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This spring itinerary winds its way through the less-busy sides of Michigan during the peak of spring migration. We'll start among the sand dunes of the southern Lake Michigan coast (guide Cory Gregory's former haunts), where we'll hope for breeding Louisiana Waterthrushes, Prairie Warblers, and Cerulean Warblers, continue through the grasslands of western Michigan that Upland Sandpipers, Sedge Wrens, and Henslow's Sparrows call home, proceed northward to the boreal forests and bogs of the Upper Peninsula, and then return southward along the scenic Lake Huron coastline with a grand finale of birding the famed Tawas Point!

The wide range of habitats and latitudes that Michigan hosts (not rivaled by any other Midwestern state) yields an excellent variety of breeding and migrating songbirds. From local southern breeding species like Yellow-throated Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, and Hooded Warbler to northern breeders like Nashville Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler, this tour is sure to encounter an impressive variety of species. In fact, we'll of course make a special effort to see the rare and threatened Kirtland's Warbler in the native Jack Pine forests of northern Michigan.

Crossing the historic and impressive Mackinac Bridge, we'll continue north to the grasslands and bogs of the Upper Peninsula, where we'll hope for targets such as Spruce Grouse and Sharp-tailed Grouse. If we're very lucky, we might bump into the rare Black-backed Woodpecker. We'll also visit well-known Whitefish Point, where the songbird and waterbird migration can be legendary. The rocky beaches there may host a variety of migrant shorebirds and probably some breeding Piping Plovers! Or, after dark, maybe we'll see a Saw-whet Owl being banded by researchers. Last, we'll spend two nights near Tawas Point on the Lake Huron coastline, a site that easily ranks as one of the premier Midwestern migration hotspots. If we're lucky with weather, the migration spectacle here can be breathtaking!

Come visit one of the most diverse Midwestern states, dip your toes into three Great Lakes, see the rare Kirtland's Warbler, and see what spring migration in Michigan is all about!

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Client comment
"This was a terrific tour experience! Cory Gregory is a wonderful guide--knowledgeable, informative, personable, and patient. And great at getting all the target birds. I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful and diverse Michigan countryside. I also liked that the group was small. The Field Guides tours I've been on have been better-run and better-guided than those with other companies and private guides I've taken." P.P., MICHIGAN: GREAT LAKES GRANDEUR tour participant