Unfortunately Covid conditions will prevent our conducting indoor meetings and programs for the indefinite future. The November meeting is canceled.
We will hold our November 21 field trip following social-distancing guidelines. Further details will be posted on this page.
The National Audubon Society will announce by November 15 whether Christmas Bird Counts will be canceled this year or conducted following proper Covid safety procedures. That message will be posted on this page.
Eight of us enjoyed this cold sunny morning at two locations. We began with temperatures in the 30's at the northside of the Grand Haven Channel. During our 90 minutes we identified only 10 species, but a few of those made the morning special.
... it was chased off the wall by a Merlin! For almost a minute the falcon chased the sandpiper northwest over Lake Michigan, zigging and zagging and almost catching it before giving up the chase.
Walking back we enjoyed good views of this Black-bellied Plover.
Then someone noticed that the Buff Breasted Sandpiper had returned to the wall west of us. It was a Lifer species for some on this trip! Beth walked all the way back to the bird, lay down on her side, and snapped the bird up close and personal.
Afterward we headed over to the Ottawa Sands County Park.
There we encountered the Ottawa County field trip group and found (by my count) 33 bird species. Notable among these were several Wood Duck and a Green Heron hiding in marshy cover, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sharp-shinned Hawk (2 migrating), Bald Eagle (1 immature), 7 Red-tailed Hawks (4 adults flying around the eagle nest hill all morning, 3 others apparently migrating), Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Towhee, Palm Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler (1 male and 1 first fall female).
When we quit at noon the temperature had climbed well into the 50's. It was beautiful, but it still didn't feel like summer even though it was.
- Ric