Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan, turns to Mason County this morning where fall migration is moving through in earnest and some legitimately noteworthy sightings have surfaced in the past week. The county has logged 154 species in the last fourteen days, and while the headline numbers belong to blackbirds and cranes, it is the scattered rarities that make this moment worth your attention if you are anywhere near the Ludington area.
Sandhill Cranes and the Farmland Congregations
The dominant story in Mason County right now is Sandhill Cranes. Fifty individuals have been reported at the corner of Beyer and Ehler as recently as September 16. These are staging birds, feeding heavily before pushing north or holding in the region depending on how the weather patterns play out over the next few weeks. That concentration is worth a drive if you have never worked a Sandhill Crane flock in person; the vocalizations alone justify the trip. The farmland corridor in this part of the county is also holding forty Lapland Longspurs at Best in the East as of September 11, a good count for this region at this time of year. If you are heading out today with the northeast wind at seven miles per hour and partly sunny conditions, the morning light will be decent through mid-morning before clouds build ahead of tonight's showers.
Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles are moving through in loose aggregations; thirty-five individuals of each have been noted at separate locations along Stiles Road and at Ludington State Park. These are not unusual counts for mid-September, but they underline that the shift southward is well underway. European Starlings at twenty-five birds on Tuttle Road farmland are equally routine for the season.
The Rarer Finds: Whip-poor-wills, Crossbills, and a Baltimore Oriole
More compelling are the flagged sightings that came in earlier this week. Eastern Whip-poor-wills turned up twice at Kid Ranch CSA Farm on September 15, two birds each time. A single Whip-poor-will also appeared at Ludington State Park on September 16. These are not birds you stumble upon casually in Mason County; they represent legitimate late-season lingerers or early migrants passing through. If the weather shifts and brings any kind of overnight rain or fog tonight and into tomorrow, it would be worth checking those same locations at dawn.
Red Crossbills, likewise, are notable sightings. Two birds were documented at Ludington State Park on September 15. Crossbills are irruptive and unpredictable, and a pair hanging around the park suggests food availability is drawing them. That is worth monitoring if you are in the area over the next few days.
A Baltimore Oriole was reported at a swamp location near an American Bittern on September 15. Again, this is not the height of oriole season in Michigan, so a lingering bird warrants a check if you know the location.
A Veery at Best in the East on September 17, a Least Flycatcher at Ludington State Park on September 16, and what appears to be a concentration of Turkey Vultures, twenty birds at Best in the East on September 17, round out the more interesting reports. The vultures may simply be thermals working in favorable conditions, but they are worth noting if you are scanning the sky.
Where to Point Your Binoculars Today
Ludington State Park remains the strongest all-purpose option with 272 species recorded all-time and recent activity that includes Whip-poor-wills, Red Crossbills, Least Flycatcher, Common Grackles, and Ring-billed Gulls. The park's habitat diversity is why it consistently produces. Freeman Road ponds, with 180 all-time species, would be your second choice if shorebird and waterfowl movement is your focus; Lesser Yellowlegs have been active there, and the pond system is a natural funnel for fall migrants.
The weather forecast shows partly sunny skies through this morning with a northeast wind, making the early hours prime for stationary birding before rain showers become likely this evening and tomorrow. Day length is shortening rapidly now at just over twelve hours, so if you head out, get started by seven thirty to maximize your window.
For the live eBird map and full county data, visit https://birding.chrisizworski.com.