Chris Izworski's daily Michigan birding report turns to Charlevoix County this morning, where the past two weeks have delivered steady late-summer activity across the northern Lower Peninsula. The eBird data shows 118 species recorded in 118 observations, a solid baseline for mid-August in this region. Waterfowl dominate the recent reports: Canada Geese continue to congregate at St. James Main Street with 26 individuals recorded as recently as August 10, while Common Mergansers (12 birds) and Mallards (13 birds) are working the deeper water off Lake Shore Drive in Charlevoix. A small Trumpeter Swan flock of 7 birds was logged at East Jordan Wastewater on August 3, though no updates have come in since.
Upland Birds and Warblers on the Move
Eastern Bluebirds have shown strong presence at Beaver Island Airport with 16 individuals as of August 9, a notable concentration for this county. Wild Turkeys, 13 birds, were documented along US-31 south of Charlevoix on August 10. Blue Jays remain active at St. James with 21 sightings. On the passerine side, finch activity is light but present: House Finches (6 birds) last logged August 3 at Sportsman's Park, and Purple Finches (5 birds) seen August 29 at Ferry Road near Charlevoix. American Black Ducks (6 individuals) turned up at North Point on August 9, a good spot to recheck if you're working through dabbling duck variety. The warbler situation is what you'd expect for mid-August: the bulk of breeding activity is complete, and migrants have begun filtering through with drab juvenile and fall plumage. No rare warblers flagged in the past two weeks, which tracks with typical late-summer patterns here.
Weather and Today's Birding Window
The forecast calls for 80 degrees with a 30 percent chance of showers and nearly calm winds from the north at 5 mph. Those light conditions, paired with partly sunny skies, mean the thermal activity should remain moderate. Sunrise is at 6:35 AM with a dawn chorus window closing by 8:05 AM, so if you're targeting any early vocalizers you have roughly ninety minutes of optimal light and sound. Tonight's low of 63 degrees with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms could stir some nighthawk activity on still, humid evenings, a seasonal specialty here. Tomorrow morning looks even better: mostly sunny, calm winds, and temperatures near 78 degrees by afternoon. If you're flexible, Wednesday may be the stronger day for exploring open water and shoreline habitat.
Hotspots for Today
Fisherman's Island State Park remains the county's top birding destination with 230 species on its all-time list, and the varied habitat here (forests, shoreline, inland ponds) delivers consistent returns even in August. If you want to focus on waterfowl and shorebirds without the drive time, Gull Harbor (179 all-time species) has been active recently, with Northern Rough-winged Swallows (4 birds) logged there on August 7. East Jordan Wastewater (171 all-time species) is worth a morning check for anything moving through the marsh margins and retention ponds; this is prime staging ground as fall migration deepens. Sportsman's Park rounds out the reliable list at 199 all-time species and tends to concentrate residual breeding activity and early migrants in mixed flocks by late August.
No rare or notable flagged sightings in the past two weeks means this is working-baseline birding territory. That does not diminish it; Charlevoix County's position on the Lake Michigan shoreline and its mosaic of wetlands, woodlots, and open water ensure consistent species turnover. Focus on waterbirds, shorebirds now peaking, and the vanguard of fall warblers filtering in with dull plumages. The data is current through August 10, so anything you find today will add to the picture.
Follow live reports and check the full county data at https://birding.chrisizworski.com.