In this episode of the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast, you’ll find out what work is happening for wildlife in Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula Region, talk winter activities at Michigan State Parks with Maia Turek, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about winter bird watching activities and animal track identification in the snow.
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Around the State Guest: Rex Ainsle
Main Interview Guest(s): Maia Turek
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
In this episode of the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast, you’ll find out what work is happening for wildlife in Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula Region, talk winter activities at Michigan State Parks with Maia Turek, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about winter bird watching activities and animal track identification in the snow.
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Around the State Guest: Rex Ainsle
Main Interview Guest(s): Maia Turek
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
Announcer:
You know what that sound means. It's time for the Michigan DNR's Wild Talk Podcast. Welcome to the Wild Talk Podcast where representatives from the DNR's wildlife division, chew the fat and shoot the scat about all things habitat, feathers and fur. With insights, interviews and your questions answered on the air, you'll get a better picture of what's happening in the world of wildlife here in the great state of Michigan.
Hannah:
Welcome to Wild Talk. I'm your host Hannah Schauer and with me today is the wonderful Rachel Leightner.
Rachel:
Howdy Hannah. I am extremely excited for today's episode. We have a lot of really great content, but what I can't believe is that it's the December episode that we've reached the end of 2021 already. I can't believe how fast it flew by.
Hannah:
I know, it's a little bit crazy to think about.
Rachel:
So even though the weather is getting cooler and there might be some snow on the ground, wherever you're listening to this podcast at, I don't worry because there's still plenty to do in the outdoors in the winter time. In this episode, we'll talk with Maia Turek from parks and recreation division, to learn more about some of the winter recreation opportunities that you might want to check out. And then later in the show, we'll answer some of your questions from the mail bag. And then of course, sometime during the episode we'll also be revealing the winners of our Wild Talk Podcast camp mugs. And you can find out how you can win one too.
Hannah:
We'll also be talking with Rex Ainsley to hear about fall wildlife work that has been going on in the Northern lower region. But before we dive into all those updates and topics, let's start things off by shining our wildlife spotlight on the bald Eagle.
Hannah:
The bald Eagle is a fascinating bird that can be seen throughout Michigan. Bald Eagles get their name from their white feathered head in comparison to their dark brown body and wings. Their tail feathers are also white, but it is important to know that a bald Eagle will not get their white head tail feathers until they're about four to five years of age. So immature bald Eagles will generally be brown with some white modeling on their wings and tail.
Rachel:
Fish are the staple of the bald Eagles diet. So you'll usually see them hunting in or near bodies of water, but they aren't necessarily picky eaters and will eat food that is available, including other birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and even some small mammals like rabbits and muskrats. And of course, don't forget about [inaudible 00:02:35] . They will gladly take advantage of a free road kill dinner. Which I recently witnessed. I think it was in October, I saw two bald Eagles eating a dead deer along the side of the I-94 freeway. So they'll take a meal wherever they can find it from.
Hannah:
And bald Eagles are also known for stealing fish from others. So Osprey are often subject to harassment by an Eagle who's trying to steal their fish and other critters who are out fishing, including people may also lose a fish to a bald Eagle. And I'm sure there's some of our listeners out there who may have had experienced such a thieving by a bald Eagle when they were out fishing.
Rachel:
While I imagine that to be frustrating, it also would be an incredible sight to see like imagine reeling in a giant fish and having an Eagle swoop down and take it from you. Yeah, I think it's worth it. Well during the coming winter months, look for bald Eagles near open water where they'll likely be gathering to hunt for fish, but you might also see them feeding on road kill deer carcasses. As I mentioned, and Eagles aren't territorial in the winter, and it's not unusual will to find multiple Eagles foraging along the same stretch of river or scavenging off the same carcass.
Hannah:
Now bald Eagles are also known for the huge nests they construct. They usually construct their nests in a tall, strong tree that has really good visibility all around. So it's usually taller than the surrounding trees and they don't build their nest at the top or the crown of the tree, like an Osprey for example, but rather they build it closer to the trunk and just below the crown and they use sticks and may line the nest with lichen and then feathers or other soft materials.
Rachel:
Yeah. And an extremely interesting fact, the largest bald Eagle nest on record, which was located in Florida was nine and a half feet in diameter and 20 feet tall. Which is so big it's almost hard to imagine. And I'm super curious what kind of tree can withstand that kind of nest structure because it's just enormous.
Hannah:
A really big tree.
Rachel:
A really big tree. Yes. So nests can get that big because Eagles tend to use the same nest year after year. And so they'll also add to the nest every year, which is why they can grow to be that huge.
Hannah:
Bald Eagles are relatively long lived. So the oldest recorded wild bald Eagle was banded in New York state and was at least 38 years old. So imagine such a long lived bird coming back to the same nest year after year, adding sticks and just incredible that they live that long. Now don't fly away. Next we'll find out what has been going on in the Northern lower region.
Announcer:
A base license for $11 is a fair fare to go hunt hare or even a squirrel or two if you care. You hunted deer last month, the license is already there. So no more money from your pocket or your billfold square to get your share of squirrel or hare to eat yourself or share with flare and fanfare with a nice set of flatware at a table you prepare. Just bundle up warm with something to wear and don't miss when you shoot or your liable to swear and possibly despair. If you see no more signs of hide nor hare. So happy hunting to all and y'all take care.
Rachel:
Well, welcome back to Wild Talk. Joining us today is Rex Ainsley, the regional supervisor for the Northern lower peninsula. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today, Rex.
Rex:
You're welcome. Glad to be here.
Rachel:
I'm aware of a substantial project going on at the Manistee Marsh over in Manistee County. Would you like to tell us a little bit more about what wildlife staff have been working on up there?
Rex:
Sure. It's great. So we've been looking at this project for years, decades actually, to see how we can make improvements in that marsh system. And the marsh that we're talking about is bisected by M-55, just east of the city of Manistee and the lake, Manistee Lake. And knowing that it's accessible to lots of folks and it has value to waterfowl and other wetland species, well independent species, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, you name it. They're in that area. It's an area called Peter's Bayou and it was diked and damned years and years ago before the DNR owned it, for agricultural purposes, probably. And of course it didn't work out too well cause it's pretty wet ground. So we've been working on it with partnerships with various organizations and Ducks Unlimited is one of those.
Rex:
One of the next phases after the work we've done with Ducks Unlimited was to engage the community and we invited a whole lot of community leaders in the Manistee area of business and government and non-governmental organizations to help us move projects further along to meet our goals for managing into the future. And that process that we went through a couple months ago, resulted in some interest from the county and the city looking at a way to move the railroad tracks that run through the middle of the game area to be more efficient for businesses. And then turn that rail system into a trail that people could access, pedestrians and bicycles and even snowmobiles if necessary. And we held a meeting, a field trip, a couple weeks ago about that, and that was very rewarding to have that conversation with folks looking at ways that we can incorporate wildlife values into the local community and have people enjoy the green and the blue space that we all have.
Rachel:
Sounds like an awesome area, an outdoor space that lots of people will be able to enjoy. In the meantime is there any construction happening out there or hunters or recreation that's going to be impacted by anything this fall?
Rex:
Not at all, not yet. We are still working on some permits and engineering. We still have to get money to do the work. So we don't have all that lined up at this time.
Rachel:
Awesome. So people can go out there. They can hunt out there. They can hike, they can bird, they can do all those things out there currently?
Rex:
That is correct.
Rachel:
Well, thanks so much for sharing about the project. I'm excited to see what comes out of this one.
Rex:
Yeah, me too. It'll be fun.
Hannah:
Now I understand that we also have the December elk hunt coming up. Could you tell us a little bit about when that is and how many lucky hunters will be out there trying for their chance at a Michigan elk?
Rex:
Yeah. So this is pretty awesome lottery. We usually have 50 or 60,000 people apply, I think, every year I don't have the numbers exactly, but someone could Google that. But we end up issuing 160 total permits this year. The hunt takes place from December 11th through the 19th. And it's in the area between Gaylord and Atlanta and the Pigeon River country. But the hunt is many counties on the tip of the of the lower peninsula. We have 50 bull tags or it's called any elk tag, but those folks can take a bull if they're lucky enough to get one. And then there's 110 anterless tags only.
Hannah:
Sounds like a great opportunity for folks to take advantage of. Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Rex. We really appreciate you taking the time to talk a little bit about the projects going on in the Northern lower region. It sounds like there's a lot of great work happening. All right, folks. Well, next up, we'll be talking with Maia Turek about winter recreation opportunities so be sure to stick around.
Announcer:
Are you looking for some last minute gifts or stocking stuffers for those special hunters in your life? Do you want to see smiles wider than the rack of a monster elk on Christmas morning? Then buy them some entries for the DNRs pure Michigan hunt and let visions of a $4,000 hunting prize package and hunting licenses for elk, bear, spring and fall turkey, anterless deer, and first pick at a managed waterfowl hunt area dance through their heads. Forget about the sugar plums and visit mi.gov/pmh or your local hunting license retailer to buy.
Hannah:
Welcome back to Wild Talk. Joining us today is Maia Turek from the DNRs park and recreation division. Welcome Maia. Thanks so much for joining us today.
Maia:
Hi, thanks for having me.
Hannah:
We're excited to talk about the abundance of winter recreation for folks to take advantage of this season. But first, could you tell us a little bit about your role with parks and division.
Maia:
Within the parks and recreation division I am what's called an engagement and innovation specialist. Which is kind of a mouthful and one thing that's always kind of a joke is I change my title like all the time, but as the engagement and innovation specialist, I get to work with all of our marketing people, our fund development team, our field staff, and really just find innovative and new ways for people to explore our wonderful parks, trails and waterways.
Hannah:
So before we jump into some of our questions here, and I know this might be a tricky question, it might be hard just to pick one, but what is your favorite outdoor winter activity.
Maia:
Okay, that's a really good question. So it's interesting because every New Year's Eve we talk about this because on New Year's Eve, we always, I have a group of friends where we'll go out and either go cross country skiing or snow showing. We were talking about, do we prefer the cross country skiing or the snow showing or the campfire as far is which one is our favorite? The more I thought about it, I was like, "I don't know the bonfire's kind of the best part." However, this past year, thanks to actually several people within the wildlife team and then also some of our fellow park staff have really gotten into bird watching because winter bird watching has been so interesting. It's so different than in he summer. So I'm going to give a plug for bird watching on that question.
Hannah:
We'll take it.
Rachel:
We will, it's always fun. And you can do it while you're snow chewing or cross country skiing. So crossing over in your wildlife or winter recreation. So Michigan has over a hundred state parks and recreation areas that offers opportunities for everyone to get outdoors. And the winter is no exception. What sort of activities can folks find to do at parks and recreation areas during the winter months?
Maia:
State parks are usually smaller tracks of land than our recreation areas. Our recreation areas are very, very big. And so usually recreation areas are places where you might find people more frequently maybe hunting, they might be, of course, as I mentioned, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, but what several of our state parks and even some of our recreation areas have started embracing is looking at opportunities for single track for fat tire biking. If you're into biking, it doesn't have to just be in the summer months now with the advent of the fat tire biking. You can do that all year long. It's a lot harder, I don't know if either of you have ever tried that, but it is a good workout. You definitely don't have to wear as many layers, but it is a great workout and it's a really great experience.
Maia:
And then now with some of our trails allowing e-bikes, fat tire or e-bikes have become a thing. And so it really is a pursuit for all agents. And of course I cannot not mention snowmobiling, which is a big hit. Everybody who has tried snowmobiling I'm sure has a special place in their heart for that kind of exciting ride. And this is the one that has been a hotly contested one that I mentioned, but disc golf so most people think, "disc golf? You can't do that. I mean, you're going to throw a disc, it's going to float down into the snow and you're never going to see it again," but some very, very innovative disc golfers discovered glow in the dark discs. So if you go out at dusk, you throw it into the snow and it creates this little ambient, green, yellow, red, whatever color, and then you just snow shoe on over to grab it. So that's another one that I think is I'd like to say it's up and coming if I can convince enough people to give it a try.
Rachel:
Absolutely. That sounds like a ton of fun. And I've never considered winter disc golf before, but I love the idea of the glow in the dark discs. That's really fun. So you mentioned the snowshoeing and snowmobiling so are there trails in these areas and on those trails, can people ski and snowshoe and do all of these things, are there groomed trails or do they have to make their own?
Maia:
So it depends on the location. We're really fortunate in several locations for snowmobiling, we have partners, clubs, local clubs, volunteer groups that actually go out and create the track for you every morning after a big snow, same thing with cross country skiing and fat tire bikes. In fact, we were just looking at our list of partners and it's amazing to me how many people voluntarily get up before dawn to go and blaze that trail for you. So that way you can have an amazing ride and enjoy the sunrise in the winter months. So I think what I would suggest is depending on the trail you want to go to just make it a point to do a little bit of online sleuthing. See if you can find out if there's a set track or not. Cause we do offer both and then see if there are local clubs that you might be able to get involved with as well. So you kind of have the inside scoop on some of their activities and things that are happening.
Rachel:
Awesome. That's good information. And where would people do their internet sleuthing to find that kind of trail information?
Maia:
A great place to start your online research would be to go to michigan.gov/winterfun. You can find out a lot about places to go and ways to get out there, whether it's gear rentals or specific events that are happening to make it even more interesting.
Hannah:
Now I'm curious, because I think state parks and recreation areas are really well known for their great camping experiences that they offer. So what about camping? Can people camp during the winter and how on earth would they go about doing that and reserving a campsite? It seems, I don't know, crazy to me. I don't know that I would want to go camp in the winter. It seems a little cold to be out in a tent, but you know, I know a lot of people love it. So can people do that at parks in the winter?
Maia:
Yes, absolutely. Camping in the winter is one of the unsung heroes I think of our state park system. We have some absolutely stunning destinations where you can camp. And usually those locations are connected to either events that are taking place or some really great hard water fishing. So a couple places I think are near and dear to my heart that I think people would be really amazed and love. You also mentioned tent camping. It's a great opportunity for people who have RVs too. If you're going and staying at a modern campsite, you'll have electric. So you can run that heater to keep you a little bit warmer. It is amazing. There are people that do tent camp and as long as you have the right gear, it's actually a really enjoyable pursuit. And it's a to just kind of prove your medal.
Maia:
So I would say if you are going to tent camp, make sure you're getting the right gear, maybe talk to your local outfitter and see if they have any specific recommendations, because the one thing you want to make sure you don't do is get wet. Whether it be sweaty or damp from humidity, staying dry is the key for winter camping. So other places to go though, Fayette, Tahquamenon, Ludington, all those places that people are always like, I can never get camping there in the summer. Those are really great winter camping destinations and you have the place to yourself. That's why I say kind of a unsung hero. And that's just a few.
Hannah:
How would people go about reserving the campsite for the winter? Is that the same process as in the summertime?
Maia:
Yep. Reservations can be made the exact same way. You basically go in, you select your equipment and you can put in your dates of interest, but you basically just go to that M I D N R reservations.com or you can go to Michigan.gov/stateparks and go through there to find your park that you really want to go to and make a reservation that way. One other thing I should mention too, is it's not just about camping. We have a lot of year round lodging available. One of my favorites is to suggest the yurt at Muskegon state park, because Muskegon also has the adventure luge and sports complex. So if you wanted to go and do a luge, an ice luge, you can do that there. And they have ice skating through the woods. This is my favorite. It's a quarter mile ice skating trail lantern lit through the woods. Talk about a like unforgettable winter experience. It's absolutely beautiful. And then you go and stay the night in a yurt. I mean, come on.
Hannah:
You're making me reconsider my views on winter camping. That sounds delightful.
Maia:
Yeah. Well, and we also have lodges. So if you're not really feeling the tent and you don't necessarily want an RV, although there are some that you can rent from people and then just bring them to a camp site as well. Which if you go to that Michigan.gov/winterfun you can learn more about those, but yeah, we have yurts, geodesic domes. We also have full lodges that can sleep up to 12 people in some locations, and those are all available in the winter months. So it's a great opportunity to find your favorite people get cozy and enjoy some of Michigan's most beautiful places.
Rachel:
Maia, you mentioned that sometimes these camps sites are set up next to some events that are going on, they can be found near events. What kind of events are offered or winter programs, these types of things what's offered at the parks and recreation areas?
Maia:
Areas. Well, I can tell you right now, we're doing some very interesting planning for our winter events. The big ones that we have every year are our lantern lit events. They take place statewide. We usually have at least nine to 10 of those, like at Tahquamenon Falls, they host lantern lit cross country ski or snowshoe events. We also have Fayette Historic State Park will do lantern lit events along the trail, which is beautiful.
Maia:
So really I would suggest checking out our winter fun page to find some of those events, but also this is kind of new at the Ralphie McMullin Conference Center. We're doing a little bit more with intro to recreational opportunities. So for example, in January, we're going to have a ice fishing for beginners program and then a follow up course in February, which is the advanced hard water school. So we'll have our DNR team that's going to be teaching that, which will be exciting for people. The other ones that we're really excited about are some lit trail events. We're calling them are enchanted borealis trail events. That'll be taking place at Seven Lakes and Ionia. So look for those to be added to the calendar pretty soon.
Hannah:
Just to reiterate, where can people go to learn more about all of these different great outdoor activities and opportunities that our state parks and recreation areas offer?
Maia:
I would suggest that a great place to start no matter what year round you should totally have it bookmarked would be Michigan.gov/state parks. You can also go to michigan.gov/winterfun because that's going to have a lot of really season specific information as well.
Hannah:
Well, Maia, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate all the great tidbits and information about all the abundant of winter recreation opportunities that we have for folks. Many of which I didn't know, like winter disc golf who knew? That sounds fun.
Rachel:
Yeah. I am totally going to book the yurt and go ice skating through the woods. I didn't know that was something we can do, but it's definitely something I'm going to do now.
Maia:
Yes, absolutely beautiful area.
Hannah:
Well, we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and get out and enjoy Michigan's outdoors. Thank you again, Maia, for joining us today and to our listeners stick around, next up we'll be answering your questions from the mail bag.
Announcer:
There are many camping and lodging opportunities available in Michigan state parks. When you choose state park campgrounds, you get more than just a campsite. State parks offer a diverse range of recreational opportunities including hands on instructional classes, nature programs, places to fish, boat launches, family friendly events, and much more. Reservations can be made six months in advance so why wait? Visit MiDNRreservations.com or call 1-800-44-PARKS to make a reservation.
Hannah:
All right, everybody now is your opportunity to win a Wild Talk Podcast mug as a thank you to our listeners we'll be giving away a mug or two every episode.
Rachel:
Our November mug winners are Natalie Hatch and Nathan Belier Natalie and Nathan check your email so as we'll be getting in touch with you soon, they answered the question, "Beaver's mark their territory by secreting a musk-like substance from their anal castor gland. What is the name for the substance?" This is a great question. And a great fact to know the answer is castoreum.
Rachel:
So castoreum is actually in a lot of products that we use today. Nathan pointed out in his note to us that we use castoreum in food and perfumes, and we've been doing that for a long time. It actually has like a vanilla flavoring in food. And so the US food and drug administration listed castoreum as an additive to perfumes and foods that we've been using for at least 80 years. So it's a substance that we use often, whether we know it or not. That's just fascinating. And if you want to learn more about the substance or the products that it's also used in national geographic put out a really interesting article, that's titled, 'Beaver Butt Goo Vanilla Flavoring.' So if you want to learn more, you can read more about it in that article.
Hannah:
All right, folks, to be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question. "What bird, that can be found in Michigan, lays its eggs in other birds' nests? Oftentimes warbler nests. And so the other birds will raise its young for it."
Rachel:
Email your name and answer to us at DNR-wildlife@Michigan.gov to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Be sure to include the subject line as, "mug me," and submit your answers by December 15th.
Hannah:
All right well, good luck everybody. Now back to the show.
Hannah:
Welcome back to Wild Talk, everyone. Now let's dig into the mail bag and answer some of your questions.
Announcer:
One, two, three.
Hannah:
Tim wrote in wondering where to find maps of public hunting lands and if state recreation areas are open to hunting? You can use the my hunt mapping application to find open hunting lands in your area. And you can get there at michigan.gov/mi hunt. Now, as Maia mentioned in our interview earlier this episode, some parks and recreation areas do allow hunting. You can search for state parks and recreation areas that allow hunting in the recreation search using the available filters. And you can select for areas that allow hunting or simply type hunting into the search bar and that'll pull up those results as well.
Hannah:
So you can visit michigan.gov/research to get started. And it's also a good idea to contact the area office or headquarters to see if there are any areas of the park or recreation area that are closed or have restrictions, or if there are just any general rules or restrictions specific to that particular area, you can also find information on hunting public lands, including parks and recreation areas on pages 18 to 19 of the hunting digest. So you can check that out as well. Rachel, how about you? Have you gotten any questions in the mail bag for us to take a look at?
Hannah:
I do. I've got a couple for you today. First Sherry wrote into us and she says, "I live in Northern Michigan where there are black bears. Now that it's December, can I put my bird feeders back up?" This is an excellent question, Sherry. And first of all, thank you for taking your bird feeders down during the fall when black bears are foraging before they go into their hibernation dens.
Hannah:
So at this point in the winter season, most black bears should be settled into their dens for their winter hibernation. Now that it's much colder and we've had a little bit of snow and frost their food availability is more limited. And so they're going to find their dens and they'll probably be there for the rest of the wintertime. And wintertime bird feeders should no longer attract bears to your yards. So birding is a great wintertime activity. Maia talked a lot about birding. And then later in this podcast episode, we'll also talk a bit more about some winter birds that you're likely to see. However, you will want to make that in the early spring you take those bird feeders back down in the early spring around March or so, bears will be exiting their dens and they'll be searching for a replenishing meal And bird feeders are at the top of that list. So mark your calendars right now, make sure you take your bird feeders down come March.
Hannah:
I also received a question from McKayla. McKayla asked, "during the late antlerless firearm season. Can I use my deer or deer combo license to harvest an antlerless deer or two antlerless deer if you've got a deer combo license?" Yes, the deer or dear combo license can be used to harvest an antlerless deer throughout all deer hunting seasons in the mainland lower peninsula, including the late antlerless firearm deer season. This season will run from December 13th through January 1st and is only open on private lands in the lower peninsula deer management units. All upper peninsula deer management units are closed to the late antlerless firearm season and hunting regulations regarding this season can be found on page 52 of the hunting digest.
Hannah:
Now, as we zip this segment to a close, remember if you have questions about wildlife or hunting, you can call 517-284-WILD or email DNR-wildlife@Michigan.gov. Your questions could be featured on the mail bag.
Announcer:
Did you know that you can take your hunting and fishing regulations with you wherever you go? Have access to the information you need when you need it right on your smartphone. Just visit michigan.gov/DNRdigest to download the applicable hunting digest. Before you head out to the woods or the Michigan fishing guide before you hit the water, download the most up to date regulations available today at michigan.gov/DNRdigest.
Rachel:
We've covered a lot of great outdoor activities for you to try out this winter. If you're looking for something new to do, and as you can probably imagine those are only some of the opportunities to check out. Certainly there are many more things you can take part in over for the next winter months.
Hannah:
Yes, absolutely. And one of my favorite things in the winter especially after a fresh layer of snow is to go wander around my yard and see what critters have passed through. It's really fun to see all the different tracks in the snow and then to try and figure out whose tracks they are, where they might be going, what they might be doing. It's like a little backyard mystery to solve. And I really enjoy looking for tracks, even just up and down the driveway, seeing who crossed the driveway, since it snowed last.
Rachel:
What kind of visitors do you usually get?
Hannah:
Well, we've got the Fox, certainly that comes through they leave their little footprints. Deer, every once in a while, we'll find some skunk tracks or raccoon tracks, squirrels, rabbits, feral cats, dogs, all those kinds of things.
Rachel:
You can follow those tracks to get additional clues about the animals. So some of those animals can have similar tracks, but depending on where they go, you can figure out their activity and that might help you whittle it down and learn about what they've been up to. Maybe the trail of tracks leads to you or from the base of a tree, or maybe the tracks of a rabbit and abruptly. Interesting. But if there are wing prints in the snow where the tracks end, you might be able to figure out what has happened.
Hannah:
So it's always good keep your eyes peeled as you walk around your neighborhood, or if you're going skiing or snowshoeing through the woods because you'll see all kinds of signs of wildlife activity in the snow.
Rachel:
And as Maia mentioned earlier, another great winter activity is winter bird watching. Winter brings some new visitors to our state that you won't see during the summer months.
Hannah:
Oh, my favorite winter visitor are the dark-eyed juncos, such cute little birds and they're very active and a lot of fun to watch they'll flit around and certainly visit bird feeders. But also if you have any natural food sources for them to munch on, you can see them all over and they're very active. And like I said, a lot of fun to watch.
Rachel:
Some other species to watch for in your backyard or at your feeders include the American gold finch, but they will be slightly less vibrantly colored in their winter plumage, but you still should be able to identify them. You might also see some pine grosbeaks, pine siskins, common redpolls. And if you have suet feeders woodpeckers are likely to visit too and those always a treat to watch. And as we discussed at the top of the episode, bald Eagles will gather where there's open water and food available. So keep your eyes open for our avian visitors this winter.
Hannah:
And if you want to report your bird observations and participate in a neat community science program, you should definitely check out Project Feeder Watch. Project Feeder Watch occurs November through April and is an international community science project organized by Cornell's Lab of Orthology and Birds Canada. Anyone at any age or skill level is welcome to participate by observing the birds outside your windows and just reporting your observations. Find out more and get started at feederwatch.org. Well, everybody that wraps up our December episode. Thanks for joining us on the podcast this year. We wish everyone happy holidays. And we look forward to talking with you all again in the new year.
Announcer:
This has been the Wild Talk Podcast, your monthly podcast airing the first of each month in offering insights into the world of wildlife across the state of Michigan. You can reach the wildlife division at 517-284-9453 or at DNR-wildlife@michigan.gov