The northern shore of Lake Huron is a place rich in marshes, rocky peninsulas and sandy coves. Forests of white cedar, balsam fir, white birch and quaking aspen dominate the shores. Hardwood forests of sugar maple and beech favor the deeper soils inland.

Wetlands range from marshes along Lake Huron with their neighboring sedge meadows, to bogs with tamarack and black spruce and white cedar swamps. White and red pine tower above sand ridges and old beaches near the lake meadows and other grasslands can be found just inland from the alke and at the northern end of Drummond Island.

This area is a migratory stopover site and significant nesting area for over 250 bird species. The forested shoreline and peninsulas provide landing and launching habitat for birds crossing over the straits in the spring and fall. Inventories have shown a wide variety of bird species including neo-tropical warblers, waterfowl and arctic species.

The rich diversity in habitat and the changing seasons provide a constantly changing panorama for bird watchers. Few of the 150 species of birds found in the Les Cheneaux area remain here all year. Some migrate through Les Cheneaux, others breed here and winter far south, while still others breed as far north as the arctic and come south to winter here.

Contact our Welcome Center (1.888.364.7526) for our free Birds of Les Cheneaux Islands Area brochure, which lists a number of species, when they visit and where they can be found in the area.