Tag: Redpoll


New Year’s Day Birding

2
January
Bufflehead

Bufflehead on the Grand River

Winter is a great time to enjoy our seasonal guests as well as the many resident birds of Michigan.  For most of the past 20 plus years I have made my annual birding trip on January first.  I have a route from my home to Allendale, then to the west end of the Bass River Recreation Area. From there to the Grand River at four different parks or access points including the boat launch in Grand Haven.  Then on to Lake Michigan and down towards Holland for several stops. Many of my favorite stops are at or near open water since water fowl and any wading birds will congregate in the open water surrounded by ice.  The basic route has remained the same over the years with a few deviations and changes, adding and eliminating stops to make the trip as productive as possible.

This year some stops did not yield a single bird.  Those that would normally be iced in were open and Lake Michigan was calm enough for large flocks of water fowl to be out in the open lake. These included Mergansers and Goldeneyes which needed the spotting scope to view at the Port Sheldon bubbler. I also noticed the trees have grown up considerably over the years, which is why the Bluebirds were not in the usual place or anywhere else along my route this year.  With abundance of open water there were no eagles to be found near the openings.

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

The first bird of the day was a Common Redpoll at my feeder as I was preparing to leave. While out the birds on the list began to add up, one, two or three here and there. There was even a cold and slow Great Blue Heron with some Mallard Ducks in a small stream. There were Golden-crowned Kinglets, Tree Sparrows and Chickadees at Bass River and an active Red-bellied Woodpecker along the Grand River. Even with the total numbers of birds down, I still managed to identify 29 different species in the nearly five hour and 100 miles logged.

As I finish this post, a Cooper’s Hawk was just at my bird feeders. I guess that answers the question, where did all the birds go?

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Much Ado in Winter

4
December
Fall cattail

Cattail

As the weather begins to cool and visions of snow covered landscapes are only a dream so far this year, there is much to experience in West Michigan out of doors this time of year. With the warm fall, things like Skunk Cabbage and other spring ephemerals that begin their growth in the fall are exposed for the viewing with the lack of snow this year. The warm weather has been good for a comfortable walk in the woods, but even when it is cold it’s a good time of year to be out. Chances are you’ll be alone or one of the few who venture out and many times in winter, the place to be to enjoy the view around you is to be where everyone else isn’t   As you pass by the wetlands or ditches along the road, check out the cattails and other vegetation. As the snow and ice comes this dead vegetation can become very photogenic.

Winter birds are more friendly and easier to observe since they are not so territorial or protecting young at this time of year. Many species also come down from the more northern areas to the Great Lakes for the winter in search of food and milder weather.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle at Palomita Preserve

As the cold comes and ice begins to form on the local lakes and waterways, water fowl and eagles will congregate at the open water in the ice to feed. This is also a good time to find birds we don’t often see in our area. A few weeks ago a White-winged Crossbill was sighted at Hemlock Crossings Park in Ottawa County. The lakeshore areas are some of the best for birding this time of year. Even though Eagles are becoming more and more common in West Michigan, they are still a welcome sight. Eagles can be seen around the Palomita Preserve along Lakeshore drive south of Grand Haven. They will be by the open water in Grand Haven and Holland areas when it finally freezes things up. The next month or so will be great times to view these majestic birds if we get the ice to consolidate them into easier to find areas.

Rare or uncommon birds can also show up at the bird feeders through the winter months. There are already reports of Redpolls in the area and these birds will show up at feeders when the weather turns cold and the natural seeds are under the snow.

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