Elijah's write-up about our Kirtland's Warbler trip

On the 22^nd of June, I had the opportunity to go on a birding trip with my family to try to see a Kirtland’s Warbler.  We woke up at 4:00 am and drove up to Grayling, MI.  We had to be there for the Kirtland’s Warbler tour by 7:00 am.  We got to Grayling, we went to the Ramada Inn Conference Room and watched a movie about Kirtland’s Warblers.  It talked about the history and success of the conservation efforts.  After that, we caravanned along a road with many Jack Pine fields, with both short and tall trees.  We stopped at a small, unmarked parking lot and as soon as we exited our van, we could hear the call of the Kirtland’s Warbler across the road.

The Kirtland’s Warbler is a very picky nester.  They will only nest in areas of 80 acres or more and the Jack Pines within have to be between 5 and 20 feet tall.  In Michigan, they clear the forests that are too tall and plant new ones to replace the old trees.  The old trees go to companies and get sold which makes more jobs so that the Jack Pines are a benefit to the warblers and to people.

Cowbirds are a problem, but are being controlled and are less of a problem with the controls.  It used to be that 70% of the nests of Kirtland’s Warblers were parasitized and is down to only 6% of the nests being parasitized.  Cowbirds are considered parasitic because they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests.  When the young hatch, they are larger than the warbler nestlings and Cowbird chicks are often fed more to the detriment of warbler species.

Before we started walking through the Jack Pines on a two-track, Allison (who is employed by Michigan Audubon to give the tours) told us not to step off of the two-track because we didn’t want to cause early fledging of warbler nestlings.

While we were walking, we saw and heard many cool birds including: Vesper Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Thrasher, Palm Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Common Nighthawk, Upland Sandpiper (they have the most amazing call!), and Clay-colored Sparrow.  While we were there, I noticed that the Clay-colored Sparrow sounded more like a grasshopper than the Grasshopper Sparrow that I heard on an outing a couple of weeks ago.

We heard Kirtland’s Warblers all along the way, but had trouble locating them in binoculars or scope.  It was the last of all of the birds we saw.  Walking back along the two-track, we were able to see some of the warblers we had missed on the way out (photo by Elijah).

Kirtland's warbler.  Yellow streaked belly with a grey back.  There are only about 4000 of these left in the world.

When we got back to the parking lot, Allison offered to show us a cowbird trap.  We said we would, so we followed her to another place and there was a cage made of chicken wire and wood.  On the top, there was a slot that the Cowbirds could get through, but couldn’t get out.  Inside there was millet to attract them and other captured Cowbirds (with yellow tape on their legs to identify them).  The other Cowbirds are in the cage because Cowbirds are social and are attracted by a group.

This time, the trap had attracted one wild Cowbird and Allison entered through a latched door and captured the wild one with her bare hands.  These Cowbirds are being used this year by a college that is doing research on the genetics of resident Texas Cowbirds versus migrating Cowbirds.

The cowbird trap.

Allison with a Brown-headed Cowbird.

Stretching out the wing helps researchers find the age of a bird.

We finished our day at Hartwick Pines State Park.  From the Visitor Center, we were able to see Evening Grosbeaks feeding at the window feeders.  On a hike, we heard a few species of breeding warblers and later on Scenic Road which is a drive, we saw another Evening Grosbeak (photo by Nathan),  an Ovenbird, and a Black-billed Cuckoo.



Evening Grosbeak on the road.


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After the Kirtland Warbler tour, we took a hike at Hartwick Pines State Park.





I found these on our hike.  Any guesses what they are?



Click on the picture to enlarge it.  This is a wooly aphid.  Amazing huh?



The kids in front of Hartwick Pines State Park sign.

Concerts galore!

We've gotten to attend some phenomenal concerts recently.  I feel so lucky about the programs our kids are involved in.  The teachers and directors have got to be some of the best there are out there.

First off, we attended the Spring Choir Concert.  Sariah finished up her year in Cantabile and has already been accepted into the next choir called CMS Singers.  She worked hard this year because she knew that CMS Singers sing more challenging music and they sometimes get to go on little trips around the state.  Congratulations Sariah.  Elijah and May will continue singing in MSU Children's Choir.  Their choir has taken huge strides this year and are sounding incredible together.  Nathan's Young Men's Chorus got to work with MSU's A-cappella group, the Acafellas, which has been a dream of mine for him.  They sounded phenomenal.  The three older kids are rewarded with a week of choral camp in Ithaca, New York with other choirs and choir directors, staying with host families.

Next, we attended Nathan's Orchestra concert.  Nathan's orchestra teacher and his intern do astounding things with the orchestra and the concerts are always enjoyable.  It's no secret that I love the sound of the cello and Nathan and his cello cohorts always provide great sound at the concerts.

Sariah had her first jump rope show this year!  Like May, Sariah didn't know much about jumping rope when she started with the Jump Rope Club.  By the end of the year, she was jumping like a pro and plans to continue with the club next season.

Brigham and Sariah performed songs and dances tonight at Red Cedar's annual International Festival of Cultures.  Mrs. Melissa Sigh is an amazing elementary music teacher (Elijah has her for orchestra this year in fifth grade too!)  The kids learned songs in several languages and my favorite dance was performed by the third grade class.  It was an Indian Dance with music in the background and a chant by the kids (I should post a video of this, but they take so darn long to upload).

Mrs. Sigh writes grant proposals so that she can pay for amazing Michigan musicians to accompany the kids' singing.  We are so lucky.  This was Brigham's first year and I'm so proud of both Brigham and Sariah for learning so many songs and performing them.  Our school has kids from many nations who speak many languages.  They wear clothing from their countries of origin and do this musical event every year!

May also had her final band concert for the year tonight and I was sad to miss it.  She continues to enjoy flute and Joseph and Nathan both told me that the seventh grade band was better than the eighth grade band.  Go 7th Graders!!

Elijah plays the viola and his first orchestra concert is next week.  The night is open so that the whole family can enjoy that.

The four oldest kids have recently started taking art classes from their teacher named Stormi.  They all love her and all four of them have begun painting masterpieces.  They all want to work on birds almost every time they go to art.  Coming up soon, they will get to take part in sidewalk chalk art (you know those really cool 3D sidewalk art pictures?).  I can't wait to see what it looks like.  May also entered art into a contest at school.  I'll have to take some photos of their work and share it here

The final thing that's been going on is not a concert or a show.  Nathan is doing a big conservation/community benefit project at our local nature center.  So far we've put hours into service for the nature center and also a couple of hours a day doing point counts for birds around the part.  Nathan chose seven locations according to their varied ecology.  He goes to each location daily if he can and takes a five minute point count.  He's come a long way in identifying birds by sight, but also by ear.  It's great to see him work as I accompany him as often as I can.  We have made some cool discoveries of plants, butterflies, caterpillars, insects and mammals.  I thrive in the outdoors and it seems that Nathan does too.  Here are some photos of Nathan taking his point counts and a couple of the cool critters we've found lately (Mourning Cloak caterpillar and Painted Turtle).

Nathan is being given the opportunity (by Kalamazoo Nature Center) to come try out bird banding on the weekends.  If the guy who runs this is impressed with what Nathan can do, he'll let Nathan help out with Fall Migration bird banding.  This is an exceptional thing for Nathan to be a part of.  Go Nathan!

Birds at the Feeders

Oh!  I love my feeders.  We also got a bird bath (finally!) this Spring and I love that too.

Guess who showed up today?

Image from allaboutbirds.org, copyright Bryan Hix

AND...

Image from allaboutbirds.org, copyright Jim Ellis

We've been waiting for these particular customers.

A few weeks ago, we had this guy for the third year in a row:

Image from allaboutbirds.org, copyright Ed Schneider

Yesterday's guest included:

Image from allaboutbirds.org, copyright Guy Lichter

And today, he brought some of his friends and a female too.

I believe we've said good-bye until next Winter to this lovely friend:

Image from allaboutbirds.org, copyright Darin Zeigler

I'm still waiting for these two:

Image from allaboutbirds.org, copyright Ed Schneider

AND...

Image from allaboutbirds.org, copyright Michael Hogan

Brigham has decided to have a "Birding" Birthday party at the local Nature Center.  I can hardly wait!

2010 Trip Out West

Canyon with beautiful river and Lower Falls peaking out at the top of the view

Joseph has challenged me to blog about each place we visited on our trip. The only problem is that my time feels so full, so it might take me a while to get to all of it. I do just need to say that I'm so grateful we could go. My family is so wonderful and supportive and I'm so glad we were able to be there with you all!!

On the way home, we asked each person to say what their favorite part of the trip was (divided into three categories: people, place, wildlife). I'm taking the time now to post picture of my favorite place: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The river water is turquoise from all the silt. Breathtaking!

Close-up of some of the beautiful colors that can be seen. Some walls of the canyon are smooth, others are fantastically rugged. I would have loved to spend a whole day there.

We were driving along and came across this bison leading a line of cars. We laughed as we wondered if the people in the end of the line even knew what the hold up was about.

Land and Water Under Siege, For the Love of the Land

I'm beginning to be like Marni, with posts swimming around in my head waiting to be written down. This one's been in the works for a few weeks. I don't think it's cohesive even yet, so I'll just consider it a rough, rough draft. Preparation for publication sometime down the road.

Some places are just worth saving.

Sometimes, just sometimes, it's worth it to look at history to see what lessons we might already have learned before we relearn the mistakes we've already made.

Local people with passion are usually the ones who start a movement to save land that is beautiful, transcendent, irreplaceable. Grassroots efforts started the saving of nearly every National Park in existence today. These energies of small groups were almost always kindled by one soul. One person with a passion for a superb tract of land. Local people must take the initial responsibility to land that is in their proximity. If I do not fight for the Michigan land and water, can I expect that someone from New Hampshire or Georgia or Idaho is more likely to do so?

Nearly every park was fought against at the local level as well. Claims on the monetary value of lumber, metals, bird feathers, buffalo hides brought out the opposition. The people do sometimes come around to see that the saving of some land is a good thing in the end. Not always.

Once a dam is made, a mine is drilled, a forest is hewn, change takes place that is not always reversible. If it is reversible, it can take decades for the land to return something akin to it's original state. Even then, species that existed before may be forever lost.

We may not be able to calculate the total loss. Though the Gulf is most affected by the massive oil spill, who is to say what indirect effects may be seen where you live. The consequences of our actions as a whole people may not be seen clearly for centuries.

As much as my own budget cannot handle higher gas prices, higher metals prices, higher paper products prices, etc., etc. I would be willing to find the ways to cut back and pay the higher costs while new solutions are being innovated. I would vote to do so. I am willing to find the ways I make waste and commit to cut back over time.

Please consider sharing about your favorite piece of land or water, wherever it is found, Park or not. If you choose a Park, do you know the history of the place? How was it set aside and who sacrificed that your particular favorite land was saved? Please consider placing yourself in the shoes of those in the Gulf Coast oil crisis. How would you respond if you were local? If you are not local, what actions can you take locally to avoid feeling helpless when you see pictures of birds dripping with tar and pristine marshland filled with globs of oil? When you think about your children and grandchildren, what do you want for them in terms of the land? How will you work to leave those gifts for them?



Dedicated to John Muir, for all he did, wrote and said in behalf of the National Parks and wild places

"I used to envy the father of our race, dwelling as he did in contact with the new-made fields and plants of Eden; but I do so no more, because I have discovered that I also live in "creation's dawn." The morning stars still sing together, and the world, not yet half made, becomes more beautiful every day."

The babies have arrived!

Earlier this week, Nathan was expressing some frustration that there was no indication of the wren eggs hatching. But, then as the days went by, I noticed both parental wrens out and about. They are running to and fro with food in their beaks. Twice, I even noticed one of them carrying away something that might have been part of an egg shell (it would be interesting to research this since I don't know if birds dispose of their chick's eggs).



At any rate, I did two things today. I checked the House Sparrow nest for eggs. Sure enough, there were four speckled eggs. Since House Sparrows are invasive species, I didn't have a problem with removing the eggs. Nathan would like to keep them in a collection (drained, of course). I didn't keep or photo the nest, but it was an interesting conglomeration of grass, feathers, hair and even plastic, all in the square shape of the nesting box. That was the morbid part of my day.



The wonderful part was checking the wren's nest. The Carolina Wrens took up a home in our Purple Martin hotel--which has yet to attract Purple Martins. At my first look, I could see two beaks poking up. The chicks are very silent, at least when I was there. I'm pretty sure there are at least three chicks in there, but it's hard to tell. There were four eggs to start with. Then, because none of the kids are tall enough to check inside to see, I took the camera out and took a few photos:




The wren's nest is a lot prettier than the sparrow nest. Wrens like moss. An interesting thing that Nathan taught us about wrens this year is that the male will begin building several nests (up to six). He will then take the female on a tour of his nesting sites and she will pick the one she likes best. Then, she helps the male finish building. Our funny male wren started nests in five of the six holes of the hotel and the female picked the bottom middle. We feel really lucky!

Ice Water

We went swimming here yesterday:


Well, not really, but I half expected to see ice cubes go floating by. It was so darn COLD! I looked up the temperature here and found that the water we were swimming in was between 48 and 55 degrees. We didn't really spend too much time in the water, but Elijah did try out his new skim board.



Joseph too!



The area was absolutely gorgeous, maybe the prettiest we've seen this summer. Gorgeous turquoise water, a narrow band of white sand, small dunes covered with dune grass, backed by trees with pretty cottages.






New topic. One of the places I've been dying to see is an inland lake called Higgins Lake. My friend told me that's where her family used to vacation in the summer and she has fond memories. I started to research it and found that it had been called one of the six prettiest lakes in the world. You know how those words suck me in!!

Nathan and Joseph visited the lake in May and said it lived up to what had been said about it. They took pictures, but I just couldn't fully appreciate what they were telling me. They said the water is like Carribean turquoise blue, perfectly clear. It drops off suddenly some distance out from the beach and becomes a beautiful deep blue color.

Yesterday we decided to take the long way home and stop by. By the time we got there, it was too late to see because the sun wasn't in the right position. We walked out on this boat dock and saw how clear the water is.

Between these three photographs(below), I can begin to imagine in my mind what it will be like to see it for myself. When we go on our fall color tour, we will stop by Higgins Lake. I've found that it's really tricky to try to catch in my camera lens what I can see with my own eyes. Definitely an art and I admire photographers all the more for it!

Mid-May at Higgins Lake

Nathan at Higgins Lake (mid-May)

Water clarity at Higgins Lake (yesterday)

Petroglyphs

On our first full day of vacation, we decided to visit the Petroglyphs in Sanilac State Forest. Carved into very soft sandstone by people 300-1000 years ago, they were discovered in the late 1800s after a forest fire uncovered them. Now they are covered by a large shelter. (I can see why this is necessary because as we hiked through the woods later, that same sandstone was in our pathway. There were large divets carved out by drips of rainwater.)





In some ways they were disappointing since there were few of the carvings that were really defined. Also, no one has deciphered the meaning of the carvings (though May said one of the characters looked like a man shooting an arrow). The state park employee stationed there was less than helpful, giving us one word answers to our questions.

But, it was cool to think about how these rock writings were discovered and to wonder what other wonders might be covered by forest elsewhere.

After we looked at the petroglyphs, we went on a little hike. Here's a picture to show how Sariah felt about that:



There was a low part of the pathway that was full of mud. I had just put my hand into stinging nettle when Sariah had her flip-flops (yes, you read that right; we were not prepared for a hike) sucked off by the mud and started wailing. I was less than patient with that. I tried to make up for it on the rest of the hike by saying how beautiful it was and how glad I was that we had come etc. My dad had to carry Brigham's stroller through large parts of the hike. What a sight we must have been!

There were lots of colorful mushrooms in the forest and as we went across the final bridge, my dad spied some crayfish. I think the kids would have stayed there for hours to watch the crayfish!



As a bonus, we drove through Bad Axe, MI on our way back to the cottage. Isn't that a great name?