Family Day at Seney

   We visited the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. This is a great wildlife refuge. They have a car tour of the ten or twelve ponds that make up this refuge. Birds upon birds. First we saw two graceful Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) waltzing in an open field. These are large birds, more than a meter tall, making them easy to see. Here is our favorite picture of them.

Sandhill Cranes at Seney National Wildlife Refuge

   At Kennedy Lake, we were watching something across a stretch of water with our spotting scope. Then we noticed a Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia Citrina) sitting in a bush, right next to us. On a fence post along the road a female Dickcissel (Spiza americana) was pitching woo loudly to another bird of her feather. And next to her, a male Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) dressed in his courtship display garments. I think he looks like a judge, with black robe, chalky wig and silver tail, every bit the judge.

Judge Bobolink

   Here begins a list of families, where we saw parents and offspring together. We saw a male, female and two nestling Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) on their nest. We saw male, female and one fledgling Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator). We saw a male and female Common Loon (Gavia immer) and, riding on the back of the mother Loon was one baby Loon. We saw lots of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) with their offspring, too.

   There was fire damage around one of the ponds. This was from a forest fire caused by lightening that was actually much more serious elsewhere. We did see singed pine trees and scorched earth where the worst of it was. Yet, there was grass growing up through the ashes. And the upper branches of the trees were bright green and unharmed.

Forest Fire inside Seney

   We are staying in Saint Ignace, Michigan tonight. After dinner, we drove down a dirt road and found by accident an enormous rookery called Green Island. It is an island right next to the Mackinaw Straits Bridge where thousands of birds go to roost for the night. Ring Billed Gulls (Larus delawarenis), Trumpeter Swans (Cugnus buccinator), Red Breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator), Ring Necked Ducks (Aythya collaris), you name it. Right before dark, they take to the air in unison, flying around in a swarming movement. This is some preparation to land and get settled for the night. It may be a flocking procedure, attracting other birds to join them. An amazing sight ! We are going back there early in the morning (6:30am) to observe them again.

Robert

photos courtesy of bshelton and wikipedia