A dunlin looks on. (Scot Stewart photo)

“A shocking occurrence ceases to be shocking when it occurs daily.” – Alexander Chase

Weather today seems filled with strange, if not shocking daily occurrences. It seemed just a short time ago in mid-May the daily temperatures reached near 90s F several days running, starting a stretch of several weeks with almost no rain. This week began with frost warnings and a stretch of temperatures in the low 40s, but luckily, no forecasts for that white stuff, sn _ _!

The long stretch of rainless weather also came with days of little wind. Those conditions may have helped many late migrants move quickly to their summer ranges, especially the end of warbler migration and many shorebirds too. During that stretch, there were just a few flocks of shorebirds. Beach checks made regularly at the mouth of the AuTrain River in Alger County also came up with few shorebirds during that stretch.

It wasn’t until the recent rain showers came to the area that some shorebirds were seen again. In Marquette a mid-morning check of the Lower Harbor breakwall found a large number of shorebirds Tuesday on the structure. A total of 73 semipalmated sandpipers were found along with a pair of ruddy turnstones, a pair of sanderlings and a white-rumped sandpiper. An American pipit was there too. Bank, barn, and cliff swallows were also there hunting midges over the breakwall.

The same morning during the showers a pair of dunlin, 33 semipalmated sandpipers and a bonus of two red knots were found foraging on the beach. The first two species have been seen with some regularity this spring, but the knots are much rarer visitors here in the Upper Peninsula, especially in the spring. A great blue heron was also seen there on Tuesday. Bank swallows have also been regulars there this spring.

Federally endangered red knots are in the news again this spring as more attention has been directed to their important spring stop on the Atlantic Coast, particularly in the Cape May area where they forage on horseshoe crab eggs as the ancient crustaceans spawn off the coast.

The horseshoe crabs have been harvested for food, fertilizer, bait, and most recently for their blue blood, used in medical research. Today the crabs are harvested, taken to labs where they are bled before returning to the ocean. The blood coagulates when exposed to the bacterial toxins and are used to test vaccines for contamination, new drugs, and even prosthetics. At least 30% die during the process and many are weakened and do not produce the same number of eggs they would normally. Despite the fact a synthetic alternative has been developed, medical companies have been reluctant to make the switch.

Since thousands of shorebirds depend on the eggs to be able to continue to their nesting grounds farther north, the eggs are crucial to their own survival. It is estimated there has been an 80% reduction in red knot numbers in the past 40 years, due in large part to the changes in horseshoe crab populations. Conservation groups have campaigned for better protection of the crabs, but Atlantic states have been reluctant to improve protection guidelines and laws.

NPR aired an extensive look at the issue this past week https://www.npr.org/2023/06/10/1180761446/coastal-biomedical-labs-are-bleeding-more-horseshoe-crabs-with-little-accountabi further illustrating the problems surrounding the issue.

Back here in the Upper Peninsula a bounty of birds was found last Saturday on Kate’s Grade southwest of Gwinn and Princeton. This has come to be a prime spot to seek out warblers and other songbirds in early June. Sixteen species of warblers were seen including golden-winged, Cape May, and blackburnian. Fifty-tour different species were reported by one birder. Wood thrushes, indigo buntings, scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, a yellow-bellied flycatcher, and a red-tailed hawk were seen by many who traveled to that area last Saturday.

The Peshekee Grade has also been a good spot for a variety of birds, some in significant numbers. Also visited last Saturday by other birders, at least forty-six species were seen. There fourteen species of warblers were observed with a total of 160 individuals. Highlights included 22 ovenbirds, 10 blackburnian warblers, and 23 northern parulas. Also observed were a black-backed woodpecker, yellow-bellied flycatcher, and three evening grosbeaks.

Earlier this spring there were three different ruddy ducks seen in Marquette. After a huge duck blast here with maybe a 1000 ducks stopping briefly in Lake Superior between Picnic Rocks and Hawley Street, several ruddies were seen, two that had been here for a short time, joined by a couple dozen ring-necked and scaups. Just last week several more ruddies were seen in Marquette County. At least one was a male. These small ducks are some of the coolest looking ducks to visit the Upper Peninsula. They have black caps, white faces, bright blue bills, and chestnut-colored bodies. Both sexes frequently swim with the tails pointing upwards.

Several other rarer birds have also made their presence known this spring in the central U.P. Great crested flycatchers are summer residents here but have been more difficult to find in recent years. A number have been heard in south Marquette near Tierney Street and near Co. Rd. 492. Their trilly call is unmistakable.

A more unusual bird making some music this summer has been wood thrushes. These are more often found farther to the south usually near and south of the Wisconsin border. This spring several have been heard. They too have unusual songs due to a double larynx. Plenty to see as summer begins its run under strange conditions!

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