AuSable Valley Audubon

Dear AVA Members,

Let’s do the Sandhill Crane visit while the weather is nice. 🙂   Sunday, November 6th we will meet at the gas station on M-55 and Sage Lake Road at 3:00 to car pool to the International Café. (The gas station is 6 miles west of M-65) We will meet about 8-10 Thunderbay Audubon folks for dinner at the Cafe’.  Isn’t it great they are coming all this way to see the birds!?!

 If you choose not to do the dinner tell me in your response. Then I can  give you directions to the birding site and a later time to meet at the gas station as well as names of others who may also want to just see the birds  Less cars is better than lots of cars as parking is very limited and the road narrow. Please do not show up with only one or two in your car. Thanks!  🙂

I will  also share names for those planning to attend dinner and see the cranes afterward. I will confirm getting your response and then Saturday late afternoon email again with names for each area.

Sunset is about 5:15pm so at 4:45 we will want to be at the alfalfa field on Mills Road watching the birds.

It is supposed to be mostly clear and in the 40’s, but this is Michigan (right?) and it is a pretty open area; so layers, hats and gloves as well as binoculars might be welcome.

Watch for an email on Sunday morning confirming or cancelling.  Larry and I will go check out the birds Saturday evening… just to be sure they are still there!

Please respond to smdunc@charter.net (as soon as possible) so I can let the restaurant know we are going to descend on them!  And let YOU know with whom you might car  pool.   989-701-5471 cell, or 989-362-2522 home.

Sue
VP AVA

This photo and story was submitted by AVA members Terry and Mary Baker. Click the picture for a larger image.

Sept. 21. Good ending to a potentially bad situation.

This little chickadee flew into our patio window and stunned itself.  I was holding it for several minutes and then it recovered and  flew away.     Taken Sept. 21st  in Tawas Township  –  Mary holding the bird and Terry Baker taking the picture.

Tuttle Marsh – on the banks

Friday, September 16, 2017 the first field trip for AVA was held at Tuttle Marsh, Iosco County, MI.

By 6:45 ten members and surprise alumni members, Bobby Kennedy and Margy Kutzera had gathered. A lovely and mostly bug free viewing of 12 species and a huge orange harvest moon was enjoyed.  The 80 some expected Sandhill Cranes were elsewhere, but 5-6 Black Crowned Night Heron’s awed the late stayers who departed by 7:55pm.

Species:

Members enjoying a great evening with the birds!

Great Egrets – 24 or so
Greater Yellowlegs – 3
Lesser Yellowlegs -1
Great Blue Herons 5-8
Sandhill Cranes -16
Mallard Ducks -4
Raven -1
Hooded Merganzer-5
Belted Kinfisher -1
Canada Geese -5
Black Crowned Night Herons -6
Painted Turtles, too!

What: evening trip to Tuttle Marsh

When: Friday, September 16, 6:45pm

Where: Meet at the Water Control Structure about midway from either entrance, on top of the berm….about 3 miles in from either entrance.
How: Car pooling is good, talk to your AVA neighbors. Not sure how to get there? Call 989-362-2522 for directions.

Why: possibly see migrating shore birds, Sandhill Cranes, Egrets, Bald Eagle and friends.

Who: Audubon members and other  friends or family.

Bring your binoculars and bird books, dress in layers, stay for the sunset! Do not worry about bugs… There haven’t been any. Cancelled only for a heavy rain occurring there and then!

At the Tuesday, September 13th AVA meeting, Peggy Ridgway mentioned the availability of a nice Trumpeter swan poster from the Trumpeter Swan Society. Here is the link: www.trumpeterswansociety.org.

When you go to the site, click on “gift shop” and the poster / stamp information will appear.

 A realtor’s ad for this birdhouse might read:

10 inch x 8 inch x 15 inch one room living space w/ 3” entrance hole.

This the home

Wall covering installed by last resident.

The floor covering is white pine shavings installed by human caretaker.

This east facing home is located 15 feet above the ground on a power pole.

Location, location, location

The home overlooks 40 acres of hay covered rolling hills.

Small marsh w/dragon flies and sparrows nearby.

June/July 2016 resident successfully raised 4 fledglings.

Many additional utility poles and miles of power lines are adjacent,  from which to stalk mice scurrying around on the ground.

eggs and hatchling

Attached are photos of the house and its lovely location, the most recent resident’s hatchling (on the left of the eggs), and the house’s interior.

Interior of vacated home

Have I given you enough information to guess who these recent residents were?

Questions?   You can reach me at lvanwago@charter.net

Click on the “read more” for the answer. (Also, click on any of the photos for a larger view.) Continue reading →

Black Tern

One of the summer field trips that the AVA intended to host in July was a visit to Tawas Lake to try to view the Black Terns there. Unfortunately, the low lake level has prevented getting anywhere near them. Here is a brief description from AVA members Sue and Larry and a number of photos (click on any of them for a larger image) taken by them on their outing:

Recently,  Sue and I asked a friend who owns a pontoon boat to take us to the area in Tawas Lake  where most of the Black Terns seem to ‘hang out’.  We were investigating the possibility of offering a field trip for our Audubon members so they might observe the terns and learn about their behavior.

We’ve had to postpone the field trip till next spring because the water depth has become so shallow that even with only 4 people on the pontoon boat (we had 12 people tell us they wanted to attend this field trip) , it scraped bottom in many places along the way from our dock to the tern nesting area.

I took a lot of photos of the terns as we watched them. The photo quality isn’t great,  but the photos document interesting behavior.

The terns spent a lot of time flying low over the water, then diving to the surface, but rarely going beneath the water.  We speculated they were foraging, but what was the prey???? Minnows, bugs,????  The birds fly so fast.  They don’t allow close human observation, and it’s impossible to see what they’ve picked up with only our eyes.

Some of my photos offer possible answers to the question.  What do you think?  I’ve attached some photos of Black Terns w/o prey….Photos 1-4, and 6 as a ‘baseline’ from which to compare to the remaining photos. Photos 4, 7, 8 and 9 show terns with prey.

–  But Both Winners!

By Sue Duncan, AVA V-P

A rather chatty and ice cream satiated group left the Oscoda McDonald’s on Sunday, June 19, 2016 at 9:15 pm to head off to find Whip-poor-wills and other night birds.

Although the nearly full moon was beautiful, as were the warm temperatures, the ‘Whips” were not doing ‘fly by’ maneuvers.  They called a lot, a number of them, but nobody came to check out the strangers.  We made a good size group, too, 15 of us, including a new member and friend from Grand Haven.  (Wow!) Hermit Thrush, Night Hawks and some American Woodcocks, that did fly over, made up the birding tally. Lightening bugs were also fun to see flitting about!

Due to Larry bringing his scope, Jupiter and four of its moons as well at Mars and Saturn with its rings were also enjoyed. As Ed Davis said, “Finally, a bird I can hear!”

Next up – Black Terns of Tawas Lake, in July.

Let me know if you are interested! smdunc@charter.net, 989-362-2522.

This photo and caption was submitted by AVA member Jean Howard on June 1st. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)

Brown Thrasher nest
photo by Jean Howard

I just discovered this brown thrasher nest in the little pine tree just outside the window in my living room.  My book says it usually takes 12-13 days for incubation.

(sorry for the late posting)

Western Tanager
photo by Phil Odum used with permission

Article by Peggy Ridgway

For us birders, the massive spring movement of our feathered friends sends a buzz to our brains that we don’t experience at other seasons of the year!  These first few weeks of May are usually the highlight as we anticipate the arrival of species that have traveled thousands of miles to reach their breeding grounds. Many come from as far away as South America or even the Bahamas.   For some it’s a   stop, rest, and refuel before journeying on further north.   For others, Northern Michigan is their final destination and a time to set up territories , commence courtship, and raise young.

The kaleidoscope of color adorning the trees and even our backyard feeding stations is amazing.  Males in their bright bold breeding plumage create an artist’s palette beyond compare. Sweet song symphonies fill the air. Many of us recognize the signature sounds and significance of each note. Continue reading →