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Michigan has some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities around. This quarterly newsletter will give you some tips on how to get involved, what to watch for, where to go and the great wildlife conservation work going on across the state. Enjoy!
 An adult cicada emerges from its exoskeleton. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The noisy buzz of cicadas often fills those hazy, hot summer days, and this summer will be no exception. In fact, depending on where you are, you already may have noticed more cicadas this year.
Dog day cicadas spend the beginning of their lives underground and then crawl out to become adults in the summer heat each year. Did you know that Michigan is home to another type of cicada? Unlike dog day cicadas, the periodical cicadas stay underground for over a decade and then emerge as adults in one giant frenzy every 17 years before the young they leave behind disappear for the next 17 years.
If you've been in some of Michigan's southern counties, maybe you were lucky enough to spot some Brood X cicadas!
Brood X ►
Listen to the July 2021 Wildtalk Podcast episode interview with the "Bug Man" to learn more about cicadas in Michigan.
 Audubon Great Lakes offers tips on how to identify five common warbler species found in the Great Lakes region: yellow-rumped warbler, palm warbler, American redstart, common yellowthroat and yellow warbler (pictured).
 From the little round piping plover to the swift and noble peregrine falcon (pictured; photo by Mick Thompson), Michigan is home to more than 400 species of birds. Get familiar with your local birds and the 103 Important Bird Areas across the state that they depend on by following MI Birds – a joint effort between Audubon Great Lakes and the Michigan DNR to bring together wildlife enthusiasts across the state.
MI Birds is your one-stop shop for all things birds in Michigan. Follow MI Birds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and sign up for email updates.
 Hog-nosed snakes can be found throughout much of the state and are one of the many harmless species found in Michigan. They prefer areas with sandy soils, and their favorite prey are toads. It may be startling to see one of these snakes because they often will flatten their head and hiss loudly as a defensive posture to appear more intimidating, but the hog-nosed snake is not venomous and poses no danger to people.
Want more snake ID tips? Check out our 60-Second Snakes video series or visit our Michigan's Snakes webpage to learn more.
The Michigan Herp Atlas Project is a community science program that collects observation data about Michigan’s amphibians and reptiles (collectively known as herpetofauna or “herps”) so we can document their distribution and changes in their populations statewide. Herps are an important group of animals in our natural ecosystems, acting both as predators and prey to a number of species across Michigan’s forests, grasslands and wetlands.
The Michigan Herp Atlas is a collaboration administered by Herpetological Resource and Management in coordination with the DNR and other partners.
The Michigan Herp Atlas site has been updated recently and is now mobile-friendly, making it even easier to report your sightings. You can record your reptile and amphibian sightings, see where species have been documented and more at MIHerpAtlas.org.
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Not sure where to start when planning your summer birding trip? Check out one of the many birding hotspots in Michigan!
Summer birding in Michigan ►
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