Field Trip #4: Little Sand Bay

Description

Little Sand Bay and the Little Sand Bay Nature Preserve: This beautiful and varied natural area is managed by the Little Traverse Conservancy. The parking lot is at the edge of a large old field near an abandoned farm house. A two-track leads from the parking lot to a boardwalk trail through a cedar swamp. The trail then continues to a sandy beach that is excellent for swimming, making Little Sand Bay one of the most popular natural areas to visit on the island. Winter Wrens are common in the cedar swamp area, and Indigo Buntings and various sparrow species are found in the old field area.

Michael Carlson: Michael is an experienced field ornithologist residing in Royal Oak, Michigan. A walking version of Merlin app, Michael has amazing hearing and is skilled in the identification of the songs and call notes of hundreds of North American bird species. A popular field trip leader at the Huron Fringe Birding Festival (Port Elgin, Ontario) and Aldo Leopold Festival (Hessel, Michigan), his outings for over a decade were almost always at capacity. His birding by ear workshops have been attended by various ecological consultants.
Michael has organized and let bird tours in Michigan, Texas, Arizona, and Ontario… In 1989 after he and two Canadian teammates won the E.W. Stearns award in the World Series of Birding in New Jersey, Michael secured the sponsorship of KOWA, The Canadian Team KOWA consistently set records from 1989 to 1996 for the total number of species observed in a 24-hour period by a team based outside of New Jersey.
Michael is Principal and Owner of MEC Environmental Consulting which provides environmental assessment and regulatory compliance services to industry. He conducted hundreds of avian surveys to monitor the effectiveness of bird control measures and to document mortality. In the 1980’s Michael investigated the utilization of urban microhabitat by migrating birds and earlier conducted a study of nocturnal avian migrants colliding with tall buildings in Detroit, Michigan and Rochester, New York.

Board transportation for this trip at the BIC Center. You’ll return there at the conclusion with time for some shopping, strolling  and lunch. Lunch options include the Concession Stand at the BIC Center and the Shamrock (both nearby) or the Wild Strawberry Café (about a 20-minute walk towards the Whiskey Point Lighthouse). The BIC Center has Island souvenirs. You’ll also find them nearby at the Gift Shop at Power’s Hardware, Shipwreck Shirts, and Deb’s Creations. If you head to the Wild Strawberry Café for lunch, you’ll find souvenirs next door at McDonough’s Market.

WoW 2026 T-shirts: After your registration(s) are processed you will receive a discount code good for one free Warblers on the Water T-shirt. You must complete your t-shirt order by May 5. T-shirts will be delivered at the Meet & Greet Kickoff Event Friday evening. One free shirt per participant. Additional T-shirts may be ordered at the BIC Center online store for $20. All orders after May 1 are subject to stock on hand.

Please note our cancellation policy: Cancellations made by 5:00 p.m. on April 17, 2026 will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be made for cancellations after that time.