A blue-gray gnatcatcher looks at the camera. (Scot Stewart photo)

“As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see.” — Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh would be working fast already this month if he was in the Upper Peninsula now. Colors are already flying. A drive through the Highlands of western Marquette and Baraga counties would reveal a gentle hint of yellows and many dashes of crimson in the canopy of maples. In some of the wetland edges whole stands of red maples have taken on their customary deep burgundy. These have been set off nicely with the final lemon yellows of goldenrod and some unwanted European tansy and the newly developing violets and lavenders of asters.

Eastern whip-poor-wills are difficult to find during the summer in most of the Upper Peninsula. Years ago, they regularly migrated through Marquette, and could be frequently heard, even in town on May evenings as they moved through. On the western end of Lake Superior their range does extend into Canada and out west there is a band extending into Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but in the east, the Upper Peninsula is at the northern-most end of their range.

A somewhat surprising find though came this past week as two pairs were found near the Dead River in Forestville, north of Marquette. Whip-poor-wills are nocturnal and were discovered because the four were vocalizing over a period of at least three nights rather actively. They are headed south and will winter along the coast from North Carolina to Texas and south to Panama.

Another surprise seen this week is the number of blue-gray gnatcatchers seen in the Upper Peninsula. Single individuals are becoming more common as males have been known to overshoot the northern limit of their range in springtime and as their range has been changed. Over the past 25 years it has stretched northward nearly 200 additional miles with climate change. The surprise came when 18 of these tiny, quick moving insect eaters were seen on Tuesday and 12 more were counted at Whitefish Point by the waterbird counter this past Wednesday morning in the midst of a rainy, dark morning. They are headed to the southern-most reaches of the Lower 48 and Mexico.

As expected the thrushes are on the move too. Swainson’s thrushes are showing up on many birders’ lists, at Presque Isle, in yards in Marquette, and at other inland sites. Along with them have been robins, dozens in some places, gray-cheeked thrushes and veeries. Small flocks of Swainson’s of twelve to twenty are not uncommon and may be seen feeding on the ground. Gray-cheeked usually appear in smaller numbers and veeries are usually more often heard than seen.

Hummingbird numbers have dropped off, but small numbers are still dribbling through. Birders are reminded to keep feeders up through the fall months and always be on the lookout for unusual hummingbirds visiting them. As the season wears on the chances increase for wayward species to appear. Autumn has brought Anna’s and berylline hummingbirds to the area in the past. Anna’s are a West Coast species that do wander eastward in the fall months. They are adapted to cooler temperatures. On cold nights their normal body temperature of 107F can drop to as low as 48F to save energy and return to normal fairly quickly in the morning. The berylline hummingbird range runs from northern Mexico to Nicaragua in Central America so its presence in the U.P. is difficult to explain. There are occasional sightings in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas but seeing farther north is extremely unusual. Lots of photos are always the best way to confirm a rare visitor.

This fall has seen another big movement of pine siskins in the U.P. 191 were seen at Whitefish Point on Sept. 5 and another 80 were seen by midday on the 6th. They do experience large “irruptions” every few years and move from west to east in the U.S. and usually southward in search of better supplies of food.

If promising areas are found they may nest at unusual times and have a variety of adaptations to deal with colder weather. Unlike hummingbirds, they can speed up their metabolism to keep warmer. Their nests can be exceptionally well insulated and once eggs are laid the female remain on the nest constantly and is fed by the male. Although there were good numbers seen last fall, there was not a siskin presence in the U.P. last winter. When they do stick around, numbers at feeders can be over 100 and quite noticeable. They are very aggressive at feeders and will object strenuously to the close presence of other birds, even other siskins near the food source.

Sandpipers and plovers also continue to move through. On the beaches in Marquette, mixed flocks have been seen regularly, most often near the Dead River. Semipalmated plovers, sanderlings, and Baird’s sandpipers have been the most frequently seen species this past week. Best chances of finding them near the ore dock come when gulls are seen resting there. During the stretches of warmer weather, the gulls and shorebirds may be squeezed to the tip of the sand spit. Dogs and humans can definitely move them off the tip, but a sudden departure of the gulls may mean a bald eagle is nearby too, so the air above or the beach may reveal one if the gulls do quickly leave and no other disturbance is seen. The return to cooler weather may make beach viewing better this coming week.

Scot Stewart is naturalist at the MooseWood Nature Center, a writer and photographer.