Warblers on the Water events for 2025 featuring field trips on the Beaver Island Birding Trail. Our community is eager to share our beautiful island, which hosts a rich array of migratory and resident nesting birds. Affectionately, Beaver Island is known as the Emerald Isle of American Birding.

After a transition of leaders last year, our event is now back to its traditional full ovffering of activities. For 2025, we have arranged ten field trips (including two that will venture to the outer islands) and two presentations.

Schedule:

May 25, 2025
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Field Trip #6: High Island Birding Adventure
7:00am - 2:00pm
Paradise Bay Diving Company Dock
25995 Main Street
Beaver Island, MI
Tickets: $ 275
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Join trip leader Dr. Nancy Seefelt for a very special trip over to High Island aboard the US Coast Guard certified Resolute.

NOTE: This trip is weather dependent at the discretion of the captain. If cancelled the trip will be changed to exploring Beaver Island Birding Trail sites with Nancy Seefelt.

High Island: This island, with a spit on its north-east that is a nesting ground for the Piping Plover, has a long Native American history and is recognized in the Treaty of 1836 with Washington. A settlement once flourished from 1912 through the late twenties which was the site of a religious cult known as the House of David under the leadership of Benjamin Purnell. Fragments of this past can be found in foundation sites. You’ll land in a sheltered bay with a long spit on the east side of the High Island. This uninhabited island will provide a very special birding adventure.

Dr. Nancy Seefelt: Nancy is a Michigan native who grew up in Sterling Heights, near Detroit. After high school, she enrolled at Central Michigan University (CMU) and discovered Beaver Island when she took a class at the CMU Biological Station after her freshman year. Nancy received her M.S. degree from CMU and her doctorate from Michigan State University and currently holds a faculty position in the Biology Department at CMU. During the summer field season, much of her research focuses on avian ecology, specifically the breeding biology of waterbirds (gulls, terns, herons and cormorants) in northern Lake Michigan and the stopover ecology of migrating songbirds along Michigan shorelines. The migration work involves censusing, mist netting, and remote acoustical monitoring; the acoustic monitors also track the sounds of migratory bats. In addition, Nancy monitors the breeding activities of the endangered Piping Plover as part of the recovery program for this species. As a vertebrate ecologist and evolutionary biologist, Nancy has been studying birds throughout the Beaver Island Archipelago for over 20 years.

This trip will depart and return from Paradise Bay Diving Co. Dock across from the Beaver Island Lumber Company. Passage to Garden Island will be aboard the Resolute with Captain Mike and crew. A box lunch will be provided.

Field Trip to #7: Cables Bay and French Bay Escapade
7:30am - 11:30pm
Beaver Island Community Center
26210 Michigan Avenue
Beaver Island, Mi 49782
Tickets: $30
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Join Brian Allen on an escapade to the south end of the Island. You'll discover two remote and special bays, one on the east side and the other on the west.

Cable's Bay: The Cable's Bay Trail is a 2 mile walk crossing Cable's Creek via foot bridge and winds through the woods coming out onto the dunes of Cable's Bay. Concrete footings of the Wildwood Inn (1916-1919) can be found along the treeline, north of the path that leads from the beach. The inn was designed by the builder of Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel and was intended to attract seasonal visitors. The footpath at this site takes you to a small bridge that crosses Cable's Creek.

French Bay. French Bay Trail is .5 mile through a boreal forest remnant and down a bluff coming out onto the secluded French Bay. In the 1930's Nels LaFreniere had a lumber camp here and he used the buildings that Dan Boyle had erected.  Along the shore was "the powder house" which was evidently used for the storage of blasting powder.  One day while poking around at a keg of unfamiliar powder that they'd come upon, Dan Martin lit it and died in the resulting explosion.  For many years traces of the blast could still be seen on the rocks.

Note: Both of these magnificent trails are moderately challenging with inconsistent footing and steep grade in some areas.

Brian Allen: Brian is a recently retired Optometrist living in Manistee. He has been birding for fifty-three years and was fortunate to both be on the crest of the new field birding in the 1970’s and the now technical/digital media birding revolution of the 2020’s. He is a former member of the Michigan Bird Records Committee, one of the editors of the ABA Birder’s Guide to Michigan, the current eBird reviewer for North West Michigan, and bird trip leader for several conservation organizations in Michigan. He enjoys birding in the tropics and has recently returned from birding trips to Brazil and Ecuador. His favorite activity is getting anyone of any age interested in birding by getting them on their “spark” bird.

Board transportation for this trip at the BIC Center.

Field Trip #8: Windshield Birding
8:00am - 11:00pm
Beaver Island Community Center
26210 Michigan Avenue
Beaver Island, MI 49782
Tickets: $20
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Join Terry & Andrea Grabill for a leisurely ride around recent birding hotspots on the island. Destinations will be chosen based on recent reported activity.

This trip is designed for those who may have difficulty walking trails or who prefer to view birds from the comfort of a cozy van. We will identify birds, their songs and habitats along the way. With minimal traffic and lots of out of the way places, the island is ideal for this type of birding adventure. You'll be amazed what can be seen with no need to leave the van.

Terry and Andrea Grabill: Terry Grabill is a recently retired middle school teacher and West Michigan birder who made a Michigan Big Year run in 2021. On his way to recording a whopping 323 species for the year, he logged an obscene number of miles, had some great adventures, and met many amazing people along the way. Terry and his wife Andrea have dedicated countless hours to developing beginning birders with their “Beaver Island Group” program through Fremont Middle School. Most of Terry’s introductory birding experiences happened on Beaver Island while he was a Central Michigan University student studying at the CMU Biological Station on Beaver in 1989. He then discovered that there were other individuals, groups even, interested in birding. He has maintained life-long relationships with these people. He and Andrea have developed young birders for 20 years with the groups they’ve brought to CMU’s Biological Station and birding events down-state.

This trip is designed for those who may have difficulty walking trails or who prefer to view birds from the comfort of a cozy van. We will identify birds, their songs and habitats along the way. With minimal traffic and lots of out of the way places, the island is ideal for this type of birding adventure. You'll be amazed what can be seen with no need to leave the van.

Board transportation for this trip at the BIC Center. After we leave the BIC Center, we will stop by Forest View for a pick-up there.  If you desire pick-up at Forest View, please indicate that when you register.

Warblers on the Water: Tales from the Road - The Big Year Talk
1:30pm - 2:30pm
Beaver Island Community Center
26210 Michigan Avenue
Beaver Island, MI 49782
Tickets
Freewill Donation Encouraged

Join us for a Warblers on the Water keynote presentation  by Terry Graybill. Terry made a Michigan Big Year run in 2021. On his way to recording a whopping 323 species for the year, he logged an obscene number of miles, had some great adventures, and met many amazing people along the way. Terry’s talk will describe Tales from the Road of his Mitten Big Year!

This event is open to the public wihout charge. However, registration is encouraged so we can better plan the event, and your freewill donation will help support the BIC Center, which makes space and services available to us without charge.

About the Speaker:

Terry Grabill is a recently retired middle school teacher and West Michigan birder. Terry and his wife Andrea have dedicated countless hours to developing beginning birders with their “Beaver Island Group” program through Fremont Middle School. Most of Terry’s introductory birding experiences happened on Beaver Island while he was a Central Michigan University student studying at the CMU Biological Station on Beaver in 1989. He then discovered that there were other individuals, groups even, interested in birding. He has maintained life-long relationships with these people. He and Andrea have developed young birders for 20 years with the groups they’ve brought to CMU’s Biological Station and birding events down-state.

Field Trip #9: A Botany and Birding Adventure
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Beaver Island Community Center
26210 Michigan Avenue
Beaver Island, MI 49782
Tickets: $30
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Join Ed Leuck and Darrell Lawson for a trip to a very biologically fascinating wetland.

This bog occurred as a result of glaciation and due to the bog's nutrient-poor systems, it provides an opportunity to view carnivorous plant species such as pitcher plants, sundews, and bladderworts (which eat insects for their nitrogen). Common bog shrubs include leatherleaf, bog laurel, bog rosemary, cranberries, and Labrador tea. The habitat attracts a distinct variety of birds. This is a unique site on private land that generally is not available for public access.

Ed Leuck: Ed is a retired Professor Emeritus of biology at Centenary College of Louisiana where he taught ecology, conservation biology and microbiology and developed the campus arboretum. He has been coming to the Island since 1985 and has taught at the Central Michigan University Biological Station. He is the senior author of Plants of Beaver Island, Part I: Bogs and Fens and Part II: Lake Michigan Beaches and Sand Dunes and spends summers at his house on Sand Bay while continuing to investigate the island flora and participating in island conservation efforts.

Darrell Lawson: Darrell has been birding since 2012 and has been leading field trips since 2014 for BIBT’s Warblers on the Water. He is a past president (and current vice-president) of the Petoskey Regional Audubon Society, has co-chaired the Sunset Coast Birding Trail Development team, and is a past member of the Michigan Bird Records Committee. He routinely leads field trips around Michigan.

Board transportation for this trip at the BIC Center.

Field Trip #10: Expert's Choice Evening Adventure
7:30pm - 10:00pm
Beaver Island Community Center
26210 Michigan Avenue
Beaver Island, MI 49782
Tickets: $30
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Top off your Island birding adventure with a field trip to a location chosen by Brian Allen and Brennan Schuler based on current activity. Your destination could be a beach or a bog. Up Island or down.

Our birding and island experts will choose the destinations for this final trip of Warblers on the Water 2025 based on current conditions in the field and the opportunities they present for a grand finale to your special birding adventure on America's Emerald Isle.

With near total darkness upon us before we return, you'll be able to enjoy the amazing dark sky canopy that covers our remote island at night. You'll see the Milkyway stretching through the sky and more. Learn more about the dark skies of the island and our efforts to secure recognition of part of the island as an International Dark Sky Association Dark Sky Sanctuary at darkskyisland.org.

The trip will conclude with a special after-closing visit to Whiskey Point Brewing Company, the only brewery operating in Lake Michigan. There, birding options will include an Irish Red, IPAs, and a Bradley Porter. Other species may also be observed. Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks (including pretzels and chips with cheese or salsa) are also available as are island gifts and WPBC logo items.

Brian Allan: Brian is a recently retired Optometrist living in Manistee. He has been birding for fifty-three years and was fortunate to both be on the crest of the new field birding in the 1970’s and the now technical/digital media birding revolution of the 2020’s. He is a former member of the Michigan Bird Records Committee, one of the editors of the ABA Birder’s Guide to Michigan, the current eBird reviewer for North West Michigan, and bird trip leader for several conservation organizations in Michigan. He enjoys birding in the tropics and has recently returned from birding trips to Brazil and Ecuador. His favorite activity is getting anyone of any age interested in birding by getting them on their “spark” bird.

Brennan Schuler: Brennan is a Dietary Cook at Newaygo Medical Care Facility. However his occupation doesn’t slow him down from exploring the world of birding. Brennan’s knowledge is centralized in North East American Birds, but he is always eager to expand his knowledge. His favorite bird is the Cedar Waxwing. In high school Brennan ran a birding podcast with his fellow birder, Terry Grabill. You can find it at BirdGoober.com Brennan’s love for birding is infectious, he loves to share his passion with anyone willing to listen. Brennan is 21 years old. Despite his young age, he has almost 10 years of birding experience under his belt. It all started in the 6th grade when an even younger Brennan won a raffle his school was hosting. His prize? To go birding with his favorite teacher, Mr. Terry Grabill. Since that special day spent birding in Newaygo County, Brennan's passion for birding has soared.

Board transportation for this trip at the BIC Center. If desired, you'll return there after your visit to the brewery.

WoW 2025 Finale at Whiskey Point Brewing Company
8:00pm - 11:00pm
Whiskey Point Brewing Company
38230 Michigan Ave
Beaver Island, MI

Wrap up your Island birding adventure with a special reception  to Whiskey Point Brewing Company, the only brewery operating in Lake Michigan where you can spot birds of a different feather. See (and perhaps enjoy) anIrish Red, IPAs, and a Bradley Porter. Other species may also be observed. Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks (including pretzels and chips with cheese or salsa) are also available as are island gifts and WPBC logo items.

You and other Islanders are welcome to join the fun even if you don't head out for the Expert's Choice Evening Adventure field trip. That field trip will end with a visit to WPBC so there'll be an opportunity to hoist a glass to your birding weekend with fellow participants.  Plus, enjoy planned musical entertainment.

Register Here