August is a transition month. Breeding season is winding down, migration is already underway, and what's worth doing depends heavily on where in the state you are. Here's a region-by-region look at where to spend your time this month.
Upper Peninsula: Catch the Boreal Species Before They Go Quiet
The UP's northern specialties are still findable in August, but the window is closing. By September, birds that were conspicuous and vocal in June have gone silent and become genuinely difficult.
Jack pine and spruce-bog country in the eastern UP is the place to look for Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, and Canada Jay. Seney National Wildlife Refuge is the reliable anchor, the Marshland Wildlife Drive is free to enter and drivable, and August adds waterfowl broods and a good shot at loons. This drive is one of my favorite to do for birding and I try to make it there at least once a year.
Whitefish Point is worth the trip as fall migration ramps up. The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (WPBO) grounds, trails, and hawk/waterbird watch platforms are free to visit but asks for a small donation. This is a worthwhile donation.
Northern Lower Peninsula: Jack Pine and the Sunrise Coast
Kirtland's Warbler is still in the jack pine plains of Crawford, Oscoda, and Ogemaw counties in early August, though the guided tour season has ended and the birds have largely stopped singing, which makes them far harder than in June. Manage expectations, stay on roads and public access, and respect posted restrictions in nesting areas.
Along Lake Huron, the Tawas Point area starts producing migrants by late August. Tawas Point State Park requires a Michigan Recreation Passport, as does Hartwick Pines State Park inland, which is a pleasant old-growth walk when the migrant traffic is slow.
Saginaw Bay and the Thumb: Shorebirds
If you only make one trip this month, make it here. The Saginaw Bay flats are the state's shorebird engine in August. Wildfowl Bay State Wildlife Area, Nayanquing Point, and the Bay City waterfront all produce, and state game and wildlife areas don't require a Recreation Passport for general parking, though DNR boating access sites within them do.
Bring a scope and go early, before heat shimmer sets in.
West Michigan: Lakeshore Migration Begins
The Lake Michigan shoreline funnels migrants south, and by mid-August the first waves of warblers are moving through lakeshore woodlots, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, and Cape May Warbler among them, mostly in confusing drab fall plumage.
Beaches still hold Piping Plovers into early August; give them room and stay behind posted fencing. Muskegon County's wastewater complex remains the region's premier shorebird site, and requires a visitor pass obtained at the office before you enter.
Visti my earlier post from earlier this month for more West Michigan Bird Migrations information.
Southern Michigan: Grasslands and Late Nesters
The south is where August grassland birding pays off. Sedge Wren is a genuinely late neste, many pairs don't start until July, so August is when they're most vocal. Dickcissel numbers vary year to year, but good years produce singing males into August in hayfields and set-aside acreage.
Look also for Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Henslow's Sparrow in large open grasslands, and watch overhead at dusk for the first Common Nighthawks of the fall flight.
Wherever you are: go early, carry water, and check pass requirements before you park.