Garden Grove Retreat / UP MI Birding - 30 May 2026

Day 1 of our trip to Lac du Flambeau and Dillman's Resort started early. Like Tanner and Echo early. The boys had us up all night wanting to go out and in so neither of us got any sleep. The plan was to keep them (and Luka) in the house so that we could hit the road early. With Echo crying to go outside after his 5 am feeding we packed the car and got out of the house by 6 am. Poor Echo...

We drove I-275 to Ford Road then west to Canton Center Road to hit Biggby for coffee. We then continued west to M-14 to US-23 and North. Wow! No traffic and we avoided the Milford/I-96 corridor. Will have to remember this route next time we head north.

The day's plan was to drive to Escanaba and spend the night. Then drive the rest of the way into Wisconsin to the resort where Robin will attend a Cold-Wax Workshop this week while I go birding. We reached the Mackinac Bridge by 11 am and had lunch at Clyde's on US-2. We then continued west on US-2 to Garden, MI (on Big Bay De Noc) where we stayed at the Garden Grove Retreat (a converted convent/retreat).

We arrived shortly after 2 pm to the sounds of singing American Redstarts, Pine Warblers, Northern Yellow Warblers and Red-eyed Vireos. After a quick unpacking I took a walk around the grounds that consisted of an old cedar forest w/ mixed hardwoods (maple and birch). Adjacent properties consisted of old apple groves in fields covered with Forget-Me-Nots and Starry False Solomon's Seal with scattered Wild Strawberries. Lilac bushes were starting to bloom that reminded me that Spring is still present (trees are just starting to leaf out).

I walked down into the grove to look for the American Redstarts, Red-eyed Vireos and Pine Warblers that were singing in the dense maples / cedar trees. The apple trees were in full bloom and gorgeous! A small flock of Cedar Waxwings were foraging in the blossoms and provided some low-light images.

This Baltimore Oriole was prying blossoms apart to get at caterpillars hiding inside.

I walked the old-growth cedar forest and heard Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pileated Woodpecker, Common Raven and American Crow in the distance. Closer by were Black-and-White Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Eastern Wood-Pewee; none that could be seen. But, I did managed a few sightings of Red-eyed Vireo overhead in the maples.

A fly-over Osprey was a nice surprise as I returned to the retreat.

Garden Grove Retreat, Delta, Michigan, US
May 30, 2026 2:17 PM - 2:46 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.224 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Sunny, breezy, 52 F. Grounds of the old convent now an Inn. Cedar woods w mixed hardwood maples and orchard/grove.
31 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  4
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  1
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  2
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  1
Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  2
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  6
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  8
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  1
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  4
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  2
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  2
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S349626782
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

After a very short rest Robin and I drove to the Dock Grill and Bar just a mile down the road and on the bay. With a lovely view of the bay I was able to watch Eastern Phoebes, Indigo Buntings, Barn Swallows and hear American Redstarts as we shared a beer and a wrap.

We returned to the Garden Grove Retreat and I took a second walk around the grounds. Things were a bit quieter than the afternoon but a few American Redstarts and Pine Warblers were singing. I spotted this Gray Catbird in the apple grove next door while looking for said warblers.

I'd continue through the cedar forest (very dry BTW) and hear a flock of American Crow and the Pileated Woodpecker once again. But I'd fail to find the singing Black-throated Green Warbler and Black-and-White Warblers again.

As I write this post it is wonderful to hear singing American Redstarts, Pine Warblers and Northern Yellow Warblers just outside our window!

Garden Grove Retreat, Delta, Michigan, US
May 30, 2026 5:31 PM - 6:12 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.327 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, calm, 55F
19 species

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  4
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  2
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  1
Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  2
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  1
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S349737843

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)