Michigan RBA--16 December 2004

[Jonathan Wuepper]

--RBA

*Michigan
*Statewide
*December 16th, 2004
*MIST121604
-Transcript

hotline: Michigan
number: 269/471-4919
to report: 269-556-9510 or wuepperj at hotmail.com
compiled: 16 Dec 2004
compiler: Jon Wuepper

MICHIGAN REVIEW SPECIES MENTIONED

KING EIDER* [CASUAL] (Saint Clair County)
ARCTIC/PACIFIC LOON* [CASUAL] (Baraga County)

*=On Michigan Bird Records Committee Species Review List. Please send
documentation to: Jack Reinoehl, c/o MBRC, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI 
49242.

Additional species mentioned:

White-winged Scoter (Saint Clair, Oakland cos)
Harlequin Duck (Marquette County)
Long-tailed Duck (Saint Clair, Benzie cos)
Red-necked Grebe (Saint Clair County)
Golden Eagle (Muskegon County)
Iceland Gull (Wayne, Marquete cos)
Great Black-backed Gull (Marquette, Wayne, Bay cos)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Wayne County)
Thayer’s Gull (Marquette, Berrien cos)
Glaucous Gull (Marquette, Alger, Bay cos)
Snowy Owl (Chippewa, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Huron, Bay, Berrien cos)
Great Gray Owl (Chippewa County)
Northern Hawk Owl (Luce County)
Black-backed Woodpecker (Luce County)
Bohemian Waxwing (Marquette County)
Gray Catbird (Midland County)
Pine Warbler (Livingston County)
Harris’s Sparrow (Osceola County)
Fox Sparrow (Berrien County)
Pine Siskin (Berrien County)
Common Redpoll (Berrien County)

This is the Michigan Statewide Bird Report for Thursday, December 16th, 
2004, which is being sponsored by the Wild Bird Center of Benton Harbor 
located in the Orchards Mall.

In BARAGA COUNTY, on December 8th, Joseph Youngman saw 1 ARCTIC/PACIFIC 
LOON*, off the Baraga Jetty in Keweenaw Bay. The bird has not been 
relocated, to my knowledge.

In SAINT CLAIR COUNTY on December 11th, off Lighthouse Point, Mike Mencotti 
and Jerry Sniderman relocated 2 KING EIDERS*, in addition to WHITE-WINGED 
SCOTERS, LONG-TAILED DUCK and RED-NECKED GREBE.

In OAKLAND COUNTY, as of December 12, the previously reported WHITE-WINGED 
SCOTER was still present, at American Center Marsh.

In WAYNE COUNTY, in Van Buren Township on December 14th, Allen Chartier 
found 1 adult ICELAND GULL, 1 adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and about 1 
dozen GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, all located at the Tyler Road Pond (a/k/a 
Grace Lake). From I-94 take Haggerty Road north about 1 mile to Tyler Road.  
DIRECTIONS: Turn right (east) and go about 1/2 mile to the Visteon entrance 
on the left. Bear to the right and find a place to park with a view of the 
"lake".

In LIVINGSTON COUNTY, the PINE WARBLER reported last week, continued to be 
observed through at least December 12th, at the Brighton State Recreation 
Area feeders.

In MUSKEGON COUNTY on December 12th, Bill Holm and Bob Tarte found an 
immature GOLDEN EAGLE, to the north of the main east-west road which runs 
through the Muskegon Wastewater Facility. A SNOWY OWL was seen at Muskegon 
Wastewater Facility through at least December 12th.

In LUCE COUNTY on December 11th, Tim Smart, Doug Munson and Scott Jennex 
relocated the NORTHERN HAWK OWL, reported on last week’s RBA. It was seen at 
the dead end of the Soo Line Road, north of M-28. A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER 
was seen “about ½ way down M-28”. On December 10th, Jodi Spieles found a 
NORTHERN HAWK OWL in the large bog, north of Skyline Rd along M-123. This 
location is north of Newberry.

In CHIPPEWA COUNTY on December 11th, Doug and Kathy Munson found 3 SNOWY 
OWLS, in the field behind 20517 S Centerline Road south of 20 Mile Road and 
west of I-75. Scott Jennex and Tim Smart went to Sugar Island on December 
11th, and found a GREAT GRAY OWL, just east of the corner of 6 Mile & 
Homestead Roads. Later that day, Scott Jennex found a GREAT GRAY OWL, south 
of Sault Sainte Marie, on Riverside Drive between 10 and 11 Mile Roads.

In MARQUETTE COUNTY, at Marquette’s Lower Harbor, December 10th, Skye Haas 
on December 10th, Skye Haas saw a female HARLEQUIN DUCK fly in off the lake. 
This was viewed from Matteson Park. However at dusk she flew off towards the 
break-wall, and was not relocated. Also seen at Marquette Harbor that day 
was one 1st winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, a 1st winter THAYER’S GULL l and 
2 GLAUCOUS GULLS (1st & 2nd winter). GLAUCOUS GULLS have been seen at 
Marquette Harbor daily. Later that day, Skye observed 10 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS 
on Lincoln Street, south of the Northern Michigan University campus. On 
December 14th, Skye Haas visited the Marquette County dump and found: 10 
GLAUCOUS GULLS, 1, 1st-winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL and 1, 2nd winter 
ICELAND GULL.

In ALGER COUNTY on December 9th, Scott Hickman saw a GLAUCOUS GULL.

In BENZIE COUNTY, at Point Betsie on December 9th, Keith Westphal was lucky 
to have seen 2 late SANDERLINGS. Keith also reported viewing a rather large 
flock of LONG-TAILED DUCKS off Point Betsie, estimated between 10,000 to 
20,000 ducks!

In OSCEOLA COUNTY on December 10th and December 11th, Matt and Cyndi 
Johnstone’s birdfeeders was host to a first-winter HARRISS’S SPARROW. The 
bird has not been seen since about 9am on December 11th.

In KALAMAZOO COUNTY, on the morning of December 11th, Richard Keith found a 
SNOWY OWL, at the intersection of Portage Road and U Avenue.
No relocation reports to my knowledge.

In HURON COUNTY on December 11th, Chris Schumacher found a SNOWY OWL, on 
Sebewaing Road about 0.25 west of Bayport Road (3:30 PM). It was perched on 
a power pole. No relocation reports.

In BAY COUNTY on December 13th, 5 GLAUCOUS GULLS were observed in Pinconning 
Township, and 8 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS near Linwood.
On December 10th, Jed Fulkerson found a SNOWY OWL, on Pinconnning Road, west 
of I-75. No relocation to my knowledge.

In MIDLAND COUNTY, at the Chippewa Nature Center on December 14th, Janea 
Little observed a lingering GRAY CATBIRD.

In BERRIEN COUNTY on December 10th, a single SNOWY OWL was seen perched on a 
STOP sign(!), irrigation equipment, and a phone pole near the corners of 
both North Scottdale and Linco Roads, and South Scottdale and Linco Roads. 
(Scottdale Road jogs a bit at Linco Road). The bird was relocated on 
December 11th, but not seen since. This bird was certainly a different owl 
than the one reported near that place on November 30th (conclusion based on 
photographs of both owls). Other notable birds from BERRIEN COUNTY this week 
included one first-winter THAYER'S GULL, seen on December 15th at Lake 
Chapin by Cory Gregory. A half-dozen COMMON REDPOLLS and several PINE 
SISKINS at the home feeder of Dick Schinkel on December 13th; Mindy Walker 
reported a lingering FOX SPARROW at the feeders of Sarett Nature Center on 
both December 14th and December 15th.

Finally, I’d like to mention the publication this month, of a new 
bird-finding guide: “A Birder’s Guide To Michigan” by Allen Chartier and 
Jerry Ziarno. The book is published by, and available exclusively though the 
American Birding Association. Check it out at 
http://www.americanbirding.org/abasales/index.html

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, December 23rd, 
2004. To report your sightings, please leave a message at the sound of the 
tone or call Jon Wuepper at 269-556-9510. Thanks for calling and good 
birding.

RECCOMENDED ORNITHOLOGIAL JOURNALS, WEB SITES, ETC

“Michigan Birds and Natural History”. Our state ornithological journal. 
Contains the Michigan Bird Survey, etc.
http://www.michiganaudubon.org/mbnh/mbnh_home.html

Michigan Bird Records Committee website: 
http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/rouge_river/MBRChome.html

“North American Birds”, a quarterly journal, published by the American 
Birding Association: http://americanbirding.org/publications/nabgen.htm