May 19 Potluck Report Updated

After our annual potluck picnic meeting on May 19, 2016, club members took a brief evening walk around the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve finding 38 species of birds.

May 7 Field Trip Report Updated

Seven of us took two cool morning walks today on Ken Sherburn's field trip.  We counted 32 bird species at Lake Harbor Park, 19 at Hoffmaster State Park, for a total of 39 species for the day.

Warblers hid this morning.  A Pine Warbler at Lake Harbor and an Ovenbird at Hoffmaster were the only members of that family recorded.  We also never saw a robin at Hoffmaster!

Notable at Lake Harbor were Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, the Pine Warbler, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, and an Eastern Towhee.

At Hoffmaster we saw a pair of Eastern Phoebes and their nest, watched an Osprey overhead, heard the frequent calling of a Red-shouldered Hawk, and watched two Black-capped Chickadees zipping in and out of the nest hole they were excavating.

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April 23 Field Trip Report

Fourteen people birded the Upper Macatawa Natural Area east of Holland this morning.  Liz Notman led us through woodland habitat beside the Macatawa River and then marsh, meadow and other woodland areas along the main path east of 48th Ave.

Of the 45 bird species encountered, most were the usual spring suspects.  Highlights included 5 Blue-winged Teal landing on one of the ponds, 2 Great Egrets flying overhead, a high-flying Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, Soras and Virginia Rails calling both early and late, Wilson's Snipe, Belted Kingfisher, a Northern Rough-winged Swallow (among the many Tree Swallows), a Brown Creeper, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Hermit Thrush, and five sparrow species (Chipping, White-throated, Song, Swamp and House).

Eric Gustafson also showed us pictures of a White-eyed Vireo that he had photographed earlier on the property!

Even without the birds it was an enjoyable cool spring walk through some beautiful areas.