Time for fall bird migration to take to the skies
Huron-Clinton Metroparks a popular stop in journey
Autumn leaves are not the only thing people will see at Huron-Clinton Metroparks during this time of year.
October and November are also a great time for bird watchers.
“Less than half the bird species in the United States are year-round residents of their home range,” said Hilary Simmett, a spokesperson for Huron-Clinton Metroparks. So, in order for animals to survive the winter they must migrate.
“It is a common assumption that migration is solely due to theweather, but there are several factors that determine migration. Some animals migrate to breed, some to findmore favorable living conditions, but most migrate to find food,” Simmett said.
Some of the species that will be spotted in southeastern Michigan are migrating short distances, from county to county or fromhigher elevation to lower elevation, such as the Red-winged Blackbird. Others migrate moderate distances, from state to state, such as the Eastern Bluebird.
“But the truly impressive species are those migrating great distances from country to country, such as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird and our raptors, like hawks, eagles, osprey and turkey vultures,” Simmett said.
One of the popular stops for raptors is Gibraltar’s Lake Erie Metropark. The park, which is south of Detroit, where Lake Erie and the Detroit River meet, is unique in that it has a designated watch site for raptor migration.
“Influenced by geography, weather, and other factors the numbers of raptors streaming over the watch site have ranged from as low as 30,000 birds for the three-month season, to over 600,000 birds. Although Broad-winged Hawks and Turkey Vultures often make up the largest percentage of these numbers, there are a total of 16 different species that can be seen with some consistency,” Simmett said. “These include such birds as Bald Eagles, Osprey, Sharpshinned Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Golden Eagles and others.
For over 35 years, the Detroit Hawk Watch has been conducted in one form or another at Lake Erie Metropark; and the boat launch in the park has been the primary site for over 20 of those years. The annual monitoring program sponsored by the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, and the Hawk Migration Association of North America, along with numerous volunteers can be found at the watch site seven days a week fromthe start of September to the end of November.
The site is open to everyone, and information is provided by the volunteers; as well as an interpretive kiosk provided through donations from Hawk Watch volunteers.
“The fall signifies a special time at Lake Erie Metropark, we gear up for our Raptor programs, where we can share the beauty, strength and pure awesomeness of raptors,” said Paul Cypher, Huron-Clinton Metroparks interpreter. “This year, we were able to restart outdoor programming sowe can get out there and enjoy the season’s migration.”
The Detroit Hawk Watch is a unique experience but as any bird watcher knows sometimes all it takes is a walk along the trail near home that presents an opportunity to experience the season’s migration of birds.
There are also local events such as Lake St. Clair Metropark’s Owls of the Night, Nov. 13 from 7 to 8 p.m. Participants will hear all about owls that call Michigan home including the Great Horned or Eastern Screech Owl.
Who knows? You might even spot a snowy owl.
This past January an unusual amount of the beautiful white owls were seen in the area. Normally, their migration has them flying over northern parts of the U.S.
For more information visit metroparks.com/events/list/?tribe-barsearch= Current Metroparks Covid-19 Precautions can be found at metroparks.com/march13-2020-metroparksimplementsprecautions/