M.N.A. Field Trip This Saturday Morning

July 22 Email:

Hi Ric,

Short notice, but we’re having a field trip to Five Lakes Muskegon this Saturday at 10:00 am.  All are welcome, feel free to circulate among Nature Club members & others.

Regards,

Matt Schultz

Michigan Nature Association

For anyone interested, meet Matt's group at the back of Eagle Alloy's east parking lot off Evanston Ave. a short distance west of Wolf Lake Road.  - Ric

Birds at "The Dubs" on Saturday

July 20 Email:

I saw your other post today and that explained why I didn't see ANYone at "The Dubs" (aka The Wastewater) today!

I finally made it out and caught almost all the summer birds I was hoping for before they leave!  Dickcissel, Orchard Oriole, Upland Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull, Grasshopper Sparrow, more Vesper Sparrows than I've ever had before (7), and good numbers of shorebirds, the highlight being a beautiful Short-billed Dowitcher shining in the sun. Also had a Peregrine Falcon chasing the plentiful peeps in the grassy cells.  Great day!!  Still have to crunch the numbers, but thought I'd check in first.

Blessed birding be with you!

Photos attached of Dickcissel, Short-billed Dowitcher (ugh, this picture does it NO justice!) and Upland Sandpiper if you're interested.

Phil Vreeman

Yes, Phil, very interested!  Thanks for the photos and the information.  - Ric

Hemlock Crossing Field Trip

Ten birders recorded 30 species of birds on the fields and in the woods along the Pigeon River this beautiful morning at Hemlock Crossing in Ottawa County on our club's monthly field trip.  We also met new park naturalist Curtis Dykstra who coincidentally will be our program speaker for January 2014.

Jul 20, 2013
Hemlock Crossing Park
Traveling
1 miles
210 Minutes
Observers: 10
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Muskegon County Nature Club July Field Trip

2 Mallard
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
4 Rock Pigeon
3 Mourning Dove
2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1 Belted Kingfisher
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Picoides Woodpecker (Downy or Hairy)
2 Eastern Wood-Pewee
1 Eastern Phoebe
3 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Blue Jay
1 Barn Swallow
7 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Tufted Titmouse
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Eastern Bluebird
1 American Robin
1 Cedar Waxwing
5 Common Yellowthroat
1 Chipping Sparrow
2 Field Sparrow
5 Song Sparrow
1 Scarlet Tanager
2 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
2 Indigo Bunting
3 Red-winged Blackbird
1 House Finch
6 American Goldfinch

Report generated for eBird by BirdsEye Birdlog NA app for iPod.

15 Birders, 26 Species and a Former Student

On Thursday an article in the Muskegon Chronicle caught my attention.  It was an invitation to a bird walk this morning at Snug Harbor with several objectives, one "how to get connected with area Audubon Clubs."  As president of Muskegon's only Audubon club, I was curious because all names associated with this walk were unknown to me.  Question: How were we going to get connected?  Answer: I showed up.

The leader was Brian Zuber of the DNR, assisted by fellow staffer Phil Higgins and Grand Rapids volunteer Joe Kurnik -- great guys all!

What a fortuitous meeting!  Not only did all of us with similar objectives meet each other, not only did the eleven other participants (including four cool kids) meet us, not only did we share brochures and see a Great Egret and tell bird stories and enjoy a wonderful bird walk, but I also met Marie from my first 8th grade class at Oakridge Junior High School way back in 1967! 

- Ric

- - -

Jul 13, 2013
Muskegon State Park, Snug Harbor
Traveling
0.5 miles
160 Minutes
Observers: 15
All birds reported? Yes
Comments:  DNR Bird Watching 101 - Brian Zuber, Phil Higgins, Joe Kurnik

2 Mute Swan
1 Great Blue Heron
1 Great Egret
2 Green Heron
2 Bald Eagle
1 Mourning Dove
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
2 Eastern Phoebe
1 Eastern Kingbird
1 Warbling Vireo
3 Red-eyed Vireo
2 American Crow
7 Barn Swallow
2 Black-capped Chickadee
2 Tufted Titmouse
4 American Robin
1 Gray Catbird
3 Cedar Waxwing
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Song Sparrow
2 Northern Cardinal
5 Red-winged Blackbird
12 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 American Goldfinch

Report generated for eBird by BirdsEye BirdLog NA app for iPod

Ducks

July 11 Email:

Today I saw this mama duck and three babies along the Muskegon Channel on the northside.  Two of the babies looked like Mallards, but the mama looked very white/gray.  Fun watching them.  - Carol Cooper

... And Speaking of Dragonflies

July 1 Email:

I love the dragonflies too.  Here is one from today at Snug Harbor. Carol Cooper

Norton Shores Fawn

June 28 Email:

I found this little guy right at my front door this morning.  Later my wife found it lying on the front step.

 

Theron Wierenga

Norton Shores

Dragonflies and Damselflies

Female Spangled Skimmer

 Male Spangled Skimmer

Male Blue Dasher

Female Eastern Pondhawk

Damselfly (one of the Bluets)

On the 22nd of June 2013 I went for a walk at Black Lake Park in Norton Shores.  The reason for the walk was to find dragonflies and damselflies.  I found 10 species of dragonflies and several species of damselflies.  The drain ditch on the south side of the park is a very good place to observe them.  I also found 9 species of birds and 4 species of butterflies.

Charlie DeWitt

Florida Visitor Records 64 Species at WW

June 16 Email:

Here is a list of the bird species spotted at the Muskegon Wastewater area during my visit from Florida between 5/31 and 6/16, 2013. American Coot American Crow American Goldfinch American Robin Bald Eagle (juvenile) Baltimore Oriole Bank Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay Blue-winged Teal Bobolink Brown-headed Cowbird Brown Thrasher Bufflehead (male) Canada Geese/goslings Canvasback (male/female) Chipping Sparrow Cliff Swallow Common Grackle Coopers Hawk Dickcissel Downy Woodpecker Double-crested Cormorant Eared Grebe (LIFE BIRD) Eastern Bluebird Eastern Kingbird Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Phoebe Eastern Towhee European Starling Gadwall (male/female) Gray Catbird Great Blue Heron Great Crested Flycatcher Herring Gull Horned Lark Killdeer Lesser Scaup Mallard (male/female/ducklings) Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Harrier Northern Rough-winged Swallow Northern Shoveler (male/female) Orchard Oriole Pileated Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Ring-billed Gull Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ruddy Duck (male/female) Sandhill Crane Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Spotted Sandpiper Tree Swallow Turkey Vulture Upland Sandpiper (+ one baby) Wild Turkey Wood Duck (female only) Yellow Warbler

Unidentified Sparrow-like bird

Rog Newell
Valrico, FL

Dickcissel and Eared Grebe at W.W. Saturday

After the MCNC field trip I stopped at Muskegon County Wastewater to get my Dickcissel for the year (#234, Ric).  It was in RI Cell E5.

Charlie DeWitt

Charlie, thanks for the info if not for the number.  Great photos!  FYI the Northern Waterthrush on the field trip was my 166th, but who's counting?  Meanwhile, Hank Veldman emailed yesterday the following info and photo.  - Ric

I found an Eared Grebe at Wastewater Friday AM on the N side of the E lagoon. Also, near it was the Canvasback that others have reported recently. - Hank Veldman, Grand Rapids

Pewee and Dragonfly on Field Trip

Six of us recorded 30 bird species (plus various damsel and dragonflies and a dead porcupine) on the Howard Christensen Nature Center field trip this morning.  Carol Cooper sends these trip photos of an Eastern Wood-pewee and female White-tailed Dragonfly.

- Ric

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Sandpiper, Flycatcher and Turtle at W.W.

Dan Lockard emails these photos which he took at the Wastewater yesterday (6/11/13).  The first is an Upland Sandpiper, the second I'm calling Eastern Wood-pewee, and the third a Box Turtle.  I don't "do" turtles and may have missed the flycatcher too, so please click "Comments" below if you have corrections or additions.  Thanks!

- Ric

Osprey vs. Eagle Muskegon River

June 10 Email:

I really enjoy looking at the birding website in the evenings.   I was wondering if you would like to post a couple of bird photos anonymously. Today I had an immature Bald Eagle and an Osprey in a brawl over the Muskegon River.  The image quality isn't the greatest, but thought people might enjoy them anyways. 

Wow!  I'm sure they will.  Thanks!  - Ric

Red-winged Blackbird

Roxanne Eacker sends this portrait of a Red-winged Blackbird at Snug Harbor today.

Great-crested Flycatcher and Killdeer Nest

Nobody has posted a new picture for awhile so I thought I'd post this Great-crested Flycatcher that I saw at Lane's Landing on Tuesday evening, 6/4/2013.

Mike Boston

Meanwhile Carol Cooper sends this photo of a Killdeer Nest she found in Muskegon Township.  - Ric