




My good friend and fellow blogger Jeff Schultz and I headed out to Sault St Marie Michigan over New Years in search of a Yellow Billed Loon that had been seen in the St. Mary's river. We hit a few snow squals on the way up to the Soo but for the most part the roads were dry. Once there we hooked up with three more of our friends who had already travelled north in search of this rare visitor.
We hit the hay early, no staying up late to watch the ball drop in New York City, we had visions of Yellow Billed Loons as our first bird of the year. We woke before sunrise and found the temperature had dropped considerably. Sub zero temperatures and a strong north wind made for difficult and uncomfortable birding. We heard from someone that the wind chill was 33 below, brrr. Jeff was trying his best to keep his gaze away from any possible sighting of a bird, he really wanted the Loon to be his first of the year. As we made our way to the parking area I completely forgot about his goal and seeing something flying through the sky I pointed and asked him "Whats that" reflexes got the best of him and he looked up and casually said Raven. That was when the shouting began. Honestly, I did not try to ruin it for him but well, Lets just say I will be hearing about this one for a long time to come, OPPS!
We hit the hay early, no staying up late to watch the ball drop in New York City, we had visions of Yellow Billed Loons as our first bird of the year. We woke before sunrise and found the temperature had dropped considerably. Sub zero temperatures and a strong north wind made for difficult and uncomfortable birding. We heard from someone that the wind chill was 33 below, brrr. Jeff was trying his best to keep his gaze away from any possible sighting of a bird, he really wanted the Loon to be his first of the year. As we made our way to the parking area I completely forgot about his goal and seeing something flying through the sky I pointed and asked him "Whats that" reflexes got the best of him and he looked up and casually said Raven. That was when the shouting began. Honestly, I did not try to ruin it for him but well, Lets just say I will be hearing about this one for a long time to come, OPPS!
We made our way to the waters edge and set up for what might be a long wait in subzero temperatures but after an hour the loon made it's first appearance. It first surfaced far out in the channel mixing with the fog rising off the water. Diving quickly looking for a fish to eat the bird slowly made it's way toward us. Each dive brought this arctic visitor closer and closer until "pop" it surfaced right in front of us. The sun had finally climbed high enough above the whisps of fog to bathe the bird in the warm glow of sunrise. Jeff and I both began rattling off shots with our cameras but Jeff, who had forgot to pack his gloves, soon found he no longer had use of his fingers. Fortunatly this was after the two of us were able to capture a number of images documenting the first Michigan record of a bird that should have been in the Pacific Ocean or Alaska.
Leaving the loon we set off in a caravan of cars in search of owls, Hawk Owls and Snowy Owls in particular. Our friends Calvin, Charlene and world famous chaser extrordinare Scott Jennex led Jeff and I to an area where they had seen Northern Hawk Owls the day before. Slowing our vehicles we first came across a small group of Sharp Tailed Grouse feeding on buds in a group of trees. These birds who are normally very skittish allowed us a fairly close approach without spooking. We snapped a few photos then proceeded farther down the road where Calvin quickly spotted a Northern Hawk Owl perched in the top of a tree. The bird was the first of two that we would find during the course of our morning birding, an excellent find in deed.
Already in just a short time I had added three birds to my Life List and this number would soon swell to a total of five birds within the next hour as we added Pine Grosbeak and Bohemian Waxwings to the days tally. Roughlegged Hawk (both light and dark morphs), Snowy Owl, Snow Buntings and many others would be found before the days birding was done.
It was time to say good bye to the Upper Pennsula and head south on I-75. A great start to the New Year, great birding with great friends, life is good.
Namaste, and Happy New Years
Charles Owens





























So too are times hard for the songbirds that grace our countryside and woodlots this time of year. We enjoy their rich voices every morning and bask in the bright colors of these wonderful little birds; but consider what they have gone through to reach our summer gardens. Imagine for a brief moment leaving your home and flying away from everything that you know. Striking out with nothing to guide you but a desire to go somewhere better. You know that you cannot stay where you are because things are changing, your very survival may depend on the journey ahead, so you strike out in a direction that you feel will provide you with better opportunities. Along the way there will be major obstacles; storms may blow you off course, others may seek to harm you, and fatigue...oh that ever present fatigue. After a long days journey you may find there is no place for you to rest so you have no choice but to continue on. You are forced to spend 24 hours traveling without rest, nothing but water lies below you and you cannot swim. Your wings ache and there is no energy left inside of you so your body begins to turn on itself, burning the very muscle tissue that keeps you from plumeting into the sea below. Your journey is an eternity of struggle, and when you have no more to give and despare begins to take hold, you see it on the horizon...a place to rest. Prosperity will come in the form of a good meal, a place to rest, and fresh water to drink. You were strong enough, you had the determination to do what had to be done...you will make it through.
This is true, not only for the warblers and the other neotropical migrants but for all of us as well. Some of us will continue on unaffected, while others will be forced to strike out in a new direction, looking for that place which will offer us a place to live and prosper once more. Like the warblers (pictured above) who left their homes in Central and South America almost a month ago, travelling thousands of miles, crossing the gulf of Mexico non stop only to end up sitting on a branch in front of my camera, we will find a place to land. Throwing our wings/arms up to the sky in jubilation and shout out for anyone to hear that we too were strong enough, we had the determination to make it through the hard times, and we too will live.