Let the Trumpets Sound

It is time to celebrate another success for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife's Natural Heritage Program. The 2000 count of trumpeter swans in Michigan now exceeds 400 individuals. The trumpeter swan, once abundant throughout the Great Lakes region, disappeared during the late 1800s. European settlers were clearing the land, draining and filling important marsh habitat, and market hunters were taking swans for their fine down and quills. By 1933, only 66 trumpeter swans remained in the continental United States. Nearly 100 years passed before trumpeter swans were seen again in the Michigan wilds.

Today, three species of swans can be found in Michigan. The trumpeter is the largest and has an all-black bill. The other resident swan, the mute swan, is a European import. The easiest way to distinguish the mute swan is by its orange bill. They also often have a bulbous knot at the top of their bill. The third species, the tundra swan, passes through our state on their migration routes. Shortly after ice thaws, hundreds to sometimes thousands of tundra swans can be seen resting in Great Lakes marshes. Two of the best sites to see this migration spectacle are the Saginaw Bay area and Maple River Management Unit in south central Michigan.

During the 1980s, Michigan began a swan reintroduction program as part of the North American Restoration Plan. The Michigan commitment to the plan was establishment of three self-sustaining populations in Michigan of at least 200 swans by the year 2000. Early attempts at cross-fostering trumpeter eggs with mute swans provided low success rates and were abandoned.

The second phase involved rearing of cygnets for two years prior to releasing them into prime wetland habitat. Eggs were collected from zoos and incubated to hatching. The rearing approach proved much more successful. Additionally, in 1989, biologists from the DNR and Kellogg Bird Sanctuary traveled to Alaska to collect eggs from wild populations to include in the rearing program.

To raise awareness of the program, the Natural Heritage Program highlighted the trumpeter swan on the Living Resources patch, T-shirt, and print, produced in 199091. After nearly 15 years, the Program can be claimed a complete success.

The 2000 population census identified three distinct population areas. The first includes southwest Michigan with over 100 birds. The second population is found in the four-county region of Oscoda, Alcona, Ogemaw, and Iosco. At least 50 swans can be found in this area. The most likely place to see trumpeter swans in Michigan is Schoolcraft County in the central Upper Peninsula. Seney National Wildlife Refuge boasts a total of 191 birds with 18 pairs currently nesting on the area. Seney, as well as a couple other sites in Schoolcraft County, harbors over 50 percent of the trumpeters known in Michigan.

One southern Michigan pair has been highly successful. This pair has been nesting on a pond in Eaton County since 1991. During this ten-year span, they have fledged 43 cygnets and brought at least 33 of those birds through the first year. With this kind of success, the population has been increasing steadily.

The Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program again demonstrates that Michigan's habitat can support a diversity of species. With the return of trumpeter swans, wolves, peregrine falcons, pine marten, and fisher, Michigan is re-establishing a wildlife diversity not seen in this state for over a century.
 

Black Spruce Bog Recognition: Legally Dedicated Natural Area, National Natural Landmark Size: 120 acres Location: Approx. 14 miles northeast of Jackson in south central Michigan. Management: Waterloo Recreation Area Activities: Hiking, bird watching, photography, outdoor education, nature study Importance: Contains the southerly third of a large black spruce and tamarack bog (resulting from a large ice-block depression), adjoining poorly drained land with a red maple swamp. Ecologically, black spruce bogs are at the extreme southern limit of their natural range in this portion of Michigan.

 
Long Distance Travel

The Department of Natural Resources learned in early March, a wolf, collared in Michigan, was recovered as a road kill in southern Wisconsin. The female was trapped on August 17, 2000, and outfitted with a transmitting collar. Her point of capture was about ten miles south of Newberry.

She had been a member of a pack of nine animals. This is a large pack size for the Great Lakes region. Young wolves typically begin to leave the pack as yearlings. She was last seen in Michigan about mid-December on a routine wolf tracking flight.

Her travels to find a new territory took her over 300 (straight line) miles south into Wisconsin. This is the most southern travel by a wolf, detected by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She was killed just 42 miles north of the Illinois border.

The longest travel detected by a Michigan wolf is still held by a male that was was tagged in Baraga County and traveled 430 miles northwest to the border of Minnesota and Canada.

Nongame Grants Awarded

Nearly $300,000 in grants were awarded from the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust to universities, organizations, and individuals. The grants will help the Natural Heritage Program achieve its goals of protecting endangered, threatened, and nongame wildlife and their habitats. Here are some examples of the projects funded this coming year:

Red-Shouldered Hawk Michigan State University Extension's Michigan Natural Features Inventory will be conducting surveys to provide information on distribution of red-shouldered hawks on state forest lands. The red-shouldered hawk is listed as a threatened species in the state. In addition, the survey will collect data on habitat conditions around nest sites. The information gathered in the project will provide information on impacts involved with forest management practices on this species. Surveys for Rare Amphibians Little current information is available for many rare amphibians in Michigan. This survey will review historical records and reconfirm or identify areas where Blanchard's cricket frog, four-toed salamander, and smallmouth salamander may no longer exist. The survey will also try to identify additional sites for the species in southeastern Michigan. Southern Michigan Fens One of the rarest of Michigan's ecosystems are fens, scattered throughout southern Michigan. Fens have been documented to contain a high number of listed species including the Mitchell's satyr. Fens were historically maintained by naturally occurring fires that burned back invading brush. With fire suppression, many of the remaining fens are being invaded by native and exotic plants. This research will document the level and threat that invading shrubs and trees have on maintaining the open fens and their suite of rare species.

 
Watchable Wildlife:
Using blinds

While many types of wildlife can be seen during an early morning hike, some of the best spectacles need a little more planning. Both hunters and professional photographers know you have to be well concealed to catch some of the more unique wildlife viewing opportunities available.

Have you ever tried to see a grouse drumming? Those who have tried know it is impossible to sneak up on an active bird. The best way to solve this problem is to use a blind. It takes some planning. You will first need to locate an active drumming site. This can be done by listening in the early morning and pinpointing a location. Locate the drumming log after the bird has finished for the day. Since courting birds will use the same calling site, you can easily set up a blind to catch the display.

Next, you can either build a natural blind, or set up a tent blind available at many sporting goods stores. If you do not want to spend a lot of money and want to be more mobile, you can simply purchase a length of an appropriate camouflage material and wrap it over your clothes. Do not set the blind too close to the display area. Set it off a distance and plan on using your binoculars to catch the action.

The important thing to remember is that most display activity occurs early in the morning. It is best to get to your blind before daylight so as not to disturb the birds. Then, sit quietly with your cup of hot coffee or chocolate, and enjoy the show.

Will Whoopers Return?

Bird watchers from Florida to Michigan will be interested in learning whether the pair of whooping cranes that migrated to Michigan last year return in 2001. It was with great excitement that Michigan biologists learned that two whooping cranes from Florida set up a territory in the Thumb area of Michigan.

The pair was from a flock established in Florida as part of the restoration efforts for whooping cranes in the United States. The Florida flock was intended to be a nonmigratory flock. Unfortunately, no one told the whoopers. The pair remained on their Michigan territory all summer. A tracking crew from the International Crane Foundation arrived in mid-November to follow the birds south.

On November 21, the pair decided it was time to leave their summer home and head south. On the first day, the pair was followed into Canada, crossing just north of Lake St. Clair. The first night, they appeared to be settling in at Pte. Pelee on Lake Erie.

On day two, the signal was picked up in northern Ohio. When the search plane caught up with the signal, only the female could be seen in flight. The tracking crew decided to follow the located female. She continued heading south during the next eight days with a brief stopover in Tennessee.

In the end, she joined the other Florida whooping cranes at Kissimee Prairie. This is the site of her initial release in Florida. The male has not yet been identified.

Will the male show up in Kissimee and begin another northern adventure? Will she pair up with another male and bring him north, or will the female decide to stay put in Florida? Will other birds be interested in migrating north? Stay tuned as we learn the answers to this cliff-hanger in the coming months.

Michigan Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project

In Michigan, the history of amphibian and reptile populations is sketchy. There have been local surveys done in several areas; only a few have been long-term. Other than the recent Michigan Frog and Toad Survey, initiated by the Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, in 1996, no statewide surveys or monitoring of amphibian or reptile populations has been done. The purpose of the Atlas Project is to gather data about Michigan's amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna or "herps") so that we can document the distribution of all the herps in Michigan, and with continued effort, we will be able to document changes in the populations. Hopefully, we will be able to get started in 2001.

The first year or two of the Atlas Project, we will accept any type of data that is contributed. Data that already exists from research projects, or just knowledge of various species in a particular wetland, are all welcome and appreciated. Also, any sightings or observations of species can be submitted on a data card and sent in. Whether it be systematic searches for specific species or opportunistic sightings, it is important information to document and get the Atlas Project started. Stratification of data will be by township. In subsequent years, opportunistic data will also be accepted, but we will also start focusing on areas of the state or particular species for which we have little information. Survey blocks may be assigned to individual volunteers.

Local organized groups are encouraged to have herp forays. These can consist of all-day or partial-day field trips to specific areas to search for herps.

Contact:
Lori Sargent
Natural Heritage Specialist
DNR Wildlife Division
P.O. Box 30180
Lansing, MI 48909

Telephone: 517-373-9418
E-mail: SargenL2@state.mi.us

Thompson's Harbor Natural Area Recognition: Legally Dedicated Natural Area, The Nature Conservancy Natural Areas Registry Size: 307 acres Management: Thompson's Harbor State Park Location: Approx. 13 miles southeast of Rogers City in the northeast part of Michigan. Activities: Hiking, wildflower viewing, photography, nature study Importance: This area supports one of the largest known occurrences of dwarf lake iris (federal and state threatened) in the world. Thousands of iris shoots, and several other plant species of special concern, grow in this dune and swale complex. Starting approximately 12,000 years ago, receding lake levels deposited a series of low sandy beach ridges ranging from 0.5 to 3 meters high. Since its formation, the ridges have become forested, and the wet swales that developed between them are now either forested or open wetlands. In Michigan, there are fewer than 50 remaining examples of forested wet swale communities with significant natural area characteristics.   Dwarf Lake Iris

 
Creature Profile

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Weighing from 25-35 pounds when fully grown, the trumpeter swan is the world's largest waterfowl. When fully extended, their wingspan can reach nearly eight feet. Historically, trumpeter swans most likely occurred in the southern Michigan marshlands. On his travels along the Detroit River in 1701, Cadillac compared the abundance of swans to lilles among the rushes. With the settlement of America, the populations of trumpeters plummeted. (See cover story.)

Trumpeter swans are unique among Michigan waterfowl. They normally do not breed until their fourth year. They also form strong pair bonds that can last for years. Their nests can be huge, at times reaching five feet across, and they are usually built among aquatic plants like cattails. They will often use the tops of muskrat houses for a nest base.

After hatching, young trumpeters stay with the parents until the next spring when the pair begins nesting. Survival of young trumpeter swans is often high because of this extra parental attention.

The cygnets begin eating a diet of aquatic insects. Insects provide a high source of protein for the swiftly growing birds. By five weeks of age, the cygnets' diet consists of aquatic vegetation and roots. The swans tip up like mallards and root through the mud for their favorite roots. Their long necks give them an advantage. They can feed much deeper than either Canada geese or dabbling ducks. Trumpeter swans feeding in the tannin-stained marshes and streams of the Upper Peninsula can be identified by the orange-red staining on their necks.

The success of the trumpeter swan restoration program indicates that Michigan's wetlands still offer good habitat. Its continued restoration will depend on ensuring we protect our remaining wetland habitat.

Bits & Pieces

• The Michigan Natural Heritage Unit and the Kalamazoo Nature Center are planning on reinitiating the statewide breeding bird census in 2002. The first statewide breeding bird census was started nearly 20 years ago and was completed with the publication of The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan in 1991. Stay tuned for more information on how you can participate.
   
• The Wildlife Division has initiated a wildlife reporting system on the DNR website to collect sighting information on a number of species. The Division for years has used public sighting information to collect information on moose, wolves, and bald eagles. The site will provide forms to be filled out by the public. Once the data is entered, it will be reviewed and placed in a database. The Division will add information on massasauga, lynx, and cougar.
   
• Over 270 eaglets were banded in Michigan during the 2000 season. We are now receiving band recovery reports for eagles over 20 years of age. The oldest, to date, is one banded at the Turtle Lake Club in 1970 and found dead in Alpena County last year, just short of age 30.