More Awards and Brian's Program

At our February 20 meeting Ric Pedler was honored for finishing last in the club's birding contest for the past five years.  The certificate was presented by Feller and Charlie DeWitt, the trophy was created by Dee DeWitt, and somewhere in the background lurked Ken Sapkowski.  Thanks to Carol Cooper for the presentation photograph.

Afterward Brian Johnson presented his program about bird migration and his bird banding project at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve.

January Trip Nets 27 Species Plus Surf Scoter

On Saturday morning ten of us birded the Wastewater and eight of us the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve finding 24 and 13 species respectively.  We had a "merganser trifecta" (common, red-breasted, hooded), snow buntings and owl, lots of goldeneyes, and six bald eagles (three at each location).

Afterward we enjoyed lunch at the Main Street Cafe in North Muskegon.  Ken and his magic bird-finder (Glenda) left the party early to find this male Surf Scoter in the Muskegon Channel.

Twenty-seven total species for the morning, not counting the channel birds, and good companionship made for a great day.

Ken Sapkowski Best Birder of 2013

Muskegon, Jan. 16, 2014 (AP):  Ken Sapkowski reaped numerous awards for his astounding 291 bird species listed in 2013.  That number may have been even higher had he counted Whooping Cranes, Barnacle Geese, Cockatiels, road kill, etc.

After receiving his spiral notebook pencil-engraved certificate from club president Ric Pedler, Ken accepted Charlie DeWitt's three-penny monetary prize (based on 1/100 cent per species rounded to the nearest hundredth) with accompanying plaque

and the prestigious trophy created by Feller and Dee DeWitt.

Parcipants in the 2013 MCNC Listing Contest:  Charlie DeWitt, Feller DeWitt, Ken Sapkowski, Ric Pedler and Carol Cooper.

1,729 Birds, 49 Species on Muskegon CBC

On December 28, 2013, several of us surveyed the North, Central and South Zones on our annual City of Muskegon Christmas Bird Count.  We found 1,729 individual birds among these 49 species:

Mute Swan, Wood Duck, Mallard, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, White-winged & Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded & Common & Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Wild Turkey, Horned Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Cooper's & Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin, Ring-billed & Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Snowy Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed & Red-bellied & Downy & Hairy & Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Horned Lark, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Red- & White- breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, European Starling, American Tree & House Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, House Finch and American Goldfinch.

Roughleg and Horned Grebe on Northside Trip

Six people braved the cold and snow yesterday on our Northside Field Trip observing 16 bird species at the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve and 11 species at Snug Harbor in Muskegon State Park.

- Carol Cooper

MLNP:  Mute Swan, Mallard, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Rough-legged Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Bufflehead, Canada Goose, Bald Eagle, American Tree Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch, American Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Snug Harbor:  Mute Swan, Horned Grebe, Hooded Merganser, Common Goldeneye, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Bald Eagle, Dark-eyed Junco, Hairy Woodpecker, American Crow and Duck Decoys.

This is birding?

photo of John Walhout by Charlie DeWitt

Nature Club Tri-Fold Display

CHOICE ONE EXPO

Saturday November 9:  Ric took the tri-fold display that Judy Fleener created to the Moss Ridge Country Club east of Ravenna today and presented information and handed out brochures to many of the participants who strolled by our table.

Mocker and Shrike on Upper Mac Field Trip

Liz Notman led sixteen club members and others around the Upper Macatawa Natural Area this morning.  Besides dodging raindrops, we saw a good number of individual birds and some excellent species.

Of special note were a Northern Mockingbird along the paved trail between the parking lot and the overlook and a Northern Shrike perched on a marsh snag south of the trail.  Here is Travis Dewys' photo of the mockingbird and the eBird report for the morning.

Oct 19, 2013
Upper Macatawa Natural Area
Traveling
1 mile
150 Minutes
Observers: 17

25 Canada Goose
8 Mallard
1 Great Blue Heron
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Killdeer
10 Herring/Ring-billed Gull
30 Mourning Dove
3 Northern Flicker
1 Northern Shrike
6 Blue Jay
1 American Crow
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Eastern Bluebird
6 American Robin
1 Northern Mockingbird
12 European Starling
10 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Common Yellowthroat
1 Eastern Towhee -- female (probably 2)
1 Fox Sparrow
1 Swamp Sparrow
2 White-throated Sparrow
12 White-crowned Sparrow
2 Northern Cardinal
12 Red-winged Blackbird
3 House Finch
2 American Goldfinch

12 Participants 28 Species on September Trip

Ken Sherburn led a group of twelve people on our field trip to Oceana County this morning.  Two hours at Gale's Pond produced 22 species of birds.  After breakfast at Sadey's Restaurant in Walkerville an hour along the east side of the Walkinshaw Sanctuary added 6 more species.  eBird reports:

Sep 21, 2013
Gale's Pond
Traveling
1 mile
120 Minutes
Observers: 12
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: MCNC Field Trip

27 Canada Goose
2 Wood Duck
1 Mallard
1 Sandhill Crane
3 Mourning Dove
1 Belted Kingfisher
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
1 Northern Flicker
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Blue Jay
2 American Crow
6 Black-capped Chickadee
1 American Robin
1 Gray Catbird
1 European Starling
2 Magnolia Warbler
1 Black-throated Green Warbler
1 Common Yellowthroat
1 Northern Cardinal
36 Red-winged Blackbird
3 House Finch

Sep 21, 2013
Walkinshaw Wetlands
Traveling
3 miles
60 Minutes
Observers: 11
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: MCNC Field Trip

7 Canada Goose
1 Mallard
1 Great Blue Heron
4 Turkey Vulture
1 Red-tailed Hawk
9 Sandhill Crane
1 Rock Pigeon
3 Mourning Dove
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
3 Blue Jay
3 American Crow
3 Palm Warbler
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Song Sparrow
8 Red-winged Blackbird
60 blackbird sp.
3 American Goldfinch

125 Species on Big Day Count May 18, 2013

Four Die-hards (Charlie and Feller DeWitt, Travis Dewys and Ric Pedler) birded from 4:45 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. trying for as many bird species as possible.  During the course of the day there were as many as ten people involved in this pursuit, including Kathryn Mork before first light.  It may have been the mosquito-iest Muskegon Big Day Count of all time.  Thanks to Charlie for the pictures.

The morning was spent at Lane's Landing (LL) and State Game Area (SGA) headquarters along the Maple River.  Afternoon consisted of the Wastewater (WW) properties and Dayle and Nancy Vanderwier's feeders (where we got our targeted siskins).  After supper we walked the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve (MLNP) and Snug Harbor at Muskegon State Park.  We concluded our day on the north side of the Muskegon Channel where we added no new species but appreciated a beautiful sunset.  

Highlights included Alder and Willow Flycatchers calling within earshot of each other at Lane's Landing, a Philadelphia Vireo in the trees west of the single singing Prothonotary Warbler north of the marsh, Yellow-billed Cuckoo at the same location, 15 American White Pelicans flying over the SGA (and 6 more on the center dike at Wastewater), Horned & Eared Grebes and Black-bellied Plovers in the West Lagoon, Orchard Orioles on the northeast WW rather than southside this year, and a Common Night-hawk sleeping on a branch over the MLNP parking lot.

- - -

1	Robin, American	LL
2	Heron, Green	LL
3	Whip-poor-will	LL
4	Nighthawk, Common	LL
5	Sparrow, Swamp	LL
6	Yellowthroat, Common	LL
7	Warbler, Yellow	LL
8	Goose, Canada	LL
9	Blackbird, Red-winged	LL
10	Catbird, Gray	LL
11	Dove, Mourning	LL
12	Sparrow, Song	LL
13	Crane, Sandhill	LL
14	Merganser, Hooded	LL
15	Mallard	LL
16	Grackle, Common	LL
17	Teal, Blue-winged	LL
18	Owl, Barred	LL
19	Flycatcher, Alder	LL
20	Flycatcher, Willow	LL
21	Gull, Ring-billed	LL
22	Duck, Wood	LL
23	Rail, Virginia	LL
24	Heron, Great Blue	LL
25	Thrush, Wood	LL
26	Wren, Marsh	LL
27	Goldfinch, American	LL
28	Kingfisher, Belted	LL
29	Grebe, Pied-billed	LL
30	Swan, Mute	LL
31	Swallow, Barn	LL
32	Bunting, Indigo	LL
33	Warbler, Prothonotary	LL
34	Veery	LL
35	Grosbeak, Rose-breasted	LL
36	Redstart, American	LL
37	Vireo, Red-eyed	LL
38	Woodpecker, Red-bellied	LL
39	Pewee, Eastern Wood-	LL
40	Woodpecker, Downy	LL
41	Cuckoo, Yellow-billed	LL
42	Woodpecker, Pileated	LL
43	Nuthatch, White-breasted	LL
44	Swallow, Tree	LL
45	Jay, Blue	LL
46	Eagle, Bald	LL
47	Hawk, Red-tailed	LL
48	Vireo, Philadelphia	LL
49	Gnatcatcher, Blue Gray	LL
50	Tanager, Scarlet	LL
51	Cardinal, Northern	LL
52	Flycatcher, Great Crested	LL
53	Flycatcher, Least	LL
54	Vireo, Yellow-throated	LL
55	Cowbird, Brown-headed	LL
56	Vireo, Warbling	LL
57	Hummingbird, Ruby-throated	SGA
58	Vulture, Turkey	SGA
59	Hawk, Cooper's	SGA
60	Finch, House	SGA
61	Sparrow, House	SGA
62	Sparrow, Chipping	SGA
63	Starling, European	SGA
64	Bluebird, Eastern	SGA
65	Crow, American	SGA
66	Wren, House	SGA
67	Phoebe, Eastern	SGA
68	Pelican, American White	SGA
69	Swift, Chimney	SGA
70	Warbler, Cerulean	SGA
71	Sparrow, Savannah	SGA
72	Kingbird, Eastern	SGA
73	Titmouse, Tufted	SGA
74	Waxwing, Cedar	SGA
75	Ovenbird	SGA
76	Sparrow, Grasshopper	WW
77	Sandpiper, Spotted	WW
78	Swallow, Bank	WW
79	Swallow, Northern Rough-winged	WW
80	Dunlin	WW
81	Swallow, Cliff	WW
82	Sandpiper, Least	WW
83	Meadowlark, Eastern	WW
84	Sandpiper, Semipalmated	WW
85	Gull, Herring	WW
86	Killdeer	WW
87	Yellowlegs, Greater	WW
88	Yellowlegs, Lesser	WW
89	Lark, Horned	WW
90	Gadwall	WW
91	Shoveler, Northern	WW
92	Scaup, Lesser	WW
93	Duck, Ruddy	WW
94	Redhead	WW
95	Turnstone, Ruddy	WW
96	Grebe, Horned	WW
97	Grebe, Eared	WW
98	Coot, American	WW
99	Towhee, Eastern	WW
100	Plover, Black-bellied	WW
101	Tern, Black	WW
102	Canvasback	WW
103	Sandpiper, Upland	WW
104	Harrier, Northern	WW
105	Sparrow, Field	WW
106	Sparrow, Vesper	WW
107	Bobolink	WW
108	Sparrow, White-throated	WW
109	Turkey, Wild	WW
110	Oriole, Baltimore	WW
111	Oriole, Orchard	WW
112	Thrasher, Brown	WW
113	Siskin, Pine	Dayle's
114	Nuthatch, Red-breasted	Dayle's
115	Warbler, Yellow-rumped	MLNP
116	Warbler, Black-and-white	MLNP
117	Flicker, Northern	MLNP
118	Sparrow, White-crowned	MLNP
119	Cormorant, Double-crested	MLNP
120	Pigeon, Rock	MLNP
121	Falcon, Peregrine	MLNP
122	Kinglet, Ruby-crowned	MLNP
123	Martin, Purple	MLNP
124	Chickadee, Black-capped	Snug Harbor
125	Warbler, Black-throated Green	Snug Harbor

Two Cold Field Trips on Saturday April 20

From early to mid-morning Patricia Pennell of the Michigan Nature Association led a dozen MCNC members plus several others around the Five Lakes Nature Preserve in Egelston Township.  Though it was ridiculously cold for this time of year, the group counted 27 species of birds for the morning including a very vocal Pied-billed Grebe on Carr Lake.

Later in the morning until 1:00 p.m. a few people left Patricia's group to guide a dozen others around the Wastewater properties for Nik Kalejs and Karen Cleveland of the DNR.  How to bird the Wastewater rather than bird-watching was the focus of interest, though such species as American Kestrel, Barn Swallow and Northern Harrier were noted along with a "probable" Merlin.