Subject: RFI on Kirtland's Warbler
Date: Apr 27 08:34:55 2000
From: Charles Swift - charless at moscow.com


Michelle -

I lived 4 years in Michigan recently and can provide a few suggestions for
Kirtland's. The best time to go is probably from mid to late May through mid
June. You can find Kirtland's into July but they sing much less as the
season progresses. I would recommend that you go on one of the Forest
Service tours that run almost daily from Mio and Grayling, MI in central MI.
The Mio tours visit the better parts of their breeding area. You can find
them on your own pretty easily if you follow the tour but they can be hard
to see because you are not allowed off roads (as the birds are protected).
The tour leaders go to areas where they know there are birds nesting close
to road and can be seen. They also know where to look for other specialty
birds such as Upland Sandpiper and Clay-colored Sparrow which are not
uncommon in that area. You should be able to find tour information on the
web (search on Kirtland's Warbler). If you stay in the area for 2 days you
can take the tour and then explore the area on your own the second day. You
can also find out from the FS when most birds are on territory.

You can fly into Detroit, MI (usually pretty good fares on Northwest between
Seattle and Detroit). Mio is about 3 hours drive from Detroit. If you plan a
mid May trip you could spend several days at Pt. Pele, Ontario which is only
a several hour drive from Detroit and a mid-west birding mecca for migrants
(you can easily see over 100 species here in a mid-May morning of birding
including 5 vireos, 20+ warblers, Orioles, tanagers, blah, blah, blah).
There are also a bunch of other good birding areas in Michigan. Have fun!

Charles.

****************************************************
Charles E. Swift
charless at moscow.com
Moscow, Idaho


----- Original Message -----
From: <MBlanchrd at aol.com>
To: <Tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 6:56 AM
Subject: RFI on Kirtland's Warbler


> Hi, Tweeters,
>
> I'm sorry to have to admit this, but although I was born and raised in
Michigan, I've never seen a Kirtland's Warbler. Now I"m contemplating a trip
back to the folks and want to see one or several. Anyone know when they
breed, and does anyone have an address or a website for Michigan birding
associations like ours??
>
> Michelle
>