Three of us brave JAS members took a brisk walk at MaCready.  It wasn't that cold this morning, it was in the double digits, after all, 10 F.    The property is back open to the public after the deer season closure.  Trails were a bit icy in a few spots but not too bad.  With low bird activity we were able to check out lots of plants with little interruption.

We walked the red trail though the conifer sections with the hope of seeing some crossbills, but alas, it was only a hope.  

The eBird checklist is available HERE

Traveling

1.76 miles

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

3 Downy Woodpecker

1 Blue Jay

2 American Crow

8 Black-capped Chickadee

2 Red-breasted Nuthatch

3 White-breasted Nuthatch

Number of Taxa: 7

Jackson Audubon members took a walk on the Hoffman Trail.  We had a beautiful clear sunny morning, almost too sunny as we were walking east.  Not to disappoint, Michigan weather came and it clouded over about halfway through the walk.  It was a bit wet but we were able to make it from Moeckel Rd. in the west through the woods over to the water crossing in the Riethmiller wetland.  Some of the six members ate some wintergreen berries found on the trail.

Only four woodpeckers were observed.  We did get three Red-headed woodpeckers along with some of the usual suspects:  Red-bellied, Northern Flicker, and Downey.  

At the Riethmiller wetland we tried to bring out a Virginia rail, but no luck.  However, some skunk cabbage was seen (see below) but unlike the Wintergreen berries, none of us had a taste.  

You can see our eBird trip list online or summary below.

Traveling 2.25 miles

2 Red-tailed Hawk

3 Red-headed Woodpecker -- Individually identified

3 Red-bellied Woodpecker

1 Downy Woodpecker

1 Northern Flicker

4 Blue Jay

8 American Crow

7 Black-capped Chickadee

5 Tufted Titmouse

1 Golden-crowned Kinglet

2 White-breasted Nuthatch

2 Eastern Bluebird

25 American Robin

30 Cedar Waxwing

2 American Goldfinch

1 American Tree Sparrow

2 Northern Cardinal

Number of Taxa: 17

12/21/2021

Gary Siegrist lead a tour of Hahenle on Tuesday.  Weather was overcast but not too cold (like last year).  There is no open water in Mud Lake Marsh but Eagle Lake is still partially open and we got to see some late Trumpeter Swans on the water and flying over us later in our walk.  There is high water in the back prairie.

We had a good collection of woodpeckers but the sparrow count was low.  

The next tour on December 21 is on the Hoffman Trail.

Bird count:
3 Canada Goose

3 Trumpeter Swan -- On Eagle lake. All adults

6 Mallard

1 American Black Duck

2 Hooded Merganser

1 Bald Eagle

1 Red-tailed Hawk

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

2 Downy Woodpecker

1 Pileated Woodpecker

3 Northern Flicker

4 Blue Jay

5 American Crow

5 Black-capped Chickadee

3 Eastern Bluebird

1 House Finch

1 American Goldfinch

1 American Tree Sparrow

1 sparrow sp.

2 Northern Cardinal

Number of Taxa: 20

Checklist available HERE

The weather this weekend brought a few inches of snow and froze over most of Mud Lake Marsh.  No cranes were seen or heard today.  We had a bit of open water that hosted a small flock of American Black Duck and Mallard. 

Ross spotted a group of Canada Goose far out in the horizon and we found a pair of Mute Swan on Eagle Lake. We also spotted this little fellow on the trail.  I am loving the use of native plants on him.

Unless it gets a lot warner, this will be the last post of the year.  Remember Haehnle Sanctuary is open all year and the parking lot is plowed after heavy snow.  It’s a great spot for a short cross county ski or a quiet winter walk.  And we do have a fairly regular Northern Shrike…

Crane counters:   Steve Jerant & Ross Green
Compiler:  Steve Jerant
Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count:  0 (0 total observed)
Species count:  11

14 Canada Goose

2 Mute Swan

3 Mallard

11 American Black Duck

1 Pileated Woodpecker

2 Northern Flicker

2 Blue Jay

1 Tufted Titmouse

1 White-breasted Nuthatch

2 Carolina Wren

4 American Tree Sparrow

Number of Taxa: 11

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S98261835

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

We did not do an official count tonight at the Sanctuary.   I’m submitting a count I did last night while working as a weekend greeter. 

The weather cleared in time for some visitors to come out and enjoy the view and get to see some cranes come into the marsh. We had three flyovers totaling about 14 birds from a grand total of only 27.  A bit more than half, 18 roosted in the marsh overnight.

Crane counters:   Steve Jerant
Compiler:  Steve Jerant
Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count:  18 (27 total observed)
Species count:  16

18 Canada Goose

2 Trumpeter Swan

35 Mallard

12 American Black Duck

27 Sandhill Crane -- 18 in marsh

6 Ring-billed Gull

1 Northern Harrier

1 Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk

1 Bald Eagle -- Immature

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

3 Northern Flicker

1 Blue Jay

2 White-breasted Nuthatch

2 American Tree Sparrow

5 White-throated Sparrow

75 Red-winged Blackbird -- 2 groups

Number of Taxa: 16

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S97902304

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

Seven JAS members visited the Dahlem Center Tuesday for some late fall/early winter birdwatching.  It started a bit cold but the sun broke through after an hour or so and helped with lighting up the forest.  Dahlem provided us with a good mix of habitats, including grassland, conifer & hardwood forests and wetland. 

In the northern section there is a good population of Eastern Wahoo, a species of native burningbush (Euonymus atropurpureus).  

American Tree Sparrow were there along with lots of nuthatches.  The prairie opened up for us to see a pair of Red Tail Hawks soaring.  Moving the reflection pool boardwalk, what is that, an early snowy owl?....

...nevermind, one of the kids must have made this snowman.

Our next tour will be Haehnle Sanctuary on December 07. 

Species list:

2 Sandhill Crane

3 Red-tailed Hawk

3 Red-bellied Woodpecker

6 Downy Woodpecker

1 Hairy Woodpecker

1 Pileated Woodpecker

2 Blue Jay

8 American Crow

7 Black-capped Chickadee

3 Tufted Titmouse

3 Golden-crowned Kinglet 

10 White-breasted Nuthatch

1 Carolina Wren

8 Eastern Bluebird

5 Cedar Waxwing

1 House Sparrow

7 American Goldfinch

3 American Tree Sparrow

1 Northern Cardinal

Number of Taxa: 19

Checklist available at https://ebird.org/checklist/S97666421

Tonight was overcast and we saw little activity. Only 8 cranes spotted in two groups, none will be roosting.  Two Northern Harriers are still working the marsh and many ducks remain in the open water.  We had two small groups of starlings and blackbirds.  It snowed yesterday and a little remains on the ground.  But it will burn off in the next few days and we expect temperatures to be in the high 30’s so we’ll likely count next week.

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

Crane Count:  0 (8 total observed)
Species count:  21

22 Canada Goose

4 American Wigeon

200 Mallard

4 American Black Duck

30 Ring-necked Duck

4 Hooded Merganser

8 Sandhill Crane

2 Northern Harrier

1 Bald Eagle

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

1 Downy Woodpecker

3 Northern Flicker

3 Blue Jay

1 White-breasted Nuthatch

1 Carolina Wren

20 European Starling

2 Eastern Bluebird

16 American Robin

2 Dark-eyed Junco

1 White-throated Sparrow

25 Red-winged Blackbird

Number of Taxa: 21

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S97642896

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

It was a lovely warm afternoon for our first count under Standard Time.  The temperature was great and no mosquitos.  Also, no cranes, staying overnight anyway.  We did count 43 cranes, 8 of which were in the marsh but left before sundown.  Even though the count was low, 18 of those birds did fly over the Harold Wing Overlook so we could get a good view of these Sandhill Cranes we’re always talking about.  I did not hear any juveniles in those fly-bys.

The ducks were very active, and we counted 8 species of waterbirds.  The raptor activity was good with an early sighting of several Bald Eagles then a low flyover right as we were leaving. 

Cranes are active in the surrounding areas, including good numbers (over 1000) in the Hawkins/Dalton Rds. Areas west of the Sanctuary.

Crane counters:   Ross Green, Gary Siegrist, Don & Robin Henise, and Steve Jerant
Compiler:  Steve Jerant
Submitted by Steve Jerant

Crane Count:  0 (43 total observed)
Species count:  32

50 Canada Goose

30 Wood Duck

12 Gadwall

3 American Wigeon

3 Green-winged Teal

100 Ring-necked Duck

1 Pied-billed Grebe

5 American Coot

43 Sandhill Crane

3 Northern Harrier

6 Bald Eagle -- 2 in marsh, 3 flying by inc. 2 immature plus one flyover as we were leaving

3 Red-tailed Hawk

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

1 Pileated Woodpecker

2 Northern Flicker

2 Blue Jay

10 American Crow

2 White-breasted Nuthatch

1 Carolina Wren

300 European Starling

9 Eastern Bluebird

10 American Robin

60 Cedar Waxwing

5 House Finch

3 American Goldfinch

2 White-throated Sparrow

1 Song Sparrow

700 Red-winged Blackbird

7 Rusty Blackbird

27 Common Grackle

1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Northern Cardinal

Number of Taxa: 32

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S97326016

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

Five members of JAS spend a beautiful autumn morning at Watkins Lake SP looking for waterfowl. We were not disappointed.  Thirteen species of waterfowl were spotted.  Lots of the usual suspects at this time and place including lots of Canada Goose, Ring Neck and Ruddy Ducks.  Redheads and Canvasbacks were there as well and gave us some opportunity to compare these two species. 

Kingfishers and herons were active so the fishing was good as well.  The color was excellent as well and we had some nice views of the changing landscape as the clouds broke and lit up some sections of the park.

In addition to our avian friends, Gary Siegrist showed us a growth of American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens). Not Oriental Bittersweet, the invasive, but the native species.  This is not found very often so it was good to get familiar with this species. It has similar persistent red berries with a orange capsule, but they are clumped at the terminal, not throughout the branch as in the invasive.  If you'd like for information on identification see this excellent two page identification guide available from the USGS.

All photos Steve Jerant

See our trip eBird checklist.

600 Canada Goose

5 Wood Duck

4 Northern Shoveler

40 Mallard

1 Northern Pintail

31 Canvasback -- Individually counted. Outnumbered Redheads considerably.

6 Redhead

800 Ring-necked Duck

3 Lesser Scaup

17 Hooded Merganser

300 Ruddy Duck -- Large numbers estimated mixed in with many Ring Billed ducks.

20 Pied-billed Grebe

4 Mourning Dove

50 American Coot

4 Sandhill Crane

4 Bonaparte's Gull

10 Ring-billed Gull

4 Great Blue Heron

10 Turkey Vulture

1 Cooper's Hawk -- Spotted by Gary

2 Belted Kingfisher

3 Red-bellied Woodpecker

5 Blue Jay

5 Black-capped Chickadee

1 Tufted Titmouse

2 White-breasted Nuthatch

30 European Starling

1 Eastern Bluebird

30 American Robin

1 House Finch

17 American Goldfinch

3 Dark-eyed Junco

30 Red-winged Blackbird

Number of Taxa: 33

Tonight, the Hahenle team participated in the annual US Fish & Wildlife Service crane count.  This helps to provide the USFWS with the best estimate of size and trend of the Eastern Population of Sandhill Cranes. 

Gary Siegrist ran solo tonight at Haehnle and saw just 13 flybys and no cranes roosting tonight.  He did get a Merlin as well as a Rail species! 

Ross Green and Lathe Claflin counted on Hawkins Road.  They had a busy end of night on their two sections and counted 725 cranes.  (Ross reports that there were 381 last night at Stony Lake in Napoleon). 

Ron Hoffman and I counted at Dalton Rd. overlooking the prison property to the west.  We had a lot of continuous activity with cranes coming into the wet area and also going out.  Our “outie” count was high at 817, but the cranes came pouring in during the last moments before it got dark.  We counted 1,975 coming in so netted 1,158 roosting in the wetland this evening.

We also saw hundreds of cranes feeding in the surrounding fields on Hawkins and Dalton Roads before we started to count.  Cranes are in the area, but with the high water in the Sanctuary our roosting numbers continue to be low.

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

Crane Count:  0 (13 total observed)
Species count:  38

Trumpeter Swan 1

Wood Duck 6

Blue-winged Teal 7

Gadwall 8

American Wigeon 5

Mallard 120

American Black Duck 12

Green-winged Teal 3

Ring-necked Duck 135

Pied-billed Grebe 1

Mourning Dove 1

American Coot 123

Sandhill Crane 15

Northern Harrier 2

Bald Eagle 1

Red-tailed Hawk 1

Eastern Screech-Owl 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker 2

Downy Woodpecker 1

Hairy Woodpecker 1

Pileated Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 2

Merlin 1

Blue Jay 2

American Crow 2

European Starling 10

Eastern Bluebird 3

American Robin 12

Cedar Waxwing 55

House Sparrow 3

American Goldfinch 3

White-throated Sparrow 5

Song Sparrow 1

Lincoln's Sparrow 1

Swamp Sparrow 2

Red-winged Blackbird 135

Rusty Blackbird 2

Gary's eBird checklist available HERE 

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