Birding 2025

4/3/25 Fort Custer Recreation Area, Blue Trail, Augusta, Kalamazoo Co., MI:

• Heard Phoebe

4/1/25 Kal-Haven Trail (trailhead to F and 8th, Kalamazoo Co., MI:

• Pair Trumpeter swans
• 1 Carolina wren
• 2 Canada Goose
• 1 Wood Duck
• 1 Mallard
• 1 Wild Turkey
• 1 Mourning Dove
• 1 Turkey Vulture
• 4 Red-bellied Woodpeckers (2 pair)
• 3 Downy Woodpeckers
• 1 Hairy Woodpecker
• 1 Pileated Woodpecker
• 2 Northern Flickers
• 6 Blue Jays
• 4 American Crows
• 4 Black-capped Chickadees
• 7 Tufted Titmice
• 6 Golden-crowned Kinglets
• 3 White-breasted Nuthatches
• 2 Brown Creepers
• 6 American Robins
• 1 House Finch
• 4 American Goldfinches
• 5 Dark-eyed Juncos
• 2 White-throated Sparrows
• 7 Song Sparrows - "dee dee dee" lead in
• 6 Red-winged Blackbirds
• 8 Northern Cardinals

3/30 Home, Kalamazoo Co., MI:

• Yet another flock of 25 or so Sandhill Cranes ascending in circles over the house before flying onward

3/19 Home, Kalamazoo Co., MI:

• Flock of 24 Sandhill Cranes ascending in circles before flying onward

3/17 Bishop's Bog Preserve Trail, Portage, Kalamazoo Co., MI:

• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Grackles

2/1, Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo, MI

• pair of Northern Flickers

1/26, southern Kalamazoo Co., MI

Went birding in a Audubon Society of Kalamazoo caravan yesterday in southern-most Kalamazoo county (Schoolcraft, Vicksburg). Thanks to Amy Ranger for driving and scribing! Species listed in order of sighting:

• Red tailed hawk
• Mute swans
• Juncos
• Bluebirds: several different flocks!
• Downy woodpeckers
• Red bellied woodpecker
• Cardinal male
• Goldfinches
• Hooded merganser
• Canada geese
• Mallards
• American Tree Sparrows (a flock)
• Great blue heron (in a drainage ditch)
• Bald eagles: 2 (one a juvenile, still in dark plumage)
• Northern harrier male
• Sandhill cranes

We also saw a red fox dancing (aka hunting) in a field and loads of white tailed deer.

1/28, traveling in MI, OH

Near Galesburg and Battle Creek on I-94:

• 2 Turkey Vultures at each place

OH, along I-80:

• 2 Bald Eagles (1 adult, 1 juvenile); a 3rd one in a huge nest at the top of a tree, further along

1/30, traveling along I-80 in OH

Flock of Snow Geese flying over