On Might 11, 2024, to assist have a good time International Massive Day and lift funds for the Cornell Lab’s conservation work, Group Sapsucker headed to the Nice Lakes to discover two very completely different landscapes. One group searched sparsely populated Chippewa County, Michigan, on the shore of Lake Superior; whereas the opposite scoured bustling Chicago on Lake Michigan. Energized by the shimmering aurora borealis and the anticipation of watching migration unfold within the coronary heart of North America, the 2 groups spent almost 24 hours discovering as many chicken species as potential.
Beginning with Mallards and Crimson-necked Grebes earlier than daybreak, and ending with a Widespread Nighthawk after nightfall, the groups discovered 203 complete species* (164 for Chippewa County, 132 for Chicago). Group Sapsucker’s cumulative eBird journey report showcases the avian range of the Nice Lakes, from surprises like Yellow-headed Blackbird and Wilson’s Phalarope to elegant scenes akin to a Black Tern coursing over a marsh within the fading mild. Together with the tens of 1000’s of different eBird checklists submitted on International Massive Day and on daily basis, these observations add to our potential to trace the standing of chicken populations and pinpoint which of them want our assist most.
The Cornell Lab is grateful to the numerous donors who supported Massive Day, our greatest conservation fundraiser of the 12 months; and to LOWA Boots for sponsoring Group Sapsucker.
A Story of Two Lakeshores
“Being within the Higher Peninsula is an opportunity to expertise what wild lakeshores are like and the way birds use habitats which can be mainly untouched,” mentioned Marshall Iliff, captain of Group Chippewa. “The birds are extra unfold out as a result of they’ve extra locations to be.”
In distinction, Chicago group captain Jenna Curtis mentioned spending the day in a bustling metropolis that’s additionally on a significant migration route is an opportunity to witness firsthand the significance of defending pure habitats in a quickly creating world. “Chicago is among the many high 40 largest cities on the planet. Our key websites in Chicago present havens for each birds and other people,” mentioned Curtis We’d by no means have discovered the variety of species we did if it wasn’t for key conservation areas like Montrose Level and the Calumet Lake space, and the individuals working to guard them.”
In each areas, migrating birds focus alongside main traces of lakeshores, which is a part of what makes lights and buildings in Chicago such a critical situation, particularly throughout migration. In Chicago, migrating birds focus in small areas of stopover habitat alongside the lakeshore, the place buildings stuffed with reflective glass and shining lights current critical hazards to their well being.
Collectively, the 2 websites spotlight the position of the Nice Lakes and the Mississippi Flyway each for migrating land birds, which should pause right here earlier than crossing the huge lakes, and for waterbirds that use the Nice Lakes as a route into the huge wetlands that sprawl throughout northern North America.
A Migration-Stuffed Morning in Northern Michigan
Group Sapsucker-Chippewa County knew they might face challenges discovering birds within the huge northern forests, fields, and marshes of the Higher Peninsula.
“The simplest solution to plan a giant day is to know the place completely different sorts of birds are breeding or establishing territories,” says group captain Marshall Iliff. “However birding on this northern area on Might 11, we knew we had been a couple of week or two early for many of that, so it turned extra about how migration was shaping up that day.” Iliff, a undertaking chief with the Cornell Lab’s eBird undertaking, was joined by Lab workers members Gemma Clucas, Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, Tom Auer, and Evan Griffis.
Regardless of a forecast for rain and overcast skies, the climate turned clear by 3:30 a.m. That’s when group captain Iliff heard the primary birds of the day—two Crimson-necked Grebes calling from a close-by lake. He roused his teammates, they took a second to bask within the purple mild of the aurora, after which Massive Day was on.
Their first predawn cease was Whitefish Level, a peninsula that juts out into Lake Superior and acts as a pure focus level for birds migrating over or across the Nice Lakes.
Earlier than daybreak broke, the group had recognized a number of dozen species, principally by name, together with American Pipit, Swainson’s Thrush, Widespread Redpoll, and Lengthy-eared Owl. They even discovered a fearless Spruce Grouse in the course of a rural street.
Then it was again to Whitefish Level, now at about an hour after daybreak, the proper time to stake out a sit spot on the dune-edged, sandy level, and let the morning flight of migrants wash over them.
Clearing skies and delicate southerly winds meant loads of birds arriving within the area in a single day, and in just below three hours the group picked up 74 species. As geese, grebes and even a Trumpeter Swan moved over the water, land birds, together with 15 warbler species, sought their approach alongside the shoreline. “The warbler flight was actually enjoyable as a result of they sort of got here as much as the dune after which circled, so that they paused for a second lengthy sufficient for us to ID them,” mentioned group member Tom Auer.
Raptors, Blue Jays, bluebirds, and a number of different species had been on the transfer as effectively, together with Tough-legged Hawk, Night Grosbeak, Semipalmated Plover, Canada Warbler, and Bay-breasted Warbler.
“To see the large flocks of Blue Jays overhead and all these raptors coming by, and loons and sea geese, after which all of the warblers,” mentioned Gemma Clucas, a U.Okay. native. “It was mind-blowing to see all these several types of birds really on the transfer.”
At noon the group left the shoreline to move southeast for prairie potholes, marshes, and a mixture of forest sorts.
Two days earlier, throughout scouting, that they had discovered an early-arriving Kirtland’s Warbler, the enduring, endangered species of the area’s jack pine forests. That day that they had been handled to nice seems and even pictures, however on Massive Day the group arrived throughout a noon lull. Fortunately, the sharp ears of two of the group members had been capable of hear the chattery warble of 1 distant male Kirtland’s.
In a subject close to Brimley, Michigan, the group racked up a formidable six species of blackbirds, embody a uncommon Yellow-headed Blackbird first discovered by Clucas throughout scouting.
The group continued to develop their record, although it wasn’t all the time a rosy image. At one cease they had been hoping for Golden-winged Warbler together with some species surprisingly uncommon for the world, akin to White-breasted Nuthatch, Wooden Thrush, and Downy Woodpecker. After donning mud boots and slogging by swampy fields and woods, they got here away with precisely zero of these goal birds.
Group captain Marshall Iliff had set the quantity 165 because the “absolute higher restrict” of what the group may hope to attain on their Massive Day. They had been round 150 by the late afternoon, because of the group’s unflagging efforts (they submitted 43 separate eBird checklists in round 19 hours) together with thrilling rarities akin to Wilson’s Phalarope, American Avocet, Western Meadowlark, and Golden Eagle.
It was after 8:00 p.m. when the group rolled into their final birding places, the marshes and mudflats on the mouth of Munuscong River, a part of a series of rivers and lakes that move between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The group picked up seven new species, together with Black-crowned Night time-Heron, Sedge Wren, Virginia Rail, and Black Tern. This introduced their complete to 164 species, one shy of Iliff’s best-case situation—regardless of lacking some “simple” species akin to Blue-headed Vireo and Belted Kingfisher. View the Group Chippewa journey report.**
“We set our objective at 150, and would have been joyful to beat that,” mentioned Marshall. “To get this near 165…we’re thrilled.”
Making Connections in The Windy Metropolis
Whereas Group Chippewa traveled greater than 100 miles exploring the Higher Peninsula, Group Chicago had a extra compact route, however lined spectacular distances on foot. One group member logged round 36,000 steps—at the very least 14 miles. And just like the birds, in addition they had many extra vehicles, buildings, and other people to deal with whereas searching for out the most efficient websites throughout the Windy Metropolis.
The Chicago group received an excellent earlier begin than their Michigan counterparts. It was round 2:30 a.m. when the group recognized their first chicken—a Mallard flying over Eggers Grove Forest Protect, a small strip of preserved forest on the east aspect of the town. That was adopted shortly after by the ringing wheet-wheet of a Solitary Sandpiper.
Group Captain Jenna Curtis was joined by fellow Cornell Lab workers Christine Audette, Nick Butts, John Garrett, and Alexis Falise. Due to a brand new nomination course of that opened up the possibility to be part of Group Sapsucker to all Cornell Lab workers, the Chicago contingent included three members who had by no means undertaken a giant day. Falise added dozens of recent species to her life record over the course of the Massive Day and the scouting that preceded it.
“It was only a blast. The adrenaline was so excessive, on the finish of the day I didn’t need to cease. I don’t assume I’ve come down but!” Falise mentioned. Her favourite a part of Massive Day was a noon go to to Massive Marsh, a 300-acre wetland on the Southeast Facet with miles of trails. The group related with workers and guests, and even saved a number of steps by birding on bikes they picked up by way of Divvy, Chicago’s bikeshare program. “I cherished the twin nature of that place,” Falise mentioned. “How they encourage birding together with different leisure alternatives for the encircling neighborhoods.”
Within the predawn hours, the group discovered birds like Virginia Rail and Sora calling from marshes and Semipalmated Plover, Noticed Sandpiper, and Dunlin dimly seen in a shallow pond behind a chainlink fence.
After some temporary breaks within the birding to benefit from the revved up aurora borealis, the group greeted dawn on the premier birding spot within the metropolis: Montrose Level Chook Sanctuary.
Montrose Level juts out into Lake Michigan proper from the guts of the town: an oasis of inexperienced bushes and grassy dunes simply north of the treacherous canyons of glass, concrete, and lights of the middle of the town. Recognized for its breeding endangered Piping Plovers, and a “magic hedge” that draws weary migrants within the spring and fall, Montrose Level has seen 273 species recorded within the month of Might, in keeping with eBird.
Over the course of the early morning, the group ticked off 20 species of warblers, together with a singing Cerulean Warbler, one of many rarest warblers east of the Rockies. They tallied a formidable 79 species complete on the website.
The subsequent a part of the plan was to move inland to forested remnants like Labagh Woods, the place they picked up their solely White-breasted Nuthatch (a species missed by Group Chippewa) and Bushy Woodpecker. By 11 a.m. their species complete had handed the century mark. Whereas the group in Michigan noticed a number of dozen extra species than the Chicago group, there have been greater than 30 species that the Chicago group picked up that the Michigan group didn’t, together with frequent birds like Downy Woodpecker and Belted Kingfisher, plus some enjoyable surprises like Cerulean Warbler and Olive-sided Flycatcher.
Then got here an arduous, 16-mile crosstown drive to Washington Park after which on to further hotspots round Calumet Lake. At a website referred to as Park 566 they scoured 70 acres of reclaimed grassland so as to add Sedge Wren, Japanese Meadowlark, and Subject Sparrow. It was John Garrett’s favourite cease of the day: “[Park 566] could be very completely different from anyplace else throughout the metropolis—restored grasslands however like proper alongside the sting of the lake,” he mentioned. “I actually cherished being there within the night with displaying woodcocks and nighthawks collectively all making their buzzy sounds.”
Different afternoon highlights included an sudden pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves that the group spied whereas crawling by downtown site visitors, and a shock Crimson-shouldered Hawk that they noticed in an industrial canal the place they’d been hoping to search out some Horned Grebes.
As Massive Day 2024 wound down, the group made a cease on the Chicago establishment Portillo’s for a night power enhance within the type of scorching canine and cheese fries. Their final new species for the day was at Park 566, a trio of Widespread Nighthawks within the darkening sky. Over the course of 20 hours that they had filed 33 eBird checklists. View the Group Chicago journey report.
Reflecting on their day discovering birds in a spot the place human alterations to habitat are unavoidable, Jenna Curtis observed a connecting thread for lots of the finest websites: “So lots of the locations we visited was industrial wastelands or effluent flows and ponds or dumps, or outdated touchdown strip or airfield,” she mentioned. “They’ve all been transformed again into pure habitats for probably the most half. That’s one thing that’s actually particular to expertise…seeing all of those areas being now preserved and restored for native wildlife.”
