A rose-breasted grosbeak is shown. (Scot Stewart photo)

“At last came the golden month of the wild folk — honey-sweet May, when the birds come back, and the flowers come out, and the air is full of the sunrise scents and songs of the dawning year.” — Samuel Scoville Jr.

It is impossible to resist the call to go outdoors in May. The temperatures have definitely not convinced anyone Spring is truly here, but the coming arrival of Spring is undeniable and the warmer temps are on the way. On just Tuesday this week, aspens in Marquette made their case for a green dressing to the hills, and the birds, well, they just delighted. It was that incredible week when hummingbirds, orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks announced the official arrival of the season!

Count surveys are a great way to see what species of birds use particular routes — flyways — to find their way north during spring migration. One tool used to organize data is a program called Dunkadoo. Whitefish Point Bird Observatory has used it for several years to organize spring and fall migration data for both raptors counted on their dunes and waterbirds observed at the tip of the of the point.

The system is also used at Mackinac Straits, and a number of other sites across the country. There is an amazing contrast between the Whitefish Point waterbird count this spring and the Mackinac Straits Waterbird count roughly 70 miles south. At Whitefish Point’s waterbird count, 36% of all the birds counted each day during the eight-hour designated daily census time since April 15 have been nearly 12,000 sandhill cranes, with another 15% from 2550 common loons, part of 113 species seen this year. Since March 20 the Mackinac Straits census has been running. It has recorded 110 species with 39% comprised of redhead ducks and another  11% unidentified ducks, 7% scaups and relatives, 7% long-tailed ducks and 6% red-breasted mergansers — lots of ducks!

A final reference for the waterbird counts is the Spring Hawk count at Whitefish Point. It began March 15 and has collected data on 102 species so far this year. The counter is stationed about a half mile from the waterbird counter, so some data is similar. 38% of the birds counted there are the sandhill cranes, a few more seen than at the tip of the point, but the second highest percentage inland is sharp-shinned hawks, with 2500 making up about 15% of the birds seen there during the count period. So even small changes in location can have a significant impact on the species seen.

A true birding highlight currently for the central Upper Peninsula is another report of a summer tanager. One was seen in Marquette from mid-December through early January, before disappearing during an extreme cold snap. It was a female or immature male, in mostly yellow-olive plumage, seen mostly at suet feeders near the Park Cemetery. The current tanager is a young male. Males begin getting their all red adult plumage during the late spring of their second year and appear to have mottled coloration during this time. It has been visiting feeders in western Marquette County for about a week.

The summer tanager’s range extends just barely into the southern edge of Michigan and Wisconsin where they are considered rare. They are most often seen in the U.P. during spring and fall migrations. Males can be distinguished with their solid red plumage. More common summer resident male scarlet tanagers are a lighter red and have black wings.

Waves of birding colors have included an influx of orange Baltimore orioles, red rose-breasted grosbeaks, green and red ruby-throated hummingbirds and blue jays! Most noticeable are the arrival of big and huge flocks of the jays. A few flocks of a dozen or so were noted in Marquette this past Wednesday. In the coming days huge flocks will descend at places like Whitefish Point where hundreds will stop to rest in the jack pines there giving the place the look of a Christmas tree forest, decorated with sky blue and cobalt ornaments. The sky with its swirling flocks is a match to the adorned tree boughs.

The return of ruby-throated hummingbirds has been gradual, due in part to the recent cool conditions. The numbers should increase dramatically as the weather continues to warm this coming week. Hummingbird feeders can increase the chances of regular sightings but some may visit only a day or so before moving on if there are few or no suitable nesting sites nearby. One trick that may enhance the chances of keeping a pair around is putting out nesting material for them. A good choice can be last year’s cattail heads. The fluffy tops can provide material for lining their small cup nests, along with dandelion seeds, spider webs and lichens.

The cattails can also provide a source of food for chickadees and goldfinches keen on extracting the small seeds from the heads.

Warblers are also arriving adding a splash of color — yellows, along with some blues and greens to the mostly bare-for-the-moment treetops. Leaf-out is underway and should drastically change rapidly in the coming days. The last big wave of migrants will be the shorebirds. Killdeer are here and some are already on nests At least nine piping plovers have been seen at Whitefish Point. Greater yellowlegs and spotted sandpipers have also started trickling in making careful deliberate walks along Great Lakes beaches and breakwalls all the more rewarding in the warm sunny weather.

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