Quiet Saturday Morning at the Preserve

I spent two hours at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve this morning.  The boardwalk along the river was no longer barricaded!

Water was still high.  Portions of the two-track were impassable.

Some paths within the preserve were unwalkable.  This portion of the east boardwalk was still submerged: 

Although I counted 25 bird species in two hours, the preserve was relatively quiet.  I could not positively identify this flycatcher (Eastern Wood Pewee?  Willow or Alder Flycatcher?). 

The 12-15 Song Sparrows were all in small (family?) groups.  

There were at least a dozen Double-crested Cormorants and perhaps as many chipmunks.  Other birds of note included Green Heron, Bald Eagle, Warbling Vireo, Marsh Wren and a pair of Mourning Doves that flew without making any wing-sound.  I had read that this was possible, but today was the first time I'd experienced it.  

- Ric

Friday Morning at Grand Haven North Pier

 Least Sandpiper

Sanderling

I spent 1.5 hours at the north pier in Grand Haven this morning.  Not much going on.  The waves were washing over the pier so the shorebirds were on shore. I had 1 Least Sandpiper, 1 Semipalmated Plover and 6 Sanderlings.  There was a mix of gulls, Ring-billed, Herring, and Bonapart's Gulls.  I also had 60 Double-crested Cormorants fly over.

- Charlie DeWitt

Grand Haven North Pier and Ottawa Sands

Prior to scouting Ottawa Sands County Park for next month's field trip I walked the Grand Haven north pier because of Charlie's report below.  There was a nice variety of shorebirds along both edges including the Red Knot and Stilt Sandpiper.  

Stilt Sandpiper and Red Knot

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

.

Sanderling

Double-crested Cormorant

Then I walked around the lake at Ottawa Sands County Park.

It wasn't too birdy late this morning, but still interesting.  Thirteen species included Ruby-throated Hummingbird, two Red-headed Woodpeckers, Eastern Wood Pewee, Red-tailed Hawk and two Bald Eagles (one juvenile and one adult spent several minutes "squeaking" while soaring over the woods on the west side near the nest).

If I were counting, I would now have 174 Year Birds.   - Ric

Red Knot and Stilt Sandpiper at Grand Haven

 Red Knot

Stilt Sandpiper

The Red Knot that Steve Menard reported yesterday is still at the Grand Haven north pier as of 10:00 this morning.  There is also a Stilt Sandpiper on the pier seen earlier this morning by two Grand Haven birders.

Charlie DeWitt

Of Hummingbirds, Cameras and Rambi

August 20 Email:

I was just out in the back yard shooting other things in "aperture priority" (slower shutter, hence the excessive movement in the leaf) when these Ruby-throated Hummingbirds popped in.   - Mike VanderStelt

Female

Male

Mike is breaking in a new camera.  Until now his recent photos were taken with his phone, including this video from last week of the not-yet-totally-wild Rambi.

- Ric

Willets at Grand Haven

There were three Willets on the Grand Haven north pier this afternoon.

- Charlie DeWitt

Purple Martin Revival: Grand Haven

Our own Dave Herdegen is also a member of the Owashtanong Islands Audubon Society (Grand Haven).  This article in today's Grand Haven Tribune tells about the successful Purple Martin project there and Dave's contributions as a "purple martin landlord".

Early Morning at the Grand Haven North Pier

 Great Black-backed Gull

 Spotted Sandpiper

 Semipalmated Sandpiper

 Least Sandpiper

 Sanderling

Baird's Sandpiper

These are the birds I saw at the Grand Haven North Pier this morning.

- Charlie DeWitt

Mourning Dove Guru

Mike VanderStelt sends a photo of Rambi today titling it "Yoga Class":

Grand Haven North Pier

 Spotted Sandpiper

 Semipalmated Plover

Lesser Yellowlegs

I went to the Grand Haven North Pier today and found these shorebirds.   I also had Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, Purple Martin and Bank Swallow.

- Charlie DeWitt