Ancient Murrelet in St. Joseph, MI

[Michael Retter]

If you go, there's also a Long-tailed Duck hanging out 10 feet from the south pier.  It's been there since Saturday.  We were literally standing on top of her today after seeing the murrelet.

Did you smash her to death?! 

[Paul Massey]

 Hi all
       As mentioned before it was an amazing day , great company ,great weather and an amazing amount of  great birds.
      Tomorrow should be better still ,if the bird obliges. There aught to be some phenomenal pictures  taken today . I managed only one cropped digiscoped shot .
Paul .

[Amar Ayyash]

Here's a grainy shot of the Little Gull in flight...


Amar Ayyash

[Michael Retter]

Some more photos here. Included are ANMU, LIGU, and PAJA.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mlretter/sets/72157622851323416/

[Amar Ayyash]

Thanks for sharing your photographs Michael. I like the shot of the Jaegar messing with the Bonaparte's. Your first picture of the Little Gull is tempting me to go back tomorrow...

Amar Ayyash

[Greg Neise]

Some more photos here. Included are ANMU, LIGU, and PAJA.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mlretter/sets/72157622851323416/

Great job...I am quite jealous.

[Greg Neise]

10:30on Sunday 11/22—the Ancient Murrelet is being seen by several observers.

[Michael Ferguson]

I was in St. Joseph on Friday moving stuff out of my mother's old house. Not a fun task, but I did manage to sneak away to North Pier for about an hour.  Alas, no Ancient Murrelet for me, but an interesting scene on the pier nonetheless.

The local newspaper in St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, The Herald-Palladium, had a story in its Friday edition about the murrelet and the bird watchers gathered there. You should still be able to find it on-line at: http://www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2009/11/20/features/985969.txt .  I especially liked the second photo included with that article: http://www.heraldpalladium.com/content/articles/2009/11/20/features/9859691.jpg .

I still can't get over my own personal irony of having lived so many years in St. Joseph without an interest in birds. And now that I live in Chicago and have a passion for birding, the hot birding action for the moment is over in St. Joseph.  Story of my life.

[Michael Ferguson]

... The great thing about this location is obviously the variety of rare birds being seen, but also, how close they're coming in. Somehow I developed a wierd distaste for Miller Beach this morning after visiting St. Joseph. Winds are obviously a nonissue at this site...I think it's all about the food source(s).  ...

Actually the winds can be quite brutal on those piers at St. Joseph, particularly in the month of November. I think everyone has been quite fortunate that it's been as mild as it has been this past week. It's not to be taken for granted though. Due caution is always advised too -- its not just the birds that can get blown off course out there.

I'll be curious to see how long the Ancient Murrelet holds out there if/when the lake turns ugly. I think we've been very lucky so far.

[Greg Neise]

(1:49PM) Jeff Skrentny just sent me a text message: he is watching the murrelet feeding as close as 20 feet to the pier. Wish I could have made it out today...can't wait to see his pictures.

[Patrick Webb]

Just talked with my friend, Steve, on skype about the Murrelet experience today and thought I'd share:

":so, left there and decided to go back to the St. Joe lighthouse to see if the murrellet was still present, and arrived to find about 70 birders from all over the midwest on the pier
the murrellet, as they say "didn't dissapoint".  It showed up right as we got there, but we didn't get all that good of look at itbut lots and lots of very cool Bonaparte's Gulls and a first ever red-throated Grebe
:then just as things quieted down, we had Parasitic Jaeger swoop out of nowhere and put on an impressive aerial display chasing the gulls
:the crowd was ooohing and ahhhing as the Jaeger demonstrated incredible flight agility
:by this time, it had been well over an hour since the murrellet was seen.  I was disccussing just that with a birder from IL, when he called out "THERE IT IS!"
:low and behold, it was less than 100 feet from the end of the pier.  It was feeding and only above water for about 10 seconds at a time.  Everyone, including me, scrambled to try to get photos and good looks.
:people who'd travelled hundred of miles were literally teary eyed and hugging each other
:Sarah and I gave our 4th high-5 of the day, and we stuck around for another hour or so because there had been a Western Grebe seen earlier in the day
:just as we were about to leave, this British dude called out "Little Gull at 11 o'clock!!"
:way off in the horizon, is this gull, and it's heading our way
:it flies directly at us, stops about 10 feet shy of the pier, turns 90-degrees, flies sideways along the pier and causes the entire crowd of 75+ to let out a collective gasp
:it was SOME day"

[Chris W]

For anyone who has yet to see the Murrelet, I just heard that Sean Fitzgerald was watching the bird as of 2:30 today (Nov 23rd).
We're well over a week that it's been present now.  I may have to go back and see if I can get some decent photos..........

Happy Birding! --Chris W, Madison, WI
Birding Guide for the Upper Midwest
http://Swallowtailedkite.blogspot.com
Chris.W.birder@gmail.com

[Michael Retter]

Some more photos here. Included are ANMU, LIGU, and PAJA.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mlretter/sets/72157622851323416/

Great job...I am quite jealous.

Thanks.

[Michael Retter]

:just as we were about to leave, this British dude called out "Little Gull at 11 o'clock!!"

Ha! That would be my better half...

[Chris W]

Hey everyone,

If you haven't heard already, the Ancient Murrelet, present off the Tiscornia Park pier in St Joseph, MI since Sat, Nov 14th was still there as of 12:30EDT today (Tues, Nov 24th).  Looks like we could be going for a record here!  That would be a darn good bird for the local CBC circle.........


Happy Birding! --Chris W, Madison, WI