Hudsonian Godwit at Wastewater This Morning

August 24 Email:

Dim lighting and long distance made for a bad photo, but I saw this Hudsonian Godwit at the Wastewater Thursday morning near the west end of the large drawn down cell.

- Mike Boston

This afternoon Ken Sapkowski phoned to say that Chip Francke also saw the Hudsonian Godwit at the Wastewater today along with 21 Stilt Sandpipers.  - Ric

Mystery Shorebird Is Upland Sandpiper

August 23 Email:

"Hi Ric,

I saw this bird at the Wastewater this evening. Is there any chance this could be another Ruff?  Maybe a female or juvenile?  It resembles a Pectoral Sandpiper but it was much larger and not very active.

Thanks."

- Mike Boston

Mike, I didn't know what it was either so I emailed a few experts.  Thanks to Phil Chu for replying that it's an Upland Sandpiper.  Maybe we would have figured that out if the bird was "where it belonged" out on the fields.  ;-)  - Ric

2017-2018 Programs and Field Trips Posted

The 2017-2018 Muskegon County Nature Club Programs and Field Trips are now posted on our homepage.

I.D. Help, Please

While watching the eclipse Monday I noticed this bird flying along the treeline north of my shop. Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures but it was 350-500 yards away. Tried to include as many different views as I took and as you can see, it's much larger then the crow that was giving chase. Albino Red-tail, Gyrfalcon?  If I see it again, I hope to get a better picture.

- Don Neumann

Wow, Don!  Nothing wrong with the pictures you've sent!  I think you guessed right with albino Red-tailed Hawk, but I'll email some top-gun birders to see what they think.  They may post their Comments here directly, or I'll post their email replies if I hear from them.  (Thanks for the eclipse too!)  - Ric

August Field Trip Report

Click here for details about our 60-species field trip to the Wastewater properties yesterday morning.

Thirsty Eagle and Migrating Hummers

I've been seeing a good number of birds at my shop, though this was a first.  This Bald Eagle has been around on and off all summer (it's missing a couple primaries on the left wing) and it finally decided to visit.  Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are passing by also.

- Don Neumann

Black Lake Park

 American Goldfinch

I spent 2 1/2 hours at the park starting at 10:00 a.m. and counted 23 species of birds.

While trying to get pictures of  a Cardinal Flower I had this

Ruby-throated Hummingbird come in and visit all the blossoms. 

Peck's Skipper

I also had 11 species of butterflies ...

Eastern Pondhawk

... and 6 species of dragonflies.

- Charlie DeWitt

Birding Southside Wastewater

Patterson Park was almost birdless (not even a phoebe) so I spent most of my morning on the Wastewater fields south of Apple Avenue, primarily at the abandoned orchard north of the silo by the clay pond. 

There were plenty of birds and a nice diversity of species (28), not surprising considering the plentiful supply of fruit back there.

Species included a Great Egret south of the Clay Pond, 28 Sandhill Cranes on the field southeast of the airport, a female Belted Kingfisher on the far side of the Clay Pond with prey in her beak ...

Blurry distant shot of kingfisher with something (fish? frog?)

... Great Crested Flycatcher, 150-200 Tree Swallows on the field north of the Seba Road woodlot, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chipping, Field and Song Sparrows, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, this female or immature male (?) at the orchard ... 

... Indigo Bunting, some large flocks of blackbirds and American Crows, and several Monarch butterflies.

- Ric

After California, Birding the Nature Preserve

Four of the everyday yard birds I enjoyed at my son Andy's house in California are close relatives of four species I've enjoyed regularly behind my house this summer:

Anna's (not Ruby-throated) Hummingbird
California (not Eastern) Towhee
Lesser (not American) Goldfinch
Hooded (not Baltimore) Oriole  

This morning, back in Muskegon, I birded the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve.  I found no Red-winged Blackbirds, Great Blue Herons or House Sparrows!

Among today's 27 species were Least Bittern (at least two, possibly four, with many flights over the marsh), Great Egret, Green Heron, Osprey, Brown Thrasher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and lots of Northern Flickers and Marsh Wrens.

Fortunately again today my path crossed that of photographer Jerry Vis who took these beautiful images:

Great Egret

Green Heron

Least Bittern

Northern Flicker

Osprey

- Ric   (photos by Jerry Vis)

Today's Trip Report on Homepage

Thirteen of us found 44 species of birds this morning north of the Muskegon River.  A report is posted on our homepage.

- Ric

MWS Shorebird Survey, Spring 2016

Each spring (and again each fall) since 2004, an International Shorebird Survey (ISS) has been conducted at the Muskegon Wastewater System. This is one of only a very few consistent, long-term surveys for shorebirds in Michigan (within which 34 species occur annually). Per protocol, one census is conducted roughly every ten days from early April to mid-June, so this equates to eight sessions, with each lasting 2-4 hours and covering all likely habitat north and south of Apple Avenue. As has been the case for the past five years, all eight spring surveys were conducted by myself.

During our long participation with the ISS, the spring seasons have averaged 627 birds of 16 species. As noted last year, the spring of 2015 set new records for both numbers (1,349 individual birds) and diversity (21 species). Spring 2016 proved to be another fantastic season. Our total count of 1,611 birds easily sets yet another new record, and the species count of 18 ranks third.

This success was reflected during all eight daily sessions. Every one exceeded past averages for individuals counted, and all but one exceeded mean species diversity. Moreover, five of the eight sessions established new high counts for individuals, and three of those days set records for both numbers and diversity:

early April (4th): 46 birds, 7 species

middle April (14th): 170 birds, 8 species

late April (24th): 168 birds

middle May (14th): 403 birds, 15 species

early June (4th): 252 birds

As further testament to this amazing spring, sixteen of the 18 species encountered this spring exceeded historical averages (noted in the final table). Only Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin were less numerous. Additionally, 11 species set or tied past record totals. Only three species that have been seen during four or more prior springs (Solitary Sandpiper, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone) were absent. Counts of Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, and Wilson's Snipe were especially high.

Plus, eleven species established or tied one-day records:

Semipalmated Plover - 30 on May 13; previous record 24

Lesser Yellowlegs - 47 on April 24; previous record 44

Upland Sandpiper - 11 on May 7; previous record 10

Stilt Sandpiper - 1 on May 13; ties previous record

Sanderling - 6 on June 4; previous record 3

Least Sandpiper - 244 on May 13; previous record 77

White-rumped Sandpiper - 46 on June 4; previous record 32

Pectoral Sandpiper - 81 on April 14; previous record 26

Wilson's Snipe - 8 on April 14; ties previous record

American Woodcock - 2 on four days; no previous records

Another one of these, a male Ruff seen on April 4, was new for the Shorebird Survey. The last report of this species from Muskegon County occurred in 1982!

Here are the full results, with this spring's grand totals and past historical averages:

Black-bellied Plover - 1; mean 2.2

Semipalmated Plover - 50; mean 9.7

Killdeer - 171; mean 130.1

Spotted Sandpiper - 186; mean 136.8

Greater Yellowlegs - 21; mean 8.9

Lesser Yellowlegs - 171; mean 39.5

Upland Sandpiper - 44; mean 17.8

Ruff - 1; first survey sighting

Stilt Sandpiper - 1; mean 0.3

Sanderling - 6; mean 1.1

Dunlin - 81; mean 89.8

Least Sandpiper - 268; mean 38.2

White-rumped Sandpiper - 54; mean 10.4

Pectoral Sandpiper - 165; mean 10.7

Semipalmated Sandpiper - 360; mean 112.3

Short-billed Dowitcher - 6; mean 3.2

Wilson's Snipe - 16; mean 1.4

American Woodcock - 9; first survey sighting

- Brian Johnson

Piping Plover Update

July 10 Email:

The chicks are almost a month old and still here.  Daddy still keeping a close eye on them.  Mama has not been seen in recent days.

- Carol Cooper

So It's a Muscovy Duck

July 7 Email:

Ric, attached is a picture I took on the 4th of July at the Wastewater.  Is this another of those Egyptian geese?

- Phil Willemstein

It certainly looks like the others that have been reported.  Maybe someone else can confirm or identify. - Ric

Plover Chicks Are Growing

July 4 Email:

The Piping Plover babies are getting big at three weeks old.

- Carol Cooper

Ducks and Heron at the Wastewater

 Wood Duck Family

 Great Blue Heron eyeballing some baby mallards.

(I thought for sure he was going to pick one off.)

 He gave up the idea of mallard supper and moved off.

Instead of mallard he decided on fish!

All photos by Carol DeWitt

- Charlie DeWitt