Bellow Island

Bellow Island, also known as Gull Island, is an island in the Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan, located in Leelanau Township, Leelanau County, Michigan.[1]

Bellow Island
Bellow Island is located in Michigan
Bellow Island
Bellow Island
Bellow Island is located in the United States
Bellow Island
Bellow Island
Geography
LocationGrand Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan
Coordinates45.0999996°N 85.5675837°W / 45.0999996; -85.5675837
Area7 acres (2.8 ha)
Highest elevation179 m (587 ft)
Administration
StateMichigan
CountyLeelanau County
TownshipLeelanau Township
Demographics
PopulationUninhabited

Bellow Island lies a little over a mile off the coast of Leelanau Peninsula in Northport Bay. The island is preserved as a sanctuary for herring gulls. A deteriorating cottage on south side is the only structure on the island.

History

A cottage was built in 1910 by Edward Taylor Ustick Sr., after he purchased the island. It was designed by prominent Traverse City architect Jens C. Petersen. The cottage and island ownership passed through his family until 1948 when the house was destroyed by vandals.[2] Tourism by Northport visitors to the island was common in the early 50s, but died off soon after. During the mid-60s, the first discoveries of the pesticide DDT's impact on thinning bird shells occurred on the island.[3] It has been owned and operated by the Leelanau Conservancy since it was donated to them in 1995.[4] The island is now sealed off from the public and no humans are allowed to disturb the nesting birds.

Ecology

The island is an important site for herring gull research, as it is one of the largest nesting herring gull colonies in Northern Michigan. Other major species that nest there include Double-crested cormorants and Ring-billed gulls. The first discoveries of the pesticide DDT's impact on thinning bird shells occurred on the island through research funded by the University of Michigan in the mid-60s.[3]

Climate
Bellow Island
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
79
 
 
−5
−11
 
 
61
 
 
−11
−20
 
 
60
 
 
−2
−10
 
 
126
 
 
3
−3
 
 
101
 
 
9
3
 
 
86
 
 
16
10
 
 
94
 
 
20
15
 
 
59
 
 
18
16
 
 
124
 
 
17
16
 
 
173
 
 
9
8
 
 
124
 
 
9
5
 
 
78
 
 
3
−2
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [5]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
3.1
 
 
23
12
 
 
2.4
 
 
12
−4
 
 
2.4
 
 
28
14
 
 
5
 
 
37
27
 
 
4
 
 
48
37
 
 
3.4
 
 
61
50
 
 
3.7
 
 
68
59
 
 
2.3
 
 
64
61
 
 
4.9
 
 
63
61
 
 
6.8
 
 
48
46
 
 
4.9
 
 
48
41
 
 
3.1
 
 
37
28
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

References
  1. "Report for: Bellow Island". USGS. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  2. Miller, Gary. "Northport's Gull Island: The True Story". My North.com. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  3. Smith, Jeff (9 May 2017). "The Science Behind Northport's Gull Island". MyNorth.com. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  4. "Gull Island Preserve". Leelanau Conservancy. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  5. "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
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