Birders know that even seed and fruit eating birds need to feed their nestlings protein which is found in the form of insects. Most native insects don’t recognize exotic plants as food, so from a nesting bird’s point of view, many yards and gardens are “pretty deserts” with no food for their babies. Think about adding native plants to your yard or transplanting natives from the island which have already acclimated to our area.
Here are recent sightings:
- Mourning Doves
- Turkey Vultures
- Eastern Phoebe-Iron Ore Bay
- More Yellow-rumped Warblers appearing
- Hermit Thrush-my yard-east side on 4/14 and West Side Road
- Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is a secretive little bird that lives in dense forests. The genus Troglodytes relates to cave dwellers. These little birds live along stream banks, brush piles, or wind throw areas with uprooted trees. During the spring and early summer, the male will perch high in a tree and sing the longest continuous musical thrill of any bird in North America. They are known by birders as the Mozart of bird world. Winter Wrens heard singing on the south side of the harbor area before Bonedeos and at Little Sand Bay.
- Barney’s Lake-4/15 Common Loon
- Miller’s Marsh-4/15 Several dozen Ring-necked Ducks
- Green’s Lake-4/15 2 Pied-billed Grebes, Canada Geese, and Common Mergansers
- Jacque LaFreniere, Loon Ranger, commented that a pair of loons were seen on the north end of Font Lake.
- Corvids (not COVIDS) on the island, include the Common Raven, American Crow, and the Blue Jay. Tips for telling the difference between ravens and crows include:
- Ravens L 24 inches Crows L17.5 inches.
- Ravens have longer and narrower wings, long wedge-shaped tail. Soars more often. Ravens are rarely seen with crows.
- Crows usually seen flying with steady rowing wingbeats. When crows do glide, they often have wings slightly raised while ravens can be seen soaring with wings flat. Crows are more common than ravens.
Stay well and enjoy the spring migration!