We have rebuilt and restaged the Haehnle website.  The site is now integrated into the Jackson Audubon site so both JAS & Haehnle sites have the same feel, calendar, and blog.  The existing content and images have been refreshed and new content has been added including a section on planning your visit.

Check it out at https://www.jacksonaudubon.org/haehnlesanctuary

Today, we redefined the area of the the west parking lot by changing the split rail fence bordering the space.  The majority of the west parking lot was not used and was being degraded due to abuse.  It was deemed too expensive to properly harden the area.  In addition, the habitat restoration work in the surrounding the parking lot made this the perfect time to include this area and return it to what was likely it's old habitat-savanna.  This area will be tilled to break up the compacted soil then seeded with native plant species. The new enclosure is a smaller space and will be used for overflow parking.

After the plants are growing and you see a savanna in development next year, you can say we

Seeded a parking lot
and put up a savannah

Gary, Sandy, Bill, and Paul(operator) (Steve Jerant)

 The work crew watching holes being made by the power the auger.  Years of compaction, dry weather, and lots of sandstone underneath made it hard going the whole day.

Paul and his bobcat (Steve Jerant)

 Paul was very happy when we got to the last, number 23, hole to drill.

Paul, Gary, Bill, and Steve at the end of the job (Steve Jerant)

Apologies to Joni Mitchell

Haehnle Sanctuary Crane Count 09/29/2025

By Don Henise

(Don Henise)

After a slight drop in Sandhill Crane numbers last week, we had a small increase for the 3rd week, counting 31 cranes roosting in Mud Lake Marsh for the night. Overall birding was a little slow, but we did have a few highlights before the night was over. One Wilson's Snipe made a pass high over the marsh. A total of 8 Bald Eagles were perched on the trees far to the north, two adults together and 6 immature and sub-adults all in another tree. After skipping last week, two immature Northern Harriers hunted over the marsh and a female American Kestrel made an appearance.

Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) (Don Henise)

A Northern House Wren was hanging around at the apple trees near the lower benches. Late in the evening sparrows became active in the brush to the east of the overlook hill. Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, 3 Lincoln's Sparrows, and the season's first White-crowned Sparrow were either seen or heard toward dusk. A link to the full eBird checklist is below.

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)(Don Henise)

Total Cranes Roosting: 31

Counters: Ross Green, Don Henise

Compiled by: Don Henise

Complete eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276400661

Haehnle Sanctuary Crane Count 09/22/2025
By Don Henise

(Steve Jerant)

The second weekly Sandhill Crane Count at the Haehnle Sanctuary took place Monday. The afternoon was again quite nice and we recorded a few more bird species than the week before. Bird highlights included a family of Trumpeter Swans with 2 adults and 2 juveniles seen in the marsh. Three Bald Eagles were perched in a tree to the far north - 2 adults and 1 juvenile. Many birds were busy in the trees above and behind the kiosk. A flock of Cedar Waxwings kept us entertained throughout the evening with a few Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Wood-Pewees, and Eastern Phoebes flying sorties in and out of the trees. A Bay-breasted Warbler, and a Scarlet Tanager each made appearances.

_Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)(Don Henise)

Towards the end of the evening, several sparrows were detected in the brush to the right of the overlook - 1 Field Sparrow, 1 Song Sparrow, and our first of the season Lincoln's Sparrows with 3 observed.

A highlight of the evening for this author was a small swarm of half a dozen dragonfly darners that were flying over the grasslands beside the overlook. At one point a Green-striped Darner landed on one of the posts of the kiosk. I was able to catch, photograph and release 2 of the darners that were swarming. The first was a female Common Green Darner and the second was a Mottled Darner, a lifer dragonfly for me.

Mottled Darner (Aeshna clepsydra) (Don Henise, hand model: Don Henise)

Common Green Darner (Anax junius)(Don Henise, finger model: Don Henise)

Green-striped Darner (Aeshna verticalis)(Don Henise)

Total Cranes Roosting: 12

Counters: Ross Green, Steve Jerant, Don Henise

Compiled by: Don Henise

Complete eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S275161862

Michigan State Bird Observatory at Burke Lake Tour 

After a very long absence-2018 was our last trip-JAS did a tour of the Michigan State Bird Observatory at Burke Lake near Bath.  Seven members drove out, three of which had never visited before.  We had great weather, and the nets were well stocked. 

Banding Station (Nolan Williams)

The station consists of a series of mist nest and a banding station.  The mist nests are very fine nets hung vertically in active areas which will ensnare a bird, gently but firmly.  Once caught, the birds are collected and carried to the banding station.

Alex working the nets (Nolan Williams)

We walked to the nets with the banding team, led by Kristy Taylor, Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator.  She explained the process of capture, bird handling, and a lot more.  Haehnle Sanctuary’s nest box monitor and committee member, Alex Johnson, was also on hand to answer questions and share her knowledge of the processes.

Blue Headed Vireo (Nolan Williams)

After the walk, we returned to the banding station where the captured birds are measured, banded, and then set free.  One of the great things that this opportunity affords is a very close view of some of our smallest and most difficult to see birds.  And we got to have them in our hand for their release!

Group viewing bird in hand (Brenda Wineman)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak doesn't have just a rose breast!  (Brenda Wineman)

Redstart male & female (Brenda Wineman)

Complete eBird list available at https://ebird.org/checklist/S273810655

Haehnle Sanctuary Crane Count 09/15/2025
By Don Henise

The counting team began the 2025 fall season of weekly crane counts at the Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary on Monday, September 15th.  It was a beautiful warm and sunny day.  Overall birding was quiet throughout the afternoon as we only managed to record 28 species. A few of the bird highlights included a Black-billed Cuckoo, 2 Scarlet Tanagers and a Merlin that raced through shortly before sunset.  We had the obligatory Northern Harrier coursing over the marsh and a handful of Great Egrets in the marsh. Nineteen Sandhill Cranes were counted for the evening. A link to the complete eBird Checklist is below.

Total Cranes Roosting:  19

Counters:   Ross Green, Steve Jerant, Don Henise

Compiled by:  Don Henise

Complete eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S273642774

(Steve Jerant)

Portage Lake SP Fall Birding
by Gary Siegrist

Five JAS members enjoyed a delightful walk in the woods at Portage Lake Unit on this sunny late summer morning. While bird species were low in numbers (32), the highlight of the hike was a group of American Crows mobbing a Red-shouldered Hawk.

(Gary Siegrist)

eBird trip list available at https://ebird.org/checklist/S271130822

Five members of JAS drove down to Monroe County for the annual summer shorebird trip.  Each year we pull a DNR permit to allow car access on the dikes of this facility.  Our usual shorebird experts were unable to lead the group this year.  But since birders live by Blanche DuBois’s maxim that you can “always rely on the kindness of strangers,” we had lots of help from fellow travelers along the dike.

After the usual activity of eagle, cormorant, gulls, & terns observed where the Huron River dumps into Lake Erie, we went into the series of dikes of this complex.  It was looking very dry this year, but then one of the canals in the Schlager unit looked promising.  There were several shorebird species there but a bit far for us to identify all of them.  Among the group were two large sandpipers that could have been godwits, but we were unable to confirm due to distance.

(Steve Jerant)

Looping around to the west we got much better looks at the birds.  This was one of the two best spots of the day.  Those two large sandpipers were indeed the Hudsonian Godwits that we had seen earlier.  There were also Wilson’s & Red-necked Phalarope, Baird’s, Least and  Semipalmated Sandpipers.  We got a tip about a very birdy area in Cell 3 in the ‘banana’. 

While driving the middle causeway, we saw one of the birds on our watchlist, a Whimbrel.  It was doing its best Killdeer impression just walking down the road not bothered by a few thousand pounds of steel coming up on its back. 

After lunch we walked into the Cell 3 pond.  I’ve never walked on dried mudflat soil like this. Each clay block was free floating and moved a bit when you tread on them.  There was an active mudflat with 75 shorebirds and ducks.  Here we saw Ruddy Turnstone, Long-billed Dowitcher, Ruddy Turnstone, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and Pectoral Sandpiper. 

Cell 3 dried mudflat underfoot and pond in the distance. (Steve Jerant)

We had been seeing large numbers of American White Pelicans throughput the day. On our way back out we got a good angle to see three groups sitting in one view. I counted about 200.

We observed 60 species including 18 shorebirds, 10 waterfowl, and 10 other wetland species. 

eBird Checklist available at https://ebird.org/checklist/S270455040

JAS members went for a weed walk on the Mike Levine Trail near the Portage River.  

 

Highlights included a Pearl Crescent butterfly and the bird of the day was a Yellow-billed cuckoo. The tour was led by Joann Ballbach and finished with some teas brewed from these wonderful misunderstood plants.   

 
Pearl Crescent (Brenda Wineman)

Don Henise's Gallinules post:

Yesterday the JAS Tuesday Morning Group did a weed walk on the Mike Levine Trail from the trail parking lot on Hawkins Road walking southwest on the trail. I only caught the tail end of the walk as I had an early doctor's appointment. After the group walk, I walked on the trail to the wetlands about 6 or 7 tenths mile to the northeast where a pair of Common Gallinules were seen attempting to nest earlier in the summer.

Well, the Gallinules were successful in producing 2 broods. There were a total of 11 gallinules, 2 adults, 4 older young (fully feathered and near adult size), and 5 black downy young.

In "The Birder's Handbook" by Paul Ehrlich, et.al, 1988, it says regarding Common Moorhen (old name at time book was published), "Cooperative breeder with young of first broods oft aiding in care of subsequent broods." Always something new to learn and observe in creation.

Gallinule family (Don Henise)

Michigan Audubon's Jack Pine Warbler (JPW) has published one of Doug Leffler's wonderful warbler pictures.  This is a photo he took near Rives Junction.  The picture is the entire back cover of the Summer 2025 (V102 No 3) edition of the now 100 year old publication.

Congratulations Doug!

Doug's original photo is available on the JAS website HERE.