Copper Harbor, MI Warblers - 30 Jul 2025

Yesterday morning Robin and I woke early (5 am), fed the Fearful Five (our five cats Taige, Yara, Echo, Tanner and Luka) and headed out the door at 6:15 am to drive north to Houghton and the Keweenaw Waters Resort. We arrived in Marquette at about 3 pm and stayed the night at the Holiday Inn.

This morning we continued north to Houghton and arrived at the resort at 11 am. Though we had a code to the room we were unable to get in, so we figured that the room wasn't ready, yet. So we drove north to Copper Harbor to have lunch at the Mariner's Inn. 

We then stopped at the local Agate Shop and browsed the rocks and minerals on display. We'd end up buying a large Yooper Rock and a UV-flashlight to see the fluorescing minerals in the rock. 

Our next stop was Fort Wilkins State Park  and spent some time at the Lighthouse Lookout beach. 

While Robin spent time drawing and watercolor painting I wandered the shoreline looking for rocks and listening for birds. A flock of Cedar Waxwings were working the inlet stream next to our chairs, so I watched them fly in and out of the trees. A Black-and-White Warbler was singing nearby, as was a Canada Warbler.

The first of several American Redstarts appeared in the cedars. Most were juvenile birds flashing a touch of yellow on their tails but mostly looking drab and beat-up.

As I walked the edge of the stream a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers joined them. Again, most were juveniles showing brown bodies with dark streaks on their backs and chests. Luckily, their yellow rumps were diagnostic. I spent some time photographing one juvenile foraging along the edge of the stream.

As I walked back to the beach a juvenile Chipping Sparrow made a brief appearance.

I'd spot Northern Parula and Nashville Warbler, and managed a quick couple of pics of a Blackburnian Warbler. I'm so looking forward to fall migration downstate!

The toy trumpet "Hamp-Hamp-Hamp" of a Red-breasted Nuthatch finally led me to one individual foraging close enough to photograph.

I then walked the beach looking for possible Yooper Stones and collected some neat candidates (we'd stop back at the Agate Shop to buy the UV-flashlight on the way out so I couldn't verify in the field). Here is a link to fluorescing rocks.

As I headed back to Robin I ran into more Cedar Waxwings and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Finally, a couple of adult birds made appearances. This male American Redstart foraged just a few feet away from me and allowed some pics when it stopped just long enough for me to press the shutter.

He would eventually land on the path ahead of me, pick up a spider, then hop directly to me to show me its catch. It came close enough that I couldn't focus the Sony 200-600 mm lens.

I got back to Robin just as she was packing up her chair. A couple were walking their dog off the leash and Daisy came by to say "Hi" and take a dump right next to where she was sitting... Mom and Dad were horrified but we all laughed it off.

We headed back to the car and headed for Brockway Mountain Drive. Though scenic we had no photo opps since Candadian Wildfire smoke was so heavy today that there was a foggy haze. So, we didn't stop and instead headed back to the Keweenaw Waters Resort.

We were able to get into our cabin, unpack the car, and head off to town for dinner. When we came back we were unable to get into our cabin. The code crapped out. So I drove up the road to the resort store and tried to get some help. It turned out after I found a couple of text messages that our credit card had bounced (we had cancelled it after losing it a few weeks back) so we needed to pay for the room. Finally, after a few texts to Josh we were able to get the code to work again.

The cabin is gorgeous and stocked with a kitchen, bath, and bedroom, and a roofed-in porch overlooking the harbor. With a direct and panoramic view to the north I was all set to get some astrophotography done tonite. But, again, the wildfire smoke filled the sky enough to prevent me from getting any star views, so I had to pack up the equipment and accept defeat...

Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, Copper Harbor US-MI 47.46722, -87.86623, Keweenaw, Michigan, US
Jul 30, 2025 12:45 PM - 1:55 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.88 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Overcast and hazy from Canada wildfires. 70F, calm, humid. Lighthouse Lookout beach and feeder stream.
19 species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  1
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  11
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  2
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  6     2 adults and 4 juveniles in trees next to feeder stream
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  1
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  4     One adult and 3 juveniles
Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis)  1
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S263871417

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)