UP trip report -Soo to Marquette

[Nature Discovery]

Birders-

A slightly belated posting, but hopefully of some use to others making the UP swing soon...

>From Dec 26-29, my son, Robin McGrath, Will Gold and I birded areas around the Soo and southward, then headed over to the Marquette area, where we birded around the ore docks, and further west to Pisheekee Grade.

The only BOHEMIAN WAXWING for the whole trip was a single bird on our way up on the side of I-75 just south of Gaylord. It's large chunky appearance was apparent.
 
Soo area: On our way north on Dec 26, we only got one ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK the entire trip, an individual on the side of 3 Mile Road, south of Taylor road near Pickford. We drove the Rudyard Flats vicinity for nearly an hour with still no Snowy Owls to report. On Dec 27, we got a Common Loon on the river next to the Edison powerplant. The only single COMMON REDPOLL of the trip was under some feeders at a house on 7 1/2 Mile Road before it curves on to Haylake Road. (I think they're all at our feeder in Williamston!) Dunbar Forest Station was very slow with nothing noteworthy to report. While the usual SHARP-TAILED GROUSE location at Nicolet and 9 Mile was a bust, we hit the jackpot at 13 Mile and Riverside with about 30 individuals, my personal highest in about 6 Soo winter trips. I at first spotted a few individuals feeding in an apple tree on Riverside, just 0.1 mi south of the 13 Mile intersection, as we slowly approached they retreated into the brush. Minutes later, about 30 of them flew out of the brush, the majority landing in the treetops across the field to the east.

We looked for the previously-seen Gyrfalcon at the Marquette ore docks, unsuccessfully, but got a juvenile GLAUCOUS GULL among the Herrings at the boat launch near Presque Isle Park on Dec 28, and on Dec 29 an adult male MERLIN, which perched on the railing on top of the ore dock and eventually flew right over our heads.

We birded Pishekee Grade starting 5 miles north of US 41 for over 5 hours Dec 28 am and early pm, hop-scotching with the van every 0.4 miles for about 3.5 total miles. We encountered two small flocks of BOREAL CHICKADEES along the way, that allowed for prolonged viewing and photo ops for a change. We also picked up GRAY JAYS in a few locations along the stretch, and finished with a single female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at 8.3 miles north of US 41. 

Great mammal sighting: While we were hand-feeding, and being engulfed by fearless chickadees, a Pine Marten lingered on and off the road near us for about 6-7 minutes and acted totally oblivious to our presence. Then a pair of loud and smelly snowmobiles zoomed past us and scared it away for good. So, why don't snowmobilers see much wildlife?

Jim McGrath,
Williamston, MI 
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