Beautiful Day at the Wastewater

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It was great that so many birders were able to see the Short-eared Owls today. I am only going to post one owl picture because I promised I would post one. Mike's pictures are great. The American Kestrel was on Moorland Road and the Snow Buntings were on Swanson Road north of White.

- Charlie DeWitt
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Ross's, Short-eareds & Redtail at Wastewater

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These were taken at the Wastwater today -- Ross's Goose is flying over the mixers, the Red-tailed Hawk is flying over Swanson Road by Apple, and the Short Eared Owls were, of course, at the Swanson/Laketon intersection. Also on a side note -- the Mouse/Vole just didn't want to be there AT ALL! :)  The rest are in the following post.
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Mike VanderStelt

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Ross's Goose, Short Eared Owls, Red-tailed Hawk ... Continued

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These are the rest of the shots.

Mike VanderStelt
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Purple Sandpiper - South Breakwall

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I found the Purple Sandpiper today along the south pier at Pere Marquette Park 100 feet or so out from shore on the south side of the pier.

- Charlie DeWitt
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Good Birds at Wastewater Friday - DeWitts

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Carol and I had five Short-eared Owls on the Wastewater properties at the corner of Swanson and Laketon by the model airplane field between 4:30 and 5:00 this afternoon (Jan. 7).

- Charlie DeWitt

(Feller and Dee DeWitt saw two Lapland Longspurs mixed in with a flock of Snow Buntings today just off the road at Maple Island and White.  Then they went over to the goose flock and found the previously reported Ross's Goose.  - Ric )
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Lotsa Good Birds Seen on Friday

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Today Andy Johnson, Neil Gilbert and I went birding in the Muskegon area. We had the 1st year drake Harlequin Duck at Grand Haven along with the Surf and White-winged Scoters.  At Pere Marquette we had 3 Purple Sandpipers, one female-type Harlequin Duck, White-winged and Black Scoters.  At Wastewater we had the 2 Northern Pintails, a 3rd-cycle Glaucous Gull, and great looks at 3 Short-eared Owls.

-  Jonathan Lautenbach

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Scoters at Grand Haven Wednesday

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White-winged and Surf Scoter at Grand Haven north pier Wed. morning.  I left just in time to miss the Red-throated and Common Loons. (south pier).

- Charlie DeWitt
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Golden Eagle shots from Wed. at Wastewater

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This Golden Eagle really seems to have a thing for those wires -- wouldn't stay away from them all day -- oh well.

Mike VanderStelt
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I counter Feller's offer with -- Ross's Goose YES!

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     Feller may not have noticed, but his rival (Brother Charlie) arrived and spotted the Ross's Goose in a matter of minutes -- FINDING it in the same place I was just looking and NOT finding it! (oh the Humanity).  So these shots have to be credited to "Sir Charles" for bringing the Ross's to my attention. They're only I.D. quality as it was 5:30 and cloudy when we shot them -- but I figured he needed to "rub it in", so here they are along with a few Golden Eagle, and what Ric I.D.'d as an immature Red-shouldered Hawk. Thanks everyone for "holding my hand" today, at least everyone BUT Feller -- he could have let me in on the short-eared's :)

     The Golden Eagle shots will be in the next post as they wouldn't load into this one.

- Mike VanderStelt
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Harlequin Duck White Lake Channel Today

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Norma Nesbit emails that the Harlequin Duck previously reported in the White Lake Channel last Sunday was there at 1:30 today (Jan. 5).  For a half hour it swam with a White-winged Scoter.  Norma may send photos later.  At 4:30 she went back and saw the harlequin again, still at the White Lake end of the channel, as well as 5 Long-tailed Ducks, a Hooded Merganser, a Red-breasted Merganser and many other species.

- Ric
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Ross's Goose No, Other Stuff Yes at the Wastewater on Wednesday

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    2 Northern Pintails where the Ross's Goose was supposed to be.

    250+ Snow Buntings at the grainery.

    5 Short-eared Owls 5:00 p.m. at the corner of Swanson and Laketon and very tame.

    8 Eastern Bluebirds on the wires by the cedar trees on the west end of Laketon.

    1 dark morph Rough-legged hawk at the west end of Laketon.

    And the wife was there to verify the count.

          - Feller DeWitt

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Good Birds Reported Today on Mich-Listers

    With the help of 2 birders whose names I didn't get, I viewed a Western Grebe at the end of the south pier at Grand Haven; I was standing 1/2 way down the south pier and the bird was on the south side of it.  Also with their help, I viewed the Harlequin Duck which was hanging rather tight to the north side of the north pier; not very conveniently viewed from the base of the north pier.

    At the end of my short jaunt, and from the parking lot near the north pier, a Western Grebe flew west down the channel towards the end of the piers.  Was this the reported 2nd grebe or did the other one move around a bit while I searched for the Harlequin?

    2 Horned Grebes, 1 adult male White-winged Scoter, 1 adult male Surf Scoter, 1 female Hooded Merganser, and a Long-tailed Duck along with the other typical fare made for a nice (and cold) outing.

    As you can imagine the piers are nearly completely ice-covered and rather treacherous; use caution!

    Good birding,

          - Mike Overway

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There was a Ross's Goose with 1000 Canada Geese near the Administration Building today at the Muskegon County Wastewater System.

          - John Lowry (from my iPhone)

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Harlequin Duck & Western Grebe at G.H.

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To Mich-Listers (Jan. 4):

This morning from 11:00 to 11:30 I had one of the Western Grebes at the previously described location in the Grand Haven channel.  In addition, I had a first winter male Harlequin Duck 1/4 of the way out the pier in the channel just a few minutes later.

- Jon Vande Kopple

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Just a Bald Eagle from a few days back

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Here's a photo of a Bald Eagle at Wastewater last week sometime.

- Mike VanderStelt
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Three Sunday Photos of Golden Eagle

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I followed the Golden Eagles at the Wastewater for about an hour Sunday morning (Jan. 2) and finally one landed as the sun came out for a few seconds.

- Don Neumann

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