Discover the beauty of late summer wildlife and gear up for your next outdoor adventure as the season winds down.



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The Wild Times: Summer 2025
Common nighthawk GIF

Summer is packed with opportunity to get outside and enjoy Michigan's wildlife. In this edition of our quarterly newsletter, discover ways to connect with nature through local wildlife festivals, community science projects and volunteer stewardship days on public lands near you. Plus, get the latest updates on what the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division is working on this season.


* Featured species: Common nighthawk [ #link_6 ]
* Photos from the field [ #link_9 ]
* 30th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl & Outdoor Festival [ #link_1 ]
* Rare species paint the walls in Grand Rapids [ #link_4 ]
* Report your turkey observations [ #link_7 ]
* Do you visit Michigan’s state wildlife areas? Tell us about your experiences [ #link_10 ]
* MiBirds webinar: Birding on state game areas [ #link_8 ]
* Attend [ #link_17 ]
* Grants/Jobs [ #link_5 ]
* Support [ #link_2 ]

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Featured species: Common nighthawk
Common nighthawk in flight.

A common nighthawk flies overhead.

Despite its name, the *common nighthawk* isn’t a hawk at all. It is a member of the nightjar family, and its numbers are becoming less “common” across Michigan and beyond. With boomerang-shaped wings, erratic flight patterns and a wide, scooplike mouth built for catching insects midair, this insectivore is often mistaken for a bat at dusk. Common nighthawks are summer visitors to Michigan, arriving in late spring, just as flying insects emerge. They nest on open ground or gravel rooftops and are especially well-adapted to urban environments where bugs cluster near city lights.

In Michigan, the common nighthawk is a species of special concern and a focal species in the Wildlife Action Plan [ [link removed] ]. Protecting open habitats like grasslands and savannas, reducing pesticide use and planting native vegetation can all help nighthawks and other insect-eating birds.

A woman relaxes in a hammock with the Wildtalk Podcast logo by her side.

*Want to hear more about these unique birds?* Check out the July episode of the *"Wildtalk" podcast [ [link removed] ]*, where we'll chat all things common nighthawks, hungry black bears and wildlife habitat projects in southeast Michigan. 



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Photos from the field

Wildlife Division staff spends the summers creating habitat, monitoring wildlife populations and preparing for the fall hunting seasons. Take a look at some of the activities that keep us busy this time of year.

DNR staff teach how to age a deer at the Academy of Natural Resources

Tressa Hubbard demonstrates how to age a deer from its jawbone.

Wildlife staff members helped out at this year’s *Academy of Natural Resources teacher academy* at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake. On Wildlife Day, July 17, Roscommon-based technician Tressa Hubbard and senior biologist Mark Boersen (above) instructed teachers on how to tell the age of a deer from its jawbone. Other wildlife sessions were led by Tyler Petroelje, Shelby Adams and Miranda VanCleave.

Three wildlife staff convene on a truck tailgate to plan for the Kirtland's warbler survey.

Miranda VanCleave, Angela Kujawa and Shelby Adams check survey maps on the tailgate.

Wildlifers from the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula helped conduct this year’s census for the *Kirtland’s warbler* June 6-26. More than 60 staffers and volunteers surveyed the songbird’s jack pine nesting areas, listening for singing males advertising and defending their territories. Each recorded male is presumed to have a mate, so the number of males also indicates the number of breeding pairs. A census or partial survey is conducted every other year for the once-endangered Kirtland’s warbler, which remains a state-threatened species in Michigan. *This year’s survey [ [link removed] ]* showed a decline in the number of Kirtland’s warblers. The Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Team, of which the DNR is a member, will address the decline with new habitat management strategies. 

Fennville Farm Unit Wildlife Division staff walks into the field to set duck banding traps. [ [link removed] ]

Mike Richardson, Jake Crawford, Jessica VanKammen and a USDA partner carry waterfowl banding equipment into the field.

Wildlife staff at the *Fennville Farm Unit of the Allegan State Game Area, *Mike Richardson, Jake Crawford and Jessica VanKammen, show what it really takes to manage 4,000 acres of waterfowl habitat in Michigan. From planting to tackling invasive species, check out this two-minute video [ [link removed] ] to see the year-round teamwork and dedication that goes into making a premier destination for migrating birds and waterfowl hunters alike.

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30th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl & Outdoor Festival
Youth duck calling contest

A contestant gives their all during the youth waterfowl calling contest.

Thousands of people turned out for the 30th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl & Outdoor Festival [ [link removed] ] Aug. 2-3 at Bay City State Park, to celebrate the Saginaw Bay’s world-class migratory waterfowl destinations, the sport of waterfowl hunting and wetland conservation.

The waterfowl and outdoor expo featured over 30 vendors, including a variety of conservation groups, waterfowl hunting artisans and outfitters. Duck and goose calling competitions took place throughout the festival, including the Michigan state qualifier for the world championship in Stuttgart, Arkansas.

Families explored a duck species identification trail around the Tobico Marsh, and park interpreters guided kids through an archery target trail, giving lessons in how to use a bow and arrow. Kids built their own wood duck boxes, received free duck calls and participated in calling clinics. Pheasants Forever provided gun safety and BB gun instruction with their No Child Left Indoors program trailer.

The 2025 Michigan Duck Stamp Contest results were announced, and the first-place winner is Adam Oswald from Harrisburg, South Dakota. His painting depicting Canvasback ducks will be the 50th anniversary stamp in 2026.

The Saginaw Bay region is a vital ecosystem with wetland habitats like the Tobico Marsh at Bay City State Park, and nearby Nayanquing Point and Fish Point. These areas are major stopovers for North America’s waterfowl populations during fall and spring migration.

In addition to providing habitat for waterfowl, wetlands are natural filtration systems for contaminants that flow into our watersheds from industry, agriculture and transportation. When we take care of wetland habitats, we improve the quality of groundwater and the Great Lakes — providing clean drinking water to millions of people.

Through the sale of hunting licenses and excise taxes, Michigan’s waterfowl hunters are major contributors to wetland conservation. Join us at the Saginaw Bay Waterfowl & Outdoor Festival next year to celebrate this important work to protect both waterfowl and the wetlands they call home.

Wood duck box building

Wood duck box building.

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Rare species paint the walls in Grand Rapids
Murals painted in the Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival

A sample of murals from the Pleasant Peninsula mural festival.

On July 26, the *Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival [ [link removed] ] *unveiled 21 vibrant murals in downtown Grand Rapids — each one highlighting a species from Michigan’s Threatened and Endangered Species List [ [link removed] ].

Muralists from across the country collaborated with Michigan-based researchers and conservationists to bring these species to life through powerful visual storytelling. DNR staff joined in the fun by hosting an educational booth and delivering remarks on cultivating belonging in the conservation field and expanding access to outdoor spaces for all communities.

See all 21 murals along Front Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids, beneath the U.S. 131 overpass near the Blue Bridge. Learn more about the featured species and their conservation on the Pleasant Peninsula 2025 featured species page [ [link removed] ]. 

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Report your turkey observations
wild turkeys in field

A flock of eastern wild turkeys.

See wild turkeys? Let us know! The DNR’s *annual turkey brood survey [ [link removed] ] *is underway now through Aug. 31. Anyone in Michigan can report sightings of wild turkeys or hens with young using the online form. Your observations help track turkey population health. 

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Do you visit Michigan’s state wildlife areas? Tell us about your experiences
Back view of two people dressed in warm clothing and hats, hiking a trail at Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Two hikers walk along a forested trail.

If you enjoy Michigan’s state wildlife and game areas—whether for hiking, hunting, fishing, birding or simply connecting with nature—we want to hear from you! The DNR Wildlife Division is partnering with Michigan State University to learn more about how people use and value these public lands.

You’re invited to join a focus group to share your experiences. Feedback will help inform future planning and management.

*Upcoming sessions:*


*

Aug. 5, 5-7 p.m. – Cheboygan.


*

Aug. 7, 6-8 p.m. – Marquette (western U.P. GEMS).


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Aug. 8, 3-5 p.m. – Marquette (eastern U.P. GEMS).


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Aug. 9, noon-1:30 p.m. – St. Ignace.


*

Aug. 29, 2-4 p.m. – Saginaw.

*Learn more and register to participate. ► [ [link removed] ]*

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Lend a helping hand on state land
A group heads into the forest to remove invasive species

A group of stewardship volunteers walk to a project site.

*Volunteer stewardship days* are one of the best ways to support local wildlife. Summer events are happening statewide – find one near you.

*Aug. 9: *Ice storm relief in wildlife openings and trails in Grayling Forest Management Unit (Oscoda County)  [ [link removed] ]

*Aug. 30: *Invasive species removal at Gourdneck State Game Area (Kalamazoo County) [ [link removed] ]

*Find more volunteer stewardship days. ► [ [link removed] ]*

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MiBirds webinar: Birding on state game areas
Birdwatchers enjoy a beautiful, sunny, blue-sky day in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

A group of bird watchers look across a grassland.

Migratory birds have settled in across Michigan and are filling the air with their melodic songs. But don’t wait too long to plan an early morning trip out to your local public lands to experience nature’s symphony. Bird songs dissipate at the end of the month, when most birds are busy rearing their young.  *Learn more about which bird species to expect and where to find them* [ [link removed] ]*.*

Explore MI Birds webinars to learn more about Michigan’s birds and the public lands they depend on! Watch these webinar recordings:


* Restoring Michigan’s Black Tern Population: Michigan’s Most Mysterious Marsh Dweller [ [link removed] ].
* Demystifying Paw Paw River State Game Area and the West Michigan Coastal Corridor [ [link removed] ].
* Demystifying Portage Marsh State Wildlife Area [ [link removed] ].

"MI Birds [ [link removed] ] is a public outreach and education program created by Audubon Great Lakes and the Michigan DNR. Birders and hunters share similar conservation values, but rarely cross paths. MI Birds aims to bridge the divide and increase and deepen Michiganders' engagement in the understanding, care and stewardship of public lands that are important for birds and communities."

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Attend

*Aug. 14: [ [link removed] ]* Natural Resources Commission meeting in Gaylord.

*Sept. 11: [ [link removed] ] *Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing.

*Oct. 9: [ [link removed] ] *Natural Resources Commission meeting in Houghton.




Grants/Jobs

DNR jobs [ [link removed] ]

DNR grants [ [link removed] ]

More ways to get involved with the DNR [ [link removed] ]

 




Support

Purchase a Kirtland's warbler wildlife habitat license plate [ [link removed] ] and help protect Michigan’s most vulnerable species.





"Learn more: Michigan.gov/Wildlife [ [link removed] ]"


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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Natural Resources · Constitution Hall, 525 W. Allegan St., PO Box 30028 Lansing MI 48909 · 1-800-439-1420