Hold on spring, I'm not quite done with winter - Part 1

As temperatures start to slowly warm, snow melts, the sap starts to stir in the trees, migrant birds start to return after a long absence, and general anticipation for the imminent onset of spring spreads like Aslan's breath in a courtyard full of statues I was feeling quite conflicted. I'm not going to lie to you, I love winter; I love the snow, the winter birds, even the biting cold, but ... I was ready for a change, in particular, I was ready for the birdgasm that is spring migration. Before that happened however, I had hoped to spend some quality time enjoying one of the impressive irruption of northern birds moving suoth in the winter in considerable numbers. So far, the much anticipated arrival of irruptive birds like Redpolls, Crossbills, Bohemian Waxwings, and various owl species had for the most part simply failed to materialise. Some years this is simply how it goes, when the birds head south it is in response to poor food crops further north, and this year seem to have not given them ample reason to come visit my neck of woods. 

Well, if the mountain won't come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain. The northern peninsula of Michigan contains areas of genuine boreal forest and certainly receives significantly more boreal winter visitors than the lower peninsula. It was clear, before spring arrived I needed to head north if I wanted to see some of these arctic visitors. I had quite the wish-list of birds that I hoped to see on this trip: ranging from the quite reasonable, Common Redpoll, Pine Grosbeak, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Northern Shrike, Snowy Owl, Grey jay, Boreal Chickadee; to the optimism stretching birds such as the Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Hoary Redpoll, Evening Grosbeak, Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Gyrfalcon and who knows perhaps an epochal Boreal Owl. 

After driving north over the Mackinaw Bridge and staying in St Ignace on the Friday night, the plan on Saturday and Sunday was to explore as wide an area of the eastern UP (upper peninsula) as possible. The area of south of Sault Ste Marie is full of wide open fields that have historically been good places to see Sharp-tailed Grouse, Snowy Owls, Gyrfalcon, Northern Hawk Owl. At feeders throughout the area a range of irruptive finches are regularly reported. Other spots that could be good habitat for birds included Rudyard flats, Dafter, Hulbert bog, Tahquamenon Falls, and Whitefish Point. For the mere price of a 1000 mile road-trip and a weekend of eagle-eyed searching, the winter birding opportunities were excellent. 

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After a "focused" conversation about what constituted a "reasonable" time to start our birding activities, I convinced my second pair of eyes for the weekend, Bruce, that we should get up at 5:30am so we could drive to a reported lekking site for Sharp-tailed Grouse in time for sunrise. The next morning, I cursed Bruce for being such a push-over as I tried to function at, what was for me, an extremely unnatural time of the day. As the sun gradually conceded to shed a little light on the proceedings I had to admit feeling a little peevish at the distinct lack of Sharp-tailed Grouse, either in the nearby trees, or out on the lekking grounds. Surely, getting up at 5:30am should earn you some good luck, right? However, as we turned the car back around and starting to cruise back down some of the country lanes again a flock of tubby looking birds of appropriate size flew across the road and settled far out in a field to our right. Our Sharp-tailed Grouse had arrived. They were too far away for great looks and given the lack of cover I was loth to disturb them so we settled for distant views through Bruce's Swarovski scope. 

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

At first the seven or eight individuals were just dark shapes hunkered down and hard to pick out amongst the grass. After a while a few of the males could be seen with their distinctive pointed tail erected, wings outspread and quivering as they displayed. This was my first time observing these birds, but Bruce assured me that, impressive as they seemed, this was merely a warm up to the much more energetic displays the birds would be making in a month's time or so. Even so, it was fun to watch and at least get a hint of the energy these birds would be expending in an effort to impress a few ladies over the coming months. The following photos are heavily cropped and poor quality but they represent, for me, a wonderful experience that I felt extremely privileged to experience.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

I even attempted to digiscope a picture using my DroidX held up to Bruce's scope, it actually turned out better than I had realised at the time.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

As we moved away, leaving the grouse in peace to practice their sexy dance moves we noticed some activity in a nearby tree which turned out to be a flock of Pine Grosbeak. The males, bright as berries, immediately draw the eye, but on reflection, the more subtly painted females, in their stately grey plumage with a yellow wash to the head and breast, are equally beautiful.

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

A Hairy Woodpecker also showed up and entertained us with some close up drilling action.

Hairy Woodpecker

Moving on, we started to cruise the snowy lanes looking for raptors perched up on trees, poles, fence posts, etc and keeping an eye out for feeders. One house had made a monstrous effort to attract the birds and they had been hugely successful. We spent a considerable time scanning through what must have amounted to at least 100 Common Redpoll, most likely more, looking for much sought after Hoary Redpoll.

Common Redpoll

There were a few Redpoll, like this frosty looking guy, that seemed like reasonable candidates for a Hoary Redpoll. Limited streaking on the sides, predominantly light coloration, but how could I be sure? I had done my homework and read a range of field guides, but all the field marks mentioned seemed to indicate tendencies that were variable and often overlapping with those found in the Common Redpoll.

As I continued to subject this bird, and many, many, others, to continued scrutiny, I started to wonder if I would be able to identify anything but the most extreme example of a Hoary Redpoll. I knew what I was looking for: a white unstreaked rump, white unstreaked under-tail coverts, limited streaking on the sides, a frosty look to the bird overall, and a shorter, stouter bill that gave the impression that someone had punched the bird in the face. Clear enough, except that the rump could be a little bit streaky (but how much?), the under-tail coverts could be a little bit streaky (but how much?), the steaks on the sides varied (how much?) and I couldn't really get a sense of how important the "punched in the face" impression was in making the ID. This bird, on reflection, turned out to be a solid Common Redpoll, but I was rapidly following Socrates' footsteps and realising just how little I knew, almost nothing apparently!

The situation wasn't improved by the feeders being located next to a surprisingly busy road. Everytime a car passed by, the entire flock would temporarily flush and relocate to the nearby trees before returning to the feeder. This meant that just as you had spotted a lighter coloured bird that might be worth a more detailed observation, it would flush. I was starting to think I'd never identify a Hoary Redpoll, regardless of whether they were present. I don't mean to give the impression that I wasn't enjoying seeing the flocks of Common Redpoll during my periods of mental angst. I had only had one other opportunity to watch Common Redpoll before, and seeing so many of them, up close and personal, was fantastic. They are gorgeous birds, no doubt about it.

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

This Common Redpoll is being kind enough to demonstrate the streaking on the rump and under-tail coverts that would be much reduced, or absent, on a Hoary Redpoll. 

Common Redpoll

A mile or two down the road the following silhouette perched up in a tree caught our attention. The distance and lighting puzzled us for a moment or two, but eventually we were able to determine the bird as a dark phase Rough-legged Hawk. I'd never seen the dark phase variant of this bird before, so this was a fairly exciting find for me. I'd have loved better views, but I wasn't complaining.

Dark-phase Rough-legged Hawk

Not to be outdone, a Northern Shrike provided even worse viewing, although it's profile, perched up high in a small tree, was unmistakable.

Northern Shrike

After meandering around some, we arrived at the MSU managed Dunbar forest, and more specifically at the feeders set up at the entrance to the property. The numbers of birds were low, but there were enough Common Redpoll around to keep us occupied searching for a possible Hoary Redpoll. We were also entertained by a few other birds, included a singing Purple Finch and a small flock of Pine Siskins.

Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin

This Pine Siskin, seemed to be attempting to pretend to look like an American Pipit. I explained that it would have been more convincing had he been on the ground and he flew off embarrassed.

Pine Siskin

There is something magical about standing, surrounded by birch trees, in the northern landscape that is intensely soothing to the soul. As my fingers lost feeling and my toes complained ever more loudly about the cold, I could feel another part of me awakening and responding to the beauty around me. It is hard to explain, but I defy anybody to stand in a boreal forest and not be moved by the serenity that seems to surround you. I guarantee this Common Redpoll knew what I am talking about.

Common Redpoll

I'm not sure about this guy, I always thought Ents were fictional creatures, but what do I know

Ent

Hitting the road again, we spotted another dark-phase, Rough-legged Hawk. Almost certainly the same individual as before, but this time much closer to the road and affording much more luxurious views. You can even see the distinctive white band at the base of the tail this time ... luxurious I tell you.

Rough-legged Hawk

Our next stop was the small village of Dunbar. A persistent flock of Bohemian Waxwings had been reported feeding on Crab-apple Trees in the vicinity of the local Post Office, we we swung by to see if we could catch the sexy little buggers on our way through. At first, we couldn't see any sign of them, but within a matter of minutes a small flock flew in and entertained us with some glorious views of their ridiculously painted feathers.

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

As my stomach started to get vocal about it's belief that it was time to stop for lunch it was my very great pleasure to navigate us to the fabulously named Bear Butt bar.

Not only does this bar have a wonderful name but it also caters strongly to birders. In fact, every single window seemed to have some kind of well stocked feeder. Pine Siskins, Common Redpoll and American Goldfinch were hanging around enjoying the buffet. So far I really wanted to like this bar. Entering the bar we were greeted by a roaring wood stove, two friendly dogs, and the quirky kind of atmosphere that can only be found in a dark room filled with stuffed animals. My kind of place!

Unfortunately, the thick cloud of cigarette smoke boded poorly for the dining experience. The quality of the food and beer left a lot to be desired, which was deeply disappointing. It can't be easy to keep a place like this ticking over during the slow winter months when only the odd birder is crazy enough to venture up this way, I appreciate that. I love that they provide an environment that not only attracts considerable numbers of birds, but allows you to enjoy them while dining. I really, really wish the food and beer hadn't been such a bad experience, this could easily have become one of my favourite spots to visit in the eastern UP. Seriously, how often to you get to watch Pine Siskins feeding behind a  neon sign while you sup on a beer? So much potential.

Pine Siskins

Moving on to the nearby Hulbert Bog I had high expectations. This was reportedly a good spot for Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed Woodpecker and Evening Grosbeak. We drove the length of Basnau road, without seeing anything more unusual than the ever present Black-capped Chickadees and the Common Ravens honking and soaring above. We had passed a feeding area part way along the road, where some kind soul had placed seed and hung a suet block to attract the birds. We decided to head back and hang out there awhile, and see what we could find.

Look at the "punched in the face" look to this Chickadee. This is clearly a Black-capped Chickadee x Hoary Redpoll cross, what an exciting find!!

After some time enjoying the antics of the Black-capped Chickadees one of my target birds for the trip made an appearance, the Gray Jay. These northern birds are rare visitors to the US and always appreciated when they do made an appearance. Attractive birds to look at with their muted colours, they are often extremely tame, frequently even eating out of peoples hands. This handsome fellow wasn't quite that tame, but he did provide us with some great views.

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

It turns out their secret power is the ability to transform into a whirling dervish, with I assume razor wing tips.

Gray Jay

Gray Jay

Some birders we had met on Basnau Road, who had been looking for Gray Jay also had helpful given us some tips for spots to look for Red Crossbill. Even more excitingly, they had been seeing at least two Hoary Redpoll at their feeders near Whitefish Point and had extended an invitation to swing by and try our luck. First we headed back along 28 towards Raco, keeping an eye out for Red Crossbills feeding on salt in the roads. We drove for some miles without seeing any birds in the road at all, but as universe often demands, as soon as I complained about the complete lack of birds, that was the moment I spotted some small red coloured birds feeding in the middle of the road. We stopped the car and were able to confirm they were indeed Red Crossbill, another life bird for me!

A passing car flushed the birds into the trees and I headed out with my camera to see if I could catch a shot of those famously specialised bills, designed to allow them to efficiently remove seeds from pine cones. I could hear them calling from all around but views of the birds were fleeting and mostly occluded by tree branches.

Red Crossbill

Red Crossbill

Finally, I managed a couple of shots that clearly showed the two mandibles of the bill crossing over. From the side it gives them a tough bad-boy look, viewed from the front it makes them look a little demented. This was a species of bird I had read about since childhood, but never before seen, it was deeply satisfying to see such an incredible bird after so much anticipation.

Red Crossbill

Red Crossbill

Red Crossbill

Red Crossbill

Finally, as the afternoon light started to fade, we headed north to Whitefish Point in hopes of finishing the day with a clearly identified Hoary Redpoll. Arriving at the address our new friends had given us, we could see there were a large number of Common Redpoll at their feeders and we started to scan the flock. Not long after we arrived we were shooed into the house, shown to some comfy seats next to large picture window overlooking the feeders and were generally upgraded to a much more luxurious class of birding. It was a real pleasure to pick the brains of our hosts, who turned out to be experienced birders as well as generous hosts. Although we didn't see any Hoary Redpoll, observing so many Common Redpoll, from such a close vantage point was an extremely valuable learning experience. I started to get a real feel for the variation that was typical and the combination of features that would perhaps make a convincing case for a Hoary Redpoll identification.

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll.

As it got too dark to view the birds any longer we gratefully accepted an invitation to stay for a dinner of soup, and an evening of lively conversation, wine, beer and new friends. It was a wonderful way to end the day and I enjoyed myself immensely. Eventually, and with very little arm twisting, we accepted an invitation to return early the next morning to try for the Hoary Redpoll, and headed out to find a hotel for the night and to research Hoary Redpoll identification some more. My researches that night lead me from a wide selection of guide books, to David Sibley's blog posts, to peer-reviewed research articles, to migraine. It turned out to be a more interesting and complicated story than I had at first appreciated, and will form a very geeky future blogpost. Eventually, I slept, perchance to dream of more fricking Redpoll.