Red-Headed Woodpecker on Sunday

 June 28 Email:

"I saw a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers on the trail that starts at Lions Park in Whitehall yesterday and this is one of them."  - Mike Boston

Field Trip Posted on Homepage

We found Yellow-billed Cuckoos at all three of our June 19 field trip locations.  Details and photos posted here.

Sign Up If You Want to See This Program

This email came to the Muskegon County Nature Club so I'm posting it here.  - Ric

Buzzed by a Baby!

My neighbor and I were playing chess on my back patio when this newly-fledged Rose-breasted Grosbeak zipped past my face, its right wing under the bill of my cap barely missing my glasses!  Later it sang soft clear notes from our maple tree until its dad showed up to feed it.

Hiking the Old Ferguson Farm onThursday

I arrived at the Old Ferguson Farm at 6 a.m., planning on getting my hike in before it got too hot. The mosquitoes weren't too bad and the deer flies didn't come out until around 9ish.

Eastern Phoebe 

I saw 32 bird species. Nothing unusual to report. I did hear a Least Bittern call several times.  When I am hiking by myself, I can be easily distracted.  Birds aren't always on the top of my list.

I saw 4 butterfly species: this Viceroy plus Pearl Crescent, Least Skipper and Peck's Skipper.

There were 4 dragonfly species: this Twelve-spotted Skimmer, plus a Dot-tailed Whiteface, a Blue Dasher and an Eastern Pondhawk.

I am not very good at identifying damselflies, so I don't know what species this one is.  There were plenty of these guys flying around.

My hike ended at 9:50 a.m.

- Charlie DeWitt

Thanks, Charlie.  I thought of going there Saturday morning since our field trip next weekend starts at the Ferguson Farm, but instead walked the Hofma Preserve south of Grand Haven.  I found 29 bird species including Black-billed Cuckoo, Sandhill Crane, Veery, Red-shouldered Hawk, and other usual suspects.  The boardwalk repair seems near completion; I was able to go halfway across the marsh.  On my walk back this butterfly landed on the trail at the south edge of the woods.  (Charlie confirmed that it's a Red-spotted Purple.)  - Ric

Trumpeter Swan in May

June 6 Email:

This Trumpeter Swan almost flew over my head at Lane's Landing on May 26, 2021.

- Rog Newell

Patterson Park and SGA Headquarters

I birded Patterson Park and SGA headquarters this morning.  No unusual birds at either location; beautiful conditions except for some pesky deer flies along the Maple River.

The 21 species at Patterson Park including Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, and two that posed for photographs:

Eastern Phoebe (of course)

Song Sparrow

The 25 species behind the DNR buildings included Red-eyed Vireo, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Veery, Wood Thrush, Field Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Indigo Bunting and this Brown Thrasher:

Ruddy Ducks at the Wastewater This Morning

This one is blowing bubbles.  I saw several other males do the same thing.

- Charlie DeWitt