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Location:
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Northwest Indiana
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Lake County, Indiana
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DeLorme
Page 18, Grid B-3 (Labeled "Migrant Trap")
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GPS: 41º 41' 48.3" N 87º 30' 43.9" W
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Description:
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The Hammond Lakefront Park & Bird Sanctuary, a 600-meter wooded strip of lakefront
fill, lies within a kilometer of the Illinois line on Lake Michigan. A
virtual oasis of vegetation within a vast urban sprawl, this site, once well-known simply as
"The Migrant Trap", is flanked
to the west by the Commonwealth Edison power plant and to the east by
Hammond Marina. True to its name, the Bird Sanctuary produces great concentrations
of migrant passerines in spring and fall as they search for cover en route
across northwest Indiana. The city of Hammond has acknowledged the
importance of the Lakefront Park & Bird Sanctuary to avian migration through the Calumet
Region and has set aside much of the land as a permanent migratory bird
sanctuary.
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On one hand, describing the habitat
afforded by the Bird Sanctuary isn't a crucial issue, since its isolation in
this industrial region indiscriminately attracts migrants of widely varying
habitat specificities. However the Trap does in fact contain several types
of habitat, namely the tall grass and weeds of the southern boundary (along
the parking lot), the wooded interior, and the sandy beach of the northern
boundary. Although the rough footpath that longitudinally crisscrosses the
site leaves many good areas unreachable, concrete boulders and construction
fill make birding off the path quite treacherous and caution should be taken
when combing these sections. The most productive birding route through the
site seems to entail entering from the eastern edge, birding the interior
trail in a westward direction, and returning eastward along the tracks at
the southern grassy edge where sparrows are often abundant. Spreading the
birding party out to comb the vegetation works best to thoroughly check the
Trap, and scanning the lakefront at least once is also recommended.
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The site is accessible to the walking disabled, provided they stay on the
established trails and exercise caution. Note that the trails are not
currently maintained and do not have a consistent covering.
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Typical Time to Bird Site: 45-90 Minutes
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Birds:
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Overview:
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The Lakefront Park & Bird Sanctuary is almost certainly the best location in the Calumet region
to observe migrating passerines. Bird families most likely to be encountered
here include wrens, thrushes, vireos, warblers, and sparrows.
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Specialty Species:
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Connecticut Warbler
- mid to late May and early to mid-September; an impressive twenty-five percent
of Dunes area Connecticut Warbler records come from the Migrant Trap.
Mourning Warbler
- mid to late May and early September.
Clay-colored Sparrow
- early to mid-May and throughout October; recorded nearly annually at the Trap.
LeConte's Sparrow
- first three weeks of October; also recorded nearly annually. This bird pictured in this link was photographed at the Trap by Jeff McCoy on
21-Apr-2003.
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Noteworthy Records:
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Eared Grebe
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Piping Plover
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Parasitic Jaeger
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Kelp Gull - (19-Oct-1996)
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Laughing Gull
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Whip-poor-will
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Barn Owl
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Long-eared Owl
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Short-eared Owl
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Bewick's Wren
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Lark Sparrow
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Harris' Sparrow
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General:
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Ownership:
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City of Hammond, Indiana
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Hammond Parks and Recreation Department: 219-853-6378
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Hours:
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None.
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Fees:
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None.
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Restrooms:
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Available at the east end of the Trap at Hammond Marina. May be locked at times.
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Lodging:
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Hotel/motel accomodations are available in Hammond and other nearby lakefront cities.
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Special Considerations:
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Terrain: Very rough when off the footpath--please exercise caution!
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Traffic: Parking is available in the Hammond Riverboat Casino parking lot.
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Temporal Considerations:
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Virtually all activity at the Lakefront Park & Bird Sanctuary occurs during migration. Southbound
migrants (Mid-August through October) follow the lakeshore and emerge from
their nocturnal flights in the sparse cover of the Trap. Impressive numbers of
spring records occur in May. As is the case with other migrant passerine
"traps", the most productive birding days tend to be those following overnight
storms or the passage of tumultuous weather fronts.
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Directions:
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From the South:
Take I-65 north to I-90 (The Indiana Toll Road). Go west on
I-90 and exit at exit #0 (the last Indiana exit, just after the last set of
tollbooths). Immediately after leaving the interstate, the off-ramp
divides: take the left road. Within 100 yards the road terminates at a
cross street and stop sign. Turn right, and this street will intersect
Indianapolis Blvd within 50 yards. Turn right on Indianapolis Blvd. The
overpass to Hammond Marina and the gambling boats will soon be visible. As
the overpass descends, make a very hard right turn (like a U-turn) onto a
frontage road that leads to the large Hammond Casino parking lot. Park near
the large strip of woods that lies just west of Hammond Marina, allowing
easy access to the eastern end of the Migrant Trap.
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From the East:
Take I-90 (The Toll Road) west across northern Indiana. Alternatively, one
could take I-94 west and exit onto I-90 at exit #16. Continue west on I-90 to
exit #0. Proceed to the Migrant Trap as described above.
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References:
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Brock, Kenneth J.
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Birds of the Indiana Dunes.
Revised Edition.
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The Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund, 1997.
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Brock, Kenneth J.
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"Fall Warblers at the Migrant Trap, Hammond, Indiana."
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Indiana Audubon Quarterly
70.3 (1992): 154-162.
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Brock, Kenneth J.
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"The Migrant Trap--Birding Jewel of the Indiana Lakefront."
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Winging It
9.4 (1997): 1, 4-6.
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Seng, Phil T., and David J. Case.
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Indiana Wildlife Viewing Guide.
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Helena, MT: Falcon Press, 1992.
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White, Mel.
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National Geographic Guide to Birdwatching Sites - Eastern U.S.
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Washington, D.C.: The National Geographic Society, 1999.
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Credits:
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Author:
Ken Brock
Editor:
Darel Heitkamp
Gallery Photos:
Jeff McCoy and John Cassady
This guide was developed through the collaborative efforts of Phil Kelly, Joanne Kelly, and Darel Heitkamp.
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