Several Good Birds Around the County Today

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March 5 Email:
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Hey Ric,
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I finally took the time today (3.5.12) to get a day in of some Muskegon County birding and followed a similar route to that of the Lautenbachs (which is my best birding advice, by the way, I think I'd attribute 85-90% of my lifelist to following the Lautenbachs).

At Pere Marquette I had a Snowy Owl, 2 Scoter species (2 Blacks, 45 White-winged), Red-throated Loon, Eared Grebe, Great Black-backed Gull and a female Harlequin Duck.  Many mergansers and Long-tailed Ducks as usual.

Nothing too special at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve or State Park except for Sandhill Crane at MSP, and in the Muskegon Channel many White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks and 3 Horned Grebe.  

At the Wastewater I had many usual suspects, also 6 Northern Pintails, 2 Horned Grebe, 7 Bald Eagle, 1 Golden Eagle, 1 Common Raven and 2 Glaucous Gulls at the landfill, 15 Lapland Longspurs south of Apple Ave., a Northern Shrike at the airport, and 8 Cackling Geese among a ton of Canadas at the Clay Pond (the road down there was terribly muddy; I was extremely blessed to be able to turn around successfully).

Blessed birding be with you.

Phil Vreeman

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