 Grassland Birding at JH Campbell Generating Facility
Click the image above or the link below to watch the video.
 |
|
Join Ottawa County Parks on a special birding field trip to the JH Campbell Generating Facility grasslands. Discover what unique birds inhabit this large tract of mixed grassland habitat. Ottawa County Parks works closely with staff at JH Campbell to allow safe access to this otherwise private area, for the purpose of birding for enjoyment but also for documentation of the unusual species and numbers of birds found there.
|
FOLLOW ALONG! North Dakota Birding Road Trip
June 24 -July 7, 2023
 Click the image above or link below to watch the video.
Follow along on my upcoming...
On Saturday, June 24th, I plan to leave and head north to the upper peninsula and take Highway 2 west all the way to western North Dakota. North Dakota is one of two states I have never visited, and I’ve always wanted to go birding in the grasslands. I plan to visit, lost Wood, national wildlife refuge, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Target lifers include Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Baird’s Sparrow along with possible Sage Grouse and if I venture into Wyoming, maybe a Mountain Plover. Of course, there are many other interesting birds along the way that are not life for us for me, but our ones I still want to see, including Long-billed Curlew!
In my travels, I plan to stop in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and at Sax-Zim bog north of Duluth, Minnesota. On the way back, I plan to stop at the Black Hills of South Dakota.
You can follow me by checking my ebird Trip Report here:
...and by subscribing to my YouTube Channel here:
 Upcoming Birding Programs & Outings
For more details or to register check us out ONLINE!
 |
On Thursday, May 11th, the Nature Center at Hemlock Crossing County Park hosted birder and nationally recognized speaker, Tiffany Kersten.
With 95 people in attendance Tiffany told an unforgettable story of how she stumbled into doing a birding big year in the lower 48 states in 2021. Tiffany took us on her incredible journey of fear, empowerment, struggles, and healing which all played vital roles in her own personal growth. As a sexual assault survivor, she used the opportunity to gift personal safety alarms to women she met along the way. In the end, she set a new Lower 48 Big Year record with an amazing 726 species!
You can learn more about her story and her birding tour guide business at the following links:
|
  This special event is sponsored by Owashtanong Islands Audubon Society, Ottawa County Parks, Holland Audubon Club and MI Birds. Thank you!
 |
|
Article/Video: WOOD TV 8
There’s an interesting visitor in Kent County these days and you never know where it might drop in. A rare ferruginous hawk is being tracked in West Michigan and local birders are keeping their eyes on the sky.
Photo by Stu Mackenzie, via Birds Canada
|
 |
|
Website: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Learn what makes these areas important for birds and people, where they are located, and what birds you can expect to find
Photo by David Vande Guchte - 2022 Mug Club Photo Contest
|
What Is Causing the Perplexing Decline of the American Kestrel?
 |
|
Article: Audubon Magazine
Although still common, these much-loved falcons continue to disappear from North American skies. Scientists are racing to understand why.
Photo by Blair Celano - 2017 Mug Club Photo Contest
|
 |
|
Article: National Audubon
Big burns are natural, but climate change could make especially destructive fire seasons the new normal. Article dated 9/11/2020
Photo by Frank Lehman/Audubon Photography Awards
|
 |
|
Article: National Audubon
Renowned birder, author, and conservationist, Kenn Kaufman answers this question and more!
Illustration by Joe Ciardiello
|
*If you have an interesting bird-related article or video to share, let us know!
Email it to us at naturecenter@miottawa.org and put "Bird News" in the subject line.
 Submit your sightings, photos and videos and I'll share them in these Newswire emails. See below for information on how to submit your sightings!
Photos submitted by Lynn Rutan
Brown Creeper
Hofma Preserve, Grand Haven
He was zipping all over and I took a lot of pictures hoping to get one in focus! I like this one because it is so typical to see them this way - sideways or upside down and perfectly happy in any direction ;-)
 Brown Creeper (L) and Yellow Warbler (R) by Lynn Rutan
Yellow Warbler & Red-headed Woodpecker
Stu Visser Trails, Park Township
A pair of Red-Headed Woodpeckers had a nest just south of the bigger bridge and I'd been watching it for several weeks. I always tried to stand or take pictures from the north end of the bridge which was hopefully far enough away that they wouldn't be worried. Still, I usually grabbed a couple of shots and then moved on. This particular day just as I got there, the pair were both bringing food and going in and out of the nest. Just after I took this picture, a fledgling shot out of the nest and landed in the tree over the bridge. I got a picture of it but it isn't the best. Still it was amazing to see the youngster. I think there was still at least one more in the nest because the parents were continuing to bring food. So great to see them with a nest there!
Baltimore Oriole
Macatawa West End Boardwalk, Park Township
 Baltimore Oriole (L) and Red-headed Woodpecker (R) by Lynn Rutan
Bobolinks
Helder Park, Holland Twp.
I found this pair of Bobolinks and got this shot of them both with food in their beaks. They clearly had a nest close by. I thought you might like to see what they were catching for their chicks!
 Bobolink pair by Lynn Rutan. Note that the female looks very different from the male, being tawny brown instead of the vivid black and white.
Bird Outings with Ottawa County Parks
 Big Day Field Trip Participants get an early start at 5:30am at Bruce's Bayou on the Grand River.
Spring Bird Outings with Ottawa County Parks
 |
|
(click above link for Trip Report of all April outings)
(click above link for Trip Report of all May outings)
- Palm, Pine & Yellow-rumped Warblers
- Black-throated Green Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers
- Click the link to see all of the day's checklists and the 120+ birds encountered.
- Click the link above to see all 3 checklists which include Red-headed Woodpecker and an incredible Kirtland's Warbler!
- Nesting Eastern Bluebirds, 6 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
- Canada Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Orchard Oriole
- 52 species including Black-billed & Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue-winged Warbler, Alder Flycatcher.
- 7 Sparrow Species including 2 Clay-colored, 13 Grasshopper & 16 Vesper.
Photos top to bottom: N. Parula by Jeff Slaughter; Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Chris Sprik; Black-throated Green Warbler by Lucas Timmer; Northern Waterthrush by Judi Manning
|
Mug Club Members Spring Bird Walk - 6/1/23 - Ottawa Sands
 |
|
Mug Club Members are treated to a spring and fall bird walk each year. The locations of these walks are determined by the winner of the photo contest. In this case, Mike Bergeon (yellow shirt, lower left of photo), who won the contest with his Cedar Waxwing photo, chose Ottawa Sands County Park.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a Mug Club Member to help sponsor Coffee with the Birds programs (winter) and feeding the birds at the Nature Center, click the link below:
Ottawa County Parks - Birding Website
|
Ottawa County 24-Hour Big Day - 6/3/23
 |
|
At the stroke of midnight on Saturday June 3rd, a team of 4 birders set out on a 24-hour birding adventure.
Read more about it and the 125 species they encountered by clicking the links below:
|
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR BIRD SHARE SIGHTINGS
Click on the "Google Forms" link below to fill out where, when and what birds you saw. As an additional option at the end of the form, you'll have opportunity to upload any bird photos or videos you'd like to share! Please limit photos/videos to 3 per monthly newsletter and they must be <10MB each. Thank you!
*NOTE: You must be signed into a Google account to upload files. If you don't have a Google account, email your submissions to naturecenter@miottawa.org with "Bird Share" in the subject line.
*Any information or photos shared will be used in future Birding Update Newswire! emails.
CALENDARS ON SALE!
2023 Mug Club Photo Contest Calendars
2023 Mug Club Photo Contest Calendars
50% OFF! $7.50 (Retail $15)
|
 |
|
This year we used selected photos from the contest to create our very first Mug Club Photo Contest Calendar! The cover features all 95 entries and each month spotlights the 5 winning photos plus 10 additional photos taken by other photographers. Can you find YOUR photo? Look below and see which photos we’ve included inside the calendar. Congratulations to those whose photos are featured this year!
You can purchase a 2023 calendar for yourself at the Nature Center at Hemlock Crossing County Park for $7.50 each.
|
BIRD BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
If you have a bird-related book recommendation you'd like to share, click the link below to let us know!
|
 Links to Share
 |
|
One-stop-shop for bird identification resources, bird videos, Coffee with the Birds, local bird clubs & many more useful birding websites and resources.
Use this link to sign up for this Newswire! email or share it with other who may enjoy it too.
|
|
