The birds are back
Nothing says spring like an active bird feeder, birds’ nests popping up on rafters and cabin sills, and the morning songsters. It is a welcome revelry as the warmer temperatures and longer daylight bring back the birds who have migrated south for the winter.
If you are a birder, the Upper Peninsula has a lot to offer. Bald eagles, hawks, and other birds of prey are plentiful. Multiple nesting pairs of eagles make their home at Otter Lake. Their enormous nests are viewable in tall trees along the shoreline and, in early summer, juveniles are a common sight, often trailing behind the parent learning to swoop and dive.
Loons are also here and their haunting voices are frequently heard in the early mornings and at dusk. Numerous varieties of ducks quietly navigate the waters in perfect lines. Apparently this straight-line swimming is intentional so they can surf one another’s wake to reduce drag and save energy when they’re paddling.
Songbirds that frequent my bird feeders are also prevalent and hungry in the springtime months. Orioles are one of my favorites with their bright yellow plumage. Baltimore Orioles are especially attracted to orange bird feeders or if orange slices are placed out.
Hummingbirds are also fascinating to watch as they buzz on through, attracted like magnets to the red and yellow flowers. Robins are another favorite, always dancing in my yard. They strike me as such happy, resilient birds, bypassing the bird feeders to look for those elusive grubs and worms. Their familiar tweet is a rise-and-shine reminder each morning.
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Photos courtesy Gayle Kirby, Manninen archives, KLEM Studios, Gregg Smith. Birds shown include American Robin, Blue Jay, Purple Finch, Chickadee, juvenile Bald Eagle, Common Loon, Killdeer, Brown-headed Cowbird, Bufflehead ducks, Bald Eagle.
