Owls, Sparrows, Flycatchers, Warblers, Etc.

While birding Lake Harbor Park yesterday (May 18), I noticed this adorable little Barred Owl. Just hours out of a nearby nest and only half-grown, this fledgling probably could not yet fly. I took a few photos as I simultaneously scanned for the adults or a sibling, but I noticed neither. Last year, the resident pair also successfully fledged young.

Due to its size and abundance of hemlocks, Lake Harbor Park offers quality birding all year. The informal trail system also provides pleasant hikes, although dogs can be a little numerous. Because dead beeches are not culled, there is ample habitat for cavity nesting birds, like this Barred Owl family. On the other hand, habitat diversity across the park is limited, and the understory is generally sparse. This situation has been exacerbated by zealous neighbors who have further removed ground cover in order to create a more "park-like" atmosphere. The area just west of Glen Court, for instance, is quite absurd. Furthermore, an over abundance of squirrels this past winter has resulted in the loss of most red and sugar maple saplings, which are killed as squirrels consume the inner bark. Consequently, there are lots of migrant warblers using the park, but don't expect low or close views.

Scarlet Tanager

When it comes to benefiting birds and other wildlife, even land management decisions by professionals can sometimes be misguided and exasperating, so having the ability to manage your own yard allows you to be your own critic, learn in the process, and reap the rewards. If birds are desired, aesthetics, neatness, or decorations will have to be sacrificed in favor of a somewhat unkempt or crowded ambiance. The precise composition of plants can vary immensely, but species and structural diversity are key. Personally, and depending on conditions, I am fine with certain non-natives (e.g. lilac), but definitely avoid invasive or nuisance species (e.g. bittersweet). The shelter and natural forage provided by a good mix of conifers and hardwood shrubs brings far more benefit than bird feeders.

To better assess how many birds such tinkering has yielded, I sometimes extend my winter mist netting into the spring. Some transients sing during spring passage, but the vast majority do not. Plus, environments that best serve the refueling and resting needs of migrants are not the easiest to bird. Banding helps me track numbers.

Since even Chipping Sparrows are unusual in my yard (the only one I have recently banded was a bizarrely early bird on 2-18-14), I was surprised by this Clay-colored Sparrow on May 8. Locally, the species is uncommon during the spring, but this date lies squarely within their typical passage window. Breeding Clay-colored Sparrows inhabit both dry coniferous scrub and shrubby fields. I have found nests in Oceana and Mason Counties but not yet in Muskegon County, though a few may breed here too.

Like Clay-colored Sparrow, the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher also occurs as a regular but difficult to find migrant. (Philadelphia Vireo and Gray-cheeked Thrush are additional examples.) The species is also one of the latest to appear in the spring, and sightings before May 15 would be quite unusual. Whereas Least Flycatchers generally forage along forest edges during migration, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers remain deeper beneath the canopies of young hardwood forests. Consequently, they are almost always heard before seen. On their breeding grounds (comprising boggy wetlands heavily infused with young conifers and deciduous brush), they sing a chunky "che-bunk" note that resembles a Least Flycatcher's. Yellow-bellied Flycatchers sometimes utter this during migration, but much more often they deliver their call, a melodic "du-wee". This closely resembles the two-noted "per-weee" call of migrating pewees, but it is shorter and less slurring. I had one calling most of the afternoon in my yard on May 17, but it never found its way into my net.

Another late arrival is Canada Warbler, one of the final warblers to appear in the spring. While the species has fairly general preferences during migration, on the breeding grounds it favors a mix of dense balsam fir and various large trees (overturned stumps are necessary for nesting). It often occurs at the edges of the same bogs that Yellow-bellied Flycatchers utilize, and across the Upper Peninsula, their populations are similar. As with Clay-colored Sparrows, Muskegon County lies at the southern edge of their breeding range, and in this area, hemlock thickets serve as a proxy for balsam fir. The large eyes of the Canada Warbler are well suited for life in these shady environments.

More so than other warblers, the Magnolia Warbler shares an affinity for balsam fir and hemlock. However, Magnolia Warblers rely less on large trees, and in the U.P., they are five times as numerous as Canada Warblers. The habitat similarity may explain certain parallels in appearance, but the two species are not closely related. Among other differences, Canada Warblers is a medium size warbler (averaging 10.4 grams), while Magnolia Warbler (8.6 grams) is one of the smallest. A couple traits make the Magnolia Warbler especially distinctive. It's call note (a short, high, metallic screech) is quite unusual among warblers, and so is the placement of it's tail spots - midway rather than at the tip of the tail.

- Brian Johnson