As snow and ice melt, birds trickle back and the growing tide of returning or migrating birds reaches a spectacular peak in mid to late May. Thoswe here earliest include robins, juncos, siskins and blackbirds. These are soon followed by waterfowl and loons. Finally, large numbers of songbirds alight.

The movement of the warblers into the Les Cheneaux area can be spectacular. Leterally hundreds of vireos, thrushes and brightly-colored warblers, tanagers and grosbeaks may crowd the shoreline areas where they feed on tiny midges hatching in the near-shore waters.

More than 15 species of warblers call Les Cheneaux home. Each has a favored habitat: American redstarts and black-throated green warblers for example, are commonly found near white cedar trees. Blackburnian, black-throated blue and mourning warblers are scattered throughout the shoreline area.

In secluded spots on water, bald eagles and loons nest. Marshes support nesting black terns and sedge wrens. Look for grassland birds like sharp-tailed grouse, northern harriers, bobolinks and Savannah sparrows in grasslands north of M-134 or at Maxton Plains on Drummond Island.

The cool, crisp northern winds bring birds flying south. Mixed flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, warblers and vireos move through quickly. Migrating flocks of blue jayhs, broad-winged hawks and a steady stream of sharp-shinned hawks, merlin and the occasional peregrine falcon follow this shoreline westward toward Wisconsin.

Sandhill cranes call high above,in flocks of dozens heading over the lake. As in spring, close looks at this shoreline will reqard you with sights of loons, red-necked grebes and waterfowl. Beaches and rocky points provide stopover sites fro small flocks of horned larks, American pipits, Lapland longspurs and snow buntings.