Location:

Northwest Indiana

Porter County, Indiana

DeLorme Page 19, Grid C-7, C-8 [Just northwest of "Burns Harbor"]

Description:

The Port of Indiana is a deep-water international shipping port located at the southern tip of Lake Michigan. Although most of the Port is off-limits to the general public, a one-acre Public Access Area on the northeastern edge affords birders a very good view of its harbor and breakwalls.

The deep waters of the Port serve as a productive feeding area for migrating and wintering waterfowl; in fact, during the winter months, Burns Harbor may be the single most reliable location on the lakefront for viewing bay ducks. The breakwalls that surround the harbor serve as prime resting areas for gulls, making it easy to scan quickly for unusual larids. Particularly good birding occurs on windy days during waterfowl migration when a seemingly steady stream of lake migrants files past the Port--often flying directly over the Public Access Area. On these days it often pays to spend considerable time at the Port watching for rarities. The main road at the Port (Port Main Road) can be productive as well, especially after a fresh snowfall when birds feed on spilled grain along the roadside.

Typical Time to Bird Site: 15-60 Minutes, depending on bird movement along the lake.

Birds:

Overview:

Migrating and wintering loons, grebes, and bay ducks can be found feeding here when open water is available. Dabbling ducks and other lake migrants can be seen mainly in flight during migration. Gulls are common year-round.

Specialty Species:

White-winged , Black , and Surf Scoters occur here regularly from mid-October through mid-November, although rarely together at the same time. Harlequin Ducks are often found diving in the rough waters near the outer breakwalls. They are most prevalent November through March, often overwintering if open water remains available. The Port may be the most reliable location on the Indiana Lakefront for Great Black-backed Gulls in the months of January and February. Snowy Owls , usually perched on harbor breakwalls, have been occasional in recent years in November and December. Horned Larks, Snow Buntings , and Lapland Longspurs are often found after a fresh snowfall eating spilled grain along the main road inside the Port.

Noteworthy Records:

Pacific Loon

Western Grebe

Brown Pelican - (Jun-Jul-1990); (11-Jul-1999)
Unidentified Plegadis Ibis - (27-Oct-1979)

King Eider

Purple Sandpiper

Parasitic Jaeger

Laughing Gull

Thayer's Gull

Glaucous Gull

Black-legged Kittiwake

Peregrine Falcon

Merlin

General:

Ownership:

State of Indiana / Indiana Port Commission

1-800-232-PORT (Inside Indiana)

1-800-233-PORT (Outside Indiana)

Hours:

None.

Fees:

None.

Access Restrictions:

Birders must check in at the state police gatehouse at the port entrance; birders and fishermen are allowed into a Public Access Area from which the harbor can be viewed.

Restrooms:

Outhouses are available at the Public Access Area.

Lodging:

Camping facilities are available at the Indiana Dunes State Park and at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's Dunewood Campground, both of which are located some 6-7 miles to the east of the Port on US 12.

Special Considerations:

Parking: Parking is available at the Public Access Area. Be aware of trucks and other large equipment when driving inside the Port.

Temporal Considerations:

By far the best birding at the Port occurs from fall to spring, encompassing both waterfowl migration periods and the productive winter months. In particular, windy days during fall migration often yield exceptional waterfowl numbers. Wintering bay ducks are usually present as long as open water is available.

Directions:

From the South: Take I-65 north to I-80/94. Go east on I-80/94 and continue east on I-94 after I-80 splits off to join the toll road. Exit from I-94 onto Highway 249 north (exit #19), which leads directly to the state police gatehouse at the Port entrance. Once at the gatehouse, Highway 249 becomes Port Main Road. After checking in, continue north past the gatehouse, through the stop sign at Joe Perez Drive, until Port Main Road forms a "T" intersection with Ship Drive. Turn right (east) onto Ship Drive and the road soon curves north again where it becomes Steel Drive. Take Steel Drive across the three railroad tracks (where it becomes dirt), and stay on the dirt road as it swings right (east). This dirt road leads directly to the Public Access Area.

References:

Brock, Kenneth J.

Birds of the Indiana Dunes. Revised Edition.

The Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund, 1997.

Brock, Kenneth J.

"Deletion of the Tufted Duck From the Indiana Checklist."

Indiana Audubon Quarterly 68.1 (1990): 48-53.

Brock, Kenneth J.

"Indiana's First Nesting Record of the Herring Gull."

Indiana Audubon Quarterly 65.1 (1987): 15-7.

Brock, Kenneth J., Ted T. Cable, and Russell E. Mumford.

"Indiana's First Tufted Duck."

Indiana Audubon Quarterly 57.4 (1979): 234-36.

Keller, Charles E., Shirley A. Keller, and Timothy C. Keller.

Indiana Birds and Their Haunts: A Checklist and Finding Guide. Second Edition.

Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986.

Links:

Indiana Port Commission Website - Burns International Harbor

General information on Burns International Harbor.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Map

This map from the IDNL website shows the Port of Indiana in relation to Dunes State Park and other key elements of the National Lakeshore.

Credits: