Raptor Sightings Pere Marquette & the Channel

During the season's first Shorebird Survey for Chip Francke, Feller DeWitt watched a Peregrine Falcon chasing a Merlin near the south breakwall at Pere Marquette Park.

Afterward I went over to the McLane for an hour of hawkwatching.  It was worth the watch even though there was only one migrant.  A Broad-winged Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk appeared on the north side but did not cross the Channel while I was there.  At 10:40 an adult Peregrine Falcon migrated speedily from over Snug Harbor past the east end the Muskegon Channel and on over Harbor Town.  It was viewable for the better part of a minute and I never saw it move its wings, just knifing through the air in a strong northwest wind.

At 10:50 a young Red-shouldered Hawk flew from near the stern of the McLane northbound low over the Channel water toward a hen Mallard swimming near the rocks on the north side.  At the last second, it veered toward the duck and she dove.  The hawk then perched on the blue railing on the north Channel wall, the duck popped up 30-seconds later quite near the hawk, but neither seemed concerned about the other after that, and soon the hawk flew into the woods.

- Ric