Because Covid conditions still exist, members who were unable to vote by secret ballot in person at our February 17 meeting may still do so non-secretly by phoning or emailing Ric with their votes from Feb. 18-28, 2022.
No one other than the people below have asked to be candidates, but "write-ins" are acceptable whichever way you vote.
Candidates for 2022-2023
President: Beth Miller
Vice-president: _________
Secretary: Ric Pedler
Treasurer: Greg DeWeerd
A peak in local COVID conditions canceled the January 20 meeting.
Weather conditions "canceled" the January 22 field trip. Charlie and Ric met at 8:00 in the parking lot along Muskegon Lake south of the channel. They watched several ice fishermen deciding not to fish, observed a few others heading out on the ice despite the conditions (and the partially submerged tent of the guy who was rescued earlier in the week), saw a few Mallards (but no other birds, or birders), and headed for home before 8:30.
Ten of us meandered around Black Lake Park this morning -- a nice cold walk with a few birds scattered here and there; nothing to write home about.
Among the seventeen species were at least one Brown Creeper, five Pied-billed Grebes, and several Dark-eyed Juncos. Surprisingly, no Northern Cardinals appeared on our walk, but two flew in front of Charlie's truck as he was leaving.
Photos by Carol Cooper:
November 18 Meeting and Program
( See Sidebar for Time and Place Details )
Birding in West India
Steve and Angie Hamberg
The country of India has a number of habitats and a good diversity of bird species. In Thursday's audio-visual program, Steve and Angie Hamberg will concentrate on the more arid western portion of India, largely following its border with Pakistan. They start north in the Punjab region where a manmade wetland attracts wintering species from even further north, then south into Rajastan, land of palaces and fortresses where isolated natural areas provide a refuge for local wildlife. Next they go into the Thar Desert to look for a couple of endangered birds. This is followed by a visit to the great salt flats bordering the Arabian Sea. Their program ends at a forested reserve northeast of Mumbai to find a rare owl.
Steve and Angie Hamberg are from Holland, Michigan. Steve is a practicing physician, though soon to retire. Angie is a retired elementary school music teacher. Together they have been to 85 countries around the world and have birded in most of them. Steve keeps a list of all of the birds he has seen and is presently at 7,211 species on his world checklist!
Field Trip
Black Lake Park, Etc.
November 20, 2021
We will meet Saturday morning at 8:00 in the parking lot of Black Lake Park (on the west side of Wood Road about a mile south of Pontaluna Road). At 8:15 we will begin our slow clockwise walk around the park heading south to the creek, west to the first viewing platform, north to the second viewing platform, east to the meadow and south back to our cars. The entire distance is about a mile.
Depending on time and the group's desire, we may then drive to the west side of Black Lake to look for birds there or at the adjoining Hoffmaster State Park. The trip will end around noon.
Nominate another club member or volunteer yourself from now until January 31, 2022, to be president, vice-president, secretary, or treasurer of the Muskegon County Nature Club next season (Sept. 16, 2022 - Sept. 21, 2023). Members will vote anonymously at our meeting on February 17, 2022, or non-anonymously by mail or email from February 18 until February 28, 2022.
(Ric will not be the club’s president after September 16, 2022, but will remain an active member and help whoever succeeds him in every way he can.)
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:
October 20 Email:
In case you or anyone you know is interested…. If you like the photography I produce, there are 2022 calendars for sale at the Bird House on Lake Street in North Muskegon that highlight photography of various sorts.
There is a calendar that has been created of Richard’s Park …the park that now can only be entered when heading away from North Muskegon on the Causeway …formerly could be entered also from Ottawa Street. The calendar was created as a fundraiser to create awareness/ appreciation for that little park… The money gained from the purchase of calendars has allowed for the purchase of a number of bird houses and one bat house that have been installed around the park in various trees.
Fourteen people birded two Ottawa County locations this morning on our September field trip. We found 36 bird species today.
Just east of the Grand Haven north pier seven small birds occupied a lone tree. Six of the seven seemed to be warblers: a Nashville, a female Black-throated Blue, and a Bay-breasted (I.D.'d by Chip Francke who happened to be walking by). One was a Yellow-throated Vireo.
Notable from the pier were Caspian Tern, Ruddy Turnstone, and a number of Sanderlings, some of which we nearly stepped on.
After the pier we walked the woods and open areas along the east side of the lake at Ottawa Sands County Park. Birds of note included a Gray-cheeked Thrush, Red-headed Woodpeckers, some warblers (Nashville, male Black-throated Blue, and Palm), some local and migrating raptors (Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels), Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Ducks, Spotted Sandpipers, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, and Great Blue and Green Herons.
"If you are a birder in Muskegon County, you might want to join the Muskegon County birds listserv that was started by Beth Miller some time ago If you want to join, email Beth at glenabeth@gmail.com. You will receive more info after you join." - Chip Francke
Nineteen people showed up for our August 21 Wastewater Field Trip. We caravanned through the Rapid Infiltration cells, birded the north end of the center dike, and finished at the Clay Pond on the south side.
Shorebirds were nicely spread around the lagoons despite none of the rapid filtration cells being drawn down. We found 13 of these: Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Stilt Sandpiper, Sanderling, Baird's Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope ...
... Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Two birders not with our group reported a Ruddy Turnstone.
Others among the 54 species identified by our group included Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Sandhill Crane, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret ...
