Quality Trumps Quantity Hawkwatching Today

Jeff Johnson and I spent a few hours hawkwatching this morning north of the Muskegon Channel at Muskegon State Park.  The raptor quantity was low (2 Bald Eagles, 2 Northern Harriers, 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks and 1 Red-tailed Hawk) but the quality shot up when a Golden Eagle flew by!

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It was peacefully escorted by the Snug Harbor Bald Eagles.  It flew south to the channel, then returned and flew north to the woodline.  One of the Bald Eagles dove at it, the Golden dropped into the woods, and we never saw it again.

Non-raptors included turkeys (six foraging around the trail post on the dune before we displaced them), flickers, jays, crows, chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets, bluebirds, juncos and goldfinches.

- Ric