2023 Recap of Warblers on the Water

[Pam Grassmick]

The 2023 Warblers on the Water Memorial Day weekend event had perfect weather for allowing participants to explore Beaver Island. Based on comments from attendees the event was a great success, and both participants and field trip leaders expressed a desire to come back next year. Trip leaders were extremely knowledgeable and gave freely of their expertise during the field trips. Most of the field trips were at capacity as evidenced by the 110 tickets sold. Friendships were launched among participants and many birders added birds to their life lists.

The Beaver Island Birding Trail, which was used for many of the field trip events, was designed for birders to enjoy the island's natural beauty year round. Bird species documented by observers over the weekend were entered into Cornell University's eBird website along with some rarities that were observed during the field trips. Because the 2023 Warblers on the Water theme was celebration of the Great Lakes islands’ biodiversity, field trips were designed around foraging, herpetology, bog botany, and of course, birds. Garden and High Islands were selected for additional birding field trips that reached participant capacity within 24 hours of opening registration for the event.

Dr. Francesca Cuthbert from the University of Minnesota, who administers the Piping Plover Recovery Program for the Great Lakes, presented Unknown Treasure in the Great Lakes: Amazing Waterbird Diversity. The audience came away with a better appreciation and understanding of colonial waterbirds and other birds that nest in the Great Lakes.

A special thank you goes to the Beaver Island Boat Company and Island Airways for transporting field trip leaders. Transport on the island was provided by Burton Car Rental as well as the Beaver Island Community School, which lent its bus to the event. The Community Center provided an outstanding venue for the presentation, and the staff assisted with additional information for participants. This event truly could not have happened without the help of those mentioned above.

For more information about the Beaver Island Birding Trail visit www.beaverislandbirdingtrail.org or the Beaver Island Birding Trail Facebook page. For more information about Cornell University’s eBird real time bird reporting website visit ebird.org.

Warblers on the Water is an event sponsored and supported by the Beaver Island Association and coordinated by Pam Grassmick and Beth Leuck.