew my pass and the new ones are for TWO years. At Pere Marquette Park I had 7 Purple Sandpipers on the south breakwall and a female type Harlequin Duck with the Buffleheads near the north breakwall.
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Scott Jennex
Ferndale
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Purple Sandpipers Still at Muskegon

2012-01-03T18:09:00.002-05:00

Today I spent an hour watching and taking pictures of 5 Purple Sandpipers. The south pier is clear of ice out to about half way to the elbow, beyond that the pier has glare ice so be careful. The sandpipers were only out a short distance, so walking was safe.

Charlie DeWitt
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I Could Have Gone South

2012-01-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

Today there were two American Robins on Harbor Island in Grand Haven. I also had 5 more robins on Harbor Drive by the Snug Harbor Restaurant. On Jan. 1st I had a Northern Shrike by Little Black Lake on Wood Road by the bridge.

Charlie DeWitt

Lake Michigan Waterbirds - Dec. Highlights

2011-12-30T14:42:00.002-05:00

For the month of December, I conducted 11 waterbird counts along the shore of Lake Michigan. The objective of these watches is to better gauge diversity, numbers, trends, chronology, and flight patterns of birds moving over the Big Lake. After November, most sightings probably represent roving winter residents, as opposed to passing migrants. Therefore, to reduce bias from local conditions and to expand geographic representation, I count from four different Muskegon County locations. Unless the weather is particularly severe, watches last at least one hour in duration.

This past month, I encountered 24 species flying over Lake Michigan. Four were terrestrial species, and the rest were various waterbirds (including 13 species of ducks). Some peak counts included 1 Canvasback (12/17), 44 Redhead (12/17), 4 Surf Scoter (12/6), 28 White-winged Scoter (12/20), 2 Black Scoter (12/6, 12/16, 12/18), 324 Common Goldeneye (12/6), 1 Hooded Merganser (12/6), 4 Red-throated Loon (12/13), 2 Horned Grebe (12/13), 1 Cormorant (12/6), 2 Bald Eagle (12/17), 1 Rough-legged Hawk (12/17), 2 Glaucous Gull (12/22), 3 Great Black-backed Gull (12/20) and 27 Snow Bunting (12/20).

Due to large concentrations, distance, continual back and forth movements, and short flights, Long-tailed Ducks can be difficult to count with precision and reliability. My best tally this month was 6,190 on 12/17.

Brian Johnson

Good Gulls at Grand Haven State Park

2011-12-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

Today I took a walk on the Grand Haven north pier; not much going on: Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Mergansers, Mallards and a few Ring-billed Gulls. Just before I left, I scoped the shoreline on the south side. The first thing I saw were 4 adult Great Black-backed Gulls. So I made the 6.5 mile drive to go 300 yards south. When I got there, I could only find 3 adult Great Black-backed Gulls. I am pretty sure there were at least 6 juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach. Then I found two Glaucous Gulls. Lets hope they stick around for Sunday. It would be nice to have these on the list Jan 1.

- Charlie DeWitt

Bald Eagle Yoga + Bad Human Behavior

2011-12-28T23:17:00.000-05:00

I spent a couple hours at the Wastewater with this Bald Eagle Wednesday afternoon.

( There were a lot of birders / photographers chasing one Snowy Owl all over, repeatedly approaching way too close, even on foot. I guess someone got bored with the owl flying away, so they came over and got out of their car to scare off the eagle, too!! #@%*#! )

Don Neumann

Great shots of the eagle, Don! A Mich-listers report yesterday described similar behavior of people repeatedly approaching a Snowy Owl at the Wastewater on Tuesday. See "Number of Birders at the Wastewater Lately?" posted Dec. 22 below. - Ric

This Lady Came By Too!

2011-12-28T16:48:00.002-05:00

I hadn't seen a Red-Bellied Woodpecker in at least a month until this female showed up today. I was beginning to wonder where they went.

Mike VanderStelt

Male Downy Woodpecker

2011-12-28T12:07:00.001-05:00

I got this little guy this morning waiting for his turn at the feeder.

Mike VanderStelt
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Cooper's Hawk

2011-12-26T21:04:00.004-05:00

This Cooper's Hawk was kind enough to sit in the woods behind my house today, 12/26/11.

Mike Boston

Immature Red-tailed Hawk

2011-12-26T20:41:00.002-05:00

Just a couple shots from early this afternoon

Mike VanderStelt
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Wastewater Birding and Birds

2011-12-26T14:31:00.002-05:00

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My son Steve and I saw about six other birding vehicles on the Wastewater properties this morning, all exhibiting cautious behavior in regard to approaching the one mostly white Snowy Owl we viewed on the property. I did hear a report of two birders' cars yesterday parked in the way of W.W. vehicles that needed to get by. Please check your mirrors often and keep your car well to the right on roads and dikes out there.
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Other birds this morning at WW included a Merlin in the trees east of the Administration offices, two Red-tailed Hawk, 1 American Kestrel and a flock of Snow Bunting west of the offices.
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Yesterday afternoon Ken Sapkowski and Glenda Eikenberry snapped the photo below of a Northern Shrike just beyond the point where Laketon turns northwest (about 1/2 mile west of Swanson) on the south Wastewater properties. They also reported 4 Northern Harrier, 1 Snowy Owl, 1 Bald Eagle, "1 zillion" Northern Shoveler, a few Gadwall and 4 American Kestrel on Moreland between Apple Ave. and Coopersville.
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- Ric
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Holiday Owls

2011-12-25T22:10:00.005-05:00

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On Christmas Eve, Rick Hamlin and his wife found two Short-eared Owls on the Wastewater properties ...
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... and on Christmas Day Carol Cooper followed the voices of some angry crows to this Great Horned Owl at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve.
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Pileated Woodpecker Question

2011-12-22T20:33:00.001-05:00

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December 22 Email:

We recently noticed a young, female Pileated Woodpecker chiseling out a hole in a large beech tree right behind our house. Do you know if this is normal behavior for these birds? I know that they usually drill for insects and the males excavate the holes for the nest in the spring. It just seemed odd to me to see a female excavating a hole in the winter. I would venture to guess she has created a place to stay warm during the cold weather but I am not sure. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rick Hamlin

Rick, I don't know. Let's see if anyone else has an answer.

Number of Birders at Wastewater Lately?

2011-12-22T15:56:00.002-05:00

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~~Before it archives off this page~~,* you might be interested in reading the eight comments under "A Male 'Neuman' in its Nesting Spot" posted December 12 below. The gist of that conversation revolves around the amount of harm caused to the Snowy Owls at the Wastewater when they're approached closely or repeatedly by birders, and if publicizing the sightings of the Snowies (on this website, WOOD-TV, Mich-listers, etc.) is detrimental to the welfare of those birds.
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I would especially like to hear from those who frequently bird the Wastewater how much of an increase in birders you've seen lately (since the Snowies arrived or since the WOOD-TV bit) or any observations of what you'd consider bad bird-watcher behavior.
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I'd suggest commenting under this post (as opposed to the Dec. 12 post) or sending me an email at oakridge35@yahoo.com. If you email, please indicate if you want your comment to be posted; I will not post any email comments unless the sender specifically requests that I do.
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Also, unless you have a gmail account, I believe your comments posted on this site will identify you only as "Anonymous". Anonymous postings are okay, but if you want others to know who you are, please type your name at the end of your comment before submitting it. Thanks!
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- Ric Pedler
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* It has already archived. To find it, scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Older Posts". Thanks to those who have already commented here!
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Brown Creeper

2011-12-22T12:21:00.003-05:00

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I just caught a very quick shot of this Brown Creeper this morning before it went behind the branches and disappeared for good. I was hoping it would stick around for a better shot, but no.
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Mike VanderStelt
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Wednesday Birds Include a Pheasant!

2011-12-22T06:52:00.003-05:00

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Two Dec. 21 Emails:
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Karl Overman and I saw 7 Purple Sandpipers along the south breakwall in Muskegon this morning. Five were near the lighthouse and two were along the south side of the breakwall very close to shore. I was able to get some good photos of these which are on my flickr site.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22374475@N07/
We also saw a probable Surf Scoter and a Common Loon there.
Later we saw a Snowy Owl and two Glaucous Gulls at the Muskegon Wastewater.
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James Fox
Farmington Hills
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Ric,

Big fan of your website. Today at 2:00 p.m. was lucky enough to see this female Ring-necked Pheasant by the parking lot at Snug Harbor.

John Mish

Grand Rapids, MI

Muskegon City CBC Sets a Record

2011-12-21T07:35:00.001-05:00

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Email from Feller and Dee DeWitt:
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Here are the results of the December 17 2011 Muskegon Area Christmas Bird Count. We set a new record of 69 species! The previous record was 61 species.

Their accompanying Word file with all species and areas charted showed a total of 23,650 individual birds.

Golden Eagle at Wastewater Monday

2011-12-21T07:17:00.004-05:00

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Sorry for the late post. The following report was on Mich-listers Monday December 19. I think a Graylag Goose is a "farm goose", and those have been seen every few years at Wastewater. If that's not the case, please let me know. Thanks!
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- Ric
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Birding the Wastewater this morning, in a flock of about 25 Canada Geese was what I believe is a Greylag Goose. It was midway along the south side of the East storage lagoon. Pink feet and bill, NO white on face. Golden Eagle at crop circle 16.

Terry Grabill
Newaygo
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Gulls at Wastewater Saturday

2011-12-20T06:59:00.001-05:00

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Email from Josh Kamp:
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Sorry for the late report, but on Saturday several of us went out to the Wastewater and had pretty good gulls from the dike between the dump and the east lagoon. Highlights included:

1st winter and adult Glaucous

1st winter Thayer's

Adult Iceland

Possible 1st winter Lesser Black-backed

Rare Santa Owl at Wastewater until Sunday

2011-12-19T07:09:00.001-05:00

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For those unfamiliar with Mike VanderStelt's ~~wacky personality~~ unique sense of humor, the Santa Owl above is his creation.
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Grosbeaks NO; But Other Good Stuff

2011-12-18T07:22:00.000-05:00

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Jonathan Lautenbach has emailed that the previous report at eBird of Evening Grosbeaks on the Dec. 14 Wastewater Christmas Bird Count was a recording error: should have been American Goldfinches.
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The reports of Purple Sandpipers along the south breakwall at Pere Marquette Park continue. Jeff Timmer had 4 PUSA on Friday Dec. 16 plus two Glaucous Gulls, James Markham 2 PUSA that afternoon, and Ken Sapkowski and Glenda Eikenberry 4 PUSA Saturday Dec. 17 (photo below).
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Ken and Glenda also went out to the Wastewater on Saturday Dec. 17 noting 3 Snowy Owls, 2 Northern Harriers, 1 Rough-legged Hawk ~~and a Partridge in a Pear Tree~~, (sorry, couldn't resist that), 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Bald Eagle and a large flock of Snow Buntings.
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- Ric
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Friday at the Wastewater

2011-12-16T23:59:00.000-05:00

Northern Pintail at the Wastewater Friday. Also, I believe, the same Bald Eagle as in Mike's video (below).

Don Neumann

Bald Eagle Video

2011-12-16T22:59:00.003-05:00

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Here's a link to a short video I did of an adult Bald Eagle this afternoon. Nothing special, just sitting on a branch by the Wastewater Administration Building.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guWultRdH4Y
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On the bottom of the screen under the eagle it will say"360P"; click on that and choose "1080P" for high-def.
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Mike VanderStelt
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Mike noted that this bird is probably a male because it had been perched near a noticeably larger Bald Eagle before flying over to pose for Mike's video. - Ric
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State Game Area CBC Results from Wednesday

2011-12-16T01:47:00.003-05:00

As I wait for all the submissions from the participants of the Muskegon Wastewater Christmas Bird Count on December 14, 2011, I thought I'd share my personal results from the day. My section comprises the trails and backwoods of the Muskegon State Game Area, and I have been walking the same general route for the last several surveys. Unlike the other Wastewater CBC zones, coverage here aims to better sample certain species that are insufficiently encountered by birders working from their vehicles. Moreover, because bird feeders and human dwellings are absent, we can better measure usage of natural forage and habitats.

I hiked 3.0 miles in the morning (green) and 4.2 miles in the afternoon (red), as shown in the image below.
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This year, a complete lack of snow, little ice, and the constant rain made for quite unusual conditions. The rain definitely reduced detections, and it may have reduced bird activity as well. I ended the day with 242 birds of 23 species (somewhat below the previous averages of 283 birds and 25 species).

Highlights included Red-headed Woodpecker (first since 2005), 10 Northern Flickers (new high tally), Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warbler (rare away from the Muskegon River), and Song Sparrow. Misses (birds seen on at least five of the previous nine counts) comprised Bald Eagle, Mourning Dove, Brown Creeper (present every previous year), and Golden-crowned Kinglet. Interestingly, numerical fluctuations among several species this year coincided well with banding results from Muskegon Lake (e.g., low numbers of Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch versus high numbers of Blue Jay and Tree Sparrow).

In the evening, a short owling foray at a few dependable stops produced one each of Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, and Barred Owl.

The complete list (with pertinent past averages):

Mallard - 1

Red-tailed Hawk - 2

Eastern Screech-Owl - 1

Great Horned Owl - 1

Barred Owl - 1

Red-headed Woodpecker - 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker 5

Downy Woodpecker - 7 (average 12)

Hairy Woodpecker - 4 (average 4)

Northern Flicker - 10 (average 4)

Pileated Woodpecker - 3

Blue Jay - 23 (average 8)

American Crow - 3 (average 7)

Black-capped Chickadee - 32 (average 46)

Tufted Titmouse - 15 (average 5)

Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1

White-breasted Nuthatch - 6 (average 13)

Yellow-rumped Warbler - 7 (average 8)

American Tree Sparrow - 96 (average 75)

Song Sparrow - 2

Dark-eyed Junco - 4 (average 13)

Northern Cardinal - 12 (average 13)

American Goldfinch - 5 (average 10)

- Brian

Pere Marquette This Morning

2011-12-14T14:56:00.001-05:00

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December 14 Email:
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I didn't want Josh Kamp to belittle me for not chasing Jeff Timmer's Purple Sandpipers, so I detoured on my way to college early this morning and subjected myself to a pre-sunrise endurance test on the pier in search of this bird. First off, my britches got soaked to the mid-thigh, though this wasn't as bad as the half-fledged tsunami that basically knocked me off the pier 3 weeks ago. I found a single Purple Sandpiper exactly halfway between "the elbow" and the shore on the north side of the pier. Read my eBird checklist for more details. I forgot my binoculars and camera, so all I have to show for this bird is a dusky Tracfone image (I'm not even sure you can see the bird).

There was a Horned Grebe visiting the Purple Sandpiper, but there were no good gulls, no Red-necked Grebe, and I was still missing 3 Purple Sandpipers.

eBird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9333849

Good Birding,

Zachary DeBruine

Sandpipers, Grebe & Good Gulls at Muskegon

2011-12-13T18:03:00.001-05:00

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Jeffery Timmer to Mich-listers Tuesday Dec. 13:
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This morning from 10:00-11:00 a.m. I had four very tame Purple Sandpipers at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon. All four were before "the elbow" on the north side of the south pier. I also had a late Red-necked Grebe on the calm water between the breakwalls feeding along the north breakwall. In a group of gulls along Pere Marquette Beach, there were three adult Great Black-backed Gulls, one juvenile, and two adult Glaucous Gulls.
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Purple Sandpiper at Muskegon

2011-12-12T15:17:00.001-05:00

I went to the south pier at Muskegon this afternoon to find the Purple Sandpiper. I got there about 1:30 p.m. and Feller was there observing the bird, so all I had to do was walk out and take a few pictures. It was on the north side of the south pier about 100 feet from the elbow.
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- Charlie DeWitt
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A Male "Neuman" in its Nesting Spot

2011-12-12T10:33:00.002-05:00

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I didn't get much of anything "post worthy" except this last, of the species Neuman Raptor, hunting as would be expected.

Mike VanderStelt

P.S. Nice shots in your post, Don!
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Raptor Sunday at the Wastewater

2011-12-11T23:19:00.002-05:00

Sunday (12-11) at the Wastewater: Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk and Snowy Owl.

Don Neumann

Sandpipers Again on Sunday

2011-12-11T15:35:00.001-05:00

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Very windy conditions today at Pere Marquette Park but two Purple Sandpipers were viewable on the partly icy rocks along the north (protected) side of the south breakwall 50-100 yards from shore shortly after 1:00 this afternoon. Conditions did not allow walking further than the first safety light tower beyond the shoreline without getting sprayed. Thank you, Joseph Lautenbach (post below) for my 201st species for 2011.

FYI: I saw one the minute I arrived but had to wait 15 minutes before it appeared again (with its friend) despite their being in a relatively small, restricted area the whole time. As always, they can be there but not be within line of sight because of the rocks. Best viewing angle this afternoon was from the shore.

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- Ric
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Purple Sandpipers - Finally !

2011-12-10T16:49:00.001-05:00

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Joseph Lautenbach to Mich-Chat Dec. 10:
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"Today there were 3 Purple Sandpipers on the south breakwall in Muskegon. All three were together just before the 'elbow'."
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Junco Kinda - Comments Requested !

2011-12-08T15:55:00.001-05:00

I have this bird at a feeder. It appears to be a Junco of some kind. To me it looks like a cross with a Pink-sided Junco. In the top picture you can see there is more white in the left wing than in the right wing; the Pink-sided doesn't have that much white in the wing. Maybe I have a three-way split. :-) I need another bird for my year list, so give me some good answers.
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Charlie DeWitt
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Six Snowies + Shrike at Wastewater Tuesday

2011-12-06T17:12:00.001-05:00

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Driving around the Wastewater this afternoon I observed 12 species including 6 Snowy Owls (1 immature on the Center Dike which BTW is now barricaded for some reason, plus 3 immatures and 2 adults on the fields west and east of Swanson south of White as reported Sunday), an immature light morph Rough-legged Hawk north of the East Lagoon, and the Northern Shrike north of Laketon west and east of Seba on the south side.
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- Ric
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Feeder Birds

2011-12-05T16:08:00.001-05:00

I spent some time at the feeder this morning: Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, Wild Turkey. Notice the band on the chickadee. He must be an "Old Duffer". I think there hasn't been any banding at the feeder for three years.
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- Charlie DeWitt
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Wet Peregrine at WW Saturday

2011-12-05T06:47:00.001-05:00

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Dan Lockard snapped these two pictures of the young Peregrine Falcon at the Wastewater on Saturday. It looks wetter than in its portrait above!
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Six Snowies at Wastewater Sunday

2011-12-04T16:47:00.001-05:00

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Dave Herdegen, Bonnie Kot, Dick Good and Shirley Good report "six Snowy Owls scattered across the field approximately 200 yards SSE of the White Road and Swanson Road intersection" at the Wastewater today (Dec. 4).
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Sparrow Mix- MLNP Banding Report

2011-12-04T12:51:00.004-05:00

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We completed our sixth fall season of banding at Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve on November 30. Because our time was roughly split between running nets and restoring habitat (primarily removing the massive bittersweet infestation), it was a particularly busy season. Our final tally was just over 1000 birds banded. While September (which is characterized by the passage of neotropical migrants) was the worst September in the station's history, the following month (during which temperate migrants dominate) was our best-ever October. Those results reflect the influences of banding effort, habitat work at the site, weather patterns, and population fluctuations.

In general, sparrows (temperate migrants) were common this season. The following collage shows six local migrants/residents that show mostly plain underparts as adults.

Clockwise from top left: Swamp, Chipping, Field, Clay-colored, American Tree, and immature White-crowned.

The Clay-colored Sparrow pictured above was actually banded near Ludington this past summer. Seeking to gauge local densities, age distributions, breeding status, and survivorship, Dave Dister and I initiated a study on the species at an old Christmas-tree farm near his home. Consequently, we aimed to band every adult male we could find. Although we only had four days to devote this year, we did catch 26 territorial males within the 25 acres of appropriate habitat in the parcel. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before capturing the last few. We also caught 5 females. We look forward to seeing how many return next summer.
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- Brian Johnson
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Ed Post December 13 Holland Audubon

2011-12-03T18:36:00.001-05:00

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To our photographers and anyone else who might be interested, the Holland Audubon Club's December program is "A Year in the Life of a Nature Photographer" by Ed Post.
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Hope Church ~ Commons Hall
77 W. 11th Street
Holland, Michigan
Tues. Dec. 13, 2011
Social Time: 6:15 p.m.
Program: 7:00 p.m.
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Four Snowies Saturday Afternoon

2011-12-03T13:57:00.001-05:00

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Thanks to John Brenneman for his comment under my post this morning that he saw not only a Rough-legged Hawk but also four Snowy Owls at the Wastewater this afternoon.

John Brenneman said...

1:15 pm, RLHA on power line north of the east pond, 4 SNOW on the south side of White Road on each side of Swanson.

Shrike but No Raptors Saturday Morning

2011-12-03T11:45:00.001-05:00

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Excepting ducks and geese, there may have been more birders than birds on the rainy Wastewater properties this morning. Of the half-dozen birders I spoke with, no one had seen any owls, eagles or falcons. If any of you reading this did see anything else significant, please let me know. Thanks!
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The Northern Shrike was hunting on both sides of Laketon beyond the elbow (west of the model airport and west of the maintenance buildings) around 10:15.
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(I was not trying to count waterbirds so their numbers below are all underestimates, especially the Northern Shovelers.)
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- Ric Pedler
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Muskegon Wastewater System, Muskegon, US-MI
Dec 3, 2011 9:10 AM - 10:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
8.0 mile(s)
Comments: Rainy; lotsa birders but no raptors.
10 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 2000
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 7
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 20
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 3000
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 3
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 7
gull sp. (Larinae sp.) 300
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 40
Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) 3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
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Golden Eagle at Wastewater Friday

2011-12-02T16:14:00.001-05:00

Got a shot of this Golden Eagle this afternoon at W.W.

Mike VanderStelt
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Dunlin at Wastewater Thursday

2011-12-02T06:20:00.001-05:00

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Email December 1:
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Birding the Wastewater today I found what I believe to be a Dunlin in the northwest corner of the east lagoon. Seems a little late in the year to me?

Rick Hamlin

Owl Up Close and Eagle Action

2011-11-30T21:26:00.003-05:00

A couple Snowy Owls from the Wastewater Wednesday. I guess if you're going to live in the Arctic, it's good to have insulated eyelids!

This immature Bald Eagle didn't like sharing airspace with a Snowy Owl and chased him all around the east lagoon.

Don Neumann
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Long-tailed Duck Etc. at W.W. Tuesday

2011-11-30T07:59:00.001-05:00

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Email November 29:.

While spending some time at the Wastewater today photographing the Snowy Owls, I found a Long-tailed Duck at the southeast corner of the west lagoon and several American Pipits still on the center dike road. I also saw a very large flock of Snow Buntings, probably 200 birds, on the road that travels east to west at the north part of the property. Several Great Blue Herons are still there as well.

Rick Hamlin
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Good Wastewater Birds Monday

2011-11-29T08:39:00.001-05:00

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Chip Francke to Mich-Listers:
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Pat Bazany, Connie Peoples and I searched the Pere Marquette Park pier today (Monday) for purple sandpipers with no success. At the Muskegon Wastewater we found two snowy owls (each was sitting on top of a short white structure in the farm field in the southeast corner of Swanson and White Road (the structures are about 100 yards apart and can be seen from Swanson south of White), two eared grebes along the dikes around the east pond, ten snow geese and at least two cackling geese mixed in with the numerous Canadas in the east pond, and two lesser black-backed gulls (adults) in the east pond off the dump.
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Eagles and Owls, Ho Hum

2011-11-26T07:36:00.001-05:00

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I saw a Blue Jay ! :-)
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Charlie DeWitt
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Banded Bald Eagle: I.D. Requested

2011-11-25T22:23:00.002-05:00

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I'll see all the Snowy Owls and raise 2 Bald Eagles! Taken on the west side of west the lagoon November 25. The leg band is on the upper bird if someone knows how to decipher the code.

Don Neumann

Two Short-eared's This Evening

2011-11-25T19:00:00.001-05:00

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Carol and I (and about ten unknown birders west of us by the model airport) watched two Short-eared Owls interacting along Swanson north of Laketon on the south Wastewater properties at 5:30 this evening. One landed briefly in the road.
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- Ric Pedler
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Let it Snow!

2011-11-25T14:52:00.002-05:00

Just a few angles of the Snowy Owl taken this morning

Mike VanderStelt
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