Manistee weekend birds

[Brian Allen]

A stomach bug or food poisoning ruined my chance for Saturday AM birding but did recover in time to lead an owl hike for the local Audubon last night.  Highlights were severeal flocks of night migrating Tundra Swans yodeling across the constellations.  One member of the group saw a small owl cross the road and fly up into some pines while I played my Saw-whet Owl recording but our search failed to turn up the quiet well-hidden bird.  A little farther down the road at a site where I had a great close-up view of a Barred Owl the night before I called it back up but the group was only able to see it briefly before it flew away only calling once.

Although the owls were quiet the Wood Frogs and Northern Chorus Frogs were out and the Woodcock were doing courtship flights.

This morning I checked out Williamsport at the west end of Portage Lake on a tip from Doug Cook and found about 700 divers in order of abundunce: Redhead, Common Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon.  In the channel at Portage Point were 25 White-winged Scoters and offshore 200+ Long-tailed Ducks.  Portage Lake is still nearly completely frozen, very unusual for this late in the year and conclusive proof that there is no global warming unless you believe in that La Nina stuff.

BA

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