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		Points of View Joseph Youngman March 15, 2004 Guest Column © 2004 Joseph Youngman and Dana Richter. Published with Permission. Photos © 2004 Joseph Youngman, Bruce Szczechowski and Michele Anderson, as indicated.

Manitou Island Bird Survey 2004 Season

By Joseph Youngman, Manitou Island Bird Survey director, and Dana Richter, Copper Country Audubon Club president

Editor's Note: Guest author Joseph Youngman will present "The Manitou Island Bird Survey 2003 and Beyond," a talk and slide show with an update on the 2003 Manitou Bird Survey, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 16, in the MTU Forestry Building, Rm. G002. The public is invited. After the presentation and meeting, stay for a Book, Magazine and Literature Exchange for birders. Bring in books, magazines, etc., to give away or trade with others. Copper Country Audubon President Dana Richter also contributed to this article, which appeared recently in the Club's newsletter, Brockway Lookout, Vol. 11, No. 1.

This Red-Tailed Hawk, photographed by Bruce Szczechowski, is one of the many raptor species that birders have observed on Manitou Island in Lake Superior, Keweenaw County. (Photo © 2004 Bruce Szczechowski. Reprinted with permission.)

The Copper Country Audubon Club has committed $750 to the Manitou Bird Survey for operating expenses, primarily boat trips to and from the island. I also applied for (on behalf of Copper Country Audubon) and received a $500 Mini-Grant from the Michigan Audubon Society to be used for equipment for the Manitou Survey. We are seeking additional funds to continue and expand our work on Manitou Island. Donors can send contributions to Copper Country Audubon noting that you want your donation to go to the Manitou Island Bird Survey.

For more detailed information on what we have learned about Manitou's birds visit the website for the Manitou Island Bird Survey (with a lot of nice pictures).

The website is hosted without charge by Pasty.com. Many thanks to them!

This aerial photo is one of several views of Manitou Island that can be seen on the Manitou Island Bird Survey Web site. The Manitou Lighthouse is in the foreground. (Photo courtesy Department of Natural Resources, Baraga office. Reprinted with permission of Joseph Youngman.)

Thanks also to Copper Country Audubon for donating $100 towards setting up the web site.

The Manitou Island Light Station was on the US Government list of lighthouses to be "disposed of." The process began last year. The Manitou Island lighthouse goes with 93 acres of land on Manitou's eastern tip. The Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT), with the initiative of Joe Kaplan, made the only application to receive the lighthouse and its 93 acres. It is not official yet, but it does appear that KLT will be awarded ownership of that property. Of course, KLT's motivation in applying for the property was to see that the lands were preserved, and if they are awarded the property they will need financial help to maintain the structures there.

Joseph Youngman, left, discusses the Manitou Island Bird Survey with Evan McDonald, Keweenaw Land Trust executive director, after the Keweenaw Point Advisory Committee meeting on March 2, 2004, in the Allouez Community Center. (Photo © 2004 Michele Anderson)

Copper Country Audubon Club provided a letter in support of KLT acquiring the lighthouse and property, and intends to continue its support of bird research and protection of the island for bird habitat.

Manitou Island has about 70 acres of black spruce bog, such as this one. (Photo © 2004 Joseph Youngman. Reprinted with permission.)

For information on joining the Copper Country Audubon Club, receiving their newsletter or contributing to the Manitou Island Bird Survey, contact Dana Richter, Club president, at dlrichte@mtu.edu.

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