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Bay City State Recreation Area

The Bay City State Recreation Area contains more than 1,000 feet of sandy beach and is made up of 2,800 acres. The birding in this area is particularly distinguished in the spring and fall migratory seasons. With a documented collection of 235 species viewed here, it is a notable birding hot spot. There are a variety of locations along the 7 miles of well-groomed  trails to check out.


Willet, Marbled Godwit, and White-rumped Sandpiper are some of the better shorebirds seen here in the past few years. It is also a fine locale for observing gulls and terns. Common and Forster's Tern can be compared side-by-side frequently here. Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, and Sanderling can often be found, and you can look for Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night-heron, and Belted Kingfisher throughout the summer months. Passing and nesting songbirds make the deep adjacent forest their haunt throughout the year, with Carolina Wren and Prothonotary and Hooded Warbler among the more interesting records from this part of the park.


Picture
Dates of Access: 
Year-round

Hours of Operation: 
Monday-Sunday 6am-10pm

Admission: 
Michigan State Park Motor Vehicle Permit required for entry
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