×

Counting crows

Christmas Bird Counts take place across region

Pine grosbeaks, like this female photographed in Marquette County, are among the species found on Christmas Bird Counts in the northern part of Michigan. CBCs are spearheaded by Audubon, a nonprofit organization with over 700 employees in the United States. (Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources)

MARQUETTE — Ornithologically speaking, Christmas isn’t over.

Audubon’s 118th Christmas Bird Count season began Dec. 14 and ends today.

It’s a way for “citizen scientists” to help professional scientists understand population declines and range shifts in North American birds.

“The Christmas counts are a great opportunity to learn more about the winter birdlife of a particular area, and for beginners to gain experience birding alongside experts,” said John Pepin, Michigan Department of Natural Resources deputy public information officer, in a news release.

Each count takes places in an established 15-mile wide diameter circle, which is organized by a count compiler. Volunteers follow specified routes through a circle, counting each bird seen or heard throughout the day.

One of those compilers was Elliot Nelson, who works for Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension. He was in charge of the Les Cheneaux count, which was conducted on Dec. 20 with the help of volunteers from The Nature Conservancy.

“The grasslands of the Pickford/Rudyard/Stalwart/Dafter area is quite unique, and houses a number of grassland species found in higher densities than anywhere else in Michigan,” Nelson said in an email. “The area has the highest density of sharp-tailed grouse of anywhere in Michigan, and probably the highest in all the Great Lakes region.”

In fact, he noted the population is healthy enough in the eastern Upper Peninsula to hold a sustainable hunting season every October.

A total of 97 sharpies were seen at the most recent Les Cheneaux count in several locations across Pickford and Stalwart.

“Sharp-tailed grouse are an awesome bird and it is so cool that we have a healthy population out this way,” Nelson said.

Nelson said the count involved a crew of 11 individuals that counted 31 species and 951 individual birds. Overall, he called it an “average” year, although high counts for particular species included 12 white-breasted nuthatches, nine ruffed grouse, three northern shrikes and, for “a bit of a bummer,” 42 house sparrows.

House sparrows are non-native birds that originated in Europe but have spread across North America.

Nelson said this species, which has adapted to human presence, can be found across the U.P. in barns and major urban centers, although in much lower numbers than compared with downstate Michigan. The Pickford population is concentrated to a couple of barns and a feed mill.

It isn’t a worrisome trend — yet.

“The birds aren’t really exploding and at this point it is unlikely that they are displacing many native species,” Nelson said. “However, events like the CBC help us keep an eye on what is happening to this and other bird populations.”

The AuTrain Christmas Bird Count took place Dec. 17, with compiler Scott Hickman noting 32 species were recorded with 100 percent snow cover and depths up to 20 inches, making what the vast majority of the count area inaccessible by car, as he put it.

“Eleven hardy birders managed to find 32 species of birds by driving, walking, snowshoeing and back-country skiing,” Hickman wrote in an email.

He said black-capped chickadees again made up the count’s most numerous species with 122 individuals spotted.

The most unusual species was the white-throated sparrow — a first for the AuTrain count, said Hickman, who noted a rare-for-the-area glaucous gull was spotted, with this species first added to the count in 2016.

A record high of four individuals was recorded for the red-bellied woodpecker, a species that seems to have first become established within Alger County in the AuTrain area a couple of years ago and is now spreading throughout the county, Hickman said.

Among the “sorely missed” this year were the common loon, ruffed grouse, northern saw-whet owl, northern shrike, evening grosbeaks, kinglets and waxwings, he said. Also not seen were several species of ducks, although Hickman pointed out all inland lakes were frozen.

The preliminary species list and totals for the Dec. 16 Marquette CBC showed 48 species and 4,180 individuals were recorded, including seven bald eagles, six white-winged crossbills, seven Bohemian waxwings and four long-tailed ducks.

On the other end of the population spectrum, 600 American goldfinches were recorded.

Even if unusual species aren’t recorded on a bird count, the event gives people a chance to contribute to a major database of bird abundance and distribution in the world.

According to the DNR, there are now more than 2,500 CBCs in the United States, Canada, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Michigan alone has 75 count circles that stretch from the Keweenaw Peninsula in the north, to Monroe and Berrien counties in the south.

“It’s a fun way to make a scientific contribution, particularly since we get to do so in such a heartbreakingly beautiful area,” Hickman said.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today