Great Birds on Field Trip Saturday

Fifteen of us really enjoyed this morning's club field trip. We began in cold foggy conditions at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve before the Bohemian Waxwings * arrived. The highlight was observing two vocalizing Carolina Wrens in the woods north of the river (photos by Carol Cooper).

Then we birded the campground areas of Muskegon State Park north of the east end of the Muskegon Channel.  Seeing a Red-necked Grebe in the Channel was great, but greater were the two non-adult-male Common Redpolls, and greatest were the four Red Crossbills (3 male, 1 female) along the roadway southeast of "Jeff's Dune".  These were Lifer Birds for many of us!  (Two photos by Carol Cooper; one by Ken Sapkowski).

We recorded 37 species for the morning.  Brian Johnson, who arrived at MLNP after we departed this morning, phoned shortly after noon to report that he was looking at several * Bohemian Waxwings near his banding nets hoping that one might find its way down.

- Ric

eBird Reports:

Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve, Muskegon, US-MI
Nov 17, 2012 8:05 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments:    Muskegon County Nature Club Field Trip
24 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  6
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  5
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  3
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  3
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  7
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  5
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  6
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  2
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea)  7
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)  5
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  9
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  5
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  1
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  3

Muskegon SP, Muskegon, US-MI
Nov 17, 2012 10:05 AM - 11:55 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:    Muskegon County Nature Club Field Trip
21 species (+1 other taxa)

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  3
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  31
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  3
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  1
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)  2
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)  1    Swimming along north side of Muskegon Channel.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
gull sp. (Larinae sp.)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  2
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  2
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  5
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  2
American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea)  3
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  12
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)  4    North Campground
Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)  2    North Campground, not adult males
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  3