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		Points of View Susan Robinson June 3, 2002 Guest Column © 2002 Susan Robinson. Published with Permission. Bird Photos © 2002 Michael J. Shupe, reprinted with permission. Photo of Susan Robinson © 2001 John Griffith, reprinted with permission.

Copper Country North American Migration Bird Count Results

By Susan Robinson

HANCOCK -- Despite the un-springlike weather, 22 birders participated in the May 11, 2002, spring bird count. Bird feeders, waterways, the lake, woods and backyards were scanned for birds to identify and list.

Here are the day's results:

The 209 red-winged blackbirds beat all the other species seen in terms of numbers, with American robins a close second at 152. 

Waterfowl seen were 55 common loons, four pied-billed grebes, two red-necked grebes, 10 double-crested cormorants, and 69 Canada geese. By the way, several geese at the Swedetown marsh have already produced young. Three American wigeons, 53 mallards, 48 blue-winged teal, one northern shoveler, 20 green-winged teal, 42 ring-necked ducks, 52 buffleheads, 14 hooded mergansers, 25 common mergansers, one red-breasted merganser, 115 lesser scaup, and 25 greater scaup comprised the rest of the ducks seen.

Michael J. Shupe photographed this broad-winged hawk and its prey, a snake, in Traprock Valley last week. Two of these were seen in the Copper Country during the May 11 Migration Bird Count. (Photo © 2002 by Michael J. Shupe. Reprinted with permission.)

Birds of prey: Nine bald eagles, three northern harriers, three sharp-shinned hawks, two broad-winged hawks, seven  rough-legged hawks, eight American kestrels, and one merlin were a good tally for the day. The game birds seen were 13 ruffed grouse and one wild turkey. The sandhill cranes returned to our area in mid- to late April to establish territory and nesting areas and 25 were counted. 14 killdeer, four greater yellowlegs, four lesser yellowlegs, six spotted sandpipers, nine short-billed dowitchers, and six common snipe made up the total for shorebirds and plovers. The ring-billed gulls have all returned to their usual places -- the fast-food restaurants and grocery store parking lots.

The only owl was a barred owl, and one ruby-throated hummingbird had returned to a feeder to get listed, too. Nine belted kingfishers were seen. The woodpeckers included nine yellow-bellied sapsuckers, 28 downy, 13 hairy, 32 northern flickers, and 12 pileated woodpeckers.

Photographer Michael J. Shupe recently photographed this common yellowthroat in Ahmeek right near his  Streetcar Station ice cream shop and gallery. "He was more or less hiding from me, but was curious about me and peeked at me from around the tree," Shupe writes. "What a doll!" Two of these were seen in the Copper Country during the May 11 Migration Bird Count. (Photo © 2002 by Michael J. Shupe. Reprinted with permission.)

The warblers that were spotted were few, since the cold had kept them farther south of the Keweenaw. However, one  orange-crowned, three Nashville, two yellow, 85 yellow-rumped, four black-throated green, one blackburnian, three pine, 20 palm, one blackpoll, two black-and white, 11 ovenbirds, two common yellowthroat, and one mourning warbler were recorded. Four blue-headed vireos, three red-eyed vireos, three eastern phoebes, and one eastern kingbird managed to get listed, too.

Although very few insects had emerged yet, 46 tree swallows and four cliff swallows had returned. Two brown creepers, 15 winter wrens, one marsh wren, one golden-crowned kinglet, seven ruby-crowned kinglets, and 18 hermit thrushes were seen. 

During the May 11 Migration Bird Count, Copper Country birders spotted 34 American goldfinch like this one, photographed recently by Michael J. Shupe in the Keweenaw area. (Photo © 2002 by Michael J. Shupe. Reprinted with permission.)

Among the sparrow clan, 32 Savannah, one fox, 64 song, 23 Lincoln's, 27 swamp, 98 white-throated, six white-crowned, and eight American tree sparrows were spotted. The other members of the finch family were not to be outdone; and seven  rose-breasted grosbeaks, 40 purple finches, 15 house finches, two red-crossbills, eight common redpolls, 72 pine siskins, 34 American goldfinch, and 24 evening grosbeaks were tallied. Last, but not least, eight rusty blackbirds, 58 common grackles, and three brown-headed cowbirds made up the rest of the list.

Michael J. Shupe photographed this rose-breasted grosbeak in a Keweenaw backyard feeding area. "There were more birds of different species there than I have ever seen together in one place!" he writes. (Photo © 2002 by Michael J. Shupe. Reprinted with permission.)

Since the count day, numerous sightings of Baltimore orioles, indigo buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and other warbler species have been seen in the Copper Country. The real treat was a painted bunting, which is normally seen far south of here along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Florida. It visited a nearby feeder for nearly a week and then decided to move on to other areas. A lark sparrow was also spotted earlier this month in the Rabbit Bay area.

Author Susan Robinson says a painted bunting, usually seen much farther south, was "the real treat" of the May 11 bird count. Photographer Michael J. Shupe photographed this painted bunting in the same Keweenaw backyard and at the same time as the rose-breasted grosbeak pictured above. (Photo © 2002 by Michael J. Shupe. Reprinted with permission.)

So keep your binoculars handy and your eyes and ears on the alert for birds. You never know what might be seen in the Keweenaw Peninsula!

Learn more about the author of this guest column, Susan Robinson.

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Note: Views expressed by our guest columnists are not necessarily the views of Keweenaw Now.