The Kirtland’s Warbler is Many Things

By Kathleen Lavey - Communications representative, Forest Resources Division Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The tiny, gray-and-yellow bird known as the Kirtland’s warbler is a lot of things.

First, it’s extremely rare, with only a few thousand of the birds alive anywhere – 95 percent of them in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula. A comparative handful of others are found in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario.

Second, it’s a conservation success story, the first passerine (perching songbird) removed from the federal endangered species list in 2019, although it remains on Michigan’s threatened species list.

It’s also a life-list must for birdwatchers who flock to Michigan to see or hear the bird each season.

And the warbler is extremely picky about where it lives, nesting only on the ground under the sheltering branches of shrub-like, young jack pine trees.

Tall trees won’t cut it as condo space for this rare bird, which is why people may notice some large jack pine harvests in the northern Lower Peninsula this summer.

The warbler also needs lots of space. And nesting birds favor the edges of clearings.

This is why the bird needs human help to survive and thrive into the future.

“Jack pine is a fire-dependent species, which means the cones need heat to open,” said Keith Kintigh, acting supervisor of the Planning and Adaptation Section for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Division. “Because we protect against wildfire to keep communities safe, the large-scale fires that historically created the habitat the birds need aren’t regularly happening.”

That leaves cutting and replanting as the best way to make sure warblers have the conditions and space they need to thrive.

“The DNR will plant 1 million to 1.5 million jack pines on 1,000 to 1,500 acres per year to create Kirtland’s warbler habitat,” said Jason Hartman, silviculturist for the DNR’s Forest Resources Division.

Combined, the DNR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service contract for the harvest of about 2,000 to 3,000 acres per year to create young forest for the bird.

Most of those cuts are sized at 300 acres or more, since the warbler prefers to have room to roam. They will rarely nest in disturbed areas that are less than 80 acres.

Trees also are cut and planted into patterns that allow for many clearings that warblers prefer, a pattern known as the “opposing wave.” It’s sometimes also referred to fondly as “the warbler weave.”

The Kirtland’s warbler – about 5.5 inches from beak to tail – was first identified and named in, of all places, Ohio. In May of 1851, Jared Kirtland, a doctor and naturalist, spotted some birds as they passed through Ohio on their way to Michigan from their winter home in the Bahamas.

He started the process to determine if the bird was separate and distinct from others in the wood warbler family.

Kirtland’s warblers eat insects and berries, and they incubate about four eggs each year.

Besides the loss of habitat and suppression of wildfire, the warbler population also shrank through the 1980s due to brownheaded cowbirds.

The cowbirds are called nest parasites because they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving those other species to raise their young. The host bird parents typically cater to the largest birds in the nest, which in this case is the cowbird young.

Inattention by the parents leaves the young warblers to wither and often die.

Efforts to trap, poison or otherwise remove the cowbirds from areas where the warbler nests have helped ensure that warbler babies can thrive.

Bringing the Kirtland’s warbler back from the brink of extinction and making sure it has appropriate nesting space has been a conservation success story that will continue into the future, said William Rapai, executive director of the Kirtland’s Warbler Alliance.

Created in 2014, the alliance is one of many public and private groups working together to ensure the warbler thrives.

“People come from all over the world to see it every spring because of its unusual story,” Rapai said. “This is a bird of fire. Unfortunately, we can’t allow fire to run wild across the landscape anymore, so we have to harvest trees and plant young trees to accommodate it.”

He pointed out that other species such as turkey, grouse, whitetail deer and snowshoe hare also benefit from the young forests and open spaces that warblers need.

And because it creates clear spaces in the landscape, the cutting of older trees also reduces the risk of later fire. Jack pine trees have a relatively short life as trees go, and they become a greater fire risk when they are older and larger.

“If we do not harvest those trees, it increases the chance of a disastrous fire that could run across the landscape and do tremendous damage, not just to forests but to people and their houses and property,” Rapai said.

The Michigan Audubon Society and Hartwick Pines State Park work together to offer birdwatching tours to find the Kirtland’s warbler in the wild from

May 27-June 30.

Tours are at 7 a.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays and leave from Michigan Forest Visitor Center at Hartwick Pines, located along M-93, just east of I-75, near Grayling.

Tours cost $15 per person, and a state Recreation Passport is needed to enter the park.

Dress appropriately for the weather and be prepared to walk up to a mile or so with good shoes or boots. Sunscreen, bug repellent and a hat will help keep you comfortable on the tour. Binoculars, a spotting scope or a camera with a telephoto lens are helpful in getting a good look at the warblers.

Register here for: May 27–June 2, June 3–9, June 10–16, June 17–23 or June 24–30.

The Forest Service offers guided tours of warbler habitat in the Huron-Manistee National Forest and a self-guided map for a driving tour.

Guided tours are offered at 7 a.m. through May 31, leaving from the Mio ranger station office. Tours operate rain or shine. Reservations are not required, but advance notice for groups of five or more is appreciated. To learn more, contact the Mio Ranger Station or email sm.fs.miokwtours@usda. gov.

The self-guided tour is a 58mile driving route through pine barrens favored by the warbler and other types of wildlife. You can also learn more through a story map. Be aware that warbler nesting grounds are closed to foot traffic during breeding season, although you may observe birds from the roadsides.

Listen to a Kirtland’s warbler singing.

The Kirtland’s Warbler Festival takes place June 2-3 in Roscommon.

The festival kickoff takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, June 2, at the Marguerite Gahagan Nature Preserve, 209 W. Maplehurst Drive, Roscommon. It includes a nature hike and social time with beer and wine tasting and appetizers. There also will be a keynote speaker, who will talk about birding.

The Warbler Festival continues from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3 at the CRAF Center, 606 Lake St., Roscommon. It includes kids’ activities, jack pine tours, nature presentations, artist and author visits, vendors, live music and more.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Found at a Washtenaw County Arboretum

Dux 2nd, Chix 4th in OK Green Tournament

The OK Green Conference boys’ golf held their final tournament for the season on Wednesday, May 24, at the Ravines Golf Course.

The West varsity golf team finished tied for second place at the event. With the results the Dux solidified 2nd place in the final conference standings. Malachi Le led the Dux with an 85 which was 10th place overall. Logan Bomers also added an 85, while Tyler Baumann added an 88, and Tyler Engelsman a 91. Malachi and Logan also earned All-Conference OK Green Conference from their play for the entire conference season which is a great accomplishment.

West Softball Defeats Allendale

The Zeeland West girls’ softball defeated Allendale, 8-3 on Monday, May 22. The Dux scored four runs in the fourth inning. The big inning was thanks to a triple by Carly Sleeman, a single by Makena Moungkhoun, and a double by Izzy Zamora.

Emily Kragt got the win for West as she allowed three hits and one run over three innings, striking out three and walking one. Cora Mielke threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Alexa Brott started the game for Dux. The righthander lasted two innings, allowing three hits and zero runs while striking out one and walking zero.

Chix Baseball Sweeps East Kentwood DH

Zeeland East hosted East Kentwood at Davenport University on Friday night, May 26, for a double-header. Game one came down to extra innings with the Chix walking it off in extra innings by a score of 12-11. Max Salas picked up the win with one inning of relief. Evan Owens, Noah DeWitt and Lukas Assa all pitched solid in the victory.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recently verified the detection of invasive hemlock woolly adelgid at Nichols Arboretum in Washtenaw County on May 9, 2023. This detection makes Washtenaw County the seventh county in Michigan to have a confirmed infestation.

“Our team of invasive species specialists is currently working with the arboretum to determine an appropriate treatment and response plan,” said Mike Philip, MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division Director. “There isn’t a way to determine how long hemlock woolly adelgid has been there or how it got there, but it’s possible HWA has been there for a number of years.”

Previously HWA detections have been found in Allegan, Benzie, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa counties and have been within five miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline.

“Unlike western Michigan, where the other infestations are located, hemlock trees are not native to this region of the state,” added Philip. “Although the pest still poses a problem for homeowners who may have planted hemlock trees or where they may have been planted in other landscaping, this HWA detection does not pose a significant threat to Washtenaw’s natural resources and environment.”

Hemlock woolly adelgids are small insects that use their long, siphoning mouthparts to extract sap from hemlock trees. Their feeding weakens needles, shoots, and branches. Over time, tree growth slows, and trees take

Kirtland’s

(Continued from page 4) on a grayish-green appearance. Without treatment, infested trees die within four to 10 years.

Across Michigan, the story of the comeback of Kirtland’s warblers is a worthy success lauded by many. Efforts to showcase the warbler and even celebrate its occurrence in our state bear witness to our affinity with this species.

The Kirtland’s warbler even appears on a specialized Michigan license plate.

In short, the bird is the word.

Though the tiny insects don’t move far on their own, they can be blown by wind or hitchhike on people, birds or mammals that encounter an infested branch. In a similar way, cars, boats, or RVs parked under infested trees may be able to transport the insects to new locations.

Residents and park managers near the arboretum are encouraged to carefully examine their hemlock trees for hemlock woolly adelgid and if found, report it using one of the methods at the end of this article. Infestations are recognizable by the appearance of tiny “cotton balls” at the base of hemlock needles on the underside of the branch.

In early June, residential neighborhoods near the infestation will be visited to provide information on pest identification and reporting. Dates and locations of neighborhood visits will be posted on the Jackson Lenawee Washtenaw Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area website.

Steps Michiganders can take to prevent the spread of invasive species include:

• Leaving firewood at home and buying it where you burn it.

• Staying on trails to protect natural areas.

• Parking in open, paved areas, not in fields or under trees.

• Cleaning gear and vehicles before hitting the road.

• Reporting suspected infestations by one of the following means:

• Email the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at MDA-Info@ Michigan.gov.

• Call the MDARD Customer Service Center at 800292-3939 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

• Use the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) online reporting tool.

• Download the MISIN smartphone app and report from your phone.

For more information on hemlock woolly adelgid and other invasive species in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Invasives.

The Chix placed 4th today with a score of 361 leaving them in 5th place overall in the conference. Leading scorers for the team today were Jace Fenlon 88, Kole Meschke 90, Jake Middleton 91, and Tanner Treacy 92.

Congratulations to Seniors Jace Fenlon and Jake Middleton who were named to the AllConference Honorable Mention Team. Another highlight of the day was when Sophomore Tate Salas holed out from 130 yards!

Thursday, June 1st the two teams will play in the Regional at Diamond Springs.

East Baseball Defeats Wyoming

Zeeland East traveled to Wyoming on Tuesday, May 22, to finish their conference OK Green schedule. The Chix defeated the Wolves by scores of 15-1 and 12-2 to complete the sweep and finish with a perfect 21-0 record in the league!

In game one, Max Salas pitched a complete game in the win. Salas went all 5 innings allowing 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 8.

Offensively, the Chix drew 10 walks and capitalized on 9 hits. Noah DeWitt and Brenston Brown each had two hits in the game while Max Salas, Chris Seay and Charlie Lacny each added doubles. Tyler Loeb had two RBI.

In game 2, Connor Tietema pitched a complete game (5 innings) allowing 2 runs on 1 hit while striking out 9 batters.

Offensively, Charlie Lacny led the way with a homerun in the first inning and a 2RBI single to break the game open in the 4th. Easton Remick, Max Salas, Brenston Brown and Aidan Jaworowski all had two hits in the game. Chris Seay added two RBI.

The Chix finished the OK Green at 21-0 and improved their season record to 33-2.

West tallied 11 hits in the game with Zamora, Sleeman, Moungkhoun, and Brott each managed multiple hits. Zamora went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead the Dux in hits.

West Falls to East in Conference Tournament Finals

The Zeeland West girls’ varsity soccer team lost in the final round of the OK Green Conference Tournament, 0-1 to host Zeeland East. Zeeland East scored in the first half and held on for the win.

“Really proud of our girls over the first 40 minutes. They did everything asked of them except put the ball in the back of the net. We played really well despite being down for a majority of the first half, generating several quality chances. At the end of the day, games like this come down to execution and finishing. Give East credit for finishing that chance in the first half. We had chances, but we didn’t execute the way we wanted to for much of the second half. Despite that, we still were able to generate 4-5 excellent opportunities but came up short,” said Coach Ben Hondorp.

The Dux open MHSAA District Tournament play on Friday, when the travel to Thornapple Kellogg for a 5:0opm start.

Offensively, Easton Remick led the way with 3 hits, including a 2-out 2RBI single in the 9th inning to tie the game. Two batters later, Trevor Raade delivered the walkoff single (his second hit of the game) scoring Remick for the win. The victory was the 34th win of the season for Zeeland East, tying the school record set in 2021 by a team that finished the year 34-6.

In game 2, Zeeland East broke the wins record, defeating EK by a score of 10-0 in 5 innings. Gavin Drooger picked the win on the mound, going 4 2/3 innings allowing only 1 hit and striking out 4. Nick Williams chipped in to help the shutout with one batter faced and a strikeout.

Offensively, Charlie Lacny had 3 hits, 3 RBI and a double. Aidan Jaworowski and Aidan Coutts each added 2 hits.

Zeeland East improves to 35-2 on the season, breaking the single season record for wins!

West Softball Defeats Unity

Zeeland West Varsity girls’ softball team defeated Unity Christian 2-1 on Thursday, May 25, after taking the lead late in the game. The game was tied at one with West batting in the top of the eleventh when Emily Kragt grounded out, scoring one run.

West Dux evened things up at one in the top of the seventh inning when Morgan Patrick tripled.

Brott earned the win for Dux. The righthander allowed 11 hits and one run over 11 innings, striking out nine.

Patrick led West with two hits in four at bats.