Saturday Birds and People

Travis Dewys birded Linear Park on Harbor Island in Grand Haven today and took these photos of Palm Warbler, Sora and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

This morning before heading to State Game Area headquarters I photographed this Vesper Sparrow and Eastern Towhee along Seba Road north of Laketon on the south Wastewater properties.

This House Wren at State Game Area headquarters was my 106th Year Bird:

Greg Hochstetler, the new DNR Wildlife Biologist, hosted Nik Kalejz's annual program introducing people to the State Game Area.  Afterward we showed those folks around the SGA and Lane's Landing and the Wastewater properties.

We met Brian Johnson along the way.  He may post a report sometime later on this page regarding the Wastewater Shorebird Survey he was about to conduct.

We also met Marc Miedema at the Wastewater and he answered our request for his eBird list below of 57 species at the Wastewater today.  Thanks, Marc!

 - Ric

Canada Goose 23, Gadwall 28, American Wigeon 6, Mallard 22, Blue-winged Teal 6, Northern Shoveler 87, Redhead 7, Lesser Scaup 65, Bufflehead 52, Hooded Merganser 2, Ruddy Duck 100, Wild Turkey 4, Horned Grebe 31, Eared Grebe 3, Red-tailed Hawk 1, American Coot 46, Killdeer 12, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Greater Yellowlegs 28, Lesser Yellowlegs 26, Upland Sandpiper 5, Dunlin 7, Least Sandpiper 1, Pectoral Sandpiper 5, Short-billed Long-billed Dowitcher 1 (picture at Flickr; found by Brian Johnson), Bonaparte's Gull 54, Ring-billed Gull x, Herring Gull x, Mourning Dove 8, Snowy Owl 1, Northern Flicker 2, American Kestrel 1, Eastern Kingbird 1, Blue Jay 3, American Crow 14, Horned Lark 11, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2, Tree Swallow 24, Cliff Swallow 4, Eastern Bluebird 5, American Robin 9, Brown Thrasher 2, Yellow Warbler 1, Chipping Sparrow 5, Field Sparrow 3, Vesper Sparrow 3, Savannah Sparrow 1, Grasshopper 2, Song Sparrow 7, Northern Cardinal 3, Red-winged Blackbird 75, Eastern Meadowlark 5, Brewer's Blackbird 11, Common Grackle 5, Brown-headed Cowbird 6, House Finch 2 and American Goldfinch 3.

Shorebird ID Questions: Comments Welcome

May 2 Email:

I spent nearly 6 hours at the Wastewater yesterday (Friday, May 1st) (mostly north of Apple Ave.). Late afternoon I saw a number of small shorebirds I am stymied by.  Perhaps you can help (I’ve attached some photos).  I first thought they were White-rumped Sandpipers but do not see the white-rump.  Could they be Baird's Sandpipers? Looking at All About Birds, Baird’s do not appear to migrate through Michigan. Or, am I way off-base and they are Semipalmated Sandpiper.  Since you are familiar with the WW and surrounding area, I hope you can help.  I’ve also attached a view of the WW showing where I saw these birds. Additionally, there was a Greater Yellowlegs, several Killdeer, and what I think is a Long-billed Dowitcher (I’m not good with sandpipers…lol).  Thanks in advance.

~John Poindexter

John, White-rumped and Baird's can both be at the Wastewater. I'm not the one you want ID-ing shorebirds, but here are your photos.  Look at this page for the next few days for comments from people who are good at it.  - Ric

Regarding Wednesday's Egret and Yellowlegs

John Poindexter replied to my email regarding the location of the Great Egret he photographed at the Wastewater on Thursday (posted below):

"It was in section “C” of the Rapid Infiltration Basins; closer to the biological treatment cells.  I also saw 5 Greater Yellowlegs closer to the road in the same section of basins.  My exposure was off but I’ve attached a shot of two yellowlegs."

Good Day for Sparrows

Before today I had five sparrow species in Michigan this year (Tree, Chipping, House, Song and Swamp).  I added four on the south Wastewater properties this morning (Savannah, Field, Vesper and Grasshopper).  One was wearing jewelry by Brian.

This light morph Rough-legged Hawk was still hanging around southwest of the model airplane field.

I could have used the Great Egret (posted below).  Sometimes they're at the Clay Pond, but all I saw there today was this Tree Swallow sitting on the fence.  

I left for the State Game Area and Lane's Landing around 8:00 instead of birding the Wastewater north of Apple.  There were 38 species up there, but nothing new for the year (maybe because it was still cold).  Barred Owl called and Wilson's Snipe winnowed at SGA; Sora laughed at Lane's Landing.

Also laughing, I imagine, are Feller, Charlie, Ken and the rest of the gang when they find out that today's sparrows finally put me over 100 Michigan species for this year.  Not that any of them are counting.

April 30 Email:

I saw this Great Egret today at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- John Poindexter

Sora and Bat at Nature Preserve Wednesday

April 29 Email:

There was a Sora at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve today, but I couldn't get a photo of him.  This Little Brown Bat was located by a third grade classroom at MLNP.

- Carol Cooper

Wednesday Birds at the Wastewater

April 29 Email:

I took a few photos at the Wastewater early this morning.  Greater Yellowlegs, Upland Sandpiper and what I think is a Spotted Sandpiper.  
- Brad Heath

Sunday Birds at the Wastewater

April 28 Email:

Good Morning, here are a few shots from Sunday @ MWW. - Terra Berry

Terra, thanks for the photos (Tree Swallows, Eastern Meadowlark, Upland Sandpiper, Snowy Owl).  It seems about time for that owl to be heading north.  - Ric

Purple Finch Invasion

At 6:00 this evening four Purple Finches (3 male; 1 female) appeared on our backyard feeder.  These photos were taken through our back window; by the time I got outside, the birds were gone.

- Ric

Godwit Replaces Avocets at Wastewater Today

Marc Miedema planned to bird all day.  I accompanied him from 6:15 until 11:40 from Lane's Landing (34 species) to the State Game Area headquarters (38 species).

Highlights at Lane's included an American Bittern (not the one above; see sidebar) "thunder-pumping" as it peeked over the grass tops, Virginia Rail, Sora, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and a pair of Great Horned Owls whooting at each other at 8:45 a.m.! and several Blue-winged Teal.

At SGA we heard what sounded like a Common Loon calling from the "snipe field" west of the headquarters.  A Wilson's Snipe winnowed over the south end of that field.  We also saw Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush, and at least three Red-tailed Hawks.  

Marc continued on to the Wastewater while I went home and found Terra Berry's email including several photos from yesterday at the Wastewater including this Horned Grebe and American Avocet:

Finally, at 3:15 Feller DeWitt phoned to report a Marbled Godwit in the same aeration lagoon that the American Avocets had been in yesterday.  He said the avocets were gone.  I don't know if he and Marc saw each other out there.

- Ric

Avocets and Solitary Sandpiper at Wastewater

April 23 Email:

I saw 6 American Avocets & 1 Solitary Sandpiper at the Wastewater today.

- James Fyfe

Avocet Photos on Wednesday

April 22 Email:

I was at Wastewater today and was able to find the American Avocets that Feller saw yesterday. There were eight of them around noon on Wednesday in the western most drawn down aeration cell.  This was a life bird for me.  Pretty exciting, and what a beautiful bird.

- Travis Dewys

Avocets at the Wastewater Tuesday Afternoon

Feller DeWitt just phoned to report five American Avocets in the drawn-down aeration lagoon this afternoon at the Wastewater.  Also several Bonaparte's Gulls and Ruddy Ducks.

Egyptian Geese at Wastewater Saturday

April 19 Email:

Hi Ric,
Mary Poort and I saw these two Egyptian Geese in the grassy cells at Wastewater on Saturday.  As I understand, they are considered escapees and not countable.  However, still cool to see!  Do you know if anyone has seen these around the area before?  Feel free to post this on the nature club's website if you think it's of interest.
Regards, 
Marc Miedema

Occasionally domestic geese show up on the lagoons at the Wastewater.  Several years ago there was one that brought many comments from people seeing it for the first time.  Some of the domestic geese are shown here:

http://poultrykeeper.com/goose-breeds.

Yours aren't included, but I still suspect that they came from a nearby farm.  Yes, they're interesting, no matter where they came from, and especially if from Egypt!  - Ric

MLNP - The Usual Suspects

I walked around the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve this chilly morning hoping for a new year bird but finding only the usual suspects.  Of the 22 species recorded, a Brown Creeper was probably "best".  There were still several American Tree Sparrows on the property. - Ric