This page is made possible by Rusty at The Loft, a unique place to stay,
The park is located just to the west of Port Austin. Just head north on M-25 and follow the shoreline.
Broad-winged hawks can be indentified by the broad black and white
bands on their tails that are revealed in flight. The underside of
the wing has a broad black band.
hawk migration in michigan
Anyone
who has viewed a "kettle" of hawks circling together at the top of a
thermal has probably seen a number of broad-winged hawks. They ride
the thermals to aid them in their hawk migration to and from South
America. A large kettle of hawks can be a spectacular site at some
places along the Great Lakes coastline.
At the tip of the "thumb" is a spot where as many as 10,000 can be seen during migration season. That spot is Port Crescent State Park.
Port Crescent State Park is on the site of a long gone logging and sand-mining town. The town is gone but, the birds still migrate through here. This is a perfect spot to view the spring migration. From March through April, broad-winged hawks can be found resting here before continuing on to their northern breeding grounds. Thousands of hawks and other birds of prey can be seen riding the air drafts that are created by the dune ridges.
Broad-winged hawks aren't the only attraction about this northern Michigan getaway vacation. Bluebirds gather in large numbers and you may even see an eagle or two. The park is nearly 3 miles of Lake Huron frontage, forest and bayous of the Pinnebog River.
Located near the tip of Michigan’s thumb region, Port Crescent
State Park encompasses 3 miles of Lake Huron beachfront, sand dunes,
dune forest, and backwaters and bayous of the Pinnebog River. The
site was once the prosperous logging and sand-mining town of Port
Crescent. The town has long since disappeared; reclaimed by nature.