A birder in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan came across an unusual find recently:  a Kirtland's warbler.  Although the Kirtland's warbler population has been increasing over the last several years, the bird is a rare find in the Upper Peninsula.

The number of singing males counted during the annual census was well over 1,000. Of those, 21 singing males were counted in the Upper Peninsula scattered across 7 different counties.

The single male warbler was seen on private property on the Yellow Dog plains in Northern Marquette County.  The land, owned by the nation's largest private landowner Plum Creek Timber, was dominated by approximately 7 year old jack pine trees. The warbler sighting spurred a site visit and discussion of Kirtland's warbler management between officials with Plum Creek Timber and Christie Deloria, of the Service's Upper Peninsula Ecological Services Office. 

Plum Creek is a new timber and development entity in the Upper Penninsula, having just bought thousands of acres of land from Escanaba Timber.  Some of their newly acquired property is on glacial outwash plains where jack pine and barrens communities dominate. 

Plum Creek property includes not only portions of the Yellow Dog plains, but also areas near Gwinn and Raco which are also known for Kirtland's warbler.  Many of these areas are important not only to Kirtland's but other bird species including upland sandpiper, spruce grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, black-backed woodpecker, and eastern bluebird.

Mark Sherman, a Plum Creek Timber employee, noted "The management of jack pine to benefit Kirtland's warbler, clearcutting jack pine and planting or seeding, is very much in line with how we manage jack pine from a timber standpoint."  

A meeting between Plum Creek and the Service to further discuss specific Kirtland's warbler management opportunities was scheduled for late July.