THIS WEBPAGE NO LONGER ACTIVE

This web page obviously is no longer being updated.  It still contains hundreds of beautiful images you might enjoy.  Simply tap “Older posts” at the bottom of each page to go further back through time viewing pictures and posts of birds and nature in Muskegon County.  Just be aware that there is no longer anything “recent” being posted on these pages.  - Ric

More Photos from Don

April 27 Email:

First off there seems to be a masked group working the wastewater.  I saw 3 Sunday evening all dressed the same.

Osprey building a nest in Spring Lake.  The Red Bellied Woodpecker, Palm and Black & White Warblers all at Hofma Preserve.

- Don Neumann

From the Last Two Weeks by Don Neumann

 April 19 Email:

The Wood Duck at Harbor Island, Common loon in Smith's Bayou, Spring Lake. 

The fox hiding behind the tree, Northern Pintails, E.Meadowlark, No. Flickers and Short- eared Owl (as reported by Mike B.) all at the wastewater.

Happy Easter...

- Don Neumann

Short-eared Owl

March 30 Email:

I saw this Short-eared Owl near the RC airfield at the Wastewater today.

- Mike Boston

More Pictures from Kevin

 February 17 Email:

Hi, Ric,

I hope you are having a great winter.  I just thought I would pass along some bird images from the Muskegon River near Newaygo.  These are from the last couple of weeks.  They are golden eagle, trumpeter swans, common mergansers (male and female), and a golden-crowned kinglet.

Best, 

Kevin Feenstra 

Short-eared Owl at MCRRC

 February 12 Email:

“I saw this Short-eared Owl today near the new dump site at the Wastewater.”

- Mike Boston

Eagle, Hawk, and Kingfisher

February 10 Email:

"Hi Ric, hope all is well. Haven’t taken many pictures lately but spent the afternoon at the Wastewater and got these:  Belted Kingfisher, Golden Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk."

- Don Neumann

Two Christmas Bird Counts

    The City of Muskegon Christmas Bird Count will be conducted on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.  Meet one of the three groups at 8:00 a.m.

    South Group -- the Anchor Chiropractic parking lot, Green Street at Seaway Drive.

                            Leaders:  Bonnie Kot and Dave Herdegen

    Central Group -- the south parking lot of the Veteran's Memorial Causeway.

                            Leader:  Steve Minard 

    North Group -- west end of the Snug Harbor parking lot, Muskegon State Park.

                            Leader:  Ken Sherburn

    All counts involve some driving between locations with the actual counting conducted on foot, so be sure to dress for the weather.  If you are new to participating in this CBC, you might contact Ric Pedler beforehand.

    The count basically ends at noon, but you may continue to census birds afterward at other locations within the CBC circle (15-mile diameter centered in downtown Muskegon).   Some of the participants meet for lunch during the noon hour at the Cherokee Restaurant, 1971 W. Sherman Blvd.  

    The Muskegon Wastewater CBC will be Wednesday, December 18, 2024.  Meet coordinator Brian Johnson at 8:00 a.m. in the headquarters parking lot of the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center, 698 N. Maple Island Road.  

    The 15-mile-diameter Wastewater CBC circle is centered on the intersection of White and Ravenna Roads.  Participants are assigned sectors within the circle and count primarily from their cars.  Dress for the weather, of course.

    If there's a lunch meeting of participants, Brian will let you know that morning.

Golden Eagle at MCRRC on Thursday

Kevin Feenstra sends this photo of a Golden Eagle he saw during the snow yesterday at the "Wastewater".

Shrike at the Wastewater Today

Mike Boston sends this photo of a Northern Shrike he photographed east of the East Lagoon at “the Wastewater” today.

Two_Headed Bird -- Really !

My neighbors had this two-headed House Finch on their feeder Saturday.  At first they thought that both heads were feeding, but on closer look they saw that only the rightside head was functional, though the other one followed it up and down.  Amazing that this bird made it to adulthood!  Have any of you seen anything like this?

Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Ovals Today

A pair of lesser black-backed gulls this morning on the beach at Pere Marquete Park with ring-billed gulls.  - Fred Simmons

Little Gulls at Pere Marquette Park

August 22 Email:

I spotted a semipalmated sandpiper and a pair of little gulls feeding on my walk on the south pier this morning.

- Fred Simmons

August 17 Field Trip Report

Five people found 62 (!) bird species at the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center (Wastewater) properties this morning.  Here is the eBird report:

Muskegon Wastewater System

Aug 17, 2024
8:35 AM
Traveling
14.94 miles
248 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 3.0.1 Build 3.0.49

12 Canada Goose
3 Wood Duck
5 Blue-winged Teal
3 Northern Shoveler
74 Mallard
1 Ruddy Duck
23 Wild Turkey
13 Mourning Dove
13 Sandhill Crane
4 Killdeer
1 Semipalmated Plover
17 Spotted Sandpiper
1 Solitary Sandpiper
5 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Greater Yellowlegs
4 Lesser/Greater Yellowlegs
1 Sanderling
4 Baird's Sandpiper
23 Least Sandpiper
1000 Ring-billed Gull
30 Herring Gull
4 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Egret
3 Great Blue Heron
1 Turkey Vulture
7 Bald Eagle -- All immature. 5 Sitting on electrical posts near the landfill. 2 flying over dried cells.
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Belted Kingfisher
3 Downy Woodpecker
8 American Kestrel -- One family group hunting near a dry cell
5 Eastern Wood-Pewee
1 Acadian Flycatcher -- High in forest canopy giving sharp “pweek!” Call note. Have recording.
1 Empidonax sp.
1 Eastern Phoebe
2 Eastern Kingbird
3 Blue Jay
4 American Crow
6 Black-capped Chickadee
5 Tufted Titmouse
6 Tree Swallow
2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
4 swallow sp.
4 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
1 House Wren
1 Carolina Wren -- Cinnamon colored wren with bold eyebrow and decurved bill, calling loudly tea kettle tea kettle, tea kettle in the forest near the entrance.
800 European Starling
8 Eastern Bluebird
2 Cedar Waxwing
1 House Sparrow
4 American Goldfinch
10 Chipping Sparrow
5 Song Sparrow
2 Eastern Towhee
4 Bobolink
9 Eastern Meadowlark
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 Nashville Warbler
1 new world warbler sp. -- Yellow with eyeline
2 Northern Cardinal
4 Indigo Bunting
2 Dickcissel

Birding the MCRRC Wednesday

August 14 Email:

“I had a fun time birding the wastewater facility on Wednesday.  The water in the big lagoons was kinda low and that is where I saw most of my birds.  Making my way around the lagoons I did see Bobolinks and Meadowlarks in the pokeweed and a few ducks in the water and on the rocks.  My Sandpiper variety was pretty good which included Semipalmated, Least, Pectoral, Spotted, Stilt, and White-rumped.  I was watching a juvenile and trying to determine if it was a White-rumped or Bairds when it gave me a peek.  I also got a high-five from a Stilt.  The photography was kinda tough as I was there mid-day with a hot overhead sun but I managed to get a few decent images.   All and all it was a pretty good day and I'm looking forward to my next visit.”

Bob Kingsbury 

Lansing, MI