January 23 Field Trip Report

Wearing masks and social-distancing, eight of us birded three locations this morning.  Our group found some good birds, but three of the more remarkable species were not seen by everyone.

Long before the trip began, Charlie heard an Eastern Screech Owl near the east end of the Muskegon Channel.  Later in the same area we found eight other species including Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted and Common Merganser, and Herring and Ring-billed Gull (some with their undersides beautifully lighted by the morning sunrise).

Sunrise by Carol Cooper

At the south breakwall of Pere Marquette Park we missed some White-winged Scoters reported soon after we left.  We did see eight species including Greater Scaup, Redhead, Long-tailed Duck and Bald Eagle.

After driving to Lake Harbor Park, we walked the trail along the Mona Lake Channel out to Lake Michigan.

Mona Lake Channel birders by Carol Cooper

Along the way we found 11 bird species including Pileated Woodpecker and our best view of Long-tailed Ducks.

Long-tailed Ducks by Charlie DeWitt

Carol saw an American Robin on the way to Black Lake Park, our final destination.  Our group found eight species there, none out of the ordinary, and dozens of ice fishermen on the lake.  A nice morning outing despite the cold weather and Covid precautions!

Meetings Canceled / Field Trips Continued

The most optimistic forecast predicts late April as the time by which most ordinary Michigan citizens will have received their Covid vaccinations.  Until then, indoor congregations would of course be unnecessarily dangerous if not illegal.  So instead of continuing to announce month-by-month the status of our meetings/programs, we're canceling them now through April.  Grand Rapids Audubon and Holland Audubon have already announced similar plans.

Whether we hold the outdoor potluck picnic meeting on May 20 is still undecided.  In a few months if we decide to have it, we will contact Michigan State Parks to reserve the Snug Harbor pavilion again.

Meanwhile we will continue our monthly field trips on the dates of our original schedule, but with social-distancing, masks if appropriate, and without car-pooling once the trips begin.   How we conduct the May 15 Big Day Count is still anybody's guess.

Christmas Bird Count Updates

Although there were no official meetings of people (or lunches at the Cherokee or Grandma's Griddle Restaurants), we still obtained some decent bird numbers on the Muskegon County Wastewater CBC December 16 and the City of Muskegon CBC December 19.  Numbers for the City CBC were compiled for the official North American records and keep our club's participation in Christmas Bird Counts unbroken since we first began a long time ago.

Five people submitted numbers to Brian Johnson for the Dec. 16 Wastewater count.  Pleasant weather helped produce respectable numbers and good quality.  Rough-legged Hawks were seen by all; Wild Turkeys by nobody!  Excellent species included Rusty Blackbird and Short-eared Owl.  Totals were 57 species and 10,197 individuals.

Eight people submitted numbers from 14 locations within 7.5 miles of downtown Muskegon on Dec. 19.  Two species had not been recorded on previous Muskegon CBC's for at least 25 years: White-crowned Sparrow (at the Causeway Marsh) and Wood Duck (along Rood Road in Norton Shores).  A total of 3,059 individual birds were reported among the 49 total species.