.
In regard to Dave Elbrecht's Harris's Sparrow (see March 10 post below), if anyone else goes back there on the SGA properties in search of it, please let me know.
.
Weird combination of birds in our neighborhood today. First for the spring Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow and Turkey Vulture. Sharing the feeding area with these were a Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Juncos and about 40 Common Redpolls. Our side feeder missed by one second having Chipper and Redpoll at the same time -- that would have been a first and a last!
.
- Ric
.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Short-eared Owls and Good Little Geese
.
March 11 Email:
.
March 11 Email:
.
I'm still picking sand out of my teeth from yesterday, but today made up for it. Among the many bird stories we could tell from the last two days the finale Sunday evening was amazing.
.
Three Short-eared Owls were out well before dark and drifting by effortlessly near the Swanson-Laketon intersection, some within 15 feet. I have some nice shots of one in the field, but trying to get a point-and-shot camera to focus on a bird in the air is nearly impossible. Glenda Eikenberry took the attached photo, not me.
.
Three Short-eared Owls were out well before dark and drifting by effortlessly near the Swanson-Laketon intersection, some within 15 feet. I have some nice shots of one in the field, but trying to get a point-and-shot camera to focus on a bird in the air is nearly impossible. Glenda Eikenberry took the attached photo, not me.
Also, Phil Vreeman joined us and said there were 5 Ross's or Ross's x Snow Geese hybrid on the central dike at the Wastewater. We missed those, but we had gone down to Allegan county for the big show Saturday morning. (See Caleb Putnam's report on Mich-Lister's.)
- Ken Sapkowski
.
.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Good Waterbirds Along Musketawa Trail
.
Email, Sunday March 11:
.
Email, Sunday March 11:
.
Yesterday (10 March 2012) my brother Michael and I had some good birds just south of wastewater properties along Swanson Road at Musketawa Trail. There is a large wetlands at this intersection and we had 32 Greater White-fronted Geese, 127 Snow Geese, 5 Ross' Geese, 10 or so Cackling Geese, 1000+ Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Sandhill Cranes, Gadwall, and lots of other species.
Jonathan Lautenbach
.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Kestrels in the Spring
.
Dan Lockard sends this photograph from the North Muskegon area of mating American Kestrels.
.
Dan Lockard sends this photograph from the North Muskegon area of mating American Kestrels.
.
.
Harris's Sparrow Friday at SGA Headquarters
.
Email:
.
On Friday afternoon, 3-9-12, I identified a lone Harris's Sparrow in the Muskegon SGA. It was feeding in a flock of juncos and tree sparrows. If anyone wants to search, drive past the SGA HQ to the end of Messinger Rd. Walk around the yellow gate and about 80 paces to a field on the left. Walk through the field toward three large pines. When you reach the pines, you will see an opening on the right, leading to another field. The bird was in this field, on the right side, in the brush along the tree line. Also nearby were a fox sparrow, purple finch, and towhee. Best wishes,
.
Dave Elbrecht
.
Email:
.
On Friday afternoon, 3-9-12, I identified a lone Harris's Sparrow in the Muskegon SGA. It was feeding in a flock of juncos and tree sparrows. If anyone wants to search, drive past the SGA HQ to the end of Messinger Rd. Walk around the yellow gate and about 80 paces to a field on the left. Walk through the field toward three large pines. When you reach the pines, you will see an opening on the right, leading to another field. The bird was in this field, on the right side, in the brush along the tree line. Also nearby were a fox sparrow, purple finch, and towhee. Best wishes,
.
Dave Elbrecht
.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Woodcock Back Friday
.
Only had to wait five seconds tonight to hear the American Woodcock at the blueberry patch in my neighborhood. Year Bird #67.
.
- Ric
.
Only had to wait five seconds tonight to hear the American Woodcock at the blueberry patch in my neighborhood. Year Bird #67.
.
- Ric
.
Bird #66. But Who's Counting?
.
Last night I was sure that I'd get my 66th Year Bird by just going over to the blueberry patch and listening for the woodcocks. Conditions the previous several days had been bad and this year with all the early species they had to be here by the 8th. But they weren't. But I got #66 today anyway when a cooperative Pine Siskin shucked some seeds on our side feeder. Birds! Unpredictable.
.
- Ric
.
Last night I was sure that I'd get my 66th Year Bird by just going over to the blueberry patch and listening for the woodcocks. Conditions the previous several days had been bad and this year with all the early species they had to be here by the 8th. But they weren't. But I got #66 today anyway when a cooperative Pine Siskin shucked some seeds on our side feeder. Birds! Unpredictable.
.
- Ric
.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Breeding Bird Atlas II (and I) Data Online
.
Here's a blurb from Michigan Audubon's most recent Chapter Connections email. Dunno how many of you did "work" on this project; it had me walking the old interurban railroad easement down to Black Creek many times during those years to gather BBA data for Fruitport Township -- a dirty and thankless job, but somebody had to do it! ;-) However, a lot of real work was done for the Atlas by our own Brian Johnson in both Muskegon County and elsewhere. At any rate, it's good to see that the data are now accessible.
.
- Ric
.
Breeding Bird Atlas II Available Online
The Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) announces that the second Breeding Bird Atlas for Michigan has been published online in a searchable and printable format. KNC coordinated the fieldwork and data collection for the Atlas. The volume contains data that was collected by more than 800 volunteers who observed 250 species in Michigan between 2002 - 2008. The first Breeding Bird Atlas, which was published in 1991, has been digitized and is also available online to view or download. To view these publications, visit the website www.mibirdatlas.org.
.
Here's a blurb from Michigan Audubon's most recent Chapter Connections email. Dunno how many of you did "work" on this project; it had me walking the old interurban railroad easement down to Black Creek many times during those years to gather BBA data for Fruitport Township -- a dirty and thankless job, but somebody had to do it! ;-) However, a lot of real work was done for the Atlas by our own Brian Johnson in both Muskegon County and elsewhere. At any rate, it's good to see that the data are now accessible.
.
- Ric
.
Breeding Bird Atlas II Available Online
The Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) announces that the second Breeding Bird Atlas for Michigan has been published online in a searchable and printable format. KNC coordinated the fieldwork and data collection for the Atlas. The volume contains data that was collected by more than 800 volunteers who observed 250 species in Michigan between 2002 - 2008. The first Breeding Bird Atlas, which was published in 1991, has been digitized and is also available online to view or download. To view these publications, visit the website www.mibirdatlas.org.
.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Photo of Yesterday's Snowy at the Ovals
.
Phil Vreeman sends this photo of the Snowy Owl at the Ovals yesterday (see Phil's post below and Rick Schadle's March 1 post further down).
.
Phil Vreeman sends this photo of the Snowy Owl at the Ovals yesterday (see Phil's post below and Rick Schadle's March 1 post further down).
.
.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Several Good Birds Around the County Today
.
March 5 Email:
.
Hey Ric,
.
I finally took the time today (3.5.12) to get a day in of some Muskegon County birding and followed a similar route to that of the Lautenbachs (which is my best birding advice, by the way, I think I'd attribute 85-90% of my lifelist to following the Lautenbachs).
March 5 Email:
.
Hey Ric,
.
I finally took the time today (3.5.12) to get a day in of some Muskegon County birding and followed a similar route to that of the Lautenbachs (which is my best birding advice, by the way, I think I'd attribute 85-90% of my lifelist to following the Lautenbachs).
At Pere Marquette I had a Snowy Owl, 2 Scoter species (2 Blacks, 45 White-winged), Red-throated Loon, Eared Grebe, Great Black-backed Gull and a female Harlequin Duck. Many mergansers and Long-tailed Ducks as usual.
Nothing too special at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve or State Park except for Sandhill Crane at MSP, and in the Muskegon Channel many White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks and 3 Horned Grebe.
At the Wastewater I had many usual suspects, also 6 Northern Pintails, 2 Horned Grebe, 7 Bald Eagle, 1 Golden Eagle, 1 Common Raven and 2 Glaucous Gulls at the landfill, 15 Lapland Longspurs south of Apple Ave., a Northern Shrike at the airport, and 8 Cackling Geese among a ton of Canadas at the Clay Pond (the road down there was terribly muddy; I was extremely blessed to be able to turn around successfully).
Blessed birding be with you.
Phil Vreeman
.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Horned Grebe Feet
.
I spent some time at the Wastewater today and saw several Hooded Mergansers and a lone Horned Grebe on the East Lagoon. This is not a great photo, but it is the first time that I have seen grebe feet and thought maybe others would be interested seeing them as well.
.
Rick Hamlin
.
I spent some time at the Wastewater today and saw several Hooded Mergansers and a lone Horned Grebe on the East Lagoon. This is not a great photo, but it is the first time that I have seen grebe feet and thought maybe others would be interested seeing them as well.
.
Rick Hamlin
.
.
Actually, Rick, that is a great photo of grebe feet and I'm sure everyone will enjoy it! And I'll remind people again to follow all of the steps in the directions in the left margin of this page to see these feet in all their glory! - Ric
Grackles This Morning
.
Turned off the snow-blower this morning and heard the squeaky gate call -- four Common Grackles flew overhead and a fifth continued calling from a neighbor's tree. Nothing else looked like spring!
.
- Ric
.
Turned off the snow-blower this morning and heard the squeaky gate call -- four Common Grackles flew overhead and a fifth continued calling from a neighbor's tree. Nothing else looked like spring!
.
- Ric
.
Friday, March 2, 2012
A Few from Today at the Wastewater
Here are my last photos of the Snowy Owl, a short video of him blowing in the wind, and a tough shot of one of the Golden Eagles.
Mike VanderStelt
Sandhill Cranes
.
Paul Gillan heard Sandhill Cranes over his house in the Bluffton area earlier this morning, then saw two heading north over the neighborhood at 10:00 while he was out bike riding.
.
Paul Gillan heard Sandhill Cranes over his house in the Bluffton area earlier this morning, then saw two heading north over the neighborhood at 10:00 while he was out bike riding.
.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Snowy Owl at Channel and Elsewhere
.
March 1 Email:
.
Hi, Ric, I wanted to let you know about a Snowy Owl I photographed this afternoon at Pere Marquette Park. It was on top of the picnic shelter between the Goast Guard Station and the Silversides submarine on the south side of the Muskegon Channel. My wife and I watched it for about an hour. Here are three photos of it plus a fourth of the male Snowy Owl at the Wastewater which I photographed this morning.
.
Rich Schadle
.
.
March 1 Email:
.
Hi, Ric, I wanted to let you know about a Snowy Owl I photographed this afternoon at Pere Marquette Park. It was on top of the picnic shelter between the Goast Guard Station and the Silversides submarine on the south side of the Muskegon Channel. My wife and I watched it for about an hour. Here are three photos of it plus a fourth of the male Snowy Owl at the Wastewater which I photographed this morning.
.
Rich Schadle
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)