Elk Rapids Almanac
Elk Rapids Almanac, September 2026
September 14 - I think you did see a molting Northern cardinal. They sure can look peculiar! Regarding the debate identifying a molting Northern cardinal or a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in an Ottawa Street neighborhood - Kathie Wiley, Traverse City Audubon club
https://freebirders.com/bald-cardinals/
September 19 - I still have a hummingbird at my feeder. I think the males migrate first, then the females. I believe this is the end of their migration period-the end of September. - Terri Reisig
Note: Hummingbird juveniles and stragglers trickle through this area until around September 30. The ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, winters in Mexico and Central America, with many crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single 18–22 hour nonstop flight. Although most migrating birds fly by night, hummingbirds fly by day, finding nectar sources from flowers, using tail winds to reach their destination faster, consuming less energy and body fat, and traveling as much as 23 miles in one day. During migration, as they cross the Gulf of Mexico, they may cover up to 500 miles at a time, with a heart-beat up to 1,260 times a minute, and its wings flapping 15-80 times a second. _Audubon.org; Hummingbirdcentral.org.
Note: Hummingbird juveniles and stragglers trickle through this area until around September 30. The ruby-throated hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, winters in Mexico and Central America, with many crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single 18–22 hour nonstop flight. Although most migrating birds fly by night, hummingbirds fly by day, finding nectar sources from flowers, using tail winds to reach their destination faster, consuming less energy and body fat, and traveling as much as 23 miles in one day. During migration, as they cross the Gulf of Mexico, they may cover up to 500 miles at a time, with a heart-beat up to 1,260 times a minute, and its wings flapping 15-80 times a second. _Audubon.org; Hummingbirdcentral.org.
September 20 - this week a pair of Merlins (Falco columbarius) stopped by for a rest on the dune. Their powerful twists and dives as they flew was a sight. These small falcons migrate from their nesting sites in the North and travel to the southern US. Or not. Merlins can be permanent residents, if conditions are right. They bond for the season and usually return to their same neighborhood every year. Merlins do not build their own nests, but take over abandoned crows, ravens, hawks nests. They hunt songbirds, including hummingbirds!, large insects, and small mammals. They come at their prey horizontally or from below at high speeds. They were once used by medieval noblewomen to hunt skylarks, and used to be called ‘lady hawks.’ If you haven’t yet, download the Merlin Bird ID app, free from Cornell University, and join the world of birds. - Maureen Lorenz
Student Summer experience: During the summer, we were a part of an internship on Lake Bellaire under the supervision of the Three Lakes Association, studying freshwater ecology of aquatic plants. In this internship, we gained a newfound appreciation for the lakes, our complex ecosystems, and all the creatures that inhabit these areas. Growing up, everyone learns how important the lakes are to our environment, but nothing can compare to studying them firsthand.
Covering the density, diversity, and distribution of the plants in Lake Bellaire, we discovered that there is a chance that three areas of the lake could potentially be linked. These three areas all have preserved land nearby, and two of these areas have rivers flowing out into the lake. Do these things 100% coordinate with each other? To be honest, it is too soon to make any full conclusions — it was just an interesting aspect we noticed when collecting and analyzing data.
Along the way, we also had some great experiences with people we’ve met through this incredible opportunity. Getting to know the two other interns as well as our mentors were fundamental moments in our internship. Our collective love for the lakes and for the outdoors only grew us closer.
We couldn’t have asked for a better experience — we have found new interests in many different places that we could have never discovered without this internship. - Brookelyn Jennings and Elsie Thomas - co-chairs, ECO Club, Elk Rapids high school
Covering the density, diversity, and distribution of the plants in Lake Bellaire, we discovered that there is a chance that three areas of the lake could potentially be linked. These three areas all have preserved land nearby, and two of these areas have rivers flowing out into the lake. Do these things 100% coordinate with each other? To be honest, it is too soon to make any full conclusions — it was just an interesting aspect we noticed when collecting and analyzing data.
Along the way, we also had some great experiences with people we’ve met through this incredible opportunity. Getting to know the two other interns as well as our mentors were fundamental moments in our internship. Our collective love for the lakes and for the outdoors only grew us closer.
We couldn’t have asked for a better experience — we have found new interests in many different places that we could have never discovered without this internship. - Brookelyn Jennings and Elsie Thomas - co-chairs, ECO Club, Elk Rapids high school
Student September reflections: I have long thought nature to be the most effective medium of genuine connection. Growing up at a wilderness adventure summer camp, the best friends I made among the Northern Michigan pines shaped both this belief and my priorities as I entered university. The Harvard College First-Year Outdoor Program (FOP) has been operating through the college since 1979. Leaders guide incoming freshmen (foppers) on backpacking, canoeing, and site-based trips in New England, facilitation a comfortable and safe dynamic for first-years as they begin navigating a new phase of their life. Engaging in FOP, first as a fopper, then a leader, and finally a member of the Steering Committee, I have been fortunate to see the immeasurable value of this program at every level. This value is not created exclusively from those involved, instead, it is built in and around nature.
We aim to use the outdoors to produce cohesion, discourse, vulnerability, achievement, and struggle. On each of the six days, groups will work together to carry group gear, hike miles, summit mountains, paddle canoes, cook meals, and stay motivated. At the end of their trip, foppers will have connections and memories that shouldn’t have been possible to make in six days. It is a FOP tradition to spend our last night together going around in a circle and telling each person what they love and appreciate about them.
No other pre-orientation program produces what we do. They focus on leadership, the college, and information to prepare students for their first year. We foster genuine relationships for foppers to rely on when they step back on campus and realize how many people they have yet to meet-and there is no way FOP could do it without the Long Trail in Vermont, the White Mountains in New Hampshire, or the lakes in Maine.
After a lifelong relationship with the Northern Michigan wilderness and three years with the FOP, I have become convinced that nature is the most effective medium for genuine connection. - Zoe Macalusa, Harvard University third year student, and former Eco Club president, Elk Rapids High School.
We aim to use the outdoors to produce cohesion, discourse, vulnerability, achievement, and struggle. On each of the six days, groups will work together to carry group gear, hike miles, summit mountains, paddle canoes, cook meals, and stay motivated. At the end of their trip, foppers will have connections and memories that shouldn’t have been possible to make in six days. It is a FOP tradition to spend our last night together going around in a circle and telling each person what they love and appreciate about them.
No other pre-orientation program produces what we do. They focus on leadership, the college, and information to prepare students for their first year. We foster genuine relationships for foppers to rely on when they step back on campus and realize how many people they have yet to meet-and there is no way FOP could do it without the Long Trail in Vermont, the White Mountains in New Hampshire, or the lakes in Maine.
After a lifelong relationship with the Northern Michigan wilderness and three years with the FOP, I have become convinced that nature is the most effective medium for genuine connection. - Zoe Macalusa, Harvard University third year student, and former Eco Club president, Elk Rapids High School.