24 Bird Species, No Homo Sapiens

Jerry Lang and I met at the Gillette Nature Center this morning to lead people on a "Family Birding Sarturday" walk around Hoffmaster State Park.  Nobody else showed up for the official walk.

So we walked a trail that Ted Ogren had told me about earlier this week and then meandered back to the Bob Moblo Memorial Pond behind the nature center where we observed several migrating warblers and were able to identify seven.

- Ric

Hoffmaster State Park, Muskegon, US-MI
Aug 25, 2012 6:30 AM - 9:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Family Birding Saturday with Jerry Lang
24 species

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  12
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  2
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  2
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  5
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  3
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  2
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)  1
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  1
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  1
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  3
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  6

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Can Anyone ID Either of These Birds?

August 23 Email:

Hi Ric,

My wife and I had a wonderful day at the Wastewater plant. There were about  fifteen Sandhill Cranes in the field to the east of the model airplane area and a lot of shore birds.

I photographed two birds that I need help identifying if you don't mind.  I think the one is a Short- or Long-billed Dowitcher but I'm not sure. The other is a small brownish gull, possibly an immature.  It was smaller than either the Ring-Billed and the Herring Gulls and it was the only one of its type out of several hundred gulls on the shore line.   Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rich Schadle  

Eared Grebes at WW August 21

August 23 Email:

Below is a copy of the post I made to the UmichBirders listserv on Tuesday evening.  Now that I've found the recent sighting page of the MCNC blog, I figured that I ought to pass it along.

"My work took me to the far side of the state today.  A quick spin through the Muskegon Wastewater facility yielded three Eared Grebes in adult (breeding) plumage this morning.  They were paddling southbound from the north dike of the east storage lagoon.  There were goodly numbers of shorebirds, Lesser Yellowlegs being the most prominent.  A few Short-billed Dowitchers were also peppered into the small flocks of Killdeer, Spotted and 'Peep' Sandpipers.  Swallows and Northern Shovelers were ubiquitous."

Dan Sparks-Jackson
Chelsea, MI

Birding Muskegon County Saturday

August 18 Email:

We birded Muskegon County today.  At Muskegon State Park we had a few fall migrants start to pass through the area including Blackpoll Warbler, Wilson's Warbler and Bobolink. 

At Muskegon Wasterwater we had migrant Dickcissel flyby, several juvenile Black-crowned Night-herons, a Whimbrel (along the north dike of the west lagoon), a Ruddy Turnstone (also along the north dike of the west lagoon), 11 Red-necked Phalaropes about 300m off of the north dike of the west lagoon, the usual shorebird suspects (Least, Spotted, Pectoral, Baird's and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs), and we also had a 1st fall or non-breeding plumaged Eared Grebe in the west lagoon as well.

Good birding,

Jonathan and Michael Lautenbach and Alison Vilag.

Attached is a picture of the Whimbrel.

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Mona Lake Redtail

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Theron Wierenga of Mona Shores sends these photos of a Red-tailed Hawk that frequents his neighbor's yard along Mona Lake near the Henry Street bridge.
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A Few Oddities in My Backyard

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I got a shot of this Chipping Sparrow feeding an immature Brown-headed Cowbird yesterday, and after conferring with Feller DeWitt, (local Genius) he explained to me that Cowbirds will often lay eggs in Chipping Sparrows nests, and when they hatch, the Sparrows will unwittingly raise them as their own! (Does that mean the Cowbirds are "deadbeats" or the Chipping Sparrows are "saps" -- or both) in any event, it was interesting.

Also, out of the blue, about a week and a half ago, my typical 3 to 4 Ruby-Throated Hummingbird daily visits, turned into 10 to 20 at a time around the feeder! They're constant from dawn to dusk, and will empty my 32oz. feeder (filled to the brim) in a little over two days. Going by the gauge on the feeder, it's saying I'm feeding more than 30 birds. Here's a video of the feeder activity; the ones actually "at" the feeder are just a portion; the rest are in the trees, etc. around the yard. (Please excuse the quality; YouTube would only record 31seconds at "high-def." so I went to 640 x 380 to get a longer version. I'll fix the problem for your future cinematic pleasures. ;)
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Mike VanderStelt
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17oiBPsBnZ8&feature=plcp
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Thanks Phil!

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Ruddy Turnstone

photo by Carol DeWitt

Carol and I went to the Muskegon County Wastewater on Sun Aug. 5 and found the Ruddy Turnstone that was reported on Aug 4 (below).  It was in the northwest corner of the West Lagoon.
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This is number 222 for Michigan for the year.  This number is only important to me and three other people; you know who you are.  As Paul Harvey used to say "Over my shoulder a backwards glance." ;-)

Charlie DeWitt
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Saturday at the Wastewater

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Today at Muskegon Wastewater we had one Ruddy Turnstone (Phil's photo below) along the north shore of the West Lagoon. There were good numbers of Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least, Semipalmated, Pectoral and Baird's Sandpipers. We also had one White-rumped Sandpiper on the pipe in the NE corner of the West Lagoon. Two Semipalmated Plovers were present in the lowered cell. We had a brood of Northern Shovelers, which we found interesting for Muskegon County.
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It seems that Upland Sandpipers and Dickcissels have moved out of the Wastewater. There were still quite a few Swallows around.
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Joseph and Jonathan Lautenbach
Phil Vreeman
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July 26 Little Black Lake

Blue Vervain

Halloween Pennant

Black Swallowtail

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I spent about 2 1/2 hours hiking at Little Black Lake before I got rained out.  It is amazing what you can find if you take the time to look.
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Flowers:  Blue Vervain, Joe-Pye Weed, White Water Lily, Pickerelweed and Black-eyed Susan.  Others I couldn't identify.
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Dragonflies:  Halloween Pennant, Blue Dasher, Eastern Pondhawk, Common Green Darner, Widow Sr, Spangled Skimmer and Twelve-spotted Skimmer.
Butterflies:  Black Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Least Skipper, Common Buckeye, Viceroy, Monarch, Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur, and Orange Sulphur.
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Birds:  Red-tailed Hawk, American Crow, Blue Jay, Barn Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, Yellow Warbler, American Robin and Song Sparrow.
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It was a fun walk.

Charlie DeWitt
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Wastewater Shorebird Surveys, July 16 and 26

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On July 16 and on July 26, Carolyn Weng and I completed the first two Shorebird Surveys for the fall 2012 season at the Muskegon Wastewater. The seven species encountered on July 16 comprised 84 Killdeer, 84 Spotted Sandpiper, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 8 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 73 Least Sandpiper, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, and 1 Short-billed Dowitcher. We also saw two Northern Mockingbirds.

Diversity was higher on July 26, when we recorded 13 species of shorebirds: 2 Semipalmated Plover, 62 Killdeer, 93 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 22 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Sanderling, 10 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 36 Least Sandpiper, 2 Baird's Sandpiper, 20 Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 Stilt Sandpiper, 1 Short-billed Dowitcher, and 1 Wilson's Phalarope. Notable non-shorebird tallies included 2 Common Ravens, 3 immature Orchard Orioles and 37 adult Sandhill Cranes.

This past spring we counted 896 shorebirds of 17 species during eight surveys from April 3 to June 15. Compared to the previous six years, diversity was slightly above average (15.7 species), and the individual total surpassed our previous high of 878 from 2006. High or above average figures were obtained for all but a few species. Below are the spring 2012 totals, with past averages.

Black-bellied Plover - 6 (average 1.4)
Semipalmated Plover - 36 (average 3.7), new record
Killdeer - 182 (average 140)
Spotted Sandpiper - 207 (average 107), new record
Solitary Sandpiper - 5 (average 0.3), new record
Greater Yellowlegs - 1 (average 3.9
Lesser Yellowlegs - 72 (average 33)
Upland Sandpiper - 13 (average 17)
Ruddy Turnstone - 8 (average 1.6), new record
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 105 (average 81)
Least Sandpiper - 32 (average 26)
White-rumped Sandpiper - 18 (average 13)
Pectoral Sandpiper - 56 (average 3.1), new record
Dunlin - 143 (average 80), new record
Short-billed Dowitcher - 10 (average 1.4), new record
Wilson's Snipe - 1 (average 1.1)
Red-necked Phalarope - 1 (average 0.3)

Cumulatively, we have seen seen 24 shorebird species at the Wastewater during the spring. Our fall total is 27 species.
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- Brian Johnson
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7 People 34 Species on Montague Trip

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Dayle Vanderwier led a group of seven people through three Montague area birding spots this morning tallying 34 species along the way.  eBird lists below.
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Henderson Preserve, NE of Montague, US-MI
Jul 21, 2012 8:35 AM - 9:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:    Dayle's MCNC Montague Area Field Trip
17 species
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Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  4
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  3
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  5

Clear Springs Preserve, NE of Montague, US-MI
Jul 21, 2012 9:55 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:    Dayle's MCNC Montague Area Field Trip
13 species
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Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  3
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  1
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  1

Whitehall Lions Park, Whitehall, US-MI
Jul 21, 2012 11:25 AM - 12:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments:    Dayle's MCNC Montague Area Field Trip
16 species
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Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  15
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  1
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  1
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  1
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  3
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
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Field Trip Dry Runs

This morning I accompanied Dayle Vanderwier on his dry run for this Saturday's club field trip.  We found 26 species at the two locations.  Click for field trip details.  Ebird lists below.
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- Ric
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Henderson Preserve, NE of Montague, US-MI
Jul 18, 2012 8:00 AM - 8:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:    Dry Run for Saturday Field Trip with Dayle Vanderwier
14 species
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Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  6
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  2
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  5
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  3
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  6
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This report was generated automatically by eBird

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Whitehall Lions Park to Municipal Marina, Whitehall, US-MI

Jul 18, 2012 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

0.5 mile(s)

Comments:    Dry Run for Saturday Field Trip with Dayle Vanderwier

16 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  30

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  21

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  30

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  10

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  3

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  1

swallow sp. (Hirundinidae sp.)  4

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  2

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  1

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  2

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  4

This report was generated automatically by eBird

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Breakwall Birds and Boat

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July 11 Email:
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My wife and I went to Pere Marquette Park this morning to try to get some photos of the boat that sank off the beach at the park.  While we were there, we took a walk out on the pier.  We ran into a very accommodating Double-crested Cormorant and what I believe may be a couple of Spotted Sandpipers.  I am not certain of the ID on the one bird that has the light colored breast, without spots.
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I hope that everyone is having a safe summer,
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Rick Hamlin
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P.S.  I will throw in a photo of the sunken boat as well.  
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Red-headed Woodpeckers Kind of Rare

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Except for Big Day in May when Charlie DeWitt took us to a territory on the Wastewater property, I hadn't seen a Red-headed Woodpecker this year until this afternoon on Summit east of Brooks Road.
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- Ric
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Dowitchers, Yellowlegs and Swallows

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July 1 Email:
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Shirley and I did not find much at Lane's Landing this morning, but we did much better at the Wastewater. There were four different Short-billed Dowitchers.  I've attached a picture of one sharing the limelight with a Least Sandpiper (one of many). There were at least a dozen Lesser Yellowlegs, many more Spotted Sandpipers and even more Killdeer.  I've attached a picture of one of the yellowlegs. The Bank Swallows were very active.  The two babies in the picture were waiting for breakfast to be served.  

Please correct me if I've got any of the shorebirds wrong. I think that is the Short-billed and not the Long-billed, but I could be wrong.

Thanks!

Rich Schadle
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