Menu
Log in

 Jackson Audubon Society

 The Audubon Society of Jackson County, Michigan

  • Monday, October 07, 2019 8:17 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    A quiet night at the Sanctuary.  There was very little bird activity at the overlook and in the marsh.  Ten cranes were seen and only 2 will be staying the night. 

    But we did have apple pie, so...

    eBird checklist is available at:  https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60439786

    Crane counters:   Gary Siegrist,  & Steve Jerant

    Compiler:  Steve Jerant

    Submitted by Steve Jerant

    Crane Count:  2 (10 observed in the area)

    Species count:  30

    30 Canada Goose

    3 Trumpeter Swan -- 2 adults and a signet. Our breeding pair. 

    30 Wood Duck

    10 Mallard

    2 American Black Duck

    1 Mourning Dove

    2 American Coot

    10 Sandhill Crane -- 2 stayed in marsh

    2 Great Blue Heron

    3 Great Egret

    1 Turkey Vulture

    1 Northern Harrier

    1 Red-tailed Hawk

    1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

    1 Downy Woodpecker

    1 Hairy Woodpecker

    1 Northern Flicker

    1 American Kestrel

    3 Eastern Phoebe

    10 Blue Jay

    6 American Crow

    1 Black-capped Chickadee

    20 European Starling

    1 Eastern Bluebird

    50 American Robin

    8 Cedar Waxwing

    1 American Goldfinch

    1 Chipping Sparrow

    5 White-throated Sparrow

    200 Red-winged Blackbird

    You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at 

    Haehnle site at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/crane-count

  • Monday, September 30, 2019 8:15 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    On this unseasonably warm evening we had more mosquitoes than cranes. Only 18 cranes roosted in the marsh. Most of them arrived in one flight so our hopes were up for a big night, but it was not to be.

    Seven species of raptors were observed and we had a lot of sparrows near the overlook. Not a whole lot of blackbird activity but the fog coming in over the sanctuary from the west provided a nice view. On my way out I saw three bats in the parking lot, a bit late to help with all my bug bites.

    eBird checklist is available at: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60249001

    Crane counters: Gary Siegrist, Ross Green, & Steve Jerant

    Compiler: Steve Jerant

    Submitted by Steve Jerant

    Crane Count: 18 (22 observed in the area)

    Species count: 45

    1 Cackling Goose

    51 Canada Goose

    40 Wood Duck

    3 Mallard

    4 Pied-billed Grebe

    1 Mourning Dove

    1 Virginia Rail --

    2 American Coot

    22 Sandhill Crane -- 18 roosted in the marsh.

    2 Great Blue Heron

    4 Great Egret

    3 Turkey Vulture

    2 Northern Harrier

    2 Cooper's Hawk

    2 Red-tailed Hawk

    3 Red-bellied Woodpecker

    1 Downy Woodpecker

    1 Hairy Woodpecker

    1 Pileated Woodpecker

    1 Northern Flicker

    1 American Kestrel

    1 Merlin

    1 Eastern Wood-Pewee

    1 Eastern Phoebe

    3 Blue Jay

    1 American Crow

    2 Tufted Titmouse

    1 House Wren

    4 Marsh Wren

    1 Gray Catbird

    2 Eastern Bluebird

    7 American Robin

    40 Cedar Waxwing

    1 American Goldfinch

    5 Chipping Sparrow

    1 Field Sparrow

    4 White-crowned Sparrow

    3 White-throated Sparrow

    4 Song Sparrow

    2 Lincoln's Sparrow

    10 Swamp Sparrow

    500 Red-winged Blackbird

    1 Nashville Warbler --

    1 Common Yellowthroat

    2 Indigo Bunting

    Number of Taxa: 45

    You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at

    Haehnle site at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/crane-count 


  • Monday, September 23, 2019 8:51 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    It was good to see an increase in numbers this week. We had 157 total cranes and about half, 83, will be spending the night.  More cranes are gathering in the new habitat that has resulted from the removal of buckthorn by the fen.

    Ross spotted an American Kestral perched in the same area.  Other highlights included a hummingbird, Sharp-shinned Hawk, female scarlet tanager.  A pack of coyotes serenaded us before we left.  

    eBird checklist is available at: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60065230

    Crane counters:   Gary Siegrist, Ross Green, & Steve Jerant
    Compiler:  Steve Jerant
    Submitted by Steve Jerant

    Crane Count:  83 (157 observed in the area)

    Species count:  40

    70 Canada Goose

    2 Mute Swan

    3 Trumpeter Swan -- 2 adults and a sygnet 

    40 Wood Duck

    75 Mallard

    4 American Black Duck

    4 Mourning Dove

    1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    157 Sandhill Crane -- 83 stayed in the marsh

    3 Great Blue Heron

    11 Great Egret

    6 Turkey Vulture

    1 Sharp-shinned Hawk

    2 Red-bellied Woodpecker

    2 Downy Woodpecker

    1 Hairy Woodpecker

    2 Northern Flicker

    1 American Kestrel

    1 Eastern Wood-Pewee

    1 Eastern Phoebe

    6 Blue Jay

    7 American Crow

    3 Black-capped Chickadee

    4 White-breasted Nuthatch

    2 House Wren

    1 Carolina Wren

    2 Gray Catbird

    10 Eastern Bluebird

    1 Wood Thrush

    100 American Robin

    12 Cedar Waxwing

    6 American Goldfinch

    4 Chipping Sparrow

    4 Field Sparrow

    1 Song Sparrow

    3 Swamp Sparrow

    2000 Red-winged Blackbird

    5 Common Yellowthroat

    1 American Redstart

    1 Scarlet Tanager -- Female

    You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at
    Haehnle site at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/crane-count

  • Tuesday, September 17, 2019 5:00 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    Michigan Nature association's Rachel Maranto led a tour of the excellent fen prairie at Goose Creek Nature Sanctuary.  

    Ten  JAS members and 5 MNA members and staff walked the "deer trail" on this cloudy but mild morning.  Rachel had promised some fringed gentians would be in bloom and she was right.

    In addition to those, we also saw a variety of goldenrods, Ladies' Tresses, Green Milkweed, and Turtlehead.







    Sneezeweed

    Photos: Steve Jerant

  • Monday, September 16, 2019 9:17 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    Well, we may not have had a lot of cranes tonight but we saw lots of monarch butterflies.  They continually flew into our field of vision while we were scanning the marsh with our scopes.  

    The habitat restoration that has been done behind the kiosk is providing a nice spot for songbirds.  Most of the songbirds in the species list below were observed there.

    Our blackbird count is obviously an estimate but is indicator of the massive numbers we saw tonight. We had fly bys from both sides of the overlook as well as the normal traffic from the west.  Egrets continue to come in along with herons.

    eBird checklist is available at: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59864620

    Crane counters:   Gary Siegrist, Ross Green, & Steve Jerant

    Compiler:  Steve Jerant

    Submitted by Steve Jerant

    Crane Count:  10 (63 observed in the area)

    Species count:  34

    15 Canada Goose

    40 Wood Duck

    40 Mallard

    5 Mourning Dove

    2 Common Nighthawk

    73 Sandhill Crane -- 10 stayed in marsh

    1 Killdeer

    1 Wilson's Snipe

    4 Great Blue Heron

    7 Great Egret

    12 Turkey Vulture

    2 Northern Harrier

    1 eagle sp. -- About one mile away. Unable to verify which type but flight profile was eagle. 

    1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

    1 Hairy Woodpecker

    1 Northern Flicker

    1 Eastern Wood-Pewee

    1 Eastern Phoebe

    3 Blue Jay

    2 American Crow

    1 Barn Swallow

    1 White-breasted Nuthatch

    1 House Wren

    1 Gray Catbird

    200 American Robin

    25 Cedar Waxwing

    3 American Goldfinch

    2 Field Sparrow

    2 Song Sparrow

    4000 Red-winged Blackbird

    1 Brown-headed Cowbird

    300 Common Grackle

    1 Common Yellowthroat

    1 Northern Cardinal

    1 Indigo Bunting

    Number of Taxa: 35

    You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at 

    Haehnle site at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/crane-count 


  • Monday, September 09, 2019 9:22 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    We had a beautiful night to kick off the 2019 crane counts.  A total of 47 cranes were counted, with 5 staying in the marsh.  The nighthawks were active both above the marsh and near the overlook.    

    eBird checklist is available at: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59650610

    Crane counters:   Gary Siegrist, Ross Green, & Steve Jerant 
    Compiler:  Steve Jerant
    Submitted by Steve Jerant

    Crane Count:  5 (47 observed in the area)
    Species count:  23

    35 Canada Goose

    30 Wood Duck

    50 Mallard

    3 Mourning Dove

    6 Common Nighthawk

    47 Sandhill Crane -- 5 stayed in marsh

    5 Great Egret

    1 Turkey Vulture

    2 Northern Harrier

    1 Cooper's Hawk

    1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

    1 Hairy Woodpecker

    1 Eastern Wood-Pewee

    1 Eastern Phoebe

    4 Tree Swallow

    3 Barn Swallow

    3 Eastern Bluebird

    80 American Robin

    15 Cedar Waxwing

    9 American Goldfinch

    500 Red-winged Blackbird

    1 Common Grackle

    2 Common Yellowthroat


    You can view past postings and historical crane counting data at http://www.haehnlesanctuary.org/crane-count 


  • Tuesday, August 06, 2019 7:46 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    Nine members of JAS visited Pt. Moo SGA on Tuesday to search for shorebirds.  Ross Green scouted the week before and expectations were low.  We did get a few notables including 3 American White Pelicans, a bunch of Black Crowned Night Herons, and a King Rail.  We found better mud outside the Game Area. And then lots of mud driving out to the antennae farm. 

    Thanks again to Ross for leading the trip.
    Photos courtesy of Gary Siegrist.

     


    eBird checklist for Pt. Moo:  https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S58808789?share=true

    Trip List:
    Number of Taxa: 57

    20 Canada Goose -- (1)

    2 Blue-winged Teal -- (1)

    23 Mallard -- (1)

    6 Lesser Scaup -- (1)

    70 Pied-billed Grebe -- (1)

    1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) -- (2)

    4 Mourning Dove -- (1)

    1 Chimney Swift -- (2)

    1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- (1)

    1 King Rail -- (1)

    1 Virginia Rail -- (1)

    15 Common Gallinule -- (1)

    25 American Coot -- (1)

    9 Semipalmated Plover -- (1)

    12 Killdeer -- (1)

    1 Dunlin -- (2)

    1 Least Sandpiper -- (1)

    1 Short-billed Dowitcher -- (2)

    1 Wilson's Snipe -- (1)

    8 Spotted Sandpiper -- (1)

    1 Solitary Sandpiper -- (2)

    3 Lesser Yellowlegs -- (1)

    30 Ring-billed Gull -- (1)

    1 Herring Gull -- (1)

    8 Caspian Tern -- (1)

    40 Double-crested Cormorant -- (1)

    3 American White Pelican -- (1)

    1 American Bittern -- (1)

    1 Least Bittern -- (1)

    10 Great Blue Heron -- (1)

    25 Great Egret -- (1)

    1 Green Heron -- (1)

    4 Black-crowned Night-Heron -- (1)

    2 Turkey Vulture -- (2)

    7 Osprey -- (1)

    1 Northern Harrier -- (1)

    1 Red-tailed Hawk -- (1)

    1 Downy Woodpecker -- (1)

    1 Northern Flicker -- (1)

    1 Eastern Phoebe -- (1)

    1 Eastern Kingbird -- (1)

    1 Horned Lark -- (1)

    150 Tree Swallow -- (1)

    3 Bank Swallow -- (1)

    15 Barn Swallow -- (1)

    1 Cliff Swallow -- (1)

    12 Marsh Wren -- (1)

    1 American Robin -- (2)

    7 European Starling -- (1)

    12 American Goldfinch -- (1)

    2 Savannah Sparrow -- (1)

    5 Song Sparrow -- (1)

    200 Red-winged Blackbird -- (1)

    2 Common Grackle -- (1)

    6 Common Yellowthroat -- (1)

    2 Northern Cardinal -- (1)

    1 Indigo Bunting -- (1)



  • Tuesday, July 30, 2019 9:53 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    This morning Gary lead Brenda and myself through the Riethmiller Grassland from the DNR parking lot to the wet land by the islands and back. During the walk we saw Common Yellowthroat, Henslow Sparrows, Sedge Wren, and possibly Grasshopper Sparrows.


    Photos:  Chuck Mekbel

  • Tuesday, May 21, 2019 8:00 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    Tuesday Group’s Kate Palmer walk May 21

    A record 21 Tuesday Group tourers came to the Kate Palmer Wildlife Sanctuary May 21 for a walk led by Allen King, the sanctuary’s volunteer steward and a retired science teacher.  The Group was rewarded by Allen’s descriptions good variety of birds and plants, and the topography at the sanctuary.

    He started by explaining that the first coal discovered in Michigan was on this very site.  Because its quality was low, coal was never a money-maker and pits were less than 10 feet deep.  The only evidence today are overgrown holes in the ground and piles of spoil. Instead of coal, springtime now visitors see colorful, native wildflowers and songbirds.

    Allen and other experts identified flowers and birds as the group walked for roughly two hours.  Drifts of trillium, with just a few fading blossoms, lit up the understory.  Birding highlights were two male scarlet tanagers perched in the same shrub, a ruby-throated hummingbird building a nest, and a pileated woodpecker.  See Steve Jerant’s species list at eBird.

    The next-best part?  No bugs.

    Get a feel for “The Kate’s” serenity from Lynn Eckerle’s accompanying images.

    Trillium (Lynn Eckerle)

    Mayapple (Lynn Eckerle)

    Jack-in-the Pulpit (Lynn Eckerle)

    No one on the tour had enough lens to capture bird images.  By coincidence, Chuck Mekbel found a pileated woodpecker on the same day at Oak Openings Metropark in Swanton, Ohio.  See Chuck’s stellar image below.

    Pileated woodpecker   Chuck Mekbel

    Free on Tuesday mornings?  Check Jackson Audubon’s events list.  If you like enjoy learning about the natural world, try a Tuesday tour on for size.

    –MK

  • Tuesday, May 14, 2019 5:00 PM | Steve Jerant (Administrator)

    The Jackson Audubon made a trip this morning to the Oak Openings Metropark near Swanton, Ohio and we had a nice day of bird watching.  The highlight of my morning was photographing a camera happy Summer tanager who repeatedly posed at different angles in front of four or five of us on shrub branches that were quite close to the trail.

    Attached is a photo of this brilliant beauty.  He was not shy at all for us Michigan bird watchers!

    Doug Leffler

    eBird Trip checklist is available HERE


Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software