There may be things more difficult than identifying warblers, in spring, in fall, and by song, but it would be tough to tell you what that would be, And even worse, one will probably get a really sore neck trying, There are at least 26 different species of warblers moving through the Upper Peninsula these days, slowed perhaps by the cooler weather, but on their way north. The U.P. is one of the best places in the Lower 48 to see warblers in the summer, especially if the goal is diversity.

As spring melts in the early summer sun, the last of the season’s migrants finally arrived and settled into the wood across the Upper Peninsula. Those last migrants include some of the most beautiful and least seen birds, the warblers. Because they often arrive after leaf-out, spend most of their lives up in the forest canopy, and rarely appear at bird feeders most birders don’t get very good looks at them. Those that do often complain of warbler neck – a rare condition seen most often in birders, caused by the practice of peering up into the high branches of trees, binoculars in hand, attempting to simply get a good look at a small bird flitting from branch to branch, gleaning insects, mostly small green caterpillars, and other leaf eaters.

There are about 36 species of warblers that nest in Michigan and 27 of these nest in the Upper Peninsula and several more migrate through on their way north to Canada. Most are wood warblers here, New World Warblers and they make up their own genetic family. In North America, the family numbers from around 54, depending upon your source, and across the Americas a total of around 120. Genetic work actively continues for this group and there have been a number of changes in recent years in the family membership and that of similar species into other closely related families.

Warblers are birds more likely to be found in more northerly parts of the continent. A large portion of them spend their summers the northern tier of states in the Lower 48 and the northern mixed and boreal forests of Canada and Alaska. Where a number of different species are found in the same range they usually spend most of their foraging time at different levels of the forests or in more specific tree communities to avoid direct competition, but most species are more successful in larger, unbroken tracts of clean forests unburdened with pesticides and other chemicals present in their environment.

SCOT STEWART

Southern Marquette County is one of the best places to see nesting warblers in the whole of Michigan or even the eastern U.S. The combination of the “regular” warblers see across the U.P. during each summer and some of the more difficult to find warblers that are more often seen in spring, but head to more northerly areas of Canada and Alaska for the summer.

Common warblers seen through the U.P. include yellow, black-throated green, black and white, pine, black-throated blue, palm, magnolia, blackburnian, chestnut-sided, Nashville, Canada, mourning, golden-winged, yellow-rumped warblers, northern parula, American redstart, common yellowthroat, ovenbird, northern waterthrush, and more challenging Connecticut and Kirtland’s warblers.

The plus comes when a few more warblers can be added to the list from the ones that normally continue on to Canada and Alaska. Those include Wilson’s, Tennessee, bay-breasted, blackpoll, Cape May, orange-crowned warblers. There scattered nesting sites for them across remote, often boreal type or swampy habitats attract these warblers over the past years indicating the potential for finding 26 different species in the region during the summer months. Most all can be seen over several great migration days in May, but the timing is crucial and not always on weekend days when most out-of-towners have the most time to check them out.

On May 17 this year, 17 species of warblers were seen on a 4 1/2 hours check at Peninsula Point at the Stonington Peninsula but on a number of other days really great birders were only able to spot 13-14 warblers, even on days when 82 species were observed. So, while it might a fair amount of traveling over a wide area it is possible to see a greater number of species of warblers in other areas like southern Marquette County.

One of the best routes to cover in southern Marquette County is over the crossroads of Kate and Ross Grade between Gwinn and Ralph. Birders begin checking this route once the summer resident warblers begin establishing their summer territories. An early morning start just after sunrise can yield the greatest number of singing males, and the largest number of stinging mosquitoes. Insects can be very busy in the early morning hours there due to the large amount of standing water.

This area can be very productive in the early hours though for warblers with ruffed grouse, plus rose-breasted grosbeaks, black-backed woodpeckers, yellow-bellied flycatchers, evening grosbeaks, purple finches, scarlet tanagers, and other songbirds also good possibilities. This is also a great area to see a huge number of butterflies, including eastern tiger swallowtails, white admirals, and northern pearl crescents.

To reach the Kate’s Grade and Ross’ Grade area head south on Co. Rd. 557 out of Gwinn to Co. Rd 438. Head west to the West Branch of the Escanaba River and Co. Rd. EAA – the Ross Grade. For most birders, having a phone app like Merlin can help in identifying many of the warbler songs.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Scot Stewart is a naturalist at the MooseWood Nature Center, a writer and photographer.