February 17 Field Trip Report

Eleven hardy souls birded three locations this cold cloudy morning.  Ice covered all of Muskegon Lake and the birdable shoreline of Lake Michigan.  The only water was in the Muskegon Channel where we saw thirteen bird species including Redhead, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and Bald Eagle.

Birders at Lake Harbor Park by Carol Cooper

The Mona Lake Channel was also liquid.  We walked the Lake Harbor Park trail out to the Big Lake recording 17 species including Redhead, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Rock Pigeon (not often seen on field trips) and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

 Redhead in Mona Lake Channel

Female Greater Scaup in Mona Lake Channel

We concluded our morning walking around Black Lake Park where we found 16 species including Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Bluebird and Cedar Waxwing.  

We didn't hear or see any Pileated Woodpeckers, but there was plenty of evidence that they've been around recently!

Including the Wild Turkeys on Lincoln Street near the Nugent railroad siding, we totaled 32 bird species for the day and had a good time doing it.