Michigan Trail Tuesday is our attempt to showcase a different trail or trail segment each week. The Mitten State is home to thousands of miles of trails, including the new Iron Belle Trail that runs from Detroit in the southeast to Ironwood in the western Upper Peninsula and more miles of the North Country Trail than any other state.

One of the best birdwatching locations in Barry County is the Michigan Audubon Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary. Southwest of Hastings, this preserve covers 128 acres and has a mile and a half of trail. This sanctuary is part of the Thornapple Birding Trail and offers the chance to observe many common Michigan sparrows, wrens, blackbirds, cranes, eagles, and more as well as rare birds like the cerulean warbler. This is a great spot for those looking to hike with only the sounds of nature interrupting a quiet morning or afternoon. We had a chance to visit this year and today we will share a few pictures from our visit and a look at the trail.

There is a small parking area just off the dirt road, close to the old barn. One of the signs we encountered on the trail gave the background of this property: “The Otis Farm was established in the 1880s and was fully functional, raising a variety of animals for nearly a century. The fen was drained using a series of ditches and tiles in the 1920s in order to muck farm the area for onions. In addition to muck farming, cattle grazed on the fen. Remnants of canary reed grass can still be seen from this practice. After some time, the fen started to reclaim itself and the tiles were broken. The fen was able to restore itself with very limited assistance. Human intervention has been mostly limited to breaking the tiles and some invasive species removal.”

A short boardwalk trail leads out into the fen and overlooks Glass Creek. Keep your eyes open here fro tree swallows, bank swallows, and barn swallows. Another sign near here tells about how the creek was important to the Otis family as they used it for recreation, fishing, and trapping.

The main trail begins across the dirt road and heads up a slight incline to an open field area. The trail makes a big loop around the outside edge, so you can choose to proceed in either direction. The quarter-mile Firebreak Trail cuts through the middle of this area for those looking to shorten their loop or add more to it.

We headed to the left to start our loop where we learned more about a grasslands restoration project and what to look for in Michigan prairies. The sing says to watch for Henslow’s sparrows and grasshopper sparrows in this area and while we sure heard plenty of birds we were unable to accurately identify or photograph any of them. We did see a few butterflies, though.

As we reached a more wooded area an information sign told us more about the cerulean warbler. This is one of the best spots in Michigan to spot this elusive bird, and while we didn’t see or hear any in this area, we did find a few indigo buntings in the trees.

The trail passes by an oak and hickory forest. A trail sign here talks about how a forest like this has a canopy that lets a lot of light into the forest floor, how acorns and hickory nuts are food sources for birds and other animals, and how oak and hickory trees have cavities for nesting birds.

As we returned to a more open area we saw many tree swallows flying and landing on the birdhouses. These birds are easy to notice with their bright blue, white, and black feathers and with a diet that consists of mostly insects this seemed like the perfect place for them.

The trail is wide and easy to follow, and well-maintained. With only one main loop and the Firebreak trail here, it should be almost impossible to lose track of where you are. We took our time making the loop around the outside, checking the trees and tall grasses for signs of birds at all times.

As we made the final turn to head back to the parking lot, a bluebird was perched on a branch and making its presence known. The Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary is a wonderful property that is perfect for a daytime hike full of peace and quiet and birdwatching!