It was a gray cloudy day when I reached Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan over Memorial Day weekend. Very few people were at the refuge; the refuge opened May 15 and it’s still early in the season for visitors.
My goal was to find migrating waterfowl and warblers along the open water ponds, forests, and wetlands at Seney. Given the long winter in Michigan, and ice still floating in Lake Superior, I wasn’t sure what birds I would see at the refuge.
Driving along the seven-mile Marshland Wildlife Drive auto tour, we peered through the tree branches and out on the wetlands, looking for birds. We saw Canada Geese, Trumpeter Swans, Ring-Necked Ducks, and a few Common Loons on the ponds.
As we rounded a bend, I looked up and managed to catch sight of this Bald Eagle, keeping an eye out for food. Further down the road, a flock of Eastern Kingbirds moved quickly amongst the trees lining the road.
No warblers could be found. While it wasn’t a big count day for birdwatching, the highlight was spotting the Bald Eagle.
