At My Pond

While this American Robin was trying to get breakfast ...

... a family of Tree Swallows was doing the same.

But why catch your own ...

 ... when Mom will shove a dragonfly down your throat?

Yum!

- Don Neumann

High Water Saturday Morning

A huge bucket-loader was filling the 3rd St. and Coho Dr. intersection on Harbor Island yesterday morning where water had been over the pavement.  This mama Mallard hid on high water in the woods away from the marsh:

All 23 bird species were common including Willow Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, and this female Red-winged Blackbird clucking to her kids that she had a treat:

At the Hofma Preserve I found 18 species during an abbreviated stay.  (Not wearing waders, I didn't make it to the marsh boadwalk.):

Eighteen woodland species included Wood Duck (a female squeaking repeatedly), Veery and Rose-breasted Grosbeak; nothing remarkable except a beautiful morning walk!

Plover Update

Carol Cooper reports that the fourth Piping Plover egg was taken to the University of Michigan Biological Station Sunday night and hatched successfully on Monday.  The remaining three chicks at the state park were still doing fine as of last night under the care of their dad.  Unfortunately still no sign of their mom.

Plover Update

Carol Cooper reports today that the young female of the pair of Piping Plovers at the state park has disappeared, but so far the male (8-years old who was also the male last year) seems to be tending to the family (two chicks already).  Carol says it's possible the plover authorities may have to come in and take the chicks, but so far that hasn't been necessary.

Roger Newell's Report and Photos

Roger Newell grew up near the south Wastewater properties.  He lives in Florida now and is active in large-bird rehabilitation.  On his annual trips back up here we usually find a day to bird together (see May 30 post below).  He also visits other parts of Michigan on his trips.  On Friday he emailed:

Hi Ric,

In spite of the rain and high water, I was able to tie my record for most species on one of my trips (124).  I got 2 Michigan Life birds (American White Pelican and Black-and-White Warbler) and 4 LIFE BIRDS (glimpse of a Virginia Rail at Hofma Preserve), Evening Grosbeak at Hartwick Pines State Park, Clay-colored Sparrow near Gaylord, and finally a Kirtland's Warbler near Gaylord).  I was also able to see and get a lousy picture of a male Ruffed Grouse at Lanes Landing (saw one on two different days).  Will send some pictures later.  Thanks again for birding with me. 

Rog Newell

Yesterday he sent many of his photos, several of which are posted below.  Most were taken around here.  Enjoy!

- Ric

Red-necked Phalarope

Magnolia Warbler

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Hermit Thrush

Eared Grebes

Black-billed Cuckoo

Veery

Redhead

Cross-billed Bald Eagle at Pentwater

Yellow-throated Vireo

Quick shot of Ruffed Grouse on the Lane's Landing road.

Clay-colored Sparrow at Gaylord

Kirtland's Warbler near Hartwick Pines State Park

Beautiful Morning: The Usual Suspects

"Just" a Grasshopper Sparrow

Hoping for a Year Bird, I walked along a field on the south Wastewater properties this morning.  When a sparrow popped into sight, I thought it might be #170.  No such luck.  "Just" a Grasshopper Sparrow.  I also counted Warbling Vireo, Indigo Bunting, Horned Lark, Eastern Meadowlark, Upland Sandpiper and Eastern Kingbird among the 21 species.

Then I drove out to Patterson Park for a beautiful stroll along Rio Grande Creek.  Eighteen bird species included Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Phoebe (of course), and American Redstart.

- Ric

Three Unrelated Items from Thursday

1.  Regarding "Miscellaneous Stuff from Friday" posted below, here is a photo from yesterday (6/13/19) of one of the Peregrine Falcon chicks wearing Nik's jewelry:

2.  Carol Cooper emailed an appropriate way to watch the Piping Plovers:  "We are having a tent set up near the plover nesting area with info, and a scope for viewing.  Stickers will be available.  Just on the weekends, but we are watching as much as possible." 

3.  Ken Sapkowski emailed that there's a report on eBird of a Henslow's Sparrow at the Wastewater.

- Ric

Miscellaneous Stuff from Friday

Carl England from Chicago accompanied me to a few birding areas on Friday morning.  At DNR headquarters we happened to see Nik Kalejs who was planning to band the Peregrine Falcon chicks at the Harbor Island box later that day.  Below is an image from the webcam of the two chicks (bird on left partially covering bird on right).  Click here to watch them live.  (When they stand, you can sometimes see their new jewelry.)

This mama Snapping Turtle was laying eggs near Nik's office.

Later Carl and I birded Lane's Landing and the Wastewater properties.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Eastern Kingbirds were again nesting in the "Kingbird Tree" (Laketon at Seba south of Apple Ave.) and an Orchard Oriole perched in the tree briefly.  

Carl took pictures.  If he sends some, we'll post them here.

- Ric

Wet Cool Birding This Morning

Great Blue Heron at the preserve.

Rog Newell and I wore jackets and dodged raindrops while birding two locations this morning.  All 32 species at Black Lake and 31 at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve were " the usual suspects".

Black Lake species included Sandhill Crane, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Wood-pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Veery, American Redstart, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting.

MLNP provided Great Egret, Green Heron, Bald Eagle, Tree and Barn Swallows, and Baltimore Oriole. 

- Ric

Lost Tripod + Warbler Photo

I found this tripod at the Muskegon County Wastewater.  There wasn't anything attached to it.  It was in the dry cells in the "D" section.  I took the tripod to the main wastewater HQ building and left it with Steve.

I did get this photo of Saturday's Brewster's Warbler.

- Charlie DeWitt

Big Day Saturday: 134 Plus 2 Plus 2

What began as a wash-out ended with an excellent total of bird species yesterday.  At least eleven people participated in our annual Big Day Count and recorded 134 species!  Birds listed below are in the order recorded.  (Common Nighthawks were our first and last species!)

From 4:45 - 5:30 at the outer gate of Lane's Landing rain drummed our cars in the darkness.  A few spring peepers peeped.  By 5:35 the rain had stopped, the nighthawks flew and the robins sang.  We drove the puddly mile to the inner gate, woodcocks peenting and Wood Thrushes singing along the way.

Waiting for gray light by the inner gate we added catbird, yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Swamp Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, chickadee, goldfinch, Mourning Dove, cardinal, thrasher, goose, Great-crested Flycatcher, killdeer, Blue-winged Warbler and Sandhill Crane.

Walking the road north through the marsh we recorded grackle, mallard, Tree Swallow, Hooded Merganser, Wood Duck, Marsh Wren, Sora, cormorant, shoveler, grosbeak, Black-billed Cuckoo, Pied-billed Grebe, eagle, Willow Flycatcher, Great Blue Heron, crow, flicker, Blue-winged Teal, Trumpeter Swan (3 flying around us blowing their trombone mouthpieces!), kingbird, Ring-billed Gull and Barred Owl (first calling Who-cooks-for-you'all, then flying off pursued by a blackbird).

The "Prothonotary Woods" produced no Prothonotary Warblers.  Instead we recorded Indigo Bunting, Yellow-throated Vireo, redstart, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, cowbird, Veery, Ovenbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee Warbler, Green Heron, Wilson's Warbler and hummingbird.

Birding the Prothonotary Woods, photo by Charlie DeWitt

Returning south from the woods to our cars we added Barn Swallow, Alder Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing and Blue Jay.  

On the way out our main group observed Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-throated Green Warbler, White-breasted Nuthatch, tanager, Chipping Sparrow and Least Flycatcher.  A few stragglers found a previously-reported Brewster's Warbler (Blue-winged x Golden-winged hybrid)!

Late morning until early afternoon we birded the State Game Area properties from DNR headquarters west along the Maple River to the northeast edge of the Lane's Landing marsh.  New birds were House Wren, towhee, House Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, White-crowned and Field Sparrows, Black-and-White Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, Chestnut-sided and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Purple Finch (female), Cape May Warbler, parula, kingfisher, Nashville Warbler, Warbling Vireo, phoebe and bluebird.

After lunch on our way to the Wastewater most of us drove back into the Lane's Landing road hoping to see the Brewster's hybrid.  We had fleeting glimpses of it and heard it repeatedly singing the three-bzzz Golden-winged song.  So we counted this "half a species" as a full species (Golden-winged Warbler).  If you have a complaint, contact the bird police!  ;-)

Among the gulls at the Wastewater, photo by Charlie DeWitt

The Wastewater properties gave us 35 new species: meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin, black duck, Brewer's Blackbird, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, harrier, turkey, Red-tailed Hawk, Savannah Sparrow, Herring Gull, Horned Lark, Wilson's Phalarope (female in rapid-filtration cell!), pewee, starling, Cliff and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Bonaparte's Gull, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Horned Grebe, Upland Sandpiper, Ring-necked Duck, Sedge Wren, Vesper Sparrow and Bank Swallow.

We found an amazingly high 10-species at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve!  Usually we've already seen most of the species it has to offer by the evening of Big Day, but last evening (especially after the wind died down) warblers invaded the trees.  MLNP gave us Mute Swan, Magnolia Warbler, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Palm Warbler, Great Egret, Blackpoll (several!) and Blackburnian Warblers, White-throated Sparrow, Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Bay-breasted Warbler!  No pigeons, no titmice, no House Finches.

A quick walk at Snug Harbor up the Lost Lake Trail to the hemlocks and back to the parking lot was a bust!  No pigeons, no titmice, no House Finches.

Daylight was almost gone as we quickly panned the beach of Muskegon State Park south to the Muskegon Channel.  Nothing new!  At the channel we added Chimney Swift and our traditional final species: Purple Martin.  While saying our good-byes we enjoyed a few nighthawks flying overhead in the last light of the day.

May 19 Email:

Glenda and I went back to MCWS yesterday (5/18) around 6:45 in the evening to look for the Wilson's Phalarope that had been spotted earlier.  As we watched a large group of Short-billed Dowitchers (17) and Dunlin (40), a flock of Black-bellied Plovers (11) arrived and a minute later a flock of Ruddy Turnstones (7) came in.  The new guys proceeded to bathe (and even enticed an Upland Sandpiper to join them).  No phalarope but we watched and counted this flock for a long time.  We stayed in the car the entire time and I would recommend this for these wet cells.  - Ken Sapkowski  

Greg DeWeerd phoned today.  Yesterday in his yard among other species he had Black-throated Blue Warbler and Mourning Warbler.

So even without House Finch, titmouse and pigeon, adding Ken's 2 and Greg's 2 to the group's 134 means at least 138 kinds of birds were observed in Muskegon County yesterday by members of our club.  Not bad!   - Ric

Tanager and Ovenbird at Hoffmaster Tuesday

May 15 Emails:

A friend shot these two photos in Hoffmaster yesterday.  Ovenbird is really cool..

- Greg DeWeerd

Robert deJonge wrote:

Saw these two fellows at Hoffmaster yesterday — Unfortunately was not able to get a clean shot of the Scarlet Tanager.

Thanks for the photos, Robert, and for forwarding, Greg.  - Ric

Censusing Birds Yesterday

As usual on the second Saturday in May I counted bird species at two locations for local statistics (once compiled for the North American Migration Count) still kept by Brian Johnson.

I found 46 species at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve including the Blue-winged Teal above, 10 warblers (Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-White, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Palm and Yellow-rumped), Wood Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Virginia Rail, Sora, Green Heron, Eastern Kingbird, Marsh Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, Baltimore Oriole and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Five more Year Birds (I'd have 125 if I were counting) were among 41 species at Black Lake Park.  I couldn't find the Connecticut Warbler Brian saw Friday near the parking lot, but did find this Gray-cheeked Thrush 

plus Sandhill Crane, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Towhee, 9 warblers (Ovenbird, waterthrush  -- could have been Northern or Louisiana -- Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow, Black-throated Blue, Palm, Pine, Black-throated Green) and Scarlet Tanager.

- Ric

Tuesday at Crockery Creek Natural Area

Mike Erickson birded the Crockery Creek Natural Area yesterday and found several bird species including Scarlet Tanager, Black-and-White Warbler, Brown Thrasher, Wood Thrush, Sandhill Crane, Palm Warbler and Pileated Woodpecker.