Evening Grosbeaks Etc. on Saturday

Ted Ogren had five or six Evening Grosbeaks on his feeder about 2:30 this afternoon!

Only three raptors north of the channel at Muskegon State Park this morning (2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Bald Eagle).  The path up to "Jeff's Dune" held several of these "digger wasp" holes.  (Thanks to anyone who can tell us more specifically what animal creates these "perfectly-drilled" holes.)

Lillian Remus's 100th Today !

Richard Mullally's email and photos regarding longtime nature club member Lillian Remus are posted on our homepage.

Red Phalarope and Little Gull

October 23 Email:

I saw this Red Phalarope at the Wastewater on Sunday afternoon.  I didn't know about the Little Gull* so I missed that, but this was a nice surprise.

- Mike Boston

A Mich-listers report says the Little Gull was still at the same location as in Ken's post below after 5:00 p.m. today (Tuesday 10/23).   - Ric

Little Gull Sunday Afternoon

Ken Sapkowski reports that the Little Gull first reported by Steve Minard yesterday was still at the Wastewater this afternoon.  At 1:00 it was in with a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls near the easternmost aeration cell (Number 5) behind the administration building near the north end of the center dike.

Mergansers and Siskins on Saturday

Had 2 pair of Hooded Mergansers on my pond this morning, and just before the rain moved in a group of Pine Siskins flew by.  - Don Neumann
                                          

                                             

Thanks for the report and photos, Don.  Our group was birding in Ravenna at that time.  A short report with photos is posted on our homepage.  - Ric

White-fronted Geese and Eared Grebe Remain

October 15 to Mich-Listers:

The previously reported White-fronted Geese at Muskegon Waste Water were seen this afternoon by myself and Robert Bochenek.  We viewed them in a field below us on the dike road in with say 130 Canadas.  We picked out three of them.  We also saw an Eared Grebe from the central causeway.

In brutal weather we tried for the Mew Gull at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River without success. The waves were washing over the break walls and nothing could rest on them.  

Cheers,

- Karl Overman

Kinglet, White-fronted Geese and Eared Grebe

October 12 Email:

This must have flown into the glass door at a store we are at in Grand Rapids.  Just moved it over and set it down.  - Mike VanderStelt

Golden-crowned Kinglet by Mike VanderStelt

October 14 to Mich-listers, 10:30 a.m., from his iPhone:

At the Muskegon Wastewater facility just past the viaduct between the two pools there are 4 Great White Fronted Geese in a farm field with Canada Geese. The Eared Grebe was near the landfill corner.

- Ed Lewandowski, Macomb County

Migrating Hawks on Thursday

Jeff Johnson, back in West Michigan for awhile, phoned yesterday (October 4, 2018) with these numbers of migrating raptors after a couple hours on "Jeff's Dune"* at Muskegon State Park north of the Muskegon Channel: 

Turkey Vulture -  2  (counted as "raptors" by hawk-watchers)
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Osprey - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 5
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 6
Unidentified Accipiter - 1  (either a sharpie or a Coop)
Unidentified Raptors - 3

Jeff noted that these numbers are unofficial.  The flight was very high on a mostly blue sky, so a few numbers are "best estimates".

He also observed many Blue Jays, three migrating Sandhill Cranes, three non-migrating Bald Eagles (2 adults, 1 immature), and one non-migrating Red-tailed Hawk.

*  The dune with the trail post northeast of the ranger station.  In the fall of 1998 Jeff conducted an actual hawk-watch from that location which was followed to a lesser degree in subsequent years by members of our club.  Those counts indicated that an east-wind element is not necessary for a raptor migration over Muskegon.  (I think some of the migrating raptors fly lower on an east wind and are thus easier to see.)  Yesterday during Jeff's count the wind was from the north.  - Ric

Bugs, Birds, and Deer from Newaygo

October 1 Email:

Hi Ric:

Here’s a few pics from the Muskegon River around Newaygo.  Every year we have a tiny mayfly that hatches on the cloudy days in the fall called a Blue Winged Olive.  To give you an idea how tiny they are, look at the picture of the Spotted Sandpiper.  The birds are drawn to the river when this happens and there are a lot of smaller birds by the edges of the river.   

Have a great week…

- Kevin Feenstra

Kevin, always good to see your pics, and you have a great week too!  Those smaller birds look like what birdwatchers call "Empy flycatchers" (in the genus "Empidonax").  If so, they're very hard to tell apart unless they sing.  Probably Least, Willow or Alder, possibly Acadian, and even Yellow-bellied is possible during migration.  If anyone seeing these has other thoughts, please comment.  - Ric