Lessons from Nature: Sharing and Caring

Sandhill Cranes are plentiful on Manitoulin Island and can be found easily at any time of day. White-tailed deer are also common, but are most active in the evening. I was walking up a hill and came upon this deer grazing with a couple of cranes. Someone has a deed to this land, but in truth, it is home to a large number of wild creatures. Most landowners along the road had "No Hunting" signs up and people seemed happy co-habitating with other species. At the northern entry to Manitoulin Island I saw a sign that said,

 

"The deer isn't crossing the road, the road is crossing the forest."

As I watched a group of deer cross the road at a swamp, I took this picture and modified the quote. We look at roads as our human territory and right of way, but perhaps we need to look at our man-made structures from the perspective of wild creatures.

It has been five years since we last had a July vacation here. I did bird counts every year between 2006 and 2016. This year, it was worrisome to see that there were fewer birds, with some species seen commonly in the past completely absent. Gone were the Black, Common and Caspian Terns, Eastern Bluebirds, Finches, Green and Black-crowned Night Herons, as well as some of the more common Warblers. Perhaps this week was a fluke, but bird numbers are decreasing around the world. It is widely reported that nearly three billion breeding adult birds have disappeared in North America in the past 50 years. (Cornell) Habitat loss, pesticide use, plastic waste, window strikes, (especially in large cities during migration), are major factors in the decline. 

There was an over-abundance of Crows, Common Grackles, and Double-crested Cormorants. Lake Manitou was almost devoid of birds except for Herring Gulls and Cormorants. Some species like Bald Eagles are making a comeback which was good to see, but the balance of nature seemed off. In six days, I positively identified 63 bird species, mainly along the sideroad where the camp was located. A skilled birder could have found more birds by sound and would have identified more sparrows and warblers, but the totals would still be fairly modest.

The more we observe nature and the creatures that share the earth with us, the more we will care for them. The natural world is not something to conquer, rather, it demands respect and responsible stewardship.

DC Cormorant Nesting Colony- Lake Manitou

Bird List 2021- Eastern Manitoulin Island- July 3-9

Common Loon (4)                                                    Red-eyed Vireo (2)

Great Blue Heron (1)                                                Warbling Vireo (1)

Canada Goose (10)                                                   Common Raven (6)

Mallard Duck (1)                                                      American Crow (many)

American Black Duck (3)                                         Barn Swallow (10+)

Common Merganser (15)                                          Black-capped Chickadee (2 plus birds in nest)

Common Goldeneye (3)                                            Red-breasted Nuthatch (2)

Wood Duck (2)                                                          White-breasted Nuthatch (2)

Double-crested Cormorant (many)

Turkey Vulture (10+)                                                House Wren (4+)

Broad-winged Hawk (1)                                           American Robin (2)

Bald Eagle (3)                                                           Veery (6) -their song is the best!

American Kestrel (3)                                                 Gray Catbird (8)

Sandhill Crane (many)                                              Brown Thrasher (2)

Spotted Sandpiper (3)                                                Euopean Starling (many)

Herring Gull (many)                                                 Cedar Waxwing (20)

Ring-billed Gull (3)                                                  Yellow Warbler (many)

                                                                                  Myrtle Warbler (4)

Mourning Dove (1)                                                   American Redstart (8)                                     

Rock Pigeon (20)                                                      Common Yellowthroat (4)

                                                                                  Black-and-white Warbler (1)

Belted Kingfisher (1)                                                Northern Waterthrush (1)

       

Red-headed Woodpecker (2)                                     Northern Cardinal (1)- South Baymouth

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1)                                    Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1)

Hairy Woodpecker (4)                                               Indigo Bunting (2)

Downy Woodpecker (4)                                            Song Sparrow (many)

Northern Flicker (6)                                                  Savannah Sparrow (1)

Pileated Woodpecker (4)                                           Lincoln Sparrow (4)

                                                                                   

Eastern Wood Peewee (1)                                          Bobolink (2)

Least Flycatcher (1)                                                   Brown-headed Cowbird (6)

Eastern Phoebe (2)                                                     Red-winged Blackbird (many)

Great-crested Flycatcher (1)                                      Common Grackle (many)

Eastern Kingbird (4 adults)                                        Baltimore Oriole (2)

Backlit Turkey Vultures