September was not as fruitful as I was hoping in terms of adding species to my big year list. I was able to add nine new species this month. Additionally, the Ash-throated Flycatcher from August was also approved and added to my list. Although I didn’t add as many species as I was hoping, I was still able to have some really successful days with full checklists.
Upon examining the species I haven’t yet been able to add to my list, I noticed that most of them are not species we commonly or easily see. With that being said, I’m hopeful that October will bring more migrants and possibly some vagrants to my list.
I’m currently at 295 species. When I began this journey, I never would have believed that I could add over 300 species in the course of the year throughout the state of Michigan. My goal was to hit 300 species by the end of September. I didn’t quite make it, but I’m feeling confident that I should be able to do that and more over the next few months!
Featured photo: Harris’s Sparrow by Doug Palmer
Species Highlight:
Harris’s Sparrow
I added Harris’s Sparrow to my list on Sept. 25 at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (WPBO). Harris’s Sparrows aren’t very shy and tend to forage out in the open. Although they aren’t super common in Michigan, they are still considered a regular species, especially during migration.
Photo: Harris’s Sparrow by Chris Neri
Biggest Day
My biggest day this month was Sept. 25 at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. I was able to log 96 species for the day, including two new species for my big year. Those two species were the Harris’s Sparrow and the Black-backed Woodpecker. WPBO is a program of Michigan Audubon, and our waterbird counter is busy counting migratory waterbirds. Because of this, WPBO was a great place to station myself for most of September. Not only are there regular visitors recording sightings, but also the field staff. This means that every day there is at least one checklist submitted to eBird. WPBO is also known for getting vagrants and unique species. In fact, five of the nine new species I added this month were spotted at WPBO.
You Can Help My Virtual Big Year!
I’m always up for suggestions on places to go on certain days, especially if people are going out birding. I don’t get to add any species if no one is reporting to eBird in the location I pick on that given day. You can email me your birding plans at lcain@michiganaudubon.org.
Hotspot Highlight
This month I’d like to highlight McCormick Wilderness in Baraga County in the Upper Peninsula. The nearly 17,000 acres of McCormick Wilderness was designated by the United States Congress in 1987 and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The area contains a mix of northern hardwoods and lowland conifers. Moose, black bears, pine martens, otters, minks, foxes, deer, squirrels, and hares can be found throughout the property. There is also a large number of birds of varying species, including woodpeckers and loons. The area contains the three-mile White Deer Lake Trail but is otherwise fairly rugged, isolated, unspoiled, and relatively difficult to access.
Lindsay Cain is Michigan Audubon’s education coordinator. If you are interested in learning more about our events, workshops, presentations, or event sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lindsay at 517.580.7364 or lcain@michiganaudubon.org.
You can follow Lindsay’s virtual big year journey through her monthly blog posts or start your Fantasy Birding adventure and look for her on the scoreboards. You can find her under the username “lcain” with a Turkey Vulture as her avatar.