CALL NOTE

Published monthly

September through June by the Capital Area Audubon Society PO Box 22065, Lansing MI 48909. Deadline for submissions: 20th of the month.

2022-2023 CAAS Officers

President Kristy Taylor

Vice President Patricia Deventer

Secretary Nick Segerson

Treasurer Michael Caterino

Membership Richard Yarsevich

Editor & Facebook Kristy Taylor

Publicity & Hospitality

Field Trip Coordinator

Sandra Conn

Program Coordinator Patricia Deventer

Historian Barb Andersen

Website Sandra Conn

2022-2023 CAAS Board of Directors

Michael Caterino

Sandra Conn

Patricia Deventer

Susan Elbin

Barb Andersen

Nick Segerson

Kristy Taylor

Richard Yarsevich

OPEN SEAT caaudubon@gmail.com capitalareaaudubon.org facebook.com/capitalareaaudubon

Enjoy exploring local birding hotspots right here in Michigan this spring.

If you would like to join a CAAS group birding this spring, we will offer site signups starting in April. Let us know where you are headed, and if you would like to meet up! Information will be emailed to CAAS Members.

2017 - National Audubon Society

Migrant warblers are among the most difficult of avian subjects. The tiny birds hide in the leaves, often in dark shadows, and they chase insects at a frenetic pace rarely sitting still for more than a second or two. As photographers, we need to do what we can to stack the deck in our favor.

Location, location, location (and weather) are the most important determining factors of any successful photo shoot with migrant warblers. While we can’t do anything to change the weather, we can put ourselves in the best locations to take advantage of the most birds in the most favorable settings.

But if traveling isn’t an option, don’t fret. A city park surrounded by concrete jungle, a wooded swale in the midst of agricultural land, sky islands of the desert southwest, or any riparian corridor through less than favorable habitat can all be very productive sites to photograph migrant warblers.

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio

The lakefront wood lot at Magee is arguably the best place in North America to photograph northbound migrant warblers, especially during the first week of May. After falling out, they may wait days for favorable conditions before making the journey across Lake Erie. As at any migrant hot spot, the leeward or most protected part of the woods generally holds the greatest concentrations of warblers. Magee’s boardwalk and parking lot areas provide easy (though crowded) access. The Black Swamp Bird Observatory, located at the entrance to the marsh, has extensive information on local birding hotspots, including downloadable maps.

Point Pelee National Park, Ontario

Across Lake Erie from Magee Marsh is the famed Point Pelee. Migration peaks there in mid-May, and the birds are spread out over a larger area so there is more habitat to explore. Most photographers opt to start near the tip at sunrise and work their way north, following the various trails that spread out as the land mass widens. A tram will help shuttle you and your gear from the main parking area to the point, but it doesn’t run early enough to get you there for sunrise. Ojibway Nature Center offers great insights on birding Point Pelee and the surrounding areas.

Tawas Point State Park, Michigan

Flocks of nocturnal migrating warblers greeting sunrise high over Lake Huron will seek the closest available habitat to rest and refuel for the day. Tawas Point juts well into the lake and attracts the warblers and other songbirds like a magnet. The soft sand of the point will make short trails seem exceedingly long.

The best times to visit will most likely be during the second or third week of May, but as with all migrant hotspots the best days are truly weatherdependent. Cold days with north or east winds are likely to be unproductive even during the peak migration period. If weather is not on your side, be sure to drive through nearby Tuttle Marsh to see what photographic subjects might be available.

Whitefish Point, Michigan

In late May and early June, when spring migration is winding down or is a distant memory over much of the rest of North America, Whitefish Point on Lake Superior is just reaching its stride. The habitat is largely jack-pine woodlands with pockets of alder and other shrubs. This means the birds are rarely too high to photograph.

In the event of heavy rain you can check out the museum and lighthouse at the point and explore nearby boreal forest for Spruce Grouse, crossbills, and Gray Jays. The website for the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory is the clearinghouse for information on birding the point.

For the full article and additional US spring birding locations, visitwww.audubon.org/news/seven-springhotspots-warbler-photography