Should I Stay or Should I Go? |
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Residents of the Great Lakes region enjoy fantastic wildlife watching opportunities due to our unique location where the land meets large bodies of water. This situation is why the mouth of the Detroit River is among the top hawk watching spots in North America, with Canada’s Holiday Beach Migration Observatory and the Detroit River Hawk Watch.
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In addition to the tremendous numbers of migrating raptors, other birds will follow this travel route and become part of the data collected by skilled counters looking skyward for 8-10 hours each day.
One species that people probably don’t regard as “migratory” are Blue Jays, (Cyanocitta cristata), because we see them in our neighborhoods year round. Members of the Corvid (Crow) family, blue jays and their relatives are considered the smartest group of birds on the planet and are found on every continent except Antarctica. You might be surprised to learn that thousands of blue jays cross over the Great Lakes and the Atlantic coasts each day during migration. Which blue jays migrate, as well as why these individuals choose to go, is still a mystery to ornithologists.
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According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Some are present throughout winter in all parts of their range. Young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, but many adults also migrate. Some individual jays migrate south one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. No one has worked out why they migrate when they do.”
Individual blue jays who do migrate, travel by day in loose flocks of 6 to 100 birds, typically going no further than a few hundred miles. They start their journey early in the morning and then have a rest around noon before resuming their journey.
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It’s possible that these migratory habits are closely tied to food availability. Blue jays are particularly fond of acorns, so this may be the reason that some will migrate south in search of their favorite foods. Being that this is a mast year for acorns and other nuts, we may keep “our” blue jays close to home this winter. |
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According to backyard bird counts, the migratory rate seems to have declined over recent years, which could be due to more food availability in their breeding area. More backyard feeders may factor into the decline in migration of these birds.
“One of the best regions to actually witness blue jay migration is the Great Lakes region of North America, including the Canadian province of Ontario. Many people have witnessed very large flocks of migrating blue jays traveling through this region. Occasionally up to 3,000 migrants have been seen in one day at Canada’s Point Pelee National Park where Blue Jays congregate before crossing Lake Erie. In October 10, 2018, Holiday Beach reported over 350,000 Blue Jays moving through since early September!
This season, daily blue jay counts for Holiday Beach are consistently in the thousands, but are winding down for the season. You still have time to witness this “river of blue” overhead if you get to the Detroit Rivermouth and look UP!
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Late Fall Dragons
This is a good time for seeing red leaf colors, and also red dragonflies! These last warm days of fall are bringing out Meadowhawks of the six-legged kind. Dragonflies of the genus Sympetrum are winged predators that can be seen patrolling open sunny habitats in search of insect prey.
The bright-red males, as in Ken Nietering's photo, are easy to spot (at least until one happens to alight on a bright red autumn leaf). The females are usually more brownish. Immature males sport various shades of yellow and gold, and as a local dragonfly watcher recently reported, can sometimes be completely shiny gold in color, giving them a striking gold-plated appearance. To see these dragonflies in the Environmental Study Area, try looking out over Jensen’s Meadow or the north end of the lake on a warm, sunny afternoon. They have been seen even into November. Good luck!
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For the Love of Pollinators
The EIC’s 2021 Pollinator Photo Contest was a rousing success! Building on the momentum of the inaugural photo contest last year, we received 147 photos for consideration in 2021. While the majority of photos were taken of pollinators throughout Michigan, we did have entries from other states, such as Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, and even a few from Chile!
Our three award winning photos are:
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In the Lily’s Heart by Yi Guo (Pollinators Up-Close)
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At Work by Jonathan Maurice (Pollinator-Flower Interaction)
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The Pollinator Garden at Tomlinson Arboretum
by Barb Baldinger (Pollinator Landscapes)
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Each winning photographer receives a bottle of the much highly prized EIC maple syrup as a prize.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. It was difficult for the judges to decide on the winners due to the many captivating photos that were submitted. We were happy to see so much interest in capturing the wondrous activities of nature’s pollination workhorses.
Even during the past couple of years of the pandemic, the EIC and UM-Dearborn continue to engage with the community about the significance of pollinators and the many ecosystem services they provide. UM-Dearborn has been certified as a Bee Campus USA affiliate since 2019 in recognition of its pollinator education and conservation efforts.
We are grateful to former EIC Director, Dr. David Susko, who oversaw the first pollinator photo contest last year, for spearheading this year's photo contest. He has also prepared a brief video of some of the best photos for you to enjoy.
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A New EIC Beekeeping Partnership!
The management of the EIC’s apiary has entered an exciting new era. We’ve partnered with our next door neighbors at Henry Ford College to share in the fun and fascination of exploring the lives and hives of honeybees.
This inter-campus beekeeping partnership, called Bee Connected, began in Spring 2021 with the introduction of 4 new colonies of honeybees to the space. The hives are managed by HFC sustainability coordinator Nicholas Paseiro. Nicholas and EIC staff have spent this first year in getting the new hives established and monitoring their health. We hope that starting next summer, we’ll be able to host students from both our campuses onsite at the apiary for hands-on learning experiences relating to hive management, bee research, and more.
We are happy to report that all 4 hives did well this summer and look good going into winter. We even were able to have a small harvest of honey, a good sign that the bees are finding ample nectar resources in our local area. Stay tuned!
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Creating Pathways to Nature
October 18, 2021
The Office of Metropolitan Impact is instrumental in organizing SEMI Wild and its career and education pathway program that connects underrepresented youth to organizations like UM-Dearborn, the Detroit Zoological Society, Belle Isle Nature Center and others. EIC staff supported that effort by creating tutorials in Geographic Information Systems for youths participating in these programs
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In this unusual time, venturing outdoors and encountering nature is even more important. Our trails are accessible, so please visit our Environmental Study Area. Check out our Remote Learning Activities & Resources page for ideas to create a “Neighborhood Nature Journal” and “Family Nature Walk” activities! |
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Please stay safe, stay tuned, and stay engaged in learning activities while we eagerly wait for the opportunities to share experiences together. In the meantime, watch for our new online activities to satisfy your curiosity about the natural world. |
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Please remember...
The EIC Environmental Study Area is open daily from sunrise to sunset. We would like to remind nature-goers that fishing on site is prohibited and to leave bikes and dogs at home because they cause disruption and stress to the EIC wildlife.
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