March Events

                                               March 17 Program

Chimney Swift Conservation

Chad Machinski, Michigan Audubon Society

    Facing steep population declines, the Chimney Swift is one urban bird that we should all get behind.  In this presentation you will learn the identification and life history of the Chimney Swift along with issues these birds are grappling with. We will also discuss ways that you can help with Chimney Swift conservation, and what Michigan Audubon is doing across the state to help this enigmatic bird.

    Chad Machinski’s first love is botany, but he doesn’t deny the intertwining nature of birds, plants, insects, and all other organisms with whom we share the world.  As Michigan Audubon’s Conservation Manager, Chad is responsible for the management and care for all twenty Michigan Audubon Sanctuaries around the state and bird specific programs such as Chimney Swift and Purple Martin conservation.  In his spare time, Chad enjoys tending to and expanding his native plant garden, collecting plant specimens, and learning more about our natural world. 

Loutit Library, Grand Haven

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Social Time: 6:00-6:15 p.m.

Program:  6:15-8:00 p.m

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March 21 Field Trip

Dune Harbor Park

    At 8:30 Saturday morning, March 21, 2026, meet our group at the south entrance to Dune Harbor Park (parking lot on north side of Seminole Road about 1/2 mile west of McCracken St.).  Notice: There will be a $5.00 parking charge.

    Depending on conditions, we will walk all or part of the path encircling the lake looking for early migrant bird species.  The path is relatively level and mostly hard-packed.  Be sure to dress for the weather.

    The trip will end around noon.  The public is welcome.  We hope to see you there!

February Field Trip Report

Eight people found 19 bird species on our February field trip to Pere Marquette Park and the Muskegon Channel.  Nothing unusual, but one highlight was the many Long-tailed Ducks in the channel, some of them occasionally giving their “oldsquaw” call.

February Events

February 17 Program

Rails at Different Scales

Ecological & Evolutionary Drivers of Vocal Behavior in Rallidae

Daniel Goldberg, Biology Department, Grand Valley State University

Secretive marsh birds like rails are difficult to study visually because many species vocalize from within dense vegetation at times that are difficult to survey.  Furthermore, behavioral information is lacking for many species, which poses challenges for rail conservation.

Over the course of his doctoral research, Daniel Goldberg has discovered that Soras do not decrease their vocalization rates following predator calls, and furthermore, that Soras migrating at night during the spring show high site fidelity in choosing stopover locations, but are not more attracted by either Sora calls or habitat cues.  His comparative analysis of the family Rallidae has revealed that about 60% of rail species duet — one of the highest rates of any group of birds — and that this duetting is associated with year-round territory defense by mated pairs, in species that primarily occur in densely to highly vegetated habitats.
Daniel is Assistant Professor of Biology at Grand Valley State University, a role that he began in Fall 2024 after teaching Biology for a year at Albion College.  His research interests span both animal communication and comparative studies of behavioral ecology and the evolution of elaborate signals, which he pursued during his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of California Riverside, and during his Ph.D. at Illinois State University.  He has published research articles on dorsal fin-based courtship displays in freshwater livebearer fishes, parental carrying of offspring on their backs in waterbirds, and vocal behavior and duetting in rails.  At GVSU, he specializes in teaching Ecology, Environmental Science, Ornithology, and Natural History of Vertebrates.

Loutit Library, Grand Haven

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Social Time: 6:00-6:15 p.m.

Program:  6:15-8:00 p.m.

February 21 Field Trip

Muskegon Channel Areas

Ric Pedler

At 8:30 Saturday morning, February 21, 2026, meet our group at Pere Marquette Park south of The Deck restaurant.  The Lake Michigan shoreline can be colder than inland, so be sure to dress for the weather!

Depending on conditions we will look for birds from the base of the south break wall before driving to the east end of the Muskegon Channel by Muskegon Lake.  Later we plan to look for birds at various locations along the south wall of the channel and perhaps further inland.

The trip will end around noon.  The public is welcome.  Hope to see you there!

Christmas Bird Count Compiler Needed

Ric Pedler is dropping his position as organizer and compiler for the City of Muskegon Christmas Bird Count.  He will help anyone who takes over the position in any way he can.  If you can be the coordinator for the December 2026 Muskegon CBC, please let Ric or Beth Miller know.  Thank you.

January 2026 Events

Program Canceled Until April

Due to the bad weather forecast we have canceled our Jan. 20 program until April.