Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years

Sunday, February 17

Yesterday we did some U.P. winter birding. Which means single digit temperature birding and dressing like an arctic expedition. We went with Joanna up to the Peshekee Grade, hoping for gray jays and boreal chickadees. Despite our valiant efforts all we saw there was ruffed grouse and pine grosbeak.

Birding the Peshekee Grade.

Then we made the pilgrimage to the village of Diorite to visit Vicky’s almost famous bird feeding station. Diorite doesn’t rate a dot on the official Michigan highway map but on Friday people from Ohio and Indiana showed up for her hospitality. Her feeders host multiple dozens of evening grosbeaks, more pine siskins and redpolls than anyone thought imaginable, and bunches of gray jays. She sometimes has a goshawk buzz the feeders, and has had a great gray owl show up in her yard. We didn’t get to see those two but we did finally get the gray jays.

Evening grosbeaks on Vicky’s feeders.

We decided to do some cross-country skiing this morning. Checked the weather and the temperature was one degree but was supposed to “rapidly warm to 12 degrees”. We waited until after the heat wave hit and did a lap around the trails in the local cemetery. The cemetery is right in Marquette and has occasionally had moose show up in it. After skiing we headed out to Jean and Joanna’s cabin to get great looks at red and white-winged crossbills. Always nice to get out to Sand River and visit with Jean and Joanna. Getting the red crossbills was a nice bonus.

Sand River in the winter.

After my previous post about chickadees gnawing down on deer carcasses, Lise’s uncle Roger did a little research. Seems the chickadees are going for fat left on the carcass. As it turns out, up here you can buy deer rib cages to hang up for bird feeders. Jean and Joanna had one hanging in the back of the cabin and sure enough, there was a chickadee chowing down. I can’t wait to hang a deer carcass up in my Okemos yard.

Not your typical bird feeder.

Happy chickadee.

Bird wise we have done well this trip. Not a lot of new species but some tough ones to get. We finally got gray jays, which we missed last year, pine siskins, evening grosbeaks, and red crossbills. Tomorrow on the way home we’re trying for a great gray owl that has been seen south of Sault Ste. Marie. Snow permitting of course.