ECOLOGICAL INVENTORY OF HARBOR ISLAND CHIPPEWA COUNTY, MICHIGAN For The. Nature Conservancy Midwest.Regional Office William C. Scharf Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City, Michigan Michael L. Chamberlin Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen, Michigan 15 Septembei' 1978 Statement Of Ecological Significance Of Harbor Island / Harbor Island is located at latitude I460 03' and longitude Q830 U6< in Potagannissing Bay north of Drummond Island, Chippewa County, Michigan. With approximately 300 ha (750 A) of land mass it is the largest of some 50+ islands in the bay, and as such is a significant reservoir fo^ wildlife in the area (it is the only island known to support a deer population throughout the winter) and is most representative of the habitats, indigenous to the islands in this region of the U.S. Great Lakes, Harbor Island ' supports the major regional habitat types: mixed upland forest (pak-n>aple), . " '■ .■ A '■'* ■ V . ' l. , V : \ ■ V ;.■* 7|' •' ■ .‘1 ■ ■ '-f..-, mid-seral stage forest (aspen-ash-birch), boreal forest (cedar-balsam ifi,r), 4 ' "T v old field (grass-herb) and marsh (rush-pondweed). Excluded on Harbor'Island . ■■■-. : • . ';r ‘ y t \ X a* . are the sand beaches and low dunes found on the north shores of Lake Huron 1 ' ; ‘ i k 4 *. <•„? (■ along Michigan's upper peninsula. Having the highest elevatiorj (6§Q‘ ab?>ve sea level) of all the islands in the bay, Harbor Island supports the greatest- - ■" ■■ - . •■. :J'> :: " - growths of deciduous species such as oak and maple, thus providing another niche, exploitable by both breeding and migrating avian species, ’not;^va^xlable on many of the smaller adjacent islands, t » ■' , , 4'; Harbor Island almost completely landlocks the 60 ha (150 A) harbor • ’ - ■■■.- . * ,V ' < v: which so appropriately is .the island's ijamesake,. The unique fyarbof, isjLr' - 'f t, - - ' v "'-: '■ < ■' ' , ■ ■ • , s ' V : ■ v fjitV * *■'1/;- 11*.‘v. - ‘'S>%A^fy:k!;%.n' i f f - ^ ^ l ? ^ relatively immune from winds, except when out of a couple of deg^es 3SVJf s .. ■ ,, „ k The marshy shoreline of the harbor provides nesting habitat for the>Piec^ , - • , . ■ ' i % , ■' 1 • . - **#, <. billed Grebe, American Bittern, Black Tern, Long-billed Mgrsh Wrer* ar>d Re<?- ^ ; ■ : . • ? ■ . • '• ’i( • *••• .i . ■. ■ A'-i'-;i ■ v*-V V f 'r - f: •. ”* . ‘ winged Blackbird and rearing habitat for broods of Mallards, Black Pucks, f ■ , Srv. •'{ I' 1 Wood Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, and Red-breasted Mergansers. The sheltered harbor and calm waters are important as a refuge and feeding ground for the Waders (e.g. herons) and the Ospreys, which heed shallow water and clear , I visibility for fishing. Four Great Blue Heron colonies are located within 18 km of the island. Thus the harbor is within foraging distances for some 2k 2 herons, from U.S. waters alone (1977 data -see W.C. Scharf, f^.L. Chamberlin & G.W. Shugart. 1978* Colonial Birds Nesting On M^n-made And Natural Sites In The U.S. Great Lakes. U.S. Army Engineers Waterways Experiment S^at-ion. - 1 • " : . ■ V -"H' V- ■ ';Ve^VrKv>,'V^V Vicksburg, Miss.), The significance of this uniquely protected marsbr4.?’ ''' ' 1 < ' U l.VV'^'V.-'V' t:h ■■:V'i vv greater due to the fact that all of the adjacent iglajids within'aVtwo-mile ■ 1 - ** k.A.’w, ‘ i, f' 1 ‘i 'i \lfi9,'J radius have rocky and deep g ho re lings essentially devoid 'of, marsh*ivp^et|.t-ic|n. The east shore of the bay along Drummondlsland i^ alsp jpa^shy hqw^ver ^ejre ' the presence of resort complexes and fishermen is a continual squrce of ; " .■■ <- v^^'V:;fev!v , disturbance and recreational ^nd residential developement^‘is1 increasing," i • . > .■■■.'■ .. v-- ’ -s^v.v v-: .vv* :.:v' \ ■ Currently all of the adjacent islands are privately owned. VMany hav^'a summer residence on them or, given the'current trepd, in a,ll pr<?ba)jility '' ; ’ ’'’v -v1'-i-i- Aj';'r:v: ;V V-'..v'--v> I'!-,■ ' ' ‘ ‘'■'■ =■ 'i ■: ; ' .. ' ; . <■;'vM i^' :’^-V 'r soon will. The significance of Harbor Island as 3' reserve tpf fl’opst,''*' ' ' : : ';'V V .. ' ' ; i'.}'■’■■ jJ1''-: ' '' !'V’: ■ ( 123 species) and fauna (1^6 specios) indigenqus to this regioi?r'iiiil. of ;' V " * * l'»>‘ »* 'lit 1 \ ‘ * course take onv an ever irxcreasing significance as the other l^J-ahcijj fire/ developed# ■ Bald Eagles;, psprey ani $ v e \ i gld^Jerons ^hlve "{trabiiionill||^^^ ^ m the bay. Harbor Island oif.ers sux,table habitat f o r (these braediftg species. Mrs* Ken Payirient of Drummond ‘loc^tQ^ a ^ r g e raptor r*t^o !■ V ■ . ■ • ' - ' '■ ; '> - ■..<■> fs, ,v> ', -yV-i . *1 -;•* *•. ■ .■ ,, • which she believed to be an eaglet nest'(although it was tnore ,likely , 1 . ■> ‘w ■ ’ i 11 *■ » ’i H ’"' "'Avv,i- ' Osprey nest)We were unable to relocate the pest during either our ground searches or an aerial search by helicopter. The continuous presence of / , 1 * , 1 - ‘s ' ' I ^ ‘ ’ f [ , / I ' tl i ^ 1 , Black-crowned Night Herons on the island for the past several summers ,/ s v f,'i \t . t *) j '► -i 5 \ <i tx > p'-l*; $ 2 ’ 'V suggests a possible northern extension of this species* breeding r^ii^e. Colonization by this species may well occur in the region withi'n the near •' .•■"■'•. v . ''' ' ! ; vV..’ V-'"-' V 'Ty^r '' V- V';l •/,“ 2 I c w .- i o o m Harbor Island* Chippewa Co*, Michigan Stippled area- Mixed upland tor erst ■ i oaki maple, pine) DasrtfHl J in»'-a Old fit:Id (gras3~horb) < 4 8ymbo1 s4- Ma,rsh ,( ruah-pondword),»/ . «, < , ‘* \ , y,*tf. r bpwn-- 'fcrtt'f, lntor/tracUn*; vfitji Jt^icTSe^al forest Number\Tc*rnaxmai 11 tra|? liWs^i ’ t (birch f^aahf espen) Harbor Lsl'uiri, ^bippqwa Michgjan contours = 20 ft. Bird List The following species list was compiled from observations during ;i ■-JjV'- , 1 : . ; V'-t ■■ V. -.^v^'V-v ■ v'.,x\ ;-v '<}■ ■ ;vy - v ^ V 1 v':i,i!' , '.:.C ^ r intensive ground searches throughout the island's habitats and from landing 4 " : ' ; ' i ■* .' .f 1 f| ‘.j , :V-Vv'- V* * : \ *#• v •;*<»■k ■ .V Iv**‘M? - L b1' t'‘ operations conducted during 1-3 and 10-13 Septe^t*^ 1978» Four standard*. • - 12-foot, u-panel nylon mo,s^ nets were sqt.pn the,islg$d (IpcatS-pns aregiyen - / on the map). A total of, 51 iridivi^als,pf 26 species'y&vq bonded«';i'Alsp‘tvi , , , V* i ‘ * V* u i n 'v ‘V- ■* included in the inventory-are species,observed on the island by^QhOTberli.n ‘' '; ' ‘ • ,, ,; •-<; ' M i during annual spring/summer visits;fitom(i?72~7qt *. flaring 1979^77 thpl i3l^tnd >* > ,* •: : ;..<;" * was visited by Chamberlin as part of a colonial bird surveytheGreat of .-, v .,y ■, «v, ‘ *«*• *■-(,< • v■'V&W*<-> -s ■ \ ‘*,i\‘ih’r V '•’ ' . Lakes (Scharf, Chamberlin & Shugart 19 7B )* .■ Additional observations during ;.t, 1965-78 made b y Louis Benuaj' ?e^son^l re^ifSerit to "ad j agent, Ba^/X^leri^ ^a v Q ’ .-■' - v :i-:' V ^ S ■;■;?■. ■: also been incorporated. This inventory sets Harbor Island'§ (avifauna at"^ ‘ minimum of .123 s p e c l ^ s ^ - W v ' ^ ".•; ' B- Known Breeder, ’'V* 1 . ,;si;lf* O^aerv^d‘1^3;^ 10-13 Sept.’J1970.Wf'V,-, ,: b« Probable Breeder' l-\ 1''^ Obsgsfyigfl ^ ' I h ^ m b e r ^ i H V 1'^''. *’ * » On Michigan Threa^eped ^ p W ^ a ' ; • <hU, on U .S.; ,£hdafigere'd ’ • : : ■ ■.: ■ ? ;-t > ;:S1f|lp|illWi!|M ..■:, , >’ .^^ikAAM, ,i< *t*.v'*H » * N « r b . v : W - ,,V- :> %'■ r jfi ' ' S' Redrrtectced,; prebe • (I, .' ^ l ^ ^ f ;| rl 4'<i' ■ Horhe^ Prebe^|>;^ t JlA^ *V ‘. *' ’ Gfa,t Blue Herqpv, 12^, Blac^crowned Night HerQnP^gAi (^npr^fisxog^y^oimtipn ' American Bittern .' 1 \4,;| Sif'," -t t ’.{^ *(. ■. ', Canada^Goose '•-* ■ > ‘ 'h ''I? !';i ‘ /' v v •- Halliid.it:. :■; ' ' •' “B 'j i V ' >' /. ■’ , Blac(c m c k .jfljt , Vjj. I. M - ' V o .. " Qreenryjxnged’',Teal' V 1 X % /. - I Blue-winged Te^l ' „ ,.V X 31 ^,’^ *. \'j[h 1 •-'*■'/' • Wood puck I , ■ (V. ;•' %2 ,. 't « ■ , Lesser Scaup ^ I;.. > ’ M , 2 •,, '-' > ■, ’■' * », ■■■■:. .. ..-Greater- S c t v - !.i t . v - vsl 1 ■ -■ ^;' > , ;* >’ 'f’L' ‘ '.yj ’ v i ;'’*'i 1 ' * t 1' :'i'Afy ' ' ' , \ i .'•■-‘,1; 'l-i' . Common Goldeneye B 12 Bufflehead M3 Oldsquaw M2 White-winged Scoter M 2 Surf Scoter M3 Hooded Merganser X 3 Common Merganser X 3 , . Red-breasted Merganser B 12 ’ Goshawk j ■ b 1 ■ ? ^Cooper's Hawk' 1 b 12 , ' Sharp-shinned Hawk b 12 , 1 . Broad-winge^ Hawk' b 12 ' . «*Bald Eagle , ■ t , F 3, (believed to. still*breed , r :V^vv:,v.;:v-V.,V : ■ f a r r i e r . iiOsprey/ *' .. ... P ^123 (breedsoh adj', inland?) . 'Ruffed;vGr;k>iise:;; X " . S-aupi<ifetx^3t■ f :;;^V:VV^3l';;Mv;v,X v:v.« x/,!;;' s>:v:lr/;??: ‘ Sora a'r- ■ American. 1C6o1^ i;\5;? _»■: :-'5'-.^3 * r'v '■■ .- Whimbrel ( , .. ,JJ 2 'i' <’, tV’‘ ' ' Spotted Sandpiper ^ , ‘.Id 1? ■ , '$>/■ Greater Yellowlegs ’'; < M «*■ ; ‘ ‘ , , ;> 4 \,0 Short-billed Dowitcher • ', M ,2 ' ■ Ruddy Tur ns tone 1'■<'!' M % / ' - {.’ Dunlin: ■„. White^rumped;.‘Sanc^i^ery?'#7^^ ■''■>. Herring 55u3L3,|^g;% ;f;;r ,. ■; _:Riug-^bill-e^"’pxiXX n Bonaparte j g Gu^l; / f j.. #' & • ^ ^ . ; Common : j ' ♦Caspian -Tern 7 i ' . >. • Black ^ # woodcock,^*i , V ' ' $ fc4/v,i:i:" ; .. ■■ * • Black-fyil^ed Cuckoo ; B ,/g ;‘ $V - J "'J :'' ■ ,> ■> Great, ft ';' ' Barred: PwIrV^^^;;^:| W 0 M 0 ' k k i ^ t i ’^ :-'.'r- M '. ■',> ■ Hawk.; Q w l . ^ ?V:v^YS-:1: v3;V* ^ -"t^ 7';;^ \ ■;"> .Whip-pporrwill^lf/f'f.::^ ::':-'v' . "' Common r'■ ' ' . - Ruby-throated ,Hunu»hg.-*V|^ Belted Kingfisher, f — X 1^ ■ , ; • ■' , C6knohjlicker;,fiff^ ■ /.V Pileated Woodpecker, <•• - B 12 ■’ ', , Red-bellied WoodpeckerjA b 3^ Yellow -bellied, Sapsucker b J.2 • , ' . > ’ Hairy Woodpecker ij 12 Downy Woodpecker ' b 12 •■ ’ !'. ;; >;;'/*>■ r\ -■' ^.^''/v1-*-:/-'-'■■■■t-i'.\: ' ’■■ ''j! ' '' .