Bird Watching in Mackinac County

The perfect place for bird watching is Mackinac County, a place rich in marshes, rocky peninsulas and sandy coves. Forests of white cedar, balsam fir, white birch and quaking aspen dominate the shores. Hardwood forests of sugar maple and beech favor the deeper soils inland.

Wetlands range from marshes along Lake Huron with their neighboring sedge meadows, to bogs with tamarack and black spruce and white cedar swamps. White and red pine tower above sand ridges and old beaches near the lake meadows and other grasslands can be found just inland.

This area is a migratory stopover site and significant nesting area for over 275 bird species. The forested shoreline and peninsulas provide landing and launching habitat for birds crossing over the straits in the spring and fall. Inventories have shown a wide variety of bird species including neo-tropical warblers, waterfowl and arctic species.

The rich diversity of habitats and the changing seasons provide a constantly varying panorama for bird watchers. Many species of birds found in Mackinac County remain here all year. Some migrate through our area, others breed here and winter far south, while still others breed as far north as the arctic and come south to winter here.

R.V. Dietrich is an avid bird watcher in Mackinac County.  His website includes a photo album and an A.O.U.(Audobon Ornithologist's Union) checklist.