Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan, turns to Clare County this morning to assess what's moving through the northern Lower Peninsula ahead of a wet weather system. The past two weeks have delivered seventy observations across seventy species, a respectable showing for mid-May, though nothing flagged as rare has surfaced. The activity centers tightly on Three Lakes, where a concentrated push of migrants and breeding residents has generated multiple sightings of Indigo Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers, and Eastern Towhees alongside more predictable species like Common Ravens, American Goldfinches, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
What Three Lakes is Holding
Three Lakes dominates the eBird reports for Clare County right now. Five Common Ravens have been logged there, most recently yesterday, suggesting either a congregation around a food source or a staging area for breeding birds settling into the jack pine and scrub country that defines much of this region. More interesting are the Scarlet Tanagers, two individuals spotted as of May 17, and the Eastern Towhees, also at two birds. This is solid early warbler and songbird activity for the county. The ravens are particularly worth watching; Clare sits in the heart of Kirtland's Warbler habitat, and corvid behavior often correlates with broader migration pulses moving through the jack pine plains.
Field Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes, and Turkey Vultures round out the Three Lakes tally, all consistent with late-spring breeding activity in this habitat type. The presence of two Field Sparrows is noteworthy; they favor grasslands and scrubby openings, which Three Lakes clearly provides.
The County's Broader Picture
Beyond Three Lakes, reports have been scattered. Arnold Lake Road near Harrison logged four White-crowned Sparrows on May 12, likely migrants still pushing through. A feeder location on Bulldog Lane in Farwell has attracted four House Finches, and Wilson State Park produced three Common Grackles yesterday. This distribution reflects typical mid-May patterns: migrants filtering through various habitats while resident breeding birds establish territories. The data is thin enough to suggest few birders have been active in Clare, or coverage remains spotty across potential hotspots.
Weather and What to Expect
Today brings a 71 percent rain chance with scattered thunderstorms and highs near 85 degrees, courtesy of southwesterly winds at 10 to 14 mph. Tonight and tomorrow will remain wet. That southwest flow is textbook warbler-pushing weather, and it has been in place for several days. If migrants are still moving through, they're doing so in suboptimal conditions. Dawn chorus will be compressed into the window between 5:40 and 7:40 AM before rain builds in; early risers might catch resident songbirds setting up for breeding, but fresh wave activity will likely stall until the system clears.
The sustained moisture and mild overnight temperatures favor insectivorous species like flycatchers, vireos, and thrushes. If you're out at sunrise, listen for Scarlet Tanagers and Eastern Phoebes in addition to the sparrows and towhees already reported.
Where to Focus Today
Shamrock Park remains Clare County's best bet for species diversity, with 124 all-time records and established access to multiple habitat types. Neithercut Woodland at Central Michigan University follows with 114 species on record and should offer decent breeding bird coverage if the weather permits a morning outing before rain intensifies. Both are likely to see increased activity in the next two weeks as May progresses into the heart of the warbler season. Three Lakes, clearly active right now, would be worth revisiting if conditions improve later this week.
For live county data and full species maps, visit https://birding.chrisizworski.com.