From: RobertsF@aol.com Received: by emout10.mail.aol.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) id UAA28869 for Birders@umich.edu; Mon, 29 Apr 1996 20:35:40 -0400 Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 20:35:40 -0400 Message-ID: <960429203536_386144831@emout10.mail.aol.com> To: Birders@umich.edu, KMiller886@aol.com Subject: Mackinac Hawk Watch X-PMFLAGS: 33554560 0 I got several requests for info on the Mackinac City hawk watch sites, so I'll respond to the whole group. I was also asked what the snow situation is up there. There's a lot. I remember years where the only snow left was the mountain in front of Heidi's motel. We took our snowshoes last weekend and used them. There's up to a couple of feet of snow remaining in the woods, and inland lakes are still frozen. You can't drive down Vermilion Rd. any further than Andrus Lake Campground, which can't be more than half a mile. The picture changes pretty rapidly into spring as you go south away from the Point, however. I'm pretty new to the Mackinac hawk watching sites, but others have been checking these places out for a few years. Steve Baker seems to frequent it the most, and the Plancks have tried it out recently as well. It may be a better Red-tail site than Whitefish, whereas Whitefish may get more Rough-legs, Broad-wings, and Sharpies. There are three locations that have been productive in the past. In a way it's like Erie in the Fall; you may have to find the site that best locates the flight on a particular day under a particular set of conditions. We watched from a field that is reached by going west of I-75 on Central Street (the east-west street that runs right through the downtown shopping/tourist area). Turn south (left) off of Central at or after the recreation building or high school, then west (right) on Pond Street. Take Pond to its dead end, then continue driving along the two-track after the street ends. Bear left at a fork in the two-track after 100 yards or so, then drive up a hill another 50-75 yards into a field where you have good views from east to south to west. You may want to be sure that you have good tires and traction, since the two-track can be soft. On Sunday the large kettles formed to the east, but birds were seen everywhere on the horizon. Other good sites are the Big Boy parking lot and the ball fields at the high school. On Sunday the Big Boy site might have provided a bit better viewing, but we opted to stay in a field un-bothered by others. Many of these birds could have probably been viewed well from the open area around the recreation building as well. I think the key is to start at one site and see how things develop, then move around to pick up the flight as needed. Date sent: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 08:19:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Susan Falcone To: RobertsF@aol.com Copies to: Birders@umich.edu Subject: Re: birding in northern Michigan Our favorite place to stay in the Paradise/Whitefish Pte area is at Mile Creek Cabins, about halfway between the town and the point. They're very funky but we've always enjoyed them--I believe that 2 have kitchens at this time. We've also stayed at Freighters View several times--unimpressive, yes, but always clean. We've also stayed at both Heidi's & the Vagabond--a few also have kitchenettes--very 50s-style but ok. Face it--who's there for motels anyway??!! Susan On Wed, 10 Jul 1996 RobertsF@aol.com wrote: > Birders: > > I sent this response to Maryse Brouwers' request on birding up north, but > mistakenly only replied to her. Chas, you specifically wondered about cabins > up there, which I addressed in her response. The non-smoking cabins at Cedar > Lodge are not directly on the water, but still nice. Birchwood has a couple > on the water that we have also stayed in that aren't too bad either. We've > never stayed at some of the cabins north of Paradise on the water, but > several have come under new ownership in the last few years and were being > updated. I remember vaguely looking into a Freighters View cabin and being > unimpressed. > ------------------------ > I would suggest Whitefish Point, but I may be a biased promoter of the Point, > it being my favorite birding spot in the state. The desire for good food and > decent lodging would rule it out, however. Hard to find a grease-free meal, > and god help you if you're a vegetarian. September can be great up there, > and the waterbird flight variable depending on conditions and time of month. > Early in the month can be the huge Red-necked Grebe days (thousands). Fall > warblers can be bountiful as well. Reasonable chance for jaegers and > Sabine's Gulls if you pay your dues and stick to the point for a few days. > The cleanest lodging in town is the Howard Johnson's, but it's not the B&B > type of thing that I'd like to spend a week in. There are several other > motels, most are inexpensive and feel that way. There are some cabins that > aren't too bad. We often stay at Birchwood Lodge cabins, but they could use > a little updating. Cedar Lodge has a couple of nice ones that have been > updated in the last two years, and they have set aside a couple as > non-smoking. They're better, and more expensive. Good food is impossible > to find, and vegetables almost impossible to locate. > Rob French > Date sent: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 08:45:06 -0400 (EDT) From: Susan Falcone To: "Dave B. Sing" Copies to: birders@umich.edu Subject: Re: Food in the U.P. I agree--decent, healthy food is almost non-existant, whether it's "fresh" from the local IGA or from a restaurant. That's why we always get a place with a kitchen & bring our food. Plus nothing is open after 6 or so (meaning IGA) so if you want something you need to plan on getting it early in the day. Susan On Thu, 11 Jul 1996, Dave B. Sing wrote: > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 22:05:36 -0400 > From:RobertsF@aol.com > To: Birders@umich.edu > Subject: Re: birding in northern Michigan > > non-smoking. They're better, and more expensive. Good food is impossible > to find, and vegetables almost impossible to locate. > Rob French > > Folks; I would like to reiterate Rob's observation about food in the > Whitefish/Taquamenon area; the market in Paradise is expensive, and > the veggies we find there have often travelled alot farther than you > have to get there. However, there are good markets in St. Ignace and > at the Soo, where produce is better and cheaper. We always prepare for > any trip to the backwoods of the michigan north country as if we were > going car camping, ie: packing in lomost everyting in the back of the > wagon. That's almost. DBS Chelsea > > >