The weather remained beautiful throughout our drive to the straits of Mackinaw. As we passed Gaylord patches of snow began to appear on the north facing hillsides, most notably in the Pigeon River Area. We had heard reports of miserable weather and heavy snow for the past few days in the upper peninsula, so were weren't exactly sure what we would find as we drove further north.
As we rounded one of the bends on I75 the majestic towers of the Mackinaw Bridge came into view. They looked hazy and more distant than I recalled, standing watch over the still frigid waters in the fading daylight. We've crossed the bridge too many times too count, but it never loses its fascination for me. Flashing road signs warned of high winds as we approached the water's edge.
During our crossing we were treated to the sight of a ferry cruising east towards the islands. The water was calm enough that the giant ship's wake lingered far to the west in Lake Michigan. As we descended towards Saint Ignace, the low, pine covered coast of the upper peninsula came into view. It was like seeing an old friend after too many months apart for me. Somehow, it had been almost 8 months since we last visited. Too long to stay away from the quiet forests and mesmerizing waters!
We stopped off in St. Ignace for dinner at the Driftwood Inn. It was still too early for most tourists, so we did our best to blend in with the locals. We've actually been confused for locals in the past at the Driftwood, an indication that we might have been frequenting the place a bit too much! An all-you-can-eat buffet complete with hush puppies, whitefish and perch was the special for the night, and we happily partook.
After eating and watching a couple innings of the Tigers' route of Atlanta we were back on the road and heading further north. The forest grew quickly dark on either side of the road. It was hard to tell how much snow there was in the dark.
A little after ten we pulled into the parking lot of the Vagabond Motel in Paradise, MI. The woman working behind the desk looked relieved to see us, as we were the last customers to arrive for the night. Presumably, her work day didn't end until we arrived. We were planning to camp at the River mouth Campground south of Paradise, but weren't sure of its status in light of all of the snow. A quick drive through the campground confirmed our decision. Drifts of snow piled high by snowplows had turned the campground loops into tunnels, and the campsites themselves were buried under a hard snow pack. It continues to be an epically terrible spring for hiking and camping!
The alarm went off at 6 am Saturday morning. The drive north to Whitefish Point from Paradise is about 10 miles, and we wanted to be at the point in time for the early morning bird walks lead by the WPBO volunteers. The sun had just risen above the tranquil waters of the Whitefish Bay when we drove out of town.
Whitefish Point was truly spectacular on this early spring morning. The air was cold and crisp, but the winds were warm and from the south, and the sand dunes and birch trees were awash in sunlight. It felt as if the world was finally shaking off a long, frozen winter. The parking lot was overflowing with cars, and everyone seemed happy to be outdoors and looking for birds. There is something therapeutic about spending time with the type of people that are willing to drive hundreds of miles in order to crawl out of bed in the pre-dawn dark and stand around in freezing temperatures all to look at some birds.
I am, at best, a novice birder, and it is always both nice to spend time with veteran birders, and at the same time a bit intimidating. We purchased some muffins and coffee from the makeshift tent the WPBO volunteers had assembled and took a leisurely walk around the point. A ferry was headed to the west, towards Grand Marais. A few sharp-skinned hawks were already flitting about in the breeze, although the best of the aerial show would wait until the air warmed up in the afternoon.
At 8 AM we joined the guided walk out to the point where the waterbird count was being conducted. The WPBO volunteer who lead the birding walk was very informative and helpful. He gave the group a number of tips to help us identify the birds we were likely to see during the weekend. The walk to the point took us through a small forest of jack pine trees. He told us that there were probably hundreds of Sawhet and Borreal Owls roosted in this forest for the day, but "good luck finding one." It was neat to think about these tiny nocturnal predators being mere feet from us as we walked over the hard packed snow and sand.
At the point there was a small shack where the official waterbird count was maintained. A rugged looking man from New Jersey was manning the post this season. He and some other volunteers had a number of scopes set up on tripods to use in the identification of the passing birds. We were able to see a couple of interesting species in the surf while we were at the point: Common Mergansers, Common Loons, and Red-Necked Grebes. During the walk, our guide relayed interesting facts and stories about the migration. The violent nature of the animal world was a central theme. He said there was a group of birders watching a song sparrow at one of the feeders near the WPBO headquarters when a sharp skinned hawk zipped by and took the bird for breakfast, leaving behind a little cloud of feathers. He had other stories of a similar nature: in the fall, some of the hawks will hang out at the point waiting for migrating birds to complete the arduous crossing. Often a red breasted nuthatch, or some other song bird will finish the crossing exhausted, only to be picked off as an easy snack by a bird of prey. Such is the day to day existence of the natural world.
After touring the lakeshore the group walked back through the jack pine forest. A scattering of flickers passed over head, a common bird for the weekend's migration. The small, woodpecker like birds looked a bit like torpedos zooming through the air.
While we were on our walk, the guide also clued us all in on an unusual bird sighting in the area. A Townsend Solitaire had been seen at the State Harbor, about three miles south of the point. The Solitaire is a thrush that is common in the west and only makes the occasional appearance east of the Mississippi. He advised us all to check it out at some point during the weekend. On our drive back to Paradise we pulled into the harbor. Sure enough, several more serious birders had scopes set up, watching the rare bird. This made for an easy sighting for us less experienced folks. After being sure to write down the unusual sighting in my records, we headed south for a late breakfast at the Berry Patch Restaurant.
Next, we decided to head a little further south of town to check out the Tahquamenon River Mouth Area. This part of one of MIchigan's largest state parks is where the mighty Tahquamenon River empties into Lake Superior. This meeting of bodies of water provides a great vantage point for a number of water birds. We were not the only birders with this idea. Cars lined the sides of M-123 and birders with scopes were set up on both sides of the road. My less-powerful binoculars made birding at such a distance more difficult, but I was able to sight a number of scaup, multiple species of Mergansers, and some swans. Identifying the swans from a distance was difficult, so I'm not sure if they were Trumpeter Swans or the more exotic Tundra Swans, which multiple birders had seen in the area recently
The afternoon air had warmed considerably, and it was now possible to shed the winter coats, hats and gloves. We returned to Whitefish Point to check out the Hawk Platform. The warm air and southerly breeze had produced the best travel conditions of the season for the large birds. Standing on the hawk platform provided views in almost 360 degrees, making for the ideal spot to watch for migrating hawks. I like to think of this as birding on steroids, and it was the real reason that so many birders had come from so far away for the weekend. If I trained my binoculars on a large bird circling in the distance, I would find dozens more, either farther off or higher up. The skies were awash in large birds. Turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, broad winged hawks, rough-legged hawks, Northern Harriers, Kestrels, and too many sharp skinned hawks to count circled above. Cory, the man in charge of the hawk count this season employed a number of scopes and binoculars to document the migration. By the end of the day he counted more than 1,300 sharp skinned hawks passing the point, and over 2,000 large birds in all. Several Bald Eagles, and a Golden Eagle made appearances. Near the end of the afternoon a Peregrine Falcon zipped by overhead. A number of Sandhill Cranes passed throughout the day, traveling in formation like a squadron of bombers. As the air grew cooler the activity level began to fall, but it was an impressive day to witness.
We decided to make the drive out to the Tahquamenon Falls in the evening. The Tahquamenon Falls Brewery is located right at the State Park. The brewery has the best food in the area (which isn't really saying a great deal - Paradise isn't exactly known as a foodie destination!) and brews their own beers. We enjoyed some more Great Lakes fish for dinner and took an after dinner walk down to the falls. The air away from the lake was downright balmy! The river swelled with snowmelt, the upper falls were the biggest I had ever seen.
After our dinner and walk, we returned to the hotel in Paradise and watched some of the Red Wings while waiting for it to grow dark. Whitefish Point is a natural geographic funnel for migrating birds, and this phenomenon is not just limited to diurnal birds. A large variety of owls pass over the point each night in the spring. Birders have been known to spot everything from Sawhet Owls, Short-Eared Owls, Long-Eared Owls, Boreal Owls, and Barred Owls to even Great Gray Owls and the occasional Snowy Owls. Needless to say, I was excited to return at dusk and check out the scene.
Viewing from the platform was standing room only, as dozens of birders strained their eyes peering into the twilight for shapes moving. Eventually, someone would spot an owl and attempt to describe its location to the rest of the group. While we were there we witnessed several long-eared owls passing overhead. One of them was "crabbing" meaning its head was looking at us, but it was flying away from us towards the crossing. This is a pretty cool trick that owls can do.
Once the last of the day's light had faded the crowds dispersed. We walked down to the owl banding shack and waited with a few other hardy birders to see if the owl banders would bring any captured birds back for us to see. After a few minutes, they came out of the building. They said they would check the nets to see if anything had been caught, and if they had any they would bring them back to show us in a few minutes. We waited in the chilly night air as the sky overhead filled with stars. It was one of the best night skies I have seen in a while.
When one of the banders returned empty handed we thought we were out of luck. She reached into her pocked and pulled out a tube-shaped container about half as big as a Pringles Can. At first I thought she had a feather, until she pulled a Sawhet Owl out of the tube! Holding it by its feet, she held it up to show the crowd. The little bird shook off its feathers and looked at us with an expression of bewilderment. Another man returned from the forest with what looked like a soft sided cooler. One of the birders referred to it as a six pack. Sure enough, he pulled out several small owls.
The WPBO staff attach small identification bands to the birds and then release them back into the wilds. This is all part of an effort to document the distribution and migration of owls in the region. It was by far one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed. We drove back to the hotel under a beautiful night sky. It was a full day of fresh air, beautiful weather, and birds galore. The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory's Spring Fling was worth making the long drive!
