Ausable Birding Trail Inset Maps

2018

Commodity Code 80050244 Code Commodity

Funded by the Northeast Michigan Regional Prosperity Initiative. Prosperity Regional Michigan Northeast the by Funded Official AuSable Birding Trail Hotspots Governments. of Council Michigan Northeast the by design guide Map 1. Deward Watchable Wildlife Site 11. South Higgins Lake State Park 16. Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area (Nellsville Road Boardwalk)

The sedge-grass marsh is located at the eastern edge of the A non-motorized area, all dirt road driving. At the flashing South Higgins State Park has almost one mile of shoreline along opportunityroscommoncounty.org

Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area. Park at the turn-around

light in Frederic drive 0.4 miles north to Hulbert Road on the Higgins Lake where you can observe water fowl or walk through Committee Marketing EDC County Roscommon

and walk roughly west over a short, overgrown sand berm to a

left. Drive 0.6 miles to the stop sign at Kolka Creek Road, the 1000 acre park that is forested with maple, oak and pine. The visithoughtonlake.com

trail. Care should be exercised on the boardwalk. Sightings include turn right. Drive 0.7 miles to Cameron Bridge Road on the bird count is highest in the summer. The drumming of woodpeckers Bureau Tourism Area Lake Houghton Ruffed Grouse, American Bittern, Green Heron, Osprey, rails, wrens,

left. Drive 5 miles and turn right onto Manistee River Road. and flickers can be heard everywhere, while the call of the loon, warblers and the rare Yellow Rail. grayling-mi.com

Drive 2.6 more miles and watch for the binocular sign on squawking of the gulls and quacking of the ducks resound closer to the left. This is a two-track. There is a parking area and water’s edge . A Recreation Passport is required for entry. 17. Houghton Lake Sewage Ponds Bureau Visitors Grayling

it’s a short five minute walk to the river. Look for Belted Located on Old 27 south of M55, Houghton Lake. Number one of: compliments Map Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered 12. Marl Lake hotspot in Roscommon County. Birders welcome. Sign in at office. Hawks, Hermit Thrushes, Veeries, Eastern Phoebes, Baltimore Open 8-4 M-F. Good diversity and numbers of both waterfowl

and shorebirds. Grassland birds are in fields and warblers are

Orioles, Eastern Kingbirds, Ruffed Grouse and Turkeys. experience. birding rewarding

along woods. Recurring rarities include Dickcissel, Buff-breasted a for Trail Birding AuSable the of waters and woods trails, the to cameras) and

2. Hartwick Pines State Park B

Marl Lake is the 700 acre part of South Higgins Lake State Park. Sandpiper, American Golden-Plover, and Phalaropes are all binoculars (and ears and eyes their bring to invited are expert, to novice irders, There is a small boat launch and dock occupied by ducks when possible. destination. birding premiere

canoers and fisherman are not there. It is a quiet non-motorized a this make to organizations environmental other and Pines Huron Resources, 18. Old 76 - St. Helen Natural of Department Michigan the with together worked have communities

A destination well known for the diverse ecosystems it offers. lake with a 5 mile hiking trail skirting the lake and park benches Near Lake St. Helen on Old 76 is an inactive eagle’s nest, but there local the preservation, and identification in education on emphasis an ith

Northern hardwoods, Old Growth white pine forest, lowland that are good for observing the kingfishers and water fowl. Marl are many sightings of eagles in the area along with other birds of Eagle. Bald populous

conifers, lowland hardwoods, upland conifers, oak/pine Lake offers a good opportunity to view Bald Eagles. April and prey including the Red-shouldered hawk. the of aeries towering the to Warbler Kirtland’s the of nesting protected the from T

communities, open grasslands as well as riparian corridors June are the best months for this since eagles nest nearby and wetlands, the into and woods the through you takes Trail Birding AuSable he 19. F97 - St. Helen species. migratory

along the East Branch of the AuSable River offer birders spend considerable time fishing in this shallow lake. A State Park

Osprey nests can be viewed from the road. Head toward Kirtland and endangered for haven a and birders for delight a been long have Michigan

T the chance to see a wide variety of birds. Stop at the Visitor Recreation Passport is needed. northern of heart the in counties Roscommon and Crawford forested heavily he

Community College on N. St. Helen Road (F97) to find osprey nests Center during the spring and summer months to check off the Trail Birding AuSable on platforms and power poles on both the east and west sides of Evening Grosbeaks on your Life List. They visit the window 13. Michelson’s Landing the road. feeders daily. The Kirtland’s Warbler Tours are led out of the Visitor Center during June. The most accessible of the four 20. Backus Creek Flooding lakes in the park are Bright & Glory. Early spring, from the There is a small pull-out on the circular drive at the end of North floating docks, a variety of waterfowl like scaups, ducks, Michelson Road where you can view the Dead Stream Flooding, loons and mergansers can be seen. Throughout the summer, an impoundment of the Reedsburg Dam. An active Bald Eagle Backus Creek Flooding is a reservoir located just 4.3 miles from Kingfishers, Great Blue Herons, Eagles and Osprey can be nest is visible on the opposite shore from the site. Nesting Pileated Prudenville on M18. There is moderate accessibility. 39 species can seen “fishing” on these lakes. Plentiful passerines call from the Woodpeckers, warblers during migration, and breeding and be found. Loons nest on Backus Lake. An Osprey nesting platform forests that surround these lakes. The park is almost 10,000 migratory waterfowl, herons, bitterns, and wrens are among the is close to the road. An Eagle’s nest is found nearby. acres. Michigan Recreation Passport required. Located off more than 170 species identified in the area. 21. Denton Creek Flooding M-93 northeast of Grayling. 14. Reedsburg Dam Denton Creek Flooding is a cultural feature (reservoir) off M18, 3. Hanson Hills Recreation Area Denton Township. There is moderate difficulty in accessing it. 124 species can be found with the top birds found being Swan, Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Grouse, Grebe, American Bittern, There is a state forest campground near the Reedsburg Dam on Osprey and warblers. 20 Miles of walking trails through rolling oak hills offer the south end of the 30,000 acre Dead Stream Swamp flooding. possible sightings of Woodpeckers, Red-shouldered and Species that may be seen here include Buffleheads, Common 22. Lost Twin Lakes Red-tailed Hawks, Ovenbirds, Eastern Phoebes, Nuthatches, Goldeneyes, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese, American Black Ducks Black-capped Chickadees, Wood Thrushes, Veeries, Hermit and Mallards. Spring is a great time to view waterfowl because Thrushes, Brown Thrashers. From M-93 west of Grayling, take many of them are in their colorful breeding plumage. Several Lost Twin Lakes is located 7 miles south of Houghton Lake on Old Lake Road east to Hanson Hills. Osprey platforms have been placed in the flooding and most of Reserve Road (County Road 400). 44 species can be found. This 3 4. City of Grayling Sewage Pond them are used each year by nesting Ospreys. A Recreation Passport mile loop trail winds through an old growth pine forest. Designed is required. for hiking and cross country skiing, the trail has several bridges. It AUSABLE also contains scenic overviews of several pristine wetland areas. 15. Houghton Lake Flats Observation Deck 1.4 miles south on Industrial Drive (turn south off M72 East). BIRDING TRAIL Partial pavement. Pond on the right, parking in the grass. MAP GUIDE View a variety of water birds at this site. The Houghton Lake Flats is located on Old 27 north of M55. There 5. Rayburn Property is an observation deck and parking available. It is open to the This trail highlights remarkable bird habitat throughout public year round. This large, flooded marsh is home to numbers the Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, St. Helen, and the of breeding dabbling ducks. Nesting platforms are used by several AuSable River area. pairs of Ospreys and Bald Eagles. Great Egrets and Great Blue M-72 East 1.3 miles from the overpass to a parking lot on Herons also breed here. 165 different species of birds can be found Evening grosbeak at Hartwick Pines by Greg Bodker the left that is marked with stone pillars. The trail is not here. maintained but easy to follow down to the Main Branch See detailed Inset Maps on reverse of the AuSable River. A bridge crosses the river and a small Code of Ethics hill offers a great view of the river with typical river birds as The AuSable Birding Trail endorses the Amercian Birding Association’s code of ethics and encourages all visitors to do the same. www.aba.org/about/ethics.html well as Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, Rufous-sided Towhees, Brown Thrashers, Ovenbirds, Hermit and Wood Key Thrushes. Parking - Site has a parking lot Boat Launch - Site has an 6. Connors Marsh or suitable area for vehicles. access suitable for launching A large marsh can be seen on the right side of Dyer Truck motorized watercraft. Trail shortly after entering the road from North Down River Restrooms - Site has a port-a- Fee - National Forest toilet or more formal facilities Road. This is a non-maintained trail; there are a couple of Recreation Pass or MDNR available for public use. areas to pull off the road right before the marsh, ½ mile after Recreation Passport required. leaving North Down River Road. The other side of the marsh Formal Viewing - Site has a shelter, boardwalk, tower, Picnic - Site has picnic areas. can be accessed by Connors Flat Road, also a dirt road off or other structure for wildlife of McMasters Bridge Road, 20 miles east of Grayling. Typical viewing. birds as well as Hawks, American Bitterns, Yellow Warblers, Paved Trail - Site has paved Common Yellowthroats are frequently seen. trails for hiking to the interior areas of the site. 7. Wakeley Lake Foot Travel Area Upland sandpiper by Greg Bodker Trail - Site has unpaved trails for hiking to the interior areas of the site. This area is managed by the US Forest Service and offers visitors many trails to choose from. A few trails allow the Universal Accessibility - Site has universally-accessible features to opportunity to bird watch along the shore of Wakeley Lake gain access to areas of the site. where eagles, ospreys, common loons and other water-loving birds are common sights. Another trail also meanders through Winter Access - Site is plowed mature hardwood forest where American Redstarts, Scarlet and accessible in the winter. Tanagers and Baltimore orioles can be seen and heard. The total hiking/biking trails are 16.5 miles. National Forest fee. 8. Mason Tract

Osprey by Adele Woskobojnik Ruffed grouse by Greg Bodker Walk into a piece of northern Michigan that has relatively gone unchanged for decades. A wide variety of wood warblers, sparrows and waterfowl (along the AuSable River’s edge) make this a must-see birding destination. East of Grayling, this non-motorized area with over 11 miles of hiking trails offers viewing of over 100 species. The terrain is a bit hilly; it’s a mixture of hardwood, Jack Pine and river system. There is a well-maintained parking lot and primitive campground. Michigan Recreation Passport required. Trailhead on Canoe Harbor Road (turn south from M-72). 9. North Higgins Lake State Park

More than nine miles of trails are open to the public in this Kirtland’s Warbler by Kim Diment 429-acre park. The trails are groomed for skiing in the winter. Common sightings at this location include the Common Loon, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Black- throated Green Warbler. A Recreation Passport is required for entry. 10. Marguerite Gahagan Nature Preserve

This public wildlife sanctuary is located just outside the Village of Roscommon on 209 Maplehurst Drive. The property’s mature pine forests and cedar swamps can be enjoyed from the one mile paved ADA trail with self-interpreting signs, or the color-coded paths through the woods where you will find woodpeckers, warblers, owls and more. AuSable Birding Trail Inset Maps

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