Birding Adventures on ABR Trails

Mornings with the birds in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at our Home “NorthUp”

Our morning usually begins about 6:30 when we hear the Piston Bully or a snowmobile entourage go by NorthUp, our home adjacent to the Blueberry Bluff Trail. Our home gained the name “NorthUp” because one of our grandchildren confused the phrase “going up north” and said “NorthUp” instead, and the name stuck. We anticipate the daily routine and look forward to it.  Eric Anderson and his crew do such a wonderful job grooming the cross-country ski trails.  I’m certain, there is no better grooming team.

NorthUp is the little green cabin with the bird feeders adjacent to the cross-country ski trail.  My wife, Nancy, and I are passionate about the opportunity to cross-country ski.  We also enjoy having family and friends come visit us to ski. And we love sharing our birds.

The Black-Capped Chickadee – a Spirit Bird 

One species that we enjoy at our feeder is the Black-capped Chickadee.  When I feed the birds the chickadees fly right over me.  It is so cool to hear their fluttering wings.  Also, this time of year you will begin to hear it’s Spring call. “Ha peetie”  Douglas Wood, friend, author, and singer- songwriter, calls it the “Spirit Bird.” I whole heartedly agree with that moniker.  The Chickadee is one of our favorites. It doesn’t migrate.  It lives here year-round.

Winter Survival Adaptations of the Chickadee

Chickadees are tough little guys, well adapted to surviving in the  winter.  They will roost at night in cavities made by woodpeckers. They also have the ability to make their own holes in soft dead branches.  Chickadees can go into torpor, that is, they lower their body temperature, which saves on energy needs. They have dense feathers that provide good insulation. They will fluff up those feathers to trap air that is warmed by their bodies.  Chickadees will shiver while sleeping, converting muscular energy into heat.

Chickadees have the unusual ability to shed old brain neurons to grow new ones.  When food is abundant in the fall, chickadees are working hard at caching.  As winter approaches, the new neurons they have created will help them remember the many different places they have stored their food.

I have been very fortunate to have banded Chickadees, and to have held them in my hand. They are small but not shy. At the feeder, they have allowed me to stand fewer than six inches from them.  At the same time, they are feisty and full of spirit.  While I’d like to believe they trust me, it may have more to do with the black oil sunflower seed I provide them daily.

Chickadees work very hard to survive. While most songbirds have a difficult time making it a single year past their birth, I once recaptured a Chickadee that was 9 years old. A 9-year-old Chickadee should be celebrated!

Owl Sightings on ABR Trails in Ironwood, Michigan

In late January, Eric spotted a young snowy owl while out grooming. It was sitting on a kill in the middle of the trail along with a few watchful crows. The young of the year have quite a bit of black speckling mixed in with the white on the body.  There has been a push south, likely due to lack of available food. I saw a Barred Owl a couple of days ago, likely a female off the Hemlock Trail and the Cedar Snowshoe Trail.  I was within 20 feet of her for about 15 minutes.  I hooted a few times she turned her head with big blue eyes to look down at me.  I was glad I was not a mouse.  I left her perched there.  Later I heard a Barred calling.  I called back. It is the beginning of the mating season for Barred Owls.  The Great Horned are the first to begin in January. We also saw a long tailed weasel with a mouse in his jaws. My Granddaughter, Maya, actually saw him catch it.

Join Us or our Summer Solstice Bird Hike to Learn More about the Birds we see in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Come help us celebrate the lives of our Chickadees and the many other birds of ABR Trails at the Summer Solstice Bird hikes on June 20 and 21, 2025. We will meet at NorthUp on Hendrickson Road. Early morning bird hikes will begin at 6:30 a.m. on both days.  We will host an owl-calling session beginning at 8:30 p.m. on June 20.  Please click the events below to register for one or all and join us!

Larry and Nancy Dolphin