Michigan RBA--23 December 2004

[Jonathan Wuepper]

--RBA

*Michigan
*Statewide
*December 23rd, 2004
*MIST122304
-Transcript

hotline: Michigan
number: 269/471-4919
to report: 269-556-9510 or wuepperj at hotmail.com
compiled: 23 Dec 2004
compiler: Jon Wuepper

MICHIGAN REVIEW SPECIES MENTIONED

CACKLING GOOSE* [NOT ON MICHIGAN BIRD LIST] (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:

Long-tailed Duck (Monroe, Bay cos)
Sharp-tailed Grouse (Chippewa County)
Turkey Vulture (Berrien County)
Northern Goshawk (Berrien County)
Merlin (Mackinac, Berrien cos)
Golden Eagle (Jackson, Muskegon, Cass cos)
Great Black-backed Gull (Bay, Monroe cos)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Monroe County)
Glaucous Gull (Marquette, Wayne cos)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Manistee County)
Iceland Gull (Marquette, Genesee cos)
Thayer’s Gull (Marquette County)
Black-legged Kittiwake (Muskegon County)
Snowy Owl (Muskegon County)
Great Gray Owl (Mackinac, Chippewa cos)
Northern Hawk Owl (Luce County)
Black-backed Woodpecker (Baraga County)
Northern Shrike (Chippewa, Bay, Barry cos)
Varied Thrush (Houghton County)
Bohemian Waxwing (Marquette, Chippewa cos)
Pine Warbler (Livingston County)
Northern Cardinal (Houghton County)
Chipping Sparrow (Houghton, Berrien cos)
Field Sparrow (Keewenaw County)
Pine Grosbeak (Chippewa County)
White-winged Crossbill (Baraga County)


This is the Michigan Statewide Bird Report for Thursday, December 23rd, 
2004, which is being sponsored by the Wild Bird Center of Benton Harbor 
located in the Orchards Mall.

In MACKINAC COUNTY, a GREAT GRAY OWL was found during the Mackinaw Straits 
Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on December 21st, along H-57 (a/k/a Brevort Lake 
Rd). This is located about 3.5 miles north of US 2. It was perched in a 
spruce in front of a yellow modular home with the address 102 on the 
mailbox. A MERLIN was observed on the count along US-2 & Cheeseman Road.

In CHIPPEWA COUNTY, on Sugar Island, December 20th, Mark Dettling, Greg 
Norwood and others located a GREAT GRAY OWL, approximately one mile from the 
ferry along one and-a-half mile road.
On December 21st, 6 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were seen at Riverside Road and 9 
Mile Roads. NORTHERN SHRIKE, PINE GROSBEAK and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were also 
reported on Sugar Island.

In LUCE COUNTY, the previously reported NORTHERN HAWK OWL was relocated 
along Soo Line Road this week. Date uncertain, but probably seen on December 
21st (and/or December 20th.).

In HOUGHTON COUNTY, December 18th, highlights on the Houghton CBC included a 
VARIED THRUSH, near Jacobsville, and a CHIPPING SPARROW at a feeder in 
Hancock. On December 19th, Skye Haas relocated the VARIED THRUSH in 
Jacobsville.

In BARAGA COUNTY on December 19th, Skye Haas found at least 1 CACKLING 
GOOSE* at the base of the Keewenaw Bay in Baraga. Also on December 19th, 
Skye found a female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, and a few WHITE-WINGED 
CROSSBILLS on M-28, south of Bovine.

In MARQUETTE COUNTY on December 19th, Skye Haas birded the county dump and 
found: 1, 1st winter ICELAND GULL and 1 , 1st-winter THAYER’S GULL, and a 
good total of 14 GLAUCOUS GULLS. Skye tallied about 250 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS 
that day along South Beach Road in the lower harbor.

In KEEWENAW COUNTY, a FIELD SPARROW has been seen this month (December 
4th—December 18th+?), at a private feeder in Amheek. 2 NORTHERN CARDINALS 
have been seen far north of their normal range, at a parking lot of a 
Hardee’s restaurant in East Houghton. For more information, you can call 
Nancy Auer at: 906-337-2690.

In BAY COUNTY, on December 17th at the Karn Power Plant, 500 LONG-TAILED 
DUCKS  were reported by Mark and Judy Hubinger. On December 20th, a lone 
female LONG-TAILED DUCK was all that remained there, according to Joe and 
Grant Soehnel. Joe and Grant also tallied 4 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS and a 
NORTHERN SHRIKE that day at the Karn Plant.

In HURON COUNTY on December 16th, 3-female type HARLEQUIN DUCKS were 
tallied, during the Huron County CBC, off the point at Grindstone.

In MANISTEE COUNTY, December 18th, Brian Allen reported a 3rd- winter LESSER 
BLACK-BACKED GULLl on Manistee Lake seen from the Arthur Sreet Boat Launch 
on US-31 in Manistee.

In MUSKEGON COUNTY on December 17th, Mike Moran reported 3 SNOWY OWLS, 
around the Muskegon Wastewater Facility. On December 22nd, Caleb Putnam 
notified that 3 SNOWY OWLS were (re?)located in the county. 2 at Muskegon 
Wastewater, and another 100 yards  east of intersection of Moorland & Cline 
Roads, atop telephone pole. A BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was found December 
18th, at Muskegon State Park, during the Muskegon CBC.

In MONROE COUNTY, on the Monroe CBC on December 19th, a good total of 54 
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. 1 LONG-TAILED 
DUCK was counted that day.

In WAYNE COUNTY, at the Tyler Road Pond on the Visteon Grounds on December 
19th, Mark and Andy Dettling saw 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS.

In JACKSON COUNTY on December 16th, Martin Bialecki reported a GOLDEN EAGLE, 
perched on the east side of Thorn Lake.

In LIVINGSTON COUNTY, the previously reported PINE WARBLER, seen visiting 
the feeders of the Brighton State Recreation Area, was last reported on 
December 19th.

IN GENNESEE COUNTY, at Lake Ponemah on  December 18th, Karl Overman and Neil 
Gilbert reported a 2nd-winter ICELAND GULL.

In BARRY COUNTY on December 20th, Thomas Funke reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE, 
terrorizing other birds at the feeders of the Otis Sanctuary, owned by 
Michigan Audubon Society.

In CASS COUNTY on December 20th, a GOLDEN EAGLE was reported during the 
Dowagiac CBC.

In BERRIEN COUNTY, highlights of the Berrien Springs CBC, held on December 
19th included: NORTHERN GOSHAWK (Saint Joseph); a late TURKEY VULTURE (near 
Sodus—a count first); 2 MERLINS (1 at Andrews University; another along Garr 
Road); and 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS (1 near Sodus, other at a feeder outside 
Berrien Springs).

HIGHLY RECCOMENDED: the 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 30th, 
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