Friday July 19th
Signed off on another bucket list destination with a trip up north, almost to Canada, to Isle Royale National Park.
eBird Trip Report
July 1st
Arrived late last night to Houghton, Michigan for my trip out to Isle Royale.
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| Ranger 3 being loaded at the Visitor Center |
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Mallard
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But today was spent exploring a bit of the U.P. Started by checking out the Isle Royale National Park Visitor Center, where the Ranger 3 was docked. Did a little birding here with Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gull, American Robins and American Crows.  |
| White-tailed Deer at Nara Nature Center |
Just to the southeast of town, visited Nara Nature Park, walking the boardwalk through wetlands. Actually, had my best birding of the trip with lots of active birds including Red-winged Blackbirds, Mallards American Goldfinches, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Cedar Waxwings, Song Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Alder Flycatcher, Sedge Wren, Red-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallows, Black-capped Chickadees, American Redstarts, Pine Warbler, Indigo Buntings and Great Blue Heron.
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| American Goldfinch |
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| Calling Sedge Wren |
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Copper Harbor Lighthouse
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Moved on, 46 miles, to the northern tip of the peninsula to Copper Harbor and a visit to
Fort Wilkens State Park. It's also at the northern terminus of US 41, which is interesting as US 41 travels all the way to south Florida where I call home.
Visited the historical Fort Wilkens State Park at Copper Harbor where the birding wasn't very active - American Crow, Chimney Swift, Song Sparrow and Red-eyed Vireo
On the second day, I set sail on the fully equipped Ranger 3 from its dock in Houghton, embarking on a six-hour journey across Lake Superior to Rock Harbor in Isle Royale National Park. The park serves as a sanctuary for backpackers, hikers, and anglers. My stay, however, was a 5-night sojourn at
Rock Harbor Lodge, offering quite rudimentary accommodations without Wi-Fi or television.
This trip has been on my bucket list for years, initially intending to backpack across the island. However, since my backpacking days have concluded, I devoted my time to bird-watching and cataloging the plant life. Also took the Passage Island Tour to see the lighthouse.
I embarked on brief hikes daily, aiming to observe any of the island's typical wildlife. Unfortunately, I
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| Passage Island Lighthouse |
did not encounter any moose, beavers, red foxes, or wolves. The wolves are particularly elusive around humans, making sightings a rarity. The Isle Royale Red Squirrels were lively near Rock Harbor, and I also spotted a snowshoe hare. Spotting waterfowl,
Common Ravens, and
Herring Gulls was straightforward, but forest birds were another story. Most identifications were by ear, as the birds proved challenging to spot amidst the thick foliage. The most frequently identified species were the
Canada Geese, Mallards, Common Loons, Red-breasted Mergansers,
Nashville Warblers, Swainson's Thrush, Chipping Sparrows and Winter Wrens. Other species included
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Black-throated Green Warblers, White-throated Sparrows, Bald Eagles, Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart, American Crows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Parula, Cedar Waxwings and Dark-eyed Junco. Species I missed from my wish list included Common Mergansers, Gray Jays, Common Golden-eyed and Sandhill Cranes.
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| Wood Lily |
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| Herring Gulls |
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| Rock Harbor |
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| Isle Royale Red Squirrel |
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| Mallard |
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| Red-breasted Merganser |
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| Canada Goose |
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| Common Loon |
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| Rock Harbor Lighthouse |
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| Passage Island |
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| Passage Island |
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| View from Stoll Trail |
