— Antoinette van Kleeff

Although it is uncertain what nature hears during that first snowfall, at least some plants and animals are paying attention and reacting to the changes ensuing across the land. The recent bout of challenging weather — rain and colder temperatures, followed by strong winds has had a quick violent effect on the canopy of many trees, turning from brilliant flags of colors to semi-clad skeletons, stripped of their dignity in a single storm.

Birds too are heeding the warning notes the weather has sent. Larger numbers of waterfowl were on the move during the rough weather last Tuesday. At Whitefish Point duck numbers showed a big jump Tuesday as the low pressure system loomed overhead. Nearly 2,500 ducks were counted passing the point during an eight hour period. Highlights included 133 mallards, 200 redheads, 251 red-breasted mergansers, 92 lesser scaup, 945 greater scaup and 371 unidentified scaup.

Reports from Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Schoolcraft County have seen the numbers of trumpeter swans slowly sink in the past two weeks from numbers in the forties to the twenties. A pair of trumpeters was seen back at the Granite Street area of the Dead River above the Tourist Park last week indicating they have begun heading to wintering areas already.

A blue jay perches on a tree branch. (Scot Stewart photo)

Also, of interest at Whitefish Point Tuesday were a dozen tundra swans. Trumpeter swans are found through the central Upper Peninsula all summer and some even spend parts of the winter here when there are open waters here in places like the Manistique River and Trout Lake in Alger County. Tundra swans summer on the far northern coasts of Alaska and Canada, on the coast of Hudson’s Bay and on the most northerly islands of Canada. They winter on the coast of both oceans and in some inland areas in the western states. Some western tundra swans cross the northern Great Lakes States to winter in the Chesapeake Bay region of the eastern U.S. and occasionally stop in Wisconsin or pass over Michigan.

This has been a big fall for blue jays, black-capped chickadees, woodpeckers. They have been regulars at many Marquette feeders and the blue jays have been heard and seen across residential areas and out in the woods. The seemingly low incidence or absence of West Nile Virus in the U.P. and the highly level of acorn production by oaks in the area, a favorite, autumn blue jay food, may be contributing factors in their higher numbers and more apparent appearance this fall.

Predators, particularly hawks and falcons, have noted the presence of the blue jays. Merlins have a tough time with jays because they are nearly the same size. Blue jays are one of the top prey species of peregrine falcons though and the peregrines in Marquette have often had piles of jay feathers in their nest boxes. Apparently, Cooper’s hawks also will take jays but also may have problems with the boisterous birds.

A report recently appeared on the UPBirders.org listserve of a Cooper’s hawk grabbing a jay but having problems handling it. It was seen taking the prey to water and holding it in the water until it succumbed. According to Cornell.s All About Birds notations for Cooper’s hawks, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/overview, they hold their prey away from them while they kill them with their talons, but can take them to water and drown them too.

Pileated, downy and hairy woodpeckers have all been prominent feeder birds this fall and have been plentiful in the woods too. At Presque Isle yellow-bellied woodpeckers were common migrants seen in the trees along the Bog Walk. Pileated woodpeckers have been regular visitors at feeders in the park and can be heard regularly throughout the mature trees. Both downy and hairy woodpeckers have been seen in both suet and black-oil sunflower feeders around town and seem to be calling regularly from many sites.

Brown creepers have appeared in the birding lists of many in the Marquette area this fall including Presque Isle. Three were seen in the Sugarloaf area last Monday. Ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets have also been relatively common this fall in the central Upper Peninsula. A few of each do nest in the area each summer, but most kinglets continue farther north to nest. While nearly all ruby-crowned kinglets will continue south, a few golden-crowned kinglets will remain in the area all winter and are usually seen with or near flocks of chickadees. Chickadee flocks are also moderately large and prominent this fall so the kinglets should have plenty of company, and lots of “fellow eyes and ears” to watch for predators.

Gull watching is starting to pick up too. As impressive flocks are beginning to congregate in various harbors in the U.P. Marquette’s flocks have been massive, often filling the last quarter of the concrete section of the Lower Harbor breakwall and most of the rocky section beyond on calm days. On the windier days, the mouth of the Dead River or parts of the area around the Lower Harbor ore dock have been filled. An immature greater black-backed gulls was found in Marquette at the Dead River on Tuesday. Other migrant gulls will be seen with the flocks from time to time. Time to watch the sparrows and ducks wrap up migration and see the leaves migrate to their winter grounds too.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Scot Stewart is a teacher at Bothwell Middle School in Marquette and a freelance photographer.