The Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast

Southeast Michigan, snow buntings and more

• Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division • Season 6 • Episode 1

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In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, we talk to Terry McFadden about all things habitat in Southeast Michigan, fly away with Snow Buntings as we talk all things feathered, and dive into winter hunting and trapping opportunities in our all things fur segment.

Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer/editor: Eric Hilliard


Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.

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You know what that sound means? It's time for the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast. Welcome to the Wildtalk Podcast, where representatives from the DNR's Wildlife Division chew the fat and shoot the scat about all things habitat, feathers, and fur. With insights, interviews, and your questions answered on the air, you'll get a better picture of what's happening in the world of wildlife, here in the great state of Michigan.

Rachel:

Welcome to Wildtalk. I'm your host, Rachel Leightner, and here with me today, as always, is the fabulous Hannah Schauer.

Hannah:

Oh, my. Thank you, Rachel. And how are you today on this fabulous new year?

Rachel:

I am most excellent. I'm super-excited to be recording the first episode of season six. The Wildtalk Podcast has been around for six seasons. How exciting.

Hannah:

And for the new year, we're going to shake things up a bit and focus in on all things habitat, all things feathers, and all things fur. This episode, we'll be talking about habitat projects, snow buntings, fur harvesting, and small-game hunting opportunities that are going on right now.

Rachel:

And at some point during the show, we will of course announce the winners of our Wildtalk Podcast camp mugs, and then you'll be able to find out how you can win one, too. All right, folks, you'll want to stick around because next we'll be covering all things habitat.

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Rachel:

Terry McFadden, field operations manager, is joining us on the show today to chat about the happenings in the southeast region. Thank you for joining us today, Terry.

Terry:

I'm happy to be here.

Rachel:

All right. Well, what would you say is the biggest accomplishment that your region has tackled this quarter?

Terry:

Well, it's hunting season, and in southeast region, our managed waterfall areas are one of the biggest programs and highest-priority items that we have. Michigan is home to seven managed waterfall areas across the state. They're all in southern Michigan, but five of them are in southeast region. And so they're a really big priority for us. We have a Nayanquing Point and Fish Point and Shiawassee River State Game Area around the Saginaw Bay Area, and then we have Harsens Island on Lake St. Clair located in the St. Clair Flats. And then we have Point Mouillee on Lake Erie.

So across southeast region we've got a pretty good scattering of these managed waterfall areas. And if anybody knows Saginaw Bay and Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, they're historic stopover areas for a lot of migrating waterfowl on other birds. Super-important wetlands these days. In light of losing a lot of wetlands across southeast region with industry and development and agriculture, these are really wetland gems that lie in southeast region here.

Hunter monies pay for the management of these areas. We have hundreds of acres of wildlife refuge, where tens of thousands of ducks and geese prepare for the journey south. And our staff provide food and habitat, manage recreation, maintain all the infrastructure, as well as collect data, including weekly refuge counts where we help determine trends and species. And if anybody is interested in how these areas panned out this year, we always provide an annual report online, where people can look up any of the managed waterfall areas that we have and see how the hunting and other wildlife recreation wrapped up for the year.

Rachel:

So, no small undertaking for your staff, to be able to manage those areas. And a lot of them are fairly sizable in acreage, is that correct?

Terry:

Yeah, that's right. Anywhere from a couple thousand acres to over 10,000 acres at Shiawassee. The managed area is 3,350 acres, but the St. Clair Flats in itself under state management is over 25,000 acres.

Rachel:

So a lot of habitat for waterfall and other species, as well as areas for those hunting opportunities.

Terry:

What people should keep in mind is that there's a lot of other opportunities besides hunting there, too. In the summer we have kayaking, hiking, wildlife viewing. A lot of photographers show up, bird-watching, especially at Point Mouillee. It's really renowned for the bird-watching opportunities in the spring and fall during in the migration, and we even get some wildlife to stop over and stay the summer. We get occasionally black-neck stilts and avocets, and there's a group of pelicans that hangs out down at Point Mouillee these days, and that's really unique to see on the Great Lakes. And it seems like they've been there every year and the numbers continue to rise. So if people are interested in bird-watching and looking for some of these rare and unique species, head out to some of these places. A lot of them are listed on Audubon sites, and some of the local chapters of Audubon are really in tune with the opportunities that are there during the summer.

Rachel:

Your staff have been pretty busy with managed waterfall areas. Do you have any big projects looming on the horizon?

Terry:

Starting the first week of January, we hit the ground running with mid-winter waterfall surveys. That's where staff are going to go around the region, looking at any available habitat and trying to determine where waterfowl, ducks, geese, swans and things are stopping over or staying. We conduct these surveys using vehicles to drive around some of the inland lakes and rivers, and aerial surveys for some of the bigger water bodies like Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, where we get the pelagic ducks that will raft up in groups of tens of thousands in some cases.

Rachel:

Yeah, some of the photos and videos that are taken during the flight surveys of the rafts of pelagic ducks is just insane. It's an X mile by X square mile raft, upwards sometimes of 13 square miles of ducks in the water. Is that the largest one they've seen so far?

Terry:

Yeah, we saw that back in, I think it was 2012, and it was a 13 square mile raft, and we estimated it two-thirds of a million ducks. It's just a massive amount of ducks on Lake St. Clair. You're not counting at that point, you're basically flying the perimeter and then trying to estimate density and then give your best estimate at that point.

Rachel:

Wow, that is so many birds and such great identification skills. And how about your staff? What are some impressive individual contributions that some of your staff have made this quarter?

Terry:

We had a loss at Shiawassee River State Game Area with Vic Weigold. He was the heart and soul of that place, and really my counterpart, Nate Levitt, stepped up to the plate and, just in Vic's honor, was able to go through and make sure that we worked with Vic's family, make sure they were accommodated, and public was understanding, and we lost a lot of expertise with the loss of Vic. But Nate Levitt, he really stepped up to the plate, so I mean, I got to give him a lot of credit. A lot of credit to Nate.

Rachel:

Thanks, Terry. We really appreciate you taking the time to share a little bit about what folks are up to in the southeast region and all the work for our waterfowl and other wildlife that's happening. So, thank you so much for joining us today.

Terry:

Yeah, it was a pleasure to be on.

Rachel:

I wanted to let folks know about a neat volunteer opportunity for anyone who wants to get some fresh air this month while helping protect a prairie fen, on Saturday, this upcoming Saturday, January 7th, the DNR will host a stewardship workday with the city of Portage Parks and Rec Department and MUCC's on-the-ground program. The event will be held at the Gourdneck State Game Area in Kalamazoo County. And there, we will be meeting from about 10:00 AM to 2:00 in the afternoon to remove an invasive woody species that's cropping up in this delicate prairie fen habitat and threatening to squeeze out some of the really precious rare plant and animal species that live there. So, it's time well spent to protect a really critical habitat for the area. Now, if you're interested, registration for the event is required, so we know how much lunch to bring. And if you want to learn more, we will put the link to register in the show notes or you can visit MUCC's on-the-ground program website, and that's at mucc.org.

All right, folks, you'll want to stick around because next we'll be covering all things feathers.

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Rachel:

Welcome back to Wildtalk. Now, the winter months bring some unique wildlife visitors to Michigan, and one such stunning feathered visitor is the snow bunting.

Hannah:

Yes, these small songbirds visit Michigan in the winter months, as we are their southern destination. Snow buntings nest in the very northernmost reaches of North America in the arctic landscape.

Rachel:

Now, because arctic regions are usually lacking trees, the snow buntings spend their time on the ground, and therefore their nesting locations include rocky areas and nests that are tucked into holes or crevices and are not usually visible from the outside. You usually just see these cute little birds fluttering around on the ground, and they're very enjoyable to watch.

Hannah:

Male snow buntings protect their territory at the breeding grounds from other males with a flight-song display that may end with the two males wrestling in the air as they fall back to the ground.

Rachel:

And interestingly, males will also use that same flight-in-song display to attract females, after which they'll then show off their potential nesting sites before the pair is formed for the breeding season.

Hannah:

Now, a clutch includes two to seven eggs, and they only have one brood per season. The eggs will incubate for about 10 to 15 days, and the young will be in the nest for about nine to 15 days.

Rachel:

Now, during the breeding season, snow bunting males are striking, with their mostly white plumage and some black on their back, while the females have more of a mottled coloration on their back and head, which helps them to blend into the rocky nesting areas.

Hannah:

In the winter or the non-breeding time period, and when we are likely to see them here in Michigan, the male will retain the white color below but gets more of a streaked pattern on the dark back, along with some rusty patches on the head. Non-breeding females will also gain some additional rusty patches on the head and chest.

Rachel:

Now, those rusty patches can often look like heavily applied blush to where you might imagine their cheeks are. That's one way that I have been able to identify snow buntings. Now, their primary diet includes seeds and insects and spiders, and because they're ground-dwelling birds and eat those seeds during the winter months, you can look for them in open fields in croplands or along shorelines and roadsides.

Hannah:

These active little birds do not stay put in one spot for long, so they can be visible in their large flocks as they move around in the wintertime. For some additional tips and species to watch for this winter, visit michigan.gov/wildlife and look for our wildlife viewing page, which has seasonal birding information available, including some birds to watch for in your backyard, as well as species like the snow bunting and where to look for them.

Rachel:

And since we're talking about feathers, a quick reminder for folks looking for an opportunity to do some spring turkey hunting later this year, the application period for spring turkey hunting opens today on January 1st, so you can apply for your spring turkey license now through February 1st. Visit michigan.gov/turkey. From there, you can apply or you can download the Spring Turkey Digest for the full details, including the updated regulations, season dates, and more.

All right, that wraps up our all things feather section. Stay tuned for all things fur.

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Hannah:

To kick off all things fur for January, what would be more appropriate than talking about all the fur-harvesting opportunities that Michigan has to offer?

Rachel:

Winter is a great time to grab your gear and enjoy the outdoors while hunting or checking your trap line for those fur bearers.

Hannah:

And when we say "fur bearers," we are referring to species typically harvested for their pelt. So these species include bobcat, badger, beaver, coyote, fox, fisher, martin, muskrats, mink, otter, and raccoons. And these species all have trapping and/or hunting seasons here in Michigan.

Rachel:

Some current opportunities for fur harvesting happening right now include hunting seasons for bobcats, coyotes, fox, and raccoon, and then some trapping opportunities in January that are for the badger, beaver, coyote, fox, muskrat, mink, otter, and raccoon. So lots of opportunities to get outdoors and harvest some fur bearers.

Hannah:

Absolutely. And for details on the season dates, open areas, bag limits, and regulations, please visit michigan.gov/trapping and also check out the 2022 Fur Harvester Digest for all those details.

Rachel:

And remember, a fur harvester license is needed to hunt and trap fur bearers in Michigan. A valid base license is needed to purchase that fur harvester license. Your 2022 fur harvester license is valid through April 30th of 2023.

Hannah:

And speaking of your base license, now is a great time to get out for some small-game hunting. Seasons for rabbit, hare, and gray and fox squirrels are open now through March 31st.

Rachel:

Yeah, these hunting seasons for rabbit, hare, and squirrel are a great way to get outdoors and can be enjoyed easily with family and friends. You just want to put on your hunter orange and grab that base license and then your firearm or archery equipment and take a walk in the woods. This is really one of my most favorite winter activities because my favorite part with squirrel hunting is that you don't have to sit still and be silent. It is very different from deer hunting. You can be chatty while enjoying time with your hunting partners, and it's just a good time overall.

Plus, rabbits and squirrels are some of the easiest wild game to process, and in my opinion, it is the most delicious. So, if you've never butchered small mammals before, there's dozens of tutorials online that will teach you how to do it. And then there's lots of other options for how to prepare them in really tasty recipes.

Hannah:

And if you are new to hunting or want to learn more about how to get started, you can find tips and resources at michigan.gov/hunting and look for the Learn to Hunt section.

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Rachel:

Now is your opportunity to win a Wildtalk Podcast camp mug. As a thank-you to our listeners, we'll be giving away a mug or two every episode.

Hannah:

Our December mug winners are Jennifer LeForrest and Dan Petts. Check your email, as we'll be getting in touch with you soon. They answered the question. True or false? Many bird species can see ultraviolet wavelength or UV light, and some may also have ultraviolet markings.

And this is true, many birds can see ultraviolet wavelengths of light. And one interesting example I read about related to the ultraviolet markings is the black cap chickadee. So males and females look the same to us, but the males have more UV reflection on their cheeks than the females do, so they can tell themselves apart, unlike us. We can't tell them apart.

Rachel:

Now, to be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge, and answer our wildlife quiz question, this month's question is, What is a physical characteristic you can use to identify a male box turtle versus a female box turtle?

Hannah:

All right. Email your name and answer to us at DNRwildlife@michigan.gov, to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Be sure to include the subject line as "Mug me," and submit your answer by January 15th. We'll announce winners and the answer on next month's podcast. So be sure to listen in and see if you've won and so you can find out what the next quiz question is.

Rachel:

Good luck, everyone.

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Rachel:

Well, thanks for joining us on this January edition of the Wildtalk Podcast. Remember, if you have questions about wildlife or hunting, you can call 517-284-WILD or email DNR-wildlife@michigan.gov. We'll see you back here in February.

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This has been the Wildtalk Podcast, your monthly podcast airing the first of each month and offering insights into the world of wildlife across the state of Michigan. You can reach the Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 or DNR-wildlife@michigan.gov.