On Could 11, 2024, to assist have fun World Huge Day and lift funds for the Cornell Lab’s conservation work, Workforce Sapsucker headed to the Nice Lakes to discover two very totally different landscapes. One staff 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 practically 24 hours discovering as many hen species as attainable.
Beginning with Mallards and Purple-necked Grebes earlier than daybreak, and ending with a Frequent Nighthawk after nightfall, the groups discovered 203 complete species* (164 for Chippewa County, 132 for Chicago). Team Sapsucker’s cumulative eBird trip report showcases the avian range of the Nice Lakes, from surprises like Yellow-headed Blackbird and Wilson’s Phalarope to chic scenes equivalent to a Black Tern coursing over a marsh within the fading gentle. Together with the tens of 1000’s of different eBird checklists submitted on World Huge Day and day by day, these observations add to our means to trace the standing of hen populations and pinpoint which of them want our assist most.
The Cornell Lab is grateful to the many donors who supported Big Day, our greatest conservation fundraiser of the 12 months; and to LOWA Boots for sponsoring Workforce 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 might be principally untouched,” mentioned Marshall Iliff, captain of Workforce Chippewa. “The birds are extra unfold out as a result of they’ve extra locations to be.”
In distinction, Chicago staff captain Jenna Curtis mentioned spending the day in a bustling metropolis that’s additionally on a serious migration route is an opportunity to witness firsthand the significance of defending pure habitats in a quickly growing 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 might 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 strains of lakeshores, which is a part of what makes lights and buildings in Chicago such a serious issue, particularly throughout migration. In Chicago, migrating birds focus in small areas of stopover habitat alongside the lakeshore, the place buildings filled with reflective glass and shining lights current severe hazards to their well being.
Collectively, the 2 websites spotlight the function 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-Crammed Morning in Northern Michigan
Workforce Sapsucker-Chippewa County knew they’d face challenges discovering birds within the huge northern forests, fields, and marshes of the Higher Peninsula.
“The best solution to plan a giant day is to know the place totally different sorts of birds are breeding or establishing territories,” says staff captain Marshall Iliff. “However birding on this northern area on Could 11, we knew we have 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 venture chief with the Cornell Lab’s eBird venture, was joined by Lab employees 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 staff captain Iliff heard the primary birds of the day—two Red-necked Grebes calling from a close-by lake. He roused his teammates, they took a second to bask within the purple gentle of the aurora, after which Huge 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 staff had recognized a number of dozen species, largely by name, together with American Pipit, Swainson’s Thrush, Frequent Redpoll, and Lengthy-eared Owl. They even discovered a fearless Spruce Grouse in the course of a rural highway.
Then it was again to Whitefish Level, now at about an hour after daybreak, the right 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 gentle southerly winds meant loads of birds arriving within the area in a single day, and in just below three hours the team 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 form 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 staff member Tom Auer.
Raptors, Blue Jays, bluebirds, and a number of different species have 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.Ok. native. “It was mind-blowing to see all these various kinds of birds truly on the transfer.”
At noon the staff 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 long-lasting, endangered species of the area’s jack pine forests. That day that they had been handled to nice appears and even photos, however on Huge Day the staff arrived throughout a noon lull. Fortunately, the sharp ears of two of the staff members have been in a position to hear the chattery warble of 1 distant male Kirtland’s.
In a area close to Brimley, Michigan, the staff racked up a formidable six species of blackbirds, embody a uncommon Yellow-headed Blackbird first discovered by Clucas throughout scouting.
The staff continued to develop their record, although it wasn’t at all times a rosy image. At one cease they have been hoping for Golden-winged Warbler together with some species surprisingly uncommon for the realm, equivalent to White-breasted Nuthatch, Wooden Thrush, and Downy Woodpecker. After donning mud boots and slogging by way of swampy fields and woods, they got here away with precisely zero of these goal birds.
Workforce captain Marshall Iliff had set the quantity 165 because the “absolute higher restrict” of what the staff may hope to attain on their Huge Day. They have been round 150 by the late afternoon, due to the staff’s unflagging efforts (they submitted 43 separate eBird checklists in round 19 hours) together with thrilling rarities equivalent to Wilson’s Phalarope, American Avocet, Western Meadowlark, and Golden Eagle.
It was after 8:00 p.m. when the staff rolled into their final birding areas, the marshes and mudflats on the mouth of Munuscong River, a part of a sequence of rivers and lakes that move between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The staff 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 state of affairs—regardless of lacking some “simple” species equivalent to Blue-headed Vireo and Belted Kingfisher. View the Team Chippewa trip report.**
“We set our aim at 150, and would have been glad to beat that,” mentioned Marshall. “To get this near 165…we’re thrilled.”
Making Connections in The Windy Metropolis
Whereas Workforce Chippewa traveled greater than 100 miles exploring the Higher Peninsula, Workforce Chicago had a extra compact route, however coated spectacular distances on foot. One staff member logged round 36,000 steps—a minimum of 14 miles. And just like the birds, in addition they had many extra vehicles, buildings, and other people to take care of whereas looking for out the best websites throughout the Windy Metropolis.
The Chicago staff bought an excellent earlier begin than their Michigan counterparts. It was round 2:30 a.m. when the staff recognized their first hen—a Mallard flying over Eggers Grove Forest Protect, a small strip of preserved forest on the east aspect of town. That was adopted shortly after by the ringing wheet-wheet of a Solitary Sandpiper.
Workforce Captain Jenna Curtis was joined by fellow Cornell Lab employees 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 Workforce Sapsucker to all Cornell Lab employees, 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 Huge 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 suppose I’ve come down but!” Falise mentioned. Her favourite a part of Huge Day was a noon go to to Huge Marsh, a 300-acre wetland on the Southeast Facet with miles of trails. The staff linked with employees and guests, and even saved just a few steps by birding on bikes they picked up through Divvy, Chicago’s bikeshare program. “I liked the twin nature of that place,” Falise mentioned. “How they encourage birding together with different leisure alternatives for the encompassing neighborhoods.”
Within the predawn hours, the staff 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 staff greeted dawn on the premier birding spot within the metropolis: Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary.
Montrose Level juts out into Lake Michigan proper from the center of town: an oasis of inexperienced bushes and grassy dunes simply north of the treacherous canyons of glass, concrete, and lights of the middle of town. Identified 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 Could, in accordance with eBird.
Over the course of the early morning, the staff 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 total at the site.
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 Workforce Chippewa) and Furry Woodpecker. By 11 a.m. their species complete had handed the century mark. Whereas the staff in Michigan noticed a number of dozen extra species than the Chicago staff, there have been greater than 30 species that the Chicago staff picked up that the Michigan staff 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, Jap Meadowlark, and Area Sparrow. It was John Garrett’s favourite cease of the day: “[Park 566] may be very totally different from anyplace else throughout the metropolis—restored grasslands however like proper alongside the sting of the lake,” he mentioned. “I actually liked being there within the night with displaying woodcocks and nighthawks collectively all making their buzzy sounds.”
Different afternoon highlights included an surprising pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves that the staff spied whereas crawling by way of downtown visitors, and a shock Purple-shouldered Hawk that they noticed in an industrial canal the place they’d been hoping to search out some Horned Grebes.
As Huge Day 2024 wound down, the staff made a cease on the Chicago establishment Portillo’s for a night vitality increase within the type of sizzling canine and cheese fries. Their final new species for the day was at Park 566, a trio of Frequent Nighthawks within the darkening sky. Over the course of 20 hours that they had filed 33 eBird checklists. View the Team Chicago trip report.
Reflecting on their day discovering birds in a spot the place human alterations to habitat are unavoidable, Jenna Curtis seen a connecting thread for lots of the finest websites: “So lots of the locations we visited was once industrial wastelands or effluent flows and ponds or dumps, or previous touchdown strip or airfield,” she mentioned. “They’ve all been transformed again into pure habitats for essentially 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.”