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.