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Spring Birding

A Kirtlands warbler sitting in a tree

Spring Birding

Red-winged blackbirds

Find a damp weedy roadside ditch and enjoy the show as male red-winged blackbirds pop up ready for a fight in defense of their lady.

Sandhill cranes

Photo: Betsy Bloom/Iron Mountain Daily News

In early spring, sandhill cranes migrate to their breeding grounds. Try to catch a glimpse of their dance or hear their distinctive call.

Canada geese

Slow down to appreciate the stately stroll of a pair of Canada geese as they come back home for the summer and see what's changed since they've been gone.

Turkey vultures

Watch the skies at dawn and dusk for swirling back clouds of birds as kettles of turkey vultures rise out of or settle into their nightly roost site.

Warblers

In bold yellows, blacks and whites, flocks of warblers stand out when they land to rest and recharge. Watch for wooded or shrubby thickets where they'll stop to grab some bugs or berries before heading out again

Sandpipers

Photo: Jessica Bolser/USFWS

Whether it's on muddy conservation managed wetlands, spring soaked river floodplains, or farm fields left wet and mucky after the last rain, it's a great time to spot shorebirds stopping for a quick bite before moving on further north.

With 5.5 million acres of wetlands, Michigan is a summer destination for many species of waterfowl. Watch for puddle ducks on our quiet inland lakes and marshes and diving ducks along the Great Lakes shoreline.