Chris Izworski reporting from Michigan turns to Alpena County this morning, where the Lake Huron shoreline is concentrating waterfowl in numbers worth the drive north. The past two weeks have logged 107 species across the county, with activity centered on the immediate coastline and inland bays where open water still dominates the landscape.
Waterfowl Movement on Lake Huron
Mich-e-ke-wis Park and Starlite Beach remain the reporting engine for the county, and yesterday's counts tell the story of peak waterfowl passage. 175 American Herring Gulls, 125 Greater Scaup, and 125 Double-crested Cormorants were tallied on April 22. The scaup numbers in particular reflect the spring push northward; Greater Scaup staging in these numbers at a specific shoreline location makes for concentrated viewing. Ring-billed Gulls hit 50 birds at the same spot. Redheads, Buffleheads, and Common Goldeneyes all showed in double digits. American Wigeon pushed through with seven individuals recorded.
Isaacson Bay held a different suite of dabbling ducks, with 41 Green-winged Teal logged on April 16, along with 14 American Black Ducks and eight Canvasbacks. These bays are working as expected during spring migration: open water concentrating migrants as they move up the state.
Notable Sightings and the Outlook
The rare bird alerts pulled three flagged sightings in the past two weeks. An American Pipit showed at Mich-e-ke-wis Park on April 22, the kind of shorebird-adjacent species that turns up when timing aligns with migration pulses. Evening Grosbeak reports from mid-April, including a count of four birds on April 17, suggest the late finches were lingering well into spring this year. Earlier in the period, three American White Pelicans appeared at Partridge Point on April 10; pelicans in April at the northern Lake Huron shore are always noteworthy.
Tree Swallows have arrived in force, with 80 recorded at Lake Besser and the 9th Street Dam as of April 18. Golden-crowned Kinglets remain active in the understory at Bare Point with 25 individuals noted. Red-breasted Nuthatches and American Goldfinches continue to show in the teens.
Conditions and Timing
Today brings mostly sunny skies, 69 degrees, and light southeast wind at 5 to 10 mph. That is excellent stable weather for a long day afield. The southeast wind is not a strong migration driver, but the clear conditions and 13 hours 50 minutes of daylight make for good viewing. Dawn chorus runs from 6:08 to 8:08 am if you are interested in calling birds in; that window is shortening by a few seconds per day now as we move through late April.
Tomorrow's forecast shifts toward rain showers with easterly wind picking up to 10 to 15 mph. If you are heading to Alpena County, today is the better choice.
Where to Go
Mich-e-ke-wis Park and Starlite Beach is the obvious choice if you want to see the concentration of waterfowl that has been reported daily. The lakeshore there has produced the largest counts all week. Isaacson Bay is the alternative if you want to focus on dabbling ducks and have more room to work. Both sit at opposite ends of the accessible lake front in the county.
Partridge Point, the all-time hotspot for the county at 210 species, holds the historical track record if you want to cover ground and pick up the broader suite of spring migrants as they filter through.
Track live reports and access the full county data at https://birding.chrisizworski.com.