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Birds use slower time of summer to molt

Northwoods Notebook

This great blue heron fishing on Six Mile Lake in northern Dickinson County appeared to have a few feathers askew, a sign it could be molting as a number of bird species do in the summer. Unlike the Canada geese and mallard ducks, though, the heron had little trouble flying. Betsy Bloom/Daily News Photo

Everything in the North Woods seems to become more relaxed by midsummer.

The colors, so vibrant with new growth, have gone a little dull, tinged with brown and beige as grasses go to seed, the early flowering plants fade and tree leaves lose their shine. The rising humidity and angle of the sun means the sky will not be as deeply blue as in the coming autumn.

The spring frenzy of migratory birds getting back and nesting, of mammals large and small giving birth, with all then trying to get their young through those vulnerable first few weeks, for the most part now has passed.

While nothing ever is guaranteed, the young of the year are bigger, stronger, faster, more savvy to what might be friend, foe or food. Most nestling birds, even the large raptors, have fledged at this point, said Monica Joseph, wildlife biologist at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Crystal Falls office.

A number of birds, especially waterfowl, use this slower time of summer to molt. So don’t be alarmed by Canada geese that appear grounded — it’s natural for the species to be flightless for a number of days while primary feathers grow back in. Migration remains several months away, so for now, they can function just fine if they have water and weeds to take refuge if threatened.

The young geese on Six Mile Lake in northern Dickinson County all have traded their plush gosling down for feathers, complete with the white cheek patch. The resident mallard hen still has its one offspring, the lone survivor among six first seen in June, that now sports the mottled brown plumage of its mother.

Drake mallards at this time of year will look a lot like their female counterparts, going into “eclipse” plumage to better blend into the vegetation during the flightless molt period, which can last a month, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology web site at www.allaboutbirds.org.

Most of the songbirds coming out with fledglings now lack the vivid patterns and hues of courtship season, when they need that extra bling to attract a mate.

Those that undergo a complete summer molt are more vulnerable, as gaps in wings and tail while new feathers grow in will affect speed and maneuverability in flight, according to Cornell.

This is why bird song, too, tends to be more subdued in mid-summer — it’s prudent not to give a position away to predators while molting, university experts said.

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Marquette’s WLUC-TV 6 had a warning earlier in the week about raccoons in the Houghton area turning up sick with what is suspected to be distemper.

Though I’ve written about this several times, it bears repeating — if you have a pet, dog or cat, make sure it’s up to date on its vaccinations for distemper. Raccoons can contract both canine and feline forms of the disease, though canine is more common, as raccoons are more closely related.

Coyotes, fox and wolves are believed to be affected by this outbreak as well, as are skunks, Joseph said. The numbers for all appear to be down this summer throughout the region.

The threat isn’t just the possibility your pet might come in contact with a sick animal, either, Joseph said. Distemper can remain in the environment even after the host animal has perished, she advised.

While such outbreaks tend to peak and wane, “we expect longer-term impacts from distemper; it’s like (canine) parvo,” Joseph said.

It should go without saying, too, to stay away from any animal that appears ill or behaving strangely.

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Joseph’s prediction deer flies would emerge in full force by July appears to have been all too true. Her horses, and especially her donkey, have been plagued despite being sprayed for stable flies.

“I’ve never seen them chewed up like that before,” Joseph said, adding the flies this summer seem “unusually aggressive.”

I can attest to that: When I pull into the driveway at home, deer flies butt against the car windows, trying to get at me. Driving into work yesterday, I noticed two cars stopped in front of me where M-69 meet M-95 had a host of orbiting deer flies, also seeming to batter themselves against the windows.

Summer is supposed to be a time to get outdoors, but the pests this year have made that less than pleasant.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 40, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.

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