Bark Bay Slough SNA, Bayfield County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Habitat: Open Water, Beaches and Mudflats, Marsh, Conifer Bog, Boreal Forest, Mixed Coniferous Forest, Northern Hardwood Forest, Sedge Meadow, Willow, Alder, or Dogwood Swamp, Non-Native Grassland and Pasture, Successional Oldfield.
Best Birds: Bark Bay Slough’s extensive sedge meadow and wet shrubland has a summer chorus of numerous Sedge Wren and Swamp Sparrow. Listen at night or before dawn from the boat ramp, from Bark Bay Road, or by walking into the sedge meadow and bog, for Yellow Rail, American and Least Bittern, LeConte’s Sparrow, and very rarely Nelson’s Sparrow. Numerous waterfowl and other waterbirds use the slough, as well as large sandpipers (mainly in shallow water edges west of the boat ramp). Merlin frequent the forests. The forest along the road fronting Bark Bay Slough and the slough parking area has many warblers, including Black-and-white, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Pine, Palm, and Mourning, and Northern Parula. Waves of sparrows, warblers, and other songbirds may be seen moving down the road during spring migration, while cranes, shorebirds, pelicans, and raptors pass overhead. From the creek crossing on Bark Bay Road, American Bittern, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and other wet marsh/bog birds can be found. Northern Harrier and Brewer’s Blackbird frequent the big open bog and sedge meadow between this creek crossing and Highway 13 to the south.
At nearby Bark Point, northern finches and migrating songbirds like Snow Bunting are frequently found on the northwest side of the bay around the boat ramp and especially its parking lot. The beach northeast and rocky shoreline at the boat ramp should be checked for Willet, American Pipit, and sandpipers that use rocks. Long-tailed Duck, Red-necked Grebe, and Red-throated Loon are occasionally found offshore among more common diving ducks, including Red-breasted Merganser. Bark Point is best known for hosting large numbers of migrating birds during spring migration, especially on southwest winds, including thousands of Blue Jay, various raptor species potentially including Golden Eagle, winter finches returning to the Canadian boreal forest, and flocks of warblers, sparrows, flickers, robins, blackbirds, and more. Northern rarities like Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, Black-backed and American Three-toed Woodpecker, and Great Gray Owl are occasionally found, as are southern overshoots such as Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Northern Mockingbird.
Directions: 55 miles east of Superior on State Hwy 13.
Site Address & Additional Information:
Bark Bay Road and Bark Point Road, Herbster, WI
Bark Bay Slough
88120 Bark Bay Slough Road, Herbster, WI
Bark Bay Slough State Natural Area - Wisconsin DNR
Bark Point
18290 Bark Point Boat Landing Road
Scott Swengel
