Memorial Day Weekend Field Trip to Tawas City, Michigan, May 23 - 26.
Late May is a good time to bird the sparsely populated Upper Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Trip co-leader Cory Gildersleeve will have birded the area intensively for three weeks before our arrival and will have staked out any special birds. We'll stay at the Crow's Nest Inn, Tawas City , the nights of May 23-25. They offer a special Tawas Birding Festival rate of $45.99 for any standard room. You must call (989) 362-4455 and mention the Festival to get this rate, which cannot be used with any other discounts. A continental breakfast will be served from 5:30 a.m. to accommodate birders. Carpooling from Indianapolis is strongly encouraged and will be essential on Saturday and Sunday because of limited pullouts on back roads. Breakfasts will be on our own. All of our lunches are scheduled to be on the road; the Crow's Nest will accommodate us by providing box lunches that can be ordered at the desk and picked up the next morning. Note that Michigan state parks charge a per-car fee of $6.
What to bring: binoculars, a telescope if you have one, camera, insect repellent, sunscreen, hat, umbrella or raingear, and plenty of warm plain-colored clothing (we want to be inconspicuous to the wildlife). Night temperatures in May can drop to freezing, but the average is 50-76¡. Hiking boots are recommended. Bring rubber boots if you want to venture into bogs and marshes. If you have room in your car you might want to bring a cooler to hold beverages and snacks.
General information: We'll arise early and retire fairly late on Saturday and Sunday and have a leisurely start on Monday. Sunrise will be at 6 a.m., sunset at 9 p.m. Our itinerary is flexible. We'll spend more time at productive spots and less time where there's little to see. In addition to enjoying the birds, I'd encourage you to enjoy the trees, wildflowers, fresh air, lush meadows, and everything else in the areas we traverse.
Itinerary
Friday, May 23
Meet at McDonalds in Fishers just west of I-69 at 116th St. or park at my house in Fishers and carpool. Drive to Tawas, Michigan, about 400 miles from Indianapolis, stopping periodically for gas, food, and leg stretching. Our first birding stop will be at the Bay City State Recreation Area. Target birds include Caspian Tern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, American Bittern, and Marsh Wren. We'll drive the remaining 70 miles to Tawas City and check in at the Crow's Nest. Dinner in Tawas with evening birding at Tawas Point for migrants.
Saturday, May 24
Drive to Pine River to see Kirtland's Warbler. Other target species include Vesper Sparrow, Upland Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Clay colored Sparrow. Lunch at picnic tables at Foote Pond, where we'll view nesting Trumpeter Swans. Wildflower walk along the bank of the pristine Au Sable River -- columbine, nodding trillium, trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, and yellow violet. Then to the Alcona fallow farmlands, where our target species include Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Purple Finch, Eastern Kingbird, and Pine Warbler. Dinner in Tawas with evening birding at Tawas Point for migrants.Sunday, May 25
Bird Tawas Point until lunch, which we'll enjoy at the pavilion at Tawas Point. Drive to Clark's Marsh, where target species include Upland Sandpiper, Bobolink, Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark. In the event of high winds, the lower elevations of Clark's Marsh will be filled with warblers, as it is the only wind-protected feeding area for many miles. With USFS permission, Cory will show us active Bald Eagle nest at Eagle Run at eye-level. During the afternoon we'll make stops at various overlooks along the Au Sable River. Evening meal at Bear's Den or Desi's Mexican Restaurant, then an evening trip to Tuttle Marsh. Target species include Virginia Rail, Sora, American Bittern, Least Bittern, Common Nighthawk feeding over the marsh, Black Tern, and Golden-winged Warbler.Monday, May 26
We'll leave Tawas City and drive home with birding stops along the way.Previous (2003) trip, different itinerary.