Saginaw Bay Birding & Trail
  • Home
  • SBA Recent Sightings
  • Recent Bird News - updated 4/30/20
  • Bird Videos
  • Bird Photo Gallery
  • Non-Bird Photos
  • Resources
    • Birding Links
    • Michigan Birds
    • Weather Conditions
    • SBA Lodging and Restaurants
    • Travel
  • Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy
  • Birding Trail
  • Seasonal Surveys
  • Historical Photos
  • In Memorium: Joseph M. Soehnel

Kim LeBlanc

10/31/2016

0 Comments

 
Rough-legged Hawk  1
Shiawassee NWR, SA
0 Comments

Joe Soehnel

10/30/2016

0 Comments

 
Greater Scaup  120
Greater/Lesser Scaup  520  
Hooded Merganser  1
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Great Blue Heron  6     
Great Egret  42   
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  1
Bonaparte's Gull  3170   
Ring-billed Gull  10284
Herring Gull  146
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Common Tern  1 
Karn Plant, BA
  ​(Restricted Access)
Counted a massive group of Ring-billed Gulls that were resting on the east end of the property on a recently fly-ash, filled pond. There were a very small number of four other gull species with them. Counted the massive group in 100 increments. 6K were resting on the fly ash. Another 4K were estimated in the air over the discharge channel and open bay. The 284 were counted when I first came into the property not knowing that I wouldn't be counting by ones.  The resting group picked up twice and re-landed.  The video below shows them in flight.

​A steady stream of Bonaparte's Gulls flew left to right, low over the bay for roughly fifteen minutes, which gave me a good opportunity to count them in an orderly fashion starting at around 6:00PM.  Counted in tens.


The gulls appear to be collecting at the base of the bay due to an abundant supply of gizzard shad.  

While I counted the Bonaparte's Gulls in my spotting scope, the entire mass of gulls flew out over the bay and many formed three huge columns of kettling gulls.  They all continued to drift northeast over the bay.  When I drove back up the discharge channel to leave at dusk, there were less than twenty-five gulls on and around the property.  Quite an exodus! 
0 Comments

Roger Eriksson

10/30/2016

0 Comments

 
4 Redhead 
12 Greater Scaup 
3 Common Merganser 
5 Common Loon 
12 Horned Grebe 
2 Red-necked Grebe 
44 Bonaparte's Gull 
Jerrys Marina/Tawas Bay, IO
0 Comments

Monica Essenmacher

10/29/2016

0 Comments

 
Golden Eagle  1

​331 Redhead
1 Ring-necked Duck
2 Surf Scoter
2 Black Scoter
2 Common Goldeneye
15 Horned Grebe
1 Bonaparte's Gull
Port Austin, HU

Port Austin Harbor, HU
0 Comments

Roger Eriksson

10/29/2016

0 Comments

 
3 Canvasback 
42 Redhead 
12 Greater Scaup 
1 White-winged Scoter
1 Long-tailed Duck
8 Common Merganser 
3 Common Loon 
9 Horned Grebe 
2 Red-necked Grebe
5 Double-crested Cormorant
12 Bonaparte's Gull 

2 Mute Swan 

4 Trumpeter Swan
7 Green-winged Teal 
1 Common Goldeneye 
17 Hooded Merganser
3 Great Blue Heron
1 Bald Eagle 
6 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Merlin
Jerry's Marina/Tawas Bay, IO











​Tuttle Marsh, IO
0 Comments

Allen Chartier

10/29/2016

0 Comments

 
Northern Harrier  2   
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Rough-legged Hawk  1  
Killdeer  7
Bonaparte's Gull  19
Ring-billed Gull  236
Horned Lark  57
American Robin  6
European Starling  615
American Pipit  44
Lapland Longspur  5
Snow Bunting  64  
American Tree Sparrow  3
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Song Sparrow  2
Red-winged Blackbird  2396
Rusty Blackbird  552 
Common Grackle  154
Columbia Twp, TU
0 Comments

Joe Soehnel

10/28/2016

0 Comments

 
Canada Goose  4516   
Tundra Swan  141
Wood Duck  250     
Exact count from five different units for a tidy total of 250.

Gadwall  576
American Wigeon  860
American Black Duck  147
Mallard  3898
Blue-winged Teal  6
Northern Shoveler  293 
Northern Pintail  680
Green-winged Teal  958
Canvasback  7
Redhead  12
Ring-necked Duck  88
Hooded Merganser  8
Ruddy Duck  5
Pied-billed Grebe  46
Double-crested Cormorant  3
American White Pelican  18  Photo
Great Blue Heron  16
Great Egret  19
Black-crowned Night-Heron  5
Northern Harrier  6
Cooper's Hawk  2
Bald Eagle  4
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  239
Sandhill Crane  435
Black-bellied Plover  1   Photo
Killdeer  21
Dunlin  19
Least Sandpiper  1   Photo
Pectoral Sandpiper  6
Long-billed Dowitcher  6  Photo
Wilson's Snipe  26    Photo
Greater Yellowlegs  6
Lesser Yellowlegs  1
Short-eared Owl  2
Northern Shrike  1
American Pipit  12
Snow Bunting  8
American Tree Sparrow  45
Fox Sparrow  1
Savannah Sparrow  6   
Song Sparrow  2
Swamp Sparrow  1
Rusty Blackbird  130  

View the entire checklist with photos online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32288143
Shiawassee NWR IWMMP, SA
   (Restricted Access)
0 Comments

Allen Chartier

10/28/2016

0 Comments

 
Northern Harrier  2    
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Rough-legged Hawk  1  
Killdeer  2
American Crow  122
Horned Lark  184
European Starling  353
American Pipit  61
Lapland Longspur  40
Snow Bunting  77 
American Tree Sparrow  5
Song Sparrow  1
Red-winged Blackbird  1735
Rusty Blackbird  78
Common Grackle  3680    
Brown-headed Cowbird  20
Columbia Twp, TU
0 Comments

Joe Soehnel

10/27/2016

0 Comments

 
Redhead  4
Ring-necked Duck  5
Long-tailed Duck  1
Bufflehead  24
Pied-billed Grebe  86
Horned Grebe  31
Bonaparte's Gull  4
Northern Flicker  2
American Robin  35
Snow Bunting  1
Rusty Blackbird  5
Pinconning County Park, BA
0 Comments

Roger Eriksson

10/27/2016

0 Comments

 
1 Surf Scoter 
18 Common Merganser 
21 Horned Grebe 
11 Bonaparte's Gull 

​468 Redhead 

21 Common Merganser 
8 Red-breasted Merganser 
16 Horned Grebe 
2 Red-necked Grebe 
54 Bonaparte's Gull 
East Tawas State Dock, IO




Jerry's Marina/Tawas Bay, IO
0 Comments

Roger Eriksson

10/26/2016

0 Comments

 
46 Pied-billed Grebe 
1 Red-tailed Hawk 
578 American Coot ​

2 Surf Scoter 
2 White-winged Scoter 
4 Bufflehead 
1 Common Goldeneye 

1 Surf Scoter 
2 Bufflehead

 Mute Swan 

2 Bufflehead 
5 Common Goldeneye 
4 Common Merganser 
4 Horned Grebe 

4 American Black Duck 
18 Ring-necked Duck 
26 Pied-billed Grebe 
6 American Coot 
5 Bonaparte's Gull 
1 Snow Bunting

2 Black Scoter 

4 Bufflehead 
1 Common Merganser 
4 Horned Grebe 
Crow Island SGA West Unit, SA



Boutell Rd/Saginaw Bay, BA
​



​Cottage Grove Rd/Saginaw Bay, BA


​Linwood Rd/Saginaw Bay, BA





Pinconning County Park, BA






Gateway Park, IO​
0 Comments

Monica Essenmacher & Dan Duso

10/26/2016

0 Comments

 
Black Scoter  1

​6 American Wigeon
2 Canvasback
30 Redhead
6 Ring-necked Duck
4 Black Scoter
6 Pied-billed Grebe
8 American Coot
Sanford County Park, MI

​Sanford Lake/Anna Lane, MI
0 Comments

John Porath

10/26/2016

0 Comments

 
Canada Goose  15
Trumpeter/Tundra Swan  1
Mallard  76
Redhead  52
Bufflehead  3
Ruddy Duck  2
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  3
Bonaparte's Gull  13
Ring-billed Gull  15
American Crow  2
Horned Lark  7
Red-winged Blackbird  3
Common Grackle  1
American Goldfinch  2
Fish Point SGA, TU
0 Comments

Joe Soehnel

10/25/2016

0 Comments

 
Blue-winged Teal  2
Ring-necked Duck  2
Great Blue Heron  2
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  1
American Coot  528
Killdeer  1
Crow Island SGA West Unit, SA
0 Comments

Monica Essenmacher

10/24/2016

0 Comments

 
6 American Black Duck
55 Mallard
2 Northern Shoveler
4 Redhead
6 Lesser Scaup
11 Red-breasted Merganser 
570 Ruddy Duck 
15 Double-crested Cormorant
25 American White Pelican 
1 Bald Eagle
42 Bonaparte's Gull
Whiting Overlook Park, MI
0 Comments

Joe Soehnel

10/23/2016

 
Wood Duck  9
American Black Duck  4
Greater Scaup  15
Surf Scoter  5
Black Scoter  1
Horned Grebe  3
Great Blue Heron  3
Great Egret  29  
Northern Harrier  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
American Coot  5
Bonaparte's Gull  846
Ring-billed Gull  1700   
Common Tern  1  
Karn Plant, BA
  ​(Restricted Access)

Roger Eriksson

10/23/2016

 
75 Redhead 
8 Greater Scaup 
1 Surf Scoter - null
1 Common Loon 
1 Horned Grebe 
1 Bonaparte's Gull 

24 Bufflehead 
44 Common Merganser 
4 Red-breasted Merganser 
57 Horned Grebe
73 Bonaparte's Gull 

​
2146 Redhead 
41 Common Merganser 
5 Red-breasted Merganser 
3 Common Loon 
51 Horned Grebe
46 Double-crested Cormorant 
​
​
1 Northern Shrike

2 Bufflehead 
34 Pied-billed Grebe 
8 American Coot 
​

1 White-winged Scoter
Jerry's Marina/Tawas Bay, IO






​Gateway Park/Tawas Bay, IO





​National Gypsum Dock/Tawas Bay, IO






​Noggle Rd Area, AR

​Pinconning County Park, BA



Lebourdais Rd, BA​

John Porath

10/23/2016

0 Comments

 
Canada Goose  15
American Woodcock  1
Mourning Dove  1
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Golden-crowned Kinglet  2
American Robin  2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  4
Red-winged Blackbird  26
Cass City Area, TU
0 Comments

Sam Burckhardt

10/23/2016

0 Comments

 
Wood Duck   2
Blue-winged Teal  1
Green-winged Teal    2
Ruffed Grouse  2
Bald Eagle   1  
Sandhill Crane  8  
Wilson's Snipe 1   
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Pileated Woodpecker   1
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  12
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  4
RED CROSSBILL  1    
Wilber Twp, IO
0 Comments

Roger Eriksson

10/22/2016

 
16 Bufflehead 
62 Common Merganser 
19 Horned Grebe 
43 Bonaparte's Gull 
Gateway Park, IO

Craig Schafer

10/22/2016

0 Comments

 
​Canada Geese 12
Wild Turkey 26
Coopers Hawk 1
Red tailed Hawk 1
Morning Dove 2
Great Horned Owl 1
Red bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Merlin 1
Bluejay 10
American Crow 18
Horned Lark 25
Black Capped Chickadee 12
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red breasted nuthatch 1
White Breasted Nuthatch 3
Brown Creeper 1
Golden Crowned Kinglet 5
Ruby Crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 3
American Pipit 35
American Tree Sparrow 6
Dark eyed Junco 3
White crowned Sparrow 8
Song Sparrow 1
House Finch 12
American Goldfinch 18
Kochville Twp Yard Birds, SA
0 Comments

Allen Chartier

10/22/2016

0 Comments

 
Bald Eagle  2 -  1 adult, 1 immature soaring together.
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Kestrel  1
Horned Lark  25
American Pipit  3

Ring-necked Pheasant  1

Great Blue Heron  1
Northern Harrier  1  
Killdeer  3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Northern Flicker  3
American Crow  275
Horned Lark  27
Golden-crowned Kinglet  2
American Robin  11
American Pipit  12
Lapland Longspur  4
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4
American Tree Sparrow  19
Dark-eyed Junco  6
White-crowned Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  5
Song Sparrow  7
Rusty Blackbird  34
Columbia Twp, TU
  Morning & Afternoon Counts
0 Comments

Monica Essenmacher

10/20/2016

 
1 Greater White-fronted Goose
22 Canada Goose
8 American Wigeon
34 Mallard
1 Northern Pintail
4 Ring-necked Duck
Sanford Lake, MI

Joe Soehnel

10/20/2016

 
Canada Goose  3492
Trumpeter Swan  10
Tundra Swan  91
Wood Duck  139
Gadwall  400     
This is a total from four separate units totaling a tidy 400.  Incredible how these round numbers occur.


American Wigeon  631
American Black Duck  65
Mallard  1726
Blue-winged Teal  13
Northern Shoveler  184
Northern Pintail  766 
Green-winged Teal  836
Canvasback  2
Redhead  30
Ring-necked Duck  6
Lesser Scaup  1
Bufflehead  10
Hooded Merganser  10
Common Merganser  82
Ruddy Duck  13
Pied-billed Grebe  58
American White Pelican  17     
Great Blue Heron  24
Great Egret  58
Black-crowned Night-Heron  4
Turkey Vulture  1
Common Gallinule  2
American Coot  163
Sandhill Crane  705  
Killdeer  1
Dunlin  7
Pectoral Sandpiper  7
Long-billed Dowitcher  9     
Greater Yellowlegs  3
Lesser Yellowlegs  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Northern Shrike  1
Tree Swallow  30    
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4
Eastern Bluebird  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  14
American Tree Sparrow  4
White-crowned Sparrow  1
Savannah Sparrow  2 
Song Sparrow  16
Swamp Sparrow  4
American Goldfinch  38
Shiawassee NWR IWMMP, SA
   (Restricted Access)

Roger Eriksson

10/20/2016

 
21 Canada Goose 
57 Greater/Lesser Scaup 
1 Surf Scoter 
14 Bufflehead 
46 Common Merganser 
1 Red-breasted Merganser
1 Pied-billed Grebe 
6 Horned Grebe 
14 Double-crested Cormorant 
47 Bonaparte's Gull 
Gateway Park, IO
<<Previous

    RSS Feed

    County Abbreviation Key:   
    • AR = Arenac
    • BA = Bay
    • HU = Huron
    • IO = Iosco
    • MI = Midland
    • SA = Saginaw
    • TU = Tuscola
    • SBA = Saginaw Bay Area

    Other Abbreviations:  
    • ​SRA = State Recreation Area; 
    • SWA = State Wildlife Area;
    • SGA = State Game Area; 
    • SF = State Forest;
    • NWR = National Wildlife Refuge;
    • IWMMP = Integrated Waterbird Management Monitoring Program; 
    • CDF = Containment Disposal Facility (Dredge Island).

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.