March Events

 Storm Chasing and Birding Adventures by Isaac Polanski

"Birds and weather share an important relationship with each other.  Weather influences migration routes and fallouts, brings in vagrants, and impacts habitat from year to year.  This program will review my Michigan big years of 2023 and 2024 as well as my storm chasing adventures of the same years.  The relationship between birds and the weather will be discussed and how the weather has helped me find multiple rare birds." 

Isaac Polanski has been a birder since winter 2021.  He has been a storm chaser since 2015.  He has seen over 140 tornadoes across the United States.  Both 2023 and 2024 he had over 315 bird species in Michigan.  He is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a degree in Integrated Sciences for Secondary Education.  He works for the City of Royal Oak in the Water Maintenance Department. 

February Events

 February Field Trip

The February 15, 2025 field trip to Pere Marquette Park and the 

Muskegon Channel was canceled due to the bad weather forecast.

February 18 Program

Natural Features of Ottawa County

Bill Martinus, Botanist

    In tonight’s program Bill will discuss:

    1 - What a Natural Features Inventory is, and the process and methods of creating an NFI.

    2- Which Natural Features occur in Ottawa County Parks:

        Flora and fauna of special concern,

        Threatened and endangered species,

        Habitats, unique features, etc.

    3- Data, interpretation, and practical uses of NFI information to Ottawa County Parks, the community, and science.

    William Martinus and his wife Shirley have lived in western Ottawa County for over 50 years, wandering through natural areas (especially Ottawa County’s parks) recording plants and birds.  After teaching for thirty years, Bill’s focus narrowed to conducting inventories of what specifically occurs within the 7,400 acres of Ottawa County’s Parks and 50+ properties.

    His official inventories over 20 years include those completed in Upper Macatawa, Stearns Creek, North Ottawa Dunes, Ottawa Sands, Rosy Mound, Port Sheldon Natural Area, Hiawatha Forest, Crockery Creek, Eastmanville Bayou, Grand Ravines, and Grose parks.

    In the process he has documented with specimens to the University of Michigan Herbarium, over 450 plant species new to Ottawa County, and nearly 30 entirely new to the State of Michigan, as well as a native slug species new to the state!

    Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Loutit District Library, 407 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven.  Visiting time: 6:00-6:30 p.m.  Program: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

 The January 21 Program at Loutit Has Been Canceled Due to the Bad Weather !

January 18 Field Trip Report

Six of us (one with the Grand Rapids group) birded the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center properties this morning finding 21 bird species.

Notable birds included Gadwall, American Black Duck, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Common Raven, American Robin, Snow Bunting and American Tree Sparrow.  No one saw any owls, but the Grand Rapids group reported a Golden Eagle.

The raven flew over the trees northwest of the headquarters building.  The robins (a flock of more than 40!) occupied the trees in that area.  The eagles were on the West Lagoon, the hawks north of White Road (a pair by the granery), the kestrel hovered over the rapid filtration cells, and the buntings and tree sparrows flew in small flocks at various locations around the property.

January 2025 Events

Muskegon County Nature Club

January 2025

Homepage: http://muskegoncountynatureclub.blogspot.com

Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/mkgbirding

January 18 Field Trip

    Meet at 9:00 a.m. inside the Maple Island Road entrance to the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center (formerly "the Wastewater").  We will drive from there to various locations* on the property looking for whatever birds are present.  Having a walkie-talkie tuned to Channel 11, Subchannel 00 will be helpful for car-to-car communication, but is not necesssary.  We will often step out of the cars for a better views of  birds, so be sure to dress for the weather.  

    This trip will end around noon.  We hope to see you there.

    At the time of this writing the weather forecast looks fine.  However, as with all our field trips, if there is a cancellation, it will be posted on our homepage (above) as soon as possible.

* Driving only on roadways that have been plowed and leaving room for other vehicles to pass whenever we park to step outside, we will scan the rapid filtration lagoons, check the headquarters’ bird feeders, drive up to the aeration lagoons, check one or both of the big lagoons, scan the landfill, and drive to the granary on Swanson north of White.  Besides the usual suspects, winter bird possibilities at the Wastewater include Snowy and Short-eared Owls, Golden Eagle, Northern Shrike, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Common Raven, Lapland Longspur, Common Redpoll, Snow Bunting, plus unusual waterfowl and gulls.

January 21 Program

CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER !

No January Meeting

    We have not scheduled a midwinter club meeting for this month because nothing seems to have changed in terms of club business since our last meeting on September 17, 2024.  If you feel that there is a need for a winter meeting, please let Beth know and we'll schedule one in February. 

Two Christmas Bird Counts

    The City of Muskegon Christmas Bird Count will be conducted on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.  Meet one of the three groups at 8:00 a.m.

    South Group -- the Anchor Chiropractic parking lot, Green Street at Seaway Drive.

                            Leaders:  Bonnie Kot and Dave Herdegen

    Central Group -- the south parking lot of the Veteran's Memorial Causeway.

                            Leader:  Steve Minard 

    North Group -- west end of the Snug Harbor parking lot, Muskegon State Park.

                            Leader:  Ken Sherburn

    All counts involve some driving between locations with the actual counting conducted on foot, so be sure to dress for the weather.  If you are new to participating in this CBC, you might contact Ric Pedler beforehand.

    The count basically ends at noon, but you may continue to census birds afterward at other locations within the CBC circle (15-mile diameter centered in downtown Muskegon).   Some of the participants meet for lunch during the noon hour at the Cherokee Restaurant, 1971 W. Sherman Blvd.  

    The Muskegon Wastewater CBC will be Wednesday, December 18, 2024.  Meet coordinator Brian Johnson at 8:00 a.m. in the headquarters parking lot of the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center, 698 N. Maple Island Road.  

    The 15-mile-diameter Wastewater CBC circle is centered on the intersection of White and Ravenna Roads.  Participants are assigned sectors within the circle and count primarily from their cars.  Dress for the weather, of course.

    If there's a lunch meeting of participants, Brian will let you know that morning.

November 16 Field Trip Report

Ten of us birded the newly renovated Ottawa Sands County Park this morning.  Conditions were cool and cloudy, almost all of our walkways were paved, and we counted 28 bird species before leaving.

Of note were various ducks (American Wigeon and Black Duck, Redhead, Ring-necked and both merganser species), Cooper’s Hawk, Bald Eagle, Red-headed Woodpecker (adult and juvenile), and American Tree Sparrow.

Upcoming Events

November 16 Field Trip

 Ottawa Dunes County Park

    Meet on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. at the entrance to the park a mile west of Ferrysburg on the south side of Northshore Drive.  Parking is available across the street at Coast Guard Park.

    We will walk the woods and trails west of Ottawa Sands Lake looking for whatever birds we can find.  The trip will end around noon.

November 19 Program

"Birds of Paradise of New Guinea"

Doug Klein

    Doug Klein became enamored of the many Birds of Paradise from reading about them and watching videos of them in their jungle haunts on the island of New Guinea.  He will introduce these beautiful birds to us, and the scientists who have studied them, through several professionally-made videos.

    Doug has been birding since he was 17 years old.  He is a graduate of Michigan State University and was a mechanical engineer during his working life, but has since retired.  He's the president of the Barry County Bird Club and leads their field trips.  Doug lives in Hastings.

    Tuesday, Novenber 19, 2024, Loutit District Library, 407 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven.  Visiting time: 6:00-6:30 p.m.  Program: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Gull Program

    It was previously posted that Dr. Gordon Atkins would be presenting a program about gulls at the Muskegon Clunty Resource Recovery Center administration building at noon on Friday, November 15, 2024.  Before heading out there for the program, you should contact Beth (glenabeth@gmail.com) to make sure the program is still on. 

Two Christmas Bird Counts in December

    The City of Muskegon Christmas Bird Count will be conducted on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.  Meet one of the three groups at 8:00 a.m.

South Group -- the Anchor Chiropractic parking lot, Green Street at Seaway Drive.

Leaders:  Bonnie Kot and Dave Herdegen

Central Group -- the south parking lot of the Veteran's Memorial Causeway.

Leader:  Steve Minard

North Group -- west end of the Snug Harbor parking lot, Muskegon State Park.

Leader:  Ken Sherburn

    All counts involve some driving between locations with the actual counting conducted on foot, so be sure to dress for the weather.  If you are new to participating in this CBC, you might contact Ric Pedler beforehand.

    Many of the participants meet for lunch at noon at the Cherokee Restaurant, 1971 W. Sherman Blvd.  The count basically ends at noon, but some may continue to census birds afterward at other locations within the CBC circle (15-mile diameter centered in downtown Muskegon).

    The Muskegon Wastewater CBC will be Wednesday, December 18, 2024.  Meet coordinator Brian Johnson at 8:00 a.m. in the headquarters parking lot of the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center, 698 N. Maple Island Road.  

    The 15-mile-diameter Wastewater CBC circle is centered on the intersection of White and Ravenna Roads.  Participants are assigned sectors within the circle and count primarily from their cars.  Dress for the weather, of course.

    If there's a lunch meeting of participants, Brian will let you know that morning.

October 19 Field Trip Report

Seven of us enjoyed a walk around the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve this morning.  Temperatures rose from the 40’s to the 60’s this lovely fall day.

Along our way we encountered 38 bird species including Trumpeter Swan, Green-winged Teal, grebe, coot, snipe, egret, kingfisher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Marsh Wren, White-throated Sparrow and Orange-crowned Warbler.  

Thanks to Glen Miller for these photos of Belted Kingfisher, White-throated Sparrow, Great Blue Heron, House Finch and Trumpeter Swan:

October Events

 October 15 Program

"There and Back Again"

Avian Navigation and Migration

Michael Lombardo

Many species of birds in the temperate zone are long-distance travelers that make twice yearly journeys between their breeding and wintering grounds.  This program will review the costs and benefits to birds of migration, some of the spectacular journeys made by some birds, and the various ways that birds find their way during migration including following other birds, using land features and coastlines as guides, using the position of the sun if they travel by day or the stars if they travel at night, the geomagnetic field of the earth, odors, and inherited navigation.

Michael P. Lombardo is a Professor Emeritus of Biology at Grand Valley State University.  He earned his B.S. in Zoology at The Ohio State University, an M.S. in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Ecology at Rutgers University and was a Junior Fellow in the Michigan Society of Fellows at the University of Michigan.  During his 30-year career at GVSU he taught classes in Evolution, General Biology, Human Evolution, Human Sexuality, Ornithology, Vertebrate Natural History, and Wildlife Management.  He is Fellow of the American Ornithological Society.  Among his over 60 publications in peer-reviewed science journals are papers on various aspects of the biology of Tree Swallows, Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds, European Starlings, and House Sparrows.

October 19 Field Trip

 Two Northside Locations

Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve (on Lake Ave. in North Muskegon just west of the traffic light at Lake and M-120).  We will bird the trails of the preserve south to the Muskegon River and back.

Then we will drive a few miles west on Ruddiman (Memorial) Drive to the Snug Harbor parking lot of Muskegon State Park (around the left curve after the Peterson Road intersection).  Depending on time and conditions, we will bird the Snug Harbor area and perhaps part of the Lost Lake Trail.

This trip will end around noon.  We hope to see you there!