Our EIC friends and readers may know that the Great Blue Heron is our mascot (above), chosen because they are native birds that can be seen throughout the year, hunting for fish and other aquatic treats wherever open water is found. Moving water, such as the Rouge River, is a likely spot to find them in winter, standing as still as statues looking for the slightest movement under the water to “grab a bite” with their slender, tong-like beaks. A real locavore diner, they eat mostly fish, but also catch frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, insects, rodents, and many species of small waterbirds. We have observed them stalking voles and mice in field edges and the Community Organic Garden in the winter.
|
|
Photo by news.cornell.edu |
|
Other avian diners that frequent aquatic restaurants have a different strategy. These diners also peer into the water, waiting for the sushi to surface before grabbing their meal, and when they do, they grab it with the “fishing hooks” at the tips of their toes. |
|
You might be surprised to learn that the symbol of our nation, the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), is doing quite well, fishing right here in southeast Michigan, including metropolitan Dearborn! Over the 20+ years of the EIC’s history, we have seen the six-foot wingspan of these large raptors overhead in every season, and have heard from other fortunate observers as well. These sightings have increased over the years. Sometimes we see eagles during spring and fall migration and some seem to stick around for a while. This winter, a bald eagle has been a presence around campus and was seen this week, where Evergreen Road diverges at Michigan Avenue, perched in a leafless tree overlooking the Rouge River. A bird’s eye, aerial view reveals the river channel, our Environmental Study Area, and the open space of The Henry Ford as inviting eagle habitat.
|
|
The nesting success of bald eagles in southeast Michigan has improved over decades. A 2017 State of the Strait report affirms, “From 1961 to 1987 there were no bald eagles produced in Metropolitan Detroit due primarily to organochlorine contamination. Since 1991, there has been a steady increase in the number of occupied bald eagle nests per year in metropolitan Detroit. From 2012-2015, at least 25 active nests have been documented each year, resulting in the fledgling of 28 or more young per year…which is indicative of a stable or increasing population and meeting the U.S. recovery goal. In 2007, the USFWS removed the bald eagle from the endangered species list because their populations recovered sufficiently across the United States." (Photo by Sharon Fiedler)
|
|
|
|
A coal-fired power plant probably isn’t the first place you’d think of for eagle watching, but it is a favorite of the eagles. Warm water released from DTE's Monroe Power Plant keeps a nearby channel open by the plant.
(Photo by Scott Hocking)
|
|
The open water attracts gizzard shad and other fish species, which attracts fish eating birds, such as great blue herons, double crested cormorants, common egrets, species not usually seen in winter. The channel is also a reliable spot to see eagles of multiple ages lined up for the smorgasbord in the trees along the channel. (Juvenile bald eagles are uniformly brown and typically grow into their distinctive white head and tail by their fifth year.)
|
This phenomenon has created a unique opportunity to view eagles along the channel. A partnership between DTE, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance formed in 2010 to offer the chance for a certain number of people to pile into agency vehicles for a guided tour through the power plant property to view the spectacle along the channel. (Photo by Brian Kaufman-Detroit Free Press) The interactions between the eagles competing for fish is fascinating and very vocal. Interactions between eagles and other bird species is often action packed. Unfortunately, this human opportunity is on hold for now due to the Covid pandemic, but the eagles are still fishing!
Bald eagles are appearing in unexpected places in the region. Despite all the activities on Belle Isle State Park, in the middle of the Detroit River, an eagle pair built a nest there and are frequently seen on and around the island. Another pair built a spacious home in Detroit’s Woodmere Cemetery.
Other likely eagle viewing locations include Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Metroparks, and Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, which can provide good looks of eagles in all weather, including eagles out on the Great Lake ice. Crosswinds Marsh and Humbug Marsh, “the gem” of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, are regular haunts of local eagles. Just north of Humbug Marsh, on Jefferson Avenue, check out John D. Dingell Park. Mud Island, across from the park, is a possible eagle fishing site, too. So keep looking up for large, soaring birds resembling flying 2 x 4s looking for open water to grab a bite!
|
|
(Photo The Monroe Evening News) |
|
The National Audubon Society's 122nd Christmas Bird Count took place from Tuesday, December 14, 2021 through Wednesday, January 5, 2022, and participants around Booth Bay Harbor, Maine, added an unexpected species to their list. Maine Public Radio reports, “Since late December, a rare, wayward eagle native to Russia and Japan has taken up residence along Maine's Midcoast near Boothbay Harbor.
The Steller's Sea Eagle is one of the largest raptors in the world, weighing up to 20 pounds with an eight-foot wingspan. There are only about 4,000 of them left, and the chance to see one has captivated Mainers and birders from around the country. John Putrino isn't an avid birder but he is a wildlife photographer. So, when he got a tip that the Steller's sea eagle had been spotted in his adopted hometown of Boothbay, he went out in search of it during a recent snowstorm.” (Photo above)
Maine Audubon's Rare Bird Alert is updating sightings quickly and often, as this definitely qualifies as a rare bird sighting. They're all looking for the same thing: a large brown eagle with distinctive white feathers on its shoulders, legs and tail with a massive yellow bill. For many birders, a Steller's Sea Eagle is a chance to add one of the rarest birds they'll ever see to their birding life lists, a cumulative record of all the species they've identified.
"Nicole Koeltzow has racked up more than 800 so far. She drove to Maine from Tennessee. Mary and Kye Jenkins of Baltimore had planned on taking a trip to the Caribbean but when their COVID-19 test results came back too late to board their flight, they needed to improvise. Instead, they hit the road.
'Since we're birders, we were in Newark, we decided to come up here and try to find this bird,' Mary Jenkins says."
So....what are you doing this weekend....?
|
|
Photo courtesy of Maine Audubon |
|
Whooooooooooo's Calling, Please? |
|
If you happen to hear something on an evening walk this winter that sounds like a horse whinny coming from above, it's not Pegasus, but more likely a little Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), about the size of a mayonnaise jar. Pound for pound, they are tenacious predators, taking advantage of a variety of regional prey.
Courtship time for many Michigan owl species is now, and one way to find a mate is through song. The way to display the territorial "occupied" sign is also though song, so you may be privileged to hear your wild neighbors revealing their presence.
It's not unusual to hear them in residential areas. Cornell's Lab of Ornithology shares, "Almost any habitat with sufficient tree cover will do for this cosmopolitan owl. Tree cavities or nest boxes are essential, and fairly open understories are preferred, but Eastern Screech-Owls live and breed successfully in farmland, suburban landscapes, and city parks." Look closely at this photo of a little "undercover" screech owl peeking out from a tree cavity, catching some sun, taken by volunteer Joe Turek on a trail walk in our Environmental Study Area. You can just see the top of its head, with its plumicorns at attention.
|
|
In this unusual time, venturing outdoors and encountering nature is even more important. Our trails are accessible, so please visit our Environmental Study Area. Sign up to receive our newsletter. Check out our Remote Learning Activities & Resources page for ideas to create a “Neighborhood Nature Journal” and “Family Nature Walk” activities! |
|
|
Please stay safe, stay tuned, and stay engaged in learning activities while we eagerly wait for the opportunities to share experiences together. In the meantime, watch for our new online activities to satisfy your curiosity about the natural world. |
|
Please remember...
The EIC Environmental Study Area is open daily from sunrise to sunset. We would like to remind nature-goers that fishing on site is prohibited and to leave bikes and dogs at home because they cause disruption and stress to the EIC wildlife.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
