Monday, May 23, 2016

Big Day Count: 8 People and 117 Bird Species


Four to eight people trekked from 4:45 a.m until 7:45 p.m. from Lane's Landing to the State Game Area headquarters to the Wastewater to the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve to Muskegon State Park (Snug Harbor, the lakeshore, and the Muskegon Channel) on our annual Big Day Count, Saturday, May 21, 2016.


Highlights included Common Nighthawk, American Bittern, Black-crowned Night-heron and both cuckoos at Lane's Landing, Blue-winged and Cerulean Warblers at the SGA, Willet, White-rumped Sandpiper, Orchard Oriole, Red-headed Woodpecker and Black Tern at the Wastewater and two Barred Owls at Snug Harbor.

Our final "official total" was the 117 species listed below in alphabetical order.  Disappointing misses included Hairy Woodpecker, both nuthatches, and most of the warblers -- not even a Yellow-rumped!

Bittern, American
Blackbird, Red-winged
Bluebird, Eastern
Bufflehead
Bunting, Indigo
Cardinal, Northern
Catbird, Gray
Chickadee, Black-capped
Coot, American
Cormorant, Double-crested
Cowbird, Brown-headed
Crane, Sandhill
Cuckoo, Black-billed
Cuckoo, Yellow-billed
Dove, Mourning
Dowitcher, Short-billed
Duck, Ruddy
Duck, Wood
Dunlin
Eagle, Bald
Finch, House
Flicker, Northern
Flycatcher, Alder
Flycatcher, Great Crested
Flycatcher, Least
Flycatcher, Willow
Gadwall
Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray
Goldfinch, American
Goose, Canada
Grackle, Common
Grebe, Pied-billed
Grosbeak, Rose-breasted
Gull, Bonaparte's
Gull, Herring
Gull, Ring-billed
Harrier, Northern
Hawk, Red-tailed
Heron, Great Blue
Hummingbird, Ruby-throated
Jay, Blue
Killdeer
Kingbird, Eastern
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned
Lark, Horned
Mallard
Martin, Purple
Meadowlark, Eastern
Merganser, Hooded
Night-heron, Black-crowned
Nighthawk, Common
Oriole, Baltimore
Oriole, Orchard
Ovenbird
Owl, Barred
Parula, Northern
Pewee, Eastern Wood-
Phoebe, Eastern
Pigeon, Rock
Plover, Piping
Plover, Semipalmated
Redstart, American
Robin, American
Sanderling
Sandpiper, Least
Sandpiper, Semipalmated
Sandpiper, Solitary
Sandpiper, Spotted
Sandpiper, Upland
Sandpiper, White-rumped
Scaup, Lesser
Shoveler, Northern
Sora
Sparrow, Chipping
Sparrow, Field
Sparrow, Grasshopper
Sparrow, House
Sparrow, Savannah
Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Swamp
Sparrow, Vesper
Sparrow, White-crowned
Starling, European
Swallow, Bank
Swallow, Barn
Swallow, Cliff
Swallow, Northern Rough-winged
Swallow, Tree
Swan, Mute
Swift, Chimney
Tanager, Scarlet
Teal, Blue-winged
Teal, Green-winged
Tern, Black
Thrasher, Brown
Thrush, Wood
Titmouse, Tufted
Veery
Vireo, Red-eyed
Vireo, Warbling
Vireo, Yellow-throated
Vulture, Turkey
Warbler, Black-throated Green
Warbler, Blue-winged
Warbler, Cerulean
Warbler, Prothonotary
Warbler, Yellow
Willet
Woodpecker, Downy
Woodpecker, Pileated
Woodpecker, Red-bellied
Woodpecker, Red-headed
Wren, House
Wren, Marsh
Yellowlegs, Greater
Yellowlegs, Lesser
Yellowthroat, Common