Three Summer Field Trips

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June 16:  Upper Macatawa (Holland/Zeeland Area)
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Meet at whichever McDonald's restaurant is handier (Sternberg near Harvey in Muskegon or US-31 in Grand Haven) for coffee and chatter 7:30-8:00.  Then carpool to the Upper Macatawa Natural Area: south on US-31 to Holland, east on 16th Street (Adams Street) ~4.5 miles, then north on 84th Ave. ~1.2 miles to the parking lot on your right.  We will bird until approximately noon.  Leader: Ric Pedler.
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July 21:  Montague Areas
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Meet at the McDonald's on Apple Ave. at US-31 7:15-8:00 for coffee and chatter.  Carpool to Henderson Lake (Fruitvale Road exit off US-31, then east ~1/4 mile to Henderson Road and north ~1 mile to the park entrance on your left).  We will bird around the lake for awhile and then go to the Clear Stream Nature Area (entrance on north side of Fruitvale Road at Henderson Road).  After a stop at the McDonald's on Colby Road we will drive through downtown Whitehall to bird the White Lake Marsh, and if time allows check out the east end of White Lake between the downtowns of Whitehall and Montague.  We'll quit shortly after noon before driving back to Muskegon.  Leader: Dayle Vanderwier.
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August 18: Wastewater
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Meet at the McDonald's on Apple Ave. at US-31 7:15-8:00 for coffee and chatter.  Carpool to the Muskegon County Wastewater System (entrance on Maple Island Road) where we will look for shorebirds, grassland birds, etc.  Leader to be announced.
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116 Species on Our May 19 Big Day Count

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Our club's annual Big Day Count May 19, 2012 could not have had a much better day weatherwise; still, there were too few warbler and shorebird species to make a serious run at our all-time 156 record.
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From mid-morning until early afternoon yesterday we had twelve people; three die-hards went from 4:50 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
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The total for the day (Lane's Landing, State Game Area, Wastewater, Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve, Snug Harbor and the Channel) was 116 species. 

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Lane's Landing
May 19, 2012 4:50 AM - 9:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
68 total species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  X
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  X
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  1
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  X
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  X
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  X
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  X
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  X
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  X
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  X
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  X
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola)  1
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)  X
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)  1
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  X
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  X

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)  X
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio)  2
Eastern Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus)  1
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  X
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  X
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  X
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  X
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  X
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  X
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  X
Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)  X
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)  X
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)  X
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  X
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  X
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)  X
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  X
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  X
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  X
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  X
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  X
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  X
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  X
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  X
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  X
Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)  1
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  X
Veery (Catharus fuscescens)  X
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  X
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  X
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  X
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  X
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)  X
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)  1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  X
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  X
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  X
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  X
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  X
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  X
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  X
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  X
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  X
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  X
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  X
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  X
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  X
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  X
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  X
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  X
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  X 

State Game Area
May 19, 2012 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
10 more species

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  X
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  X
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  X
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)  X
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)  X

Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)  1Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea)  1
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)  X
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  X 

Wastewater Properties
May 19, 2012 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Protocol: Traveling

10.0 mile(s)

32 more species

Gadwall (Anas strepera)  X

Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)  X

Redhead (Aythya americana)  X

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  X

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  X

Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  X

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  X

American Coot (Fulica americana)  X

Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)  X

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  X

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  X

Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)  X

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  X

Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)  X

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)  X

Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  X

Dunlin (Calidris alpina)  X

Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  1

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  X

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)  X

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)  2

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  X

Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  X
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)  X
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)  X
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  X
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)  X
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  X
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)  X
Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)  X
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  X
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  X 

Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve
May 19, 2012 5:30 PM - 7:15 PM

Protocol: Traveling

1.0 mile(s)

2 more species

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)  1  (on roof of B.C. Cobb Plant)

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  1 

Snug Harbor
May 19, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
2 more species

Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  X
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  X 

Muskegon Channel

May 19, 2012 8:15 PM - 9:00 PM

Protocol: Traveling

0.5 mile(s)

2 more species

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Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  X

Purple Martin (Progne subis)  X

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Swallow Battle

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Here are two of the less graphic photos of nine sent us by Mike Boston on Friday May 4, 2012 of a Tree Swallow apparently attacking a Cliff Swallow on the Wastewater properties.
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Anyone with further information about this behavior is invited to post their replies on our Recent Sightings page or email them to Ric for posting: oakridge35@yahoo.com.
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Howard Christensen Field Trip April 21

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Greg Swanson led a group of 15 people around the beautiful Howard Christensen Nature Center this cool beautiful morning.
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We tallied 33 species of birds including a Common Raven that vocalized often during our visit and flew overhead a few times, once carrying what appeared to be a mouse in its beak!
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Howard Christensen Nature Center, Kent, US-MI
Apr 21, 2012 8:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments:    Muskegon County Nature Club Field Trip to Howard Christensen Nature Center in NW Kent County led by Greg Swanson
33 species

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  2
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  5
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  1
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  2
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  1    Visible three times (once with prey in its beak, possibly mouse); vocalized often during our visit.
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  6
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  3
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  1
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  4
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  6
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  1
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  5
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  2
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  3
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2

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

Field Trip Report

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March 17 Field Trip

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Feller DeWitt led a Field Trip which at one time had 32 people and 15 cars around the Wastewater properties and State Game Area headquarters.  Temperatures in the 70's helped the group find 61 species of birds!  Details posted March 17 on our Recent Sightings page.

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Allegan Field Trip

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Ten (and then nine) members of the MCNC traveled this cold beautiful morning down to the Allegan State Game Area where we counted 24 bird species (some of us didn't get the female Ring-necked Pheasant ... grrrrrr!), a few other notable species being Eastern Bluebird (6), Northern Harrier (2), Bald Eagle (1 adult), Rough-legged Hawk (2 light morph) and an American Kestrel (1).  Notable by their near-absence were Canada Geese (only 6)!
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Rough-legged Hawk at Allegan SGA.  Photo by Carol Cooper.

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After lunch at the Crane's Pie Pantry Restaurant we returned home via the Outdoor Discovery Center and a park that Glenda Eikenberry and Ken Sapkowski knew where we found two Long-eared Owls (thanks to the excellent spotting ability of Shirley Good). 
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Our group looks for Long-eared Owls.  Pictures of the owls are posted on Recent Sightings.

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Ponshair Wastewater Data Session

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Tuesday evening January 31 Caleb Putnam conducted a training session at the Norton Shores Library for entering Jim Ponshair's many years of Wastewater bird data into computer templates which will ultimately send the information to eBird.
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Wastewater to Northside Field Trip Report

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Ken Sherburn's field trip had ten people finding 18 species at the Wastewater and seven continuing to the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve for 17 species.
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Wastewater highlights included a Northern Pintail, at least 10 Bald Eagles (perhaps 16), 2 Snowy Owls (one mostly white, one with lots of black feathers), 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, and Charlie DeWitt leading an Indiana birder to her "Lifer" Snowy Owl.
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All species at the Preserve were the usual suspects, 11 new species for the morning.  It was nice to see that the arson-ruined marsh overlook tower has been removed from the barely damaged stairway, presumably ready for reconstruction in the spring.
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After accumulating 29 total species on this beautiful but COLD morning, we warmed up and filled up with a delicious lunch at the Main Street restaurant in North Muskegon.
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Feller Wins Award

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At last night's meeting Charlie DeWitt presents brother Feller with his award for winning the 4-person 2011 "Most Species Seen in Michigan" contest.  Feller's 216 beat out Charlie, Kathryn Mork and Ric Pedler.

  
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13 Good Places to Bird in Muskegon County

The following list of the 13 Top Birding Sites in Muskegon County was compiled by Brian Johnson for publication in the Sept-Dec. 2003 issue of Michigan Audubon's Jack Pine Warbler.

A few details about the sites were updated on the previous Muskegon County Nature Club website by Ric Pedler in February 2008. The number order reflects Brian's opinion in 2003 of the relative quality of the sites; i.e. Lane's Landing ranked as the number one birding site in the county. (You can click the map above to see a larger image.)

1. Lane's Landing: West off Maple Island Road one mile north of the Muskegon Wastewater entrance. Assuming good weather, birders could see and/or hear 100 species in a day here during the peak of the spring migration.  Be careful entering and exiting Maple Island Road!

2. The Muskegon Wastewater System: Lagoons, fields and woodlots east of Maple Island Road and north of Apple Avenue (M-46) attract migrating shorebirds, waterbirds and raptors. Grass fields, marshes and woodlots south of Apple Avenue are excellent for Upland Sandpiper, Short-eared Owl, sparrows and hawks. Known throughout the state, this area is patrolled by police regularly. You must register at the office and have a pass to birdwatch here.

3. Muskegon State Park: Snug Harbor on Ruddiman Drive west of North Muskegon provides excellent birding with paths leading south to the Muskegon Channel and north around Lost Lake. Dunes north of the Muskegon Channel provide good viewing of migrating hawks. Michigan State Park rules apply.

4. Causeway Area: View birds along the ponds of Veterans Memorial Park. Look for breeding Peregrine Falcons on the B.C. Cobb Plant smokestack. Look for songbirds in the thick habitat of the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve northwest of the Causeway. View waterbirds from the birdwatching sign on the Muskegon Conservation Club property west of the preserve.

5. Muskegon State Game Area Headquarters: Adjacent to Lane's Landing, accessible from Maple Island Road a mile north of the Lane's Landing entrance. The loop path along the banks of the Maple River and adjacent woods and fields provide nearly as many species as Lane's Landing. Excellent for spring warblers, Wilson's Snipe, vireos, cuckoos, etc., etc.

6. Pere Marquette Park: "The Ovals" city park on the shore of Lake Michigan south of the Muskegon Channel. Check the breakwater rocks for Purple Sandpipers from late fall through winter when conditions are safe, and the lakeshore anytime for gulls, waterbirds, raptors, etc. Also try along the one-mile channel wall and at Kruse Park two miles south at the end of Sherman Blvd.

7. White River Marsh: View birds from the walking path along the east side of Business US-31 between Whitehall and Montague. During migration raptors cruise the flats. Waterfowl are common in the open water. The cattail flats supply typical marsh species like herons, rails and swallows.

8. Hoffmaster State Park: Between Grand Haven and Muskegon at the west end of Pontaluna Road. This combination of woodland, stream, dune and shoreline habitats provides very good birding in the breeding season and excellent birding during migrations. Michigan State Park rules apply.

9. White Lake Channel: West of the White Lake Country Club. Like the Muskegon Channel, but on a smaller scale. Duck species such as Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Greater and Lesser Scaup and Redhead can be seen when the lakes start to freeze. For whatever reason, this channel is more reliable for Long-tailed Ducks and scoters. Grebes also occur here.

10. Lake Harbor Park: Along the north side of the Mona Lake Channel west of Lake Harbor Road, this is an excellent migrant songbird site. Although small, its proximity to Lake Michigan can supply good diversity and numbers. In the winter the boardwalk offers views of wintering waterfowl and gulls. These birds may be far out or just off the channel.

11. Ravenna Sewage Ponds: Southwest of the village of Ravenna, this is a migrant waterfowl and shorebird site. It's like the Muskegon Wastewater lagoons on a much smaller scale.  A bonus area in springtime might include Patterson County Park, a wonderful spot for migrating warblers, just two miles south of these ponds on Blackmer Road.

12. Hilton Park Road: One mile west of the Wastewater properties at the road's northern end. Excellent for spring migrants. During breeding season regularly-occurring birds have included Acadian Flycatcher and Great Horned Owl. Unfortunately the smell of dead fish is often present on warmer days.

13. Mill Iron Road: Midway between Muskegon and the Wastewater properties. Bird feeders on private property (but viewable from the public access site where the road ends at the Muskegon River) provide every possible feeder bird in wintertime including all six local woodpeckers. The power line easement a quarter mile south of the river provides excellent birding west for about a mile during spring migration and the breeding season.