Summer drifted in and out of the Upper Peninsula this past week with another roller coaster rise and fall off temperatures from the mid-80s to near freezing in some inland sites. The high temperatures seem to bring spring to a screeching halt and with the huge turnout of summer tree leaves bursts of lilac flowers and a bunch of beach days

Spring migration, especially of shorebirds and warblers, also spiked with the heat, as the last real waves of birds still heading north cruised through and in many cases just kept going on the aid of the south winds associated with the heat. In Marquette a flock of 50 whimbrel provided a great sight last Sunday, resting at the mouth of the Dead River with change of weather.

Also, on the beach that morning was a flock of at least eight semi-palmated plovers, two sanderlings, three black-bellied plovers, a semi-palmated sandpipers and a dunlin. A piping plover had been reported there last week too.

Small flocks of shorebirds conta

ining dunlins have been on the Low Harbor in Marquette too, feeding on midges. With the warm weather first midge hatches in Lake Superior seem a bit early but have attracted sandpipers, dunlin and some plovers to the breakwall to scoop up resting insects. Days with light winds are best to find the foraging birds there. As winds kick up splashing waves discourage them from the windward side, but the difficulties in avoiding merlins and peregrine falcons in windy conditions may be an even greater deterrent to foraging there under those conditions.

Scot Stewart

Mitigations ponds in Escanaba, the Gwinn sewage. lagoons and a group of sites in Alger County are two other places where nice mixes of shorebirds have been seen. with many similar species including Wilson’s snipes, yellowlegs and Wilson’s phalaropes. Commonalities line up well between locations on the Great Lakes and between smaller lake and pond edges.

The whimbrels were only there a short time before being disturbed, and is typical for flocks there, they did not return. A single whimbrel was seen there on Tuesday afternoon. Whimbrels are renown migrators, traveling nonstop up to 2500 over the Atlantic between Canada and the Caribbean. Large-sized sandpipers with decurved (downwardly turned) long bills, they are well adapted to hunt for crustaceans buried in the sand. Because of their ability to fly long distances non-stop, they rarely stop in the Great Lakes, especially in the western portions, so most sightings are of birds in flight, and most often coming off Lake Michigan.

A week ago, there were high numbers of blue jays in the central U.P. topping out at a whopping 600-plus in one count at Presque Isle Park in Marquette. Counts at other area locations like Whitefish Point in Chippewa County were considerably lower — barely hitting double digits. However, this week, at Whitefish Point, the blue jay numbers hit double digits. The Whitefish jays are quite likely Canada bound, crossing Lake Superior where they can see the far shore or continuing around the lake to get to Canada. Are they the same jays seen in the Central U.P. just working around the lake until they find a place to cross the lake. Little is known about their migration routes and strategies, but with so many other species crossing Lake Superior from the point it begs the question — what was the jays’ route there?

Some individuals with hummingbird feeders out noticed a drop-off in the number of visits hummingbirds were making those feeders. The reduction of visits did coincide with the blooming of many of the area’s apple and crab apple trees, lilac bushes and other flowering plants as they turn to natural foods. Some early hummingbirds may have just stopped over before continuing their flight to Canada, but most are still here. Some confirmation of their plans through was their behavior in the past week or so. Hummingbirds establishing nesting territories have begun defending food sources and have been actively driving other hummingbirds away from feeders.

Even more telling is observing courtship behaviors. Ruby-throated hummingbirds males perform a compact U-shaped swooping maneuver over perched females swinging back and forth rapidly dozens of times prior to mating. When first seen it is a mystifying behavior, but a clear sign there are two hummingbirds present and they are a prospective pair. Black-chinned and calliope hummingbirds have similar U-shaped flight patterns, but other North American species have larger U-shaped flights or J-shaped aerial patterns. After mating the males will remain in the general area but will leave the female to basically fend for herself through the rearing of the young as she claims feeders as her own and males are relegated to feed at many spots while she is incubating eggs.

Young birds are beginning to appear across the area. Many Canada geese have trains of fuzzy yellow goslings behind them, and other pairs have seemingly large gangly young geese trailing them. In one parking lot in Chocolay Township a pair of killdeers brought off a clutch of four young early last week.

A birder, on arrival at the nest site first noticed the female sitting in a strange spot and wondered if the nest had failed and new nest was constructed but then saw tiny gray legs beneath her. Three wobbly young were resting below. A fourth was with dad already running with a strong gait. Eventually all made their way out of the parking lot and into the cover of thicker vegetation.

So many great things to see!

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

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