Can Anyone Identify This Plover or Peregrine?

September 17 Email:

Hi, Ric

I am visiting Muskegon for a couple of weeks, have been at the Wastewater property for several days, and have been watching your Recent Sightings blog.  I live in Florida, but grew up out in Moorland (county bought my parents' farm as part of the Wastewater project).

I have a number of pictures of shorebirds that I am having difficulty identifying in spite of web searches.  If you are willing to help me, it would be greatly appreciated.  Obviously the bird in the picture is either a Black-bellied Plover or an American Golden-Plover (hope so, would be a life bird).

Again, if you are willing to help, THANK YOU.  If you can't, no problem.

Rog Newell
Valrico, FL

Rog, my shorebird book says the Black-bellied has a thicker bill and neck and a chunkier less attenuated body than the American Golden-Plover.  It also has a picture of a molting adult American Golden-Plover with plumage much like the one in your picture.  Using that book I'd have said American Golden-, but looking at Google images I'm not so sure.  Hopefully someone with more shorebird expertise will chime in and identify your bird.  Thanks for the photo!  - Ric

Rog also sent this photo of a banded Peregrine Falcon at the Wastewater.  I'm posting it below and will email Nik Kalejs at the DNR to ask if it might be one of the ones he banded at the Cobb Plant earlier this year.  (By opening the photo in a separate tab on your browser, you might be able to zoom in closer on the leg bands.) - Ric

Plovers and Warbler Photos from WW Today

"Shirley and I went to the Wastewater location again today to look for other Warblers (see previous post). We found a flock of Palm Warblers next to the abandoned building near the model airplane field.  Below is a picture of one. One highlight was being able to see and photograph the flock of American Golden-Plovers that you posted information on yesterday. You can see most of them in the picture below along with a Killdeer who got caught up in the excitement.  This was taken near the north end of the center dike." 

Rich Schadle

Snipe and Warbler Photos WW Saturday

Rich Schadle emails that he and Shirley had a very profitable day for photography yesterday at the Wastewater snapping a first year Bald Eagle and a variety of shorebirds and warblers.  He sends these photos of a Wilson's Snipe from the north end of the West Lagoon and a Nashville Warbler near the model airplane field back toward the woods.

Lotsa Good Birds Saturday

September 15 Email:

Hey Ric,

We birded the Muskegon area this morning and early afternoon. We started off the morning at Muskegon State Park at Snug Harbor where we had some decent migrants. Some highlights that we saw were Philadelphia Vireo, Northern Waterthrush, Cape May Warbler, 12 other species of warbler, Purple Finch, and a Winter Wren. Most of the migrants that we saw were in or near the alders along the west end of Snug Harbor near the marsh.

At Muskegon Wastewater we also had some good birds including 8 Greater White-fronted Geese, a lone Snow Goose, 23 American Golden-plovers (a flock that we flushed off the center dike), 3 Black-bellied Plovers, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper (mixed in with the golden-plover), a Long-billed Dowitcher (SE corner of the east lagoon), and several Grasshopper Sparrows in the grassy cells north of the west lagoon.

Good Birding,

Kevin Welsh, Neil Gilbert, and Jonathan Lautenbach

Attached are poor pictures of the Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater White-fronted Goose and Snow Goose.  Thanks for posting.

Thanks for sending! - Ric

40 WW Species Includes Raven and Egret

I accompanied Brian Johnson as he conducted a Wastewater Shorebird Survey this afternoon.  We saw 40 bird species including a Common Raven (among vultures along north side of West Lagoon, then flew west) and a Great Egret (at the Clay Pond).  - Ric

Muskegon Wastewater System, Muskegon, US-MI
Sep 14, 2012 12:20 PM - 3:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
26.0 mile(s)
Comments:    While Helping Brian Johnson Conduct Wastewater Shorebird Survey
40 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  X
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  2
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)  X
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)  X
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  X
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  6
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)  1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  2
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  X
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)  1    brown
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  3
Sora (Porzana carolina)  1
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)  10
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  2
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  45
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  11
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  1
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  6
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)  1
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  1
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)  1
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  X
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  X
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  4
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  365    215 north of East Lagoon; 150 east of Swanson south of Laketon
Common Raven (Northern) (Corvus corax principalis)  1    Perched among Turkey Vultures along north side of West Lagoon; then flew west.
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  X
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  X
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  X
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  100
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  X
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  X
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  3

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

10 Raptors, 8 Migrants Cross Channel

Curious if any raptors would be migrating ahead of the rain clouds, I hawk-watched from 1:00-2:00 at the Muskegon Channel today.  I saw ten, two non-migrating (an adult Bald Eagle and a falcon, probably a kestrel, both north toward Snug Harbor) and eight migrating: 1 Northern Harrier (brown), 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and 1 Merlin (harrassing 3 of the Sharpies as they all passed overhead).

Nuthatch

Red-Breasted Nuthatch from the Muskegon Channel Monday.

Dan Lockard

Of Hawks, Toy Airplanes and Squirrel Bracelets

Being a kid at heart (and mentally) I've occasionally enjoyed flying a little styrofoam remote-control airplane on calm mornings this summer.  I usually do this at the West Wind Golf Course where the only birds affected are the Barn Swallows which often buzzed around it in August presumably thinking it was a predator.

On Monday morning my little plane became the prey as it cruised northward over the Pine Park football field.  An immature Red-tailed Hawk flew out of the woods at the north end to investigate.  As it closed on the little airplane, dwarfing it by magnitudes, I had thoughts of major damage or losing the plane altogether.  I gave it full throttle and dove; the hawk veered toward it, but then continued southward to land in the pines at the south end of the field from where it watched the plane's next several journeys, all of them much closer to me until the hawk left the area!

Then yesterday afternoon while prepping my bird boxes in the woods across the road, I found a Flying Squirrel on a nest in one box.  Assuming it would stay hidden as long as I was up the tree next to its box, I began patch-painting around the opening. Suddenly the squirrel was on my wrist which I instantly flicked (yelling, "Hey!") but not before the squirrel had already leaped from there to a nearby branch and then down the tree.  I can recommend both experiences for anyone wanting an adrenalin rush.

- Ric

Raven at Wastewater Today

Sept. 9 to Mich-Listers:

Common Raven seen perched on fence at landfill next to American Crows.  It was much larger than the crows, showed a wedged-shaped tail and vocalization was consistent with raven.  At times some crows made harassing passes at it.

Laurence Burke

Raptor Sightings Pere Marquette & the Channel

During the season's first Shorebird Survey for Chip Francke, Feller DeWitt watched a Peregrine Falcon chasing a Merlin near the south breakwall at Pere Marquette Park.

Afterward I went over to the McLane for an hour of hawkwatching.  It was worth the watch even though there was only one migrant.  A Broad-winged Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk appeared on the north side but did not cross the Channel while I was there.  At 10:40 an adult Peregrine Falcon migrated speedily from over Snug Harbor past the east end the Muskegon Channel and on over Harbor Town.  It was viewable for the better part of a minute and I never saw it move its wings, just knifing through the air in a strong northwest wind.

At 10:50 a young Red-shouldered Hawk flew from near the stern of the McLane northbound low over the Channel water toward a hen Mallard swimming near the rocks on the north side.  At the last second, it veered toward the duck and she dove.  The hawk then perched on the blue railing on the north Channel wall, the duck popped up 30-seconds later quite near the hawk, but neither seemed concerned about the other after that, and soon the hawk flew into the woods.

- Ric

Birds at WW Wednesday

September 6 Email:

Hi Ric,

I was given your name and website by someone I met while birding at Muskegon Wastewater yesterday (Ken ? - sorry bad with names).

I don't get to this area very often, but my work brings me over from Lansing every once in a while.  When I am in the area, I always try to stop by the Wastewater site to see and photograph what I can - especially shorebirds, which I also do woodcarvings of for shows (See http://www.scfwa.net/FlatsShowInfo-2012/2012%20SCFWA%20Results-120827.pdf ).

Here is my list from yesterday:  Killdeer (many), Spotted SP (a few), Stilt SP (1), Solitary SP (1), Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs (1 / 3), Short-billed Dowitcher (2), Least SP (a few), Buff-breasted SP (1), Common Snipe (1) and multiple plover which I believe are American Golden - juvenile black-bellied plover also show some golden colors, but I'm fairly sure these were goldens.  All were spotted in the afternoon ~3-4 pm at the southeast corner of the east lagoon.

I have attached a couple of pictures (Canon DSLR with 420 mm telephoto length) for you as well.

Tod Van Wieren

Tod, that probably would have been Ken Sapkowski.  Thanks for the report and pics.  - Ric

Channel Birds Wednesday

From the Muskegon Channel last night: 3 Double-crested Cormorant and a Sanderling.

Dan Lockard

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Notable Sightings at Wastewater Today

Click the link below for eBird details and photographs of Eared Grebe, American Golden-plover, Red-necked Phalarope, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Tern and several good shorebirds at Muskegon Wastewater today:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11521704

- Caleb Putnam

Buff-breasted S.P, Plovers, Warblers, Oh My!

Two September 4 Emails:

Today I spent some time birding in Muskegon County and had some success tallying 108 species for the day. Highlights for the day include an American Golden-plover at Muskegon State Park on the beach at sunrise. I also had some good luck at Snug Harbor seeing 17 species of warblers including 18 Cape May, 14 Black-throated Blue, Northern Parula, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, and Hooded. Also at Snug Harbor I had a pair of Red Crossbills flyover.

At Muskegon Wastewater I had some decent shorebirds, but the numbers seemed to be down a little from last week. The shorebirds were either along the northeast edge of the east lagoon or in the drained cell north of the west lagoon. The highlight was an adult Buff-breasted Sandpiper in the drained cell. Also present were 12 Red-necked Phalaropes in the middle of the east lagoon, Wilson's Phalarope, Short-billed Dowitcher, Stilt and Baird's Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, and the usual species as well. There also was an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull in the east lagoon.

Good Birding,

Jonathan Lautenbach

* * * * * 

Here are a couple pictures of a Swainson's Thrush from Hoffmaster State Park taken yesterday.  They match really well with pictures on Flickr.  See:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9534802@N02/3887438171/in/photostream/

Glenda and I birded there three time over the weekend and twice at Huff Park in Grand Rapids.  Sitting in a cushy chair inside Gillette Visitor Center is a pretty easy way to go.

Warbler's we identified include:

American Redstart
Nashville 
Black-and-White 
Black-throated Green
Black-throated Blue 
Wilson's 
Blue-winged 
Golden-winged 
Palm 
Ovenbird
Chestnut-sided 
Tennessee 

We may have also seen a Magnolia and Yellow.

Hours for the center after Labor Day are now 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Ken Sapkowski

Peregrine at WW Sunday

Peregrine Falcon eating dinner at the Wastewater yesterday.

Dan Lockard

Thanks, Dan. That's a first-year bird.  Did you notice if its left leg might have a band?  If so, might you have any other pictures to help identify the individual?  Some were banded again this spring at the Cobb plant but I don't know on which leg/s.  (If both, this guy might be a naturally-born migrant?)
The wild hawks are already moving (see my post below).  - Ric