The forecasted weather (cloudy with a 15% chance of rain) didn't hold true for yesterday's conditions at the Upper Macatawa Natural Area. Instead the day began with ground fog and mostly clear skies. The sun burned off the fog fairly quickly. Then clouds hurried in from the northwest and rain sprinkled us for much of the rest of the morning. Nonetheless, on our walk along the trails six-and-three-halves of us found many individual birds of 34 different species.
Notable were seven waterbirds (Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal) plus Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, White-crowned Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Carol Cooper took these pictures:
Watching the Red-tailed Hawk on the pole.
Surveying the ponds from the look-out platform.
