Except for the wind, it was a beautiful cold Saturday morning. But the wind was strong and straight off the Big Lake, always trying to tip over the six of us as we looked for birds along the Grand Haven Channel and at the state park shoreline.
Pigeon Creek channel was more protected but fairly birdless. So the best bird-watching, not surprisingly, was through the window at the feeding stations of the nature center at Hemlock Crossing.
I did add a Year Bird at each of the three locations: #35 Common Merganser at Grand Haven, #36 Bufflehead at Pigeon Creek, and #37 White-throated Sparrow (two surprisingly early individuals, one bright, one drab) at Hemlock Crossing.
That location also provided Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, White- and Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal (basically all the common feeder species except House Finch and Hairy Woodpecker).
- Ric
