Our Man in the (Kirtland's) Field

 One last post on the Kirtland's Warbler, as I have an update from our friend, Greg Miller.

Greg Miller puts his blessing on the Kirtland's Warbler. Photo by Michael Godfrey.*

 Greg is headed up to Grayling, Michigan to be the keynote speaker on Thursday June 12th at the Ramada Inn located in Grayling, Michigan.  The program will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m., so it is not too late to make it!!!

Kirtland's Warbler in Jack Pine. photo by Kim Leedom.*

 Greg tells me the Kirtland's Warbler is about to be removed from the Endangered Species list. It is wonderful news that their population has increased to such a level.  However, there are concerns, without continued management of the habitat and control of predators the Kirtland's Warbler will have a tough time of it.  Here is a Michigan news article to tell you all about it.

Greg is supporting the efforts of Huron Pines group, and you should go to his blog  to get the story first hand.

Kirtland's Warbler feed in early spring oaks.
Photo by Kim Leedom.*

Better yet, go support this group's efforts and enjoy a tour of the Jack Pines and the gorgeous Kirtland's Warblers which inhabit them!  Once again, tourism dollars speak volumes when it comes to political action.  Make your plans to visit Michigan, soon.

* A footnote on these photographers.  One meets the nicest people while birding!  Both of the photographers featured in this blog were people I first met in the field while birding. If you like the people aspect of birding, you might consider joining the Birding Ohio Facebook group or visit Ohio Ornithological Society's web page.  The birding community is just waiting to meet you!

On the Special K-bird Trail

Kirtland's Warbler. Sure everybody wants to see this gorgeous blue and yellow bird of the Michigan pines!  I have been fortunate to see a few in my days, but a recent trip to Michigan multiplied that number substantially. So here are the pro-tips for finding America's rarest warbler.

1.  Fly.  If it is an option I suggest flying to Michigan, as it saves a six hour car ride!  My favorite means of transportation is Annie Mae. We were there in a few short hours.

 2. Head N-W, as the Crow flies, or any bird for that matter, it is fairly short trip from Port Clinton, Ohio to Grayling, Michigan.  Grayling and Mio are ground-zero for the breeding grounds of Kirtland's Warblers.

Good-bye Port Clinton and Catawba Island!  This is the most scenic portion of the journey, as the next leg takes us on a course between Toledo, Ohio and Detroit. Michigan.  I wish I could have seen those areas pre-settlement.

3. Pines, now this is more like it.  We have now entered Michigan's land of the Kirtland's Warbler.  Even aged Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana forests are the only breeding sites for the ground nesting Kirtland's.  The preferred pine is young, between 6-12 years, for a prime canopy dense enough to hide the much-sought warbler.

4. Sand botany is a huge part of this Kirtland's equation.  The diminutive Jack Pine, often stunted in growth, grows in sandy regions. It rarely reaches 50 ft in height. It was once thought to poison the ground on which it grows, as few plants are found in conjunction with the pine.  However, we noted thick mats of Sand Cherry and Blueberries growing in abundance. Another plant species requires a disturbance to set-up shop in this dense eco-system. Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata is only found growing in the middle of the sandy roads we traveled through the forests.

The leaves of Bird-foot Violet, Viola pedata.

 Aptly named, this unusual violet has leaves that resemble tiny bird's feet!

Bird-foot Violet is a favorite of Ohio's botanists, as we only find it in a few counties, predominately the sand barrens of the Oak Openings and in Scioto and Adams County.  

It is only fitting that a rare plant should point the way to one of American ornithologist's favorite birds- the Kirtland's Warbler!

Old Loony at Seney

Here is one more post from vacation, and before you think I am dissing my elderly father, the star of this blog is in fact, an old loon.  "ABJ" is a well documented celebrity at Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Seney (Upper Peninsula) Michigan.

Seney Wildlife Refuge is home to the oldest  (known) living loon.

Meet ABJ, aka for "Adult Banded as a Juvenile."  While I was gathering information about the driving tour offered at Seney, a nature center guide told me of a Common Loon family that is routinely seen on the tour.

ABJ, as they call the patriarch of this loon family unit, was banded when he was a juvenile- in 1987.  This loon is an impressive 26 years old!  This is just one good reason bird banders tag birds in this manner, to provide life-history information about our wild birds.

If you are interested in wildlife, especially birds or water-fowl, Seney NWR is a must see.  It also has a stunning array of dragonflies, butterflies, and yes, black-fly and mosquitoes this time of year.  So drive through in your car with the windows rolled up!  It was still an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon watching wildlife.

 Here is the loon family unit we were hoping to see.  Common Loons breed on large lakes in Canada and the most northern regions of the U.S.   The haunting, tremulous call of the male is a signature sound for the Great North.  Male and  female loon look pretty much alike, but the fuzzy looking juveniles are a real stand-out.

 Juvenile loons often hitch a ride on their parent's back. However, these "teenagers" are too big for all that. They paddle about freely as the adult loons dove for food nearby.

 Loons are awkward, at best, out of water.  These strong swimmers  and deep divers are meant for the water. The brown, fuzzy looking youngsters will soon be changing to a more flight-worthy plumage.  In a few short months they will be hop-scotching from lake to lake, making their way south in migration.

Good luck little guys! Hope to see you at Mansfield's Clear Fork Reservoir!

A Superior Shore

Having recently returned from a Superior beach vacation, I'd like to share some of the beautiful  sights found in Northern Michigan. Put the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the top of your must-see list for any trip to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan.

"Twelve Mile Beach" on Michigan's northern most shore.

Miles and miles of pristine beach are available, where waves lap the shore on a calm day.  Lake Superior is the deepest of the Great Lakes.  It is a "drink of water" almost beyond my ability to perceive, having lived on the shallowest of our Great Lakes (Lake Erie).  Erie is but a tablespoon to this great bucket of water.     

If one could pull the plug on Superior and spread it out across America, it would create a pool of water -four feet deep- from Wisconson to Texas stretching to both borders.  Now THIS is a natural resource, the second largest lake in the world..

Shelly investigates the wide assortment of beach pebbles.

 Brr, it is deep and cold!  You'll not find any swimmers here.  Beach bathing is also deterred by the swarms of insects, although we had no problem with them during our visit.

The rocks are comprised of many different types of  minerals.  Basalt is a hard volcanic rock, often containing pits. Agates were formed in the volcanic rock and have multicolored bands created by silica. Granite is represented in the white, pink and gray rocks which first traveled to Michigan within a glacier. Green stones are formed of epidote, and the bright iron-red rock is jasper.  Last, but not least are the many-colored  pebbles of quartz.

Picturesque high bluffs are layered with minerals and geological formations. 

Thankfully, this is all protected as a National Lakeshore.  It is free and open to the public every day of the year. Remember that when you pay your taxes and you will immediately feel great about being an American!

Map of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Click on the map above to enlarge it, and follow our trail from the left: Munising to Miner's Castle, to Twelve mile beach and on to Au Sable and  Grand Marais.

Left to right, at Miner's Castle, Michelle Goodman, Cheryl Harner, and John Boyd

We had a tremendous opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful Lakeshore in the U.S., and better yet, it was an opportunity to share some wonderful memories with my oldest daughter and my father.

No matter what the beer ads might try to tell you, it doesn't get any better than this.

Orchids!

Orchids! Michigan's got them. On a recent trip to the U.P. we ran across a diminutive orchid nestled in the needles of Jack pine and spruce growing in a substrate of sand.

Ram's Head Orchid, Cypripedium arietinum

Small, but able to bring you to your knees, or belly. It is the only way to get a photograph of this quarter-sized flower head on a 3-4 inch stem. Rare in Michigan ( completely unknown to Ohio) this orchid favors two habitats, sandy spruce/pines groves or bogs. Pictured Rocks at Grand Marais, Michigan was where we found them.

An unusual color for Ram's Head Orchid.

I have seen other Cypripedium (slipper orchids) in lighter or whitened shades of their usual coloration, so variables do happen. It was just one more reason to take another 20 or so pictures!

Growing in small cluster next to the trail, they could be easily overlooked. Since we were unaware of their presence, it was a lucky find! Ram's Head orchids, are rare an in decline as their habitat is reduced. There is an excellent paper found here, if you would like to read more about their presence in Michigan.

Pink Lady's-slipper, Cypripedium acaule

Also growing in the same general area were Pink Lady's-slipper. We have these in Ohio and find them each year at Flora-Quest, but I had to admire Michigan's too!

A view of Lake Superior from the top of the dunes. Winding up from the woodland, this trail crested on the peak of a dune, allowing stellar views of a picture perfect day.

I hope you'll put Grand Marais and Pictured Rocks on your travel list.

Yoopers!

Yoopers! The folks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula think this is "Da place to be!"


Here are a few photos from our first day of exploring Michigan's Upper Peninsula- or as the local call it the U.P.

A northern forest speciality: Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis. This relative to the dogwood tree is an acid loving ground cover.


The view scape. Now imagine the haunting call of the common loon. This is how we spent the entire day.


Water, bogs, Jack pine, butterflies, more dragonflies than you can shake a stick at and birds galore. I may never come home.

White Admiral - technically the same species as our Red-spotted Purple, this is another color morph. Our Red-spotted Purples/ Admirals are mimics of the highly toxic Pipevine swallowtails. Since there are no Pipevines this far north, no reason to mimic them. The bold white stripe on the White Admirals is a real stand out in the forest. It is no wonder in order to have survival of the fittest, they needed to tone it down!

Canadian Tiger Swallowtails puddling

At first glance they appear to be the same as "our" swallowtails, however they are a bit smaller, and a few of the lines appear different. Different enough to warrant being a separate species.

Lot's of new things to see... gotta run!