Some birding days are wet and nasty, and some are absolutely gorgeous. We had the latter on Saturday. And what a great group of young and not-so-young adventurous folks. Peshekee is always an adventure. One never knows what to expect, including birds. It can be very rewarding if one is willing to spend some time there, and even if the birds are wary and quiet, there is always the scenery, the plants, the wildlife, and good people to make the day a success.
For those unfamiliar, the Peshekee River flows down from the McCormick Wilderness area along Peshekee Grade Road. We began our day at the parking area just north of Hwy 28/41, and as we prepared to load up, a Common Raven flew over, doing loop-de-loops about 100 feet overhead. Pretty awesome. And for those familiar with Peshekee, the road has been smoothed out all the way to McCormick. YAY!
Birding Peshekee can be a lot of work, and today was no exception. The first two hours involved lots of slow driving and short walks, which produced only a Downy Woodpecker and some Black-backed Chickadees. Beyond the early morning frost, I don’t think anybody cared too much; it was so beautiful. A few of us were treated to River Otters crossing the road in front of us.
Our turn on the road toward Lake Arfelin created our first real break, with both a Spruce Grouse along the road and a Ruffed Grouse at the boat ramp. We would return later to explore the southern side of the lake and strike birding gold. While at the boat ramp, Joe, who missed us departing the parking lot, caught up with us and showed us his photo of a Black-backed Woodpecker taken minutes ago at the McCormick Wilderness entrance. Cool! Let’s go.
Continuing up the Peshekee Grade, it was quiet, birdless, and still beautiful. After birding the parking area, ardently searching for the Boreal Chickadee and Black-backed Woodpecker to no avail, we hit the White Lake Trail for a quiet walk into the wilderness. The best, and almost the only, bird was a gorgeous male Hooded Merganser. We were able to pick out both Crossbill species on our walk, calling above in the distance. A beaver entertained some of the group standing on the bridge. The Black-backed Woodpecker was nowhere to be found.
It was time to continue our slow drive north. We departed McCormick and drove a few more miles north to a spot I was sure would give us the boreal chickadees. On the way, a few birders spotted a Rough-legged Hawk soaring high above. Such a beautiful spot, but no chickadees, no birds, just a beaver. But wait…
We return to Lake Arfelin, south side, and arrive at the yard of a bird-friendly yooper, and before we can even get out of the car – CANADA JAYS! The three jays headed into the woods. Not everyone got to see them. Then, Evening Grosbeaks are calling, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches on the feeders, as well as Purple Finch and Blue Jays. We stayed a while, hoping the Canada Jays would return, and as we loaded up, one more bird! A small group of Bohemian Waxwings landed, then flew overhead, calling.
One more stop – another private home, this time in Diorite, a small town on the way home. Three Canada Jays in the front yard.
Check this day off as a very successful autumn birding adventure in the central UP. Hope you can join us next time. Check our website and Facebook page for the latest event schedule.
Bird On!