Ridges Sanctuary, Door County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot
Habitat: Mixed Coniferous Forest, Beaches and Mudflats, Open Water.
Best Birds: The boreal forest and surrounding habitats support occasional nesting Merlin, Winter Wren, nesting White-throated Sparrow, Black-throated Green, Black and White, and Pine Warbler.
The sandy beach and open water feature Caspian Tern (breed nearby), and occasional Bonaparte and Franklin’s Gull. Sora nest just north of the marina. On the beach, scan the sandy shore for shorebirds, gulls, and terns. Scope the open waters of Baileys Harbor Bay and Lake Michigan for Tundra Swan, ducks, American White Pelican, and occasional Horned Grebe. Check out the mud flats north of the marina for feeding shorebirds.
For additional bird watching at Toft Point SNA, continue down Ridges Road until the pavement stops and the road turns to gravel. Park on the roadside and walk to Baileys Harbor Point, (45.05617, -87.09060) and continue east walking Point Drive.
Directions: 67 miles NE of Green Bay. From the intersection of Highway 57 and Ridges Road in Baileys Harbor, take Ridges Road 0.4 miles to County Park parking lot (45.07035, -87.11833). Walk 400 feet back east on the road to the Lower Range Light Lighthouse to access the Sanctuary’s trails, 45.07045, -87.11977.
Site Address & Additional Information:
Over 1500 acres of boreal habitat is protected by the Ridges Sanctuary. Over thousands of years, Lake Michigan’s fluctuating lake level created a series of beach ridges and swales resulting in ancient beach ridges and wetland swales of White Spruce, Balsam Fir, and cedar forest. Lake Michigan’s water level regularly fluctuates nearly 5 feet over several decades of time. This cycle dramatically alters habitat conditions along the lake shore and the near shore plant communities.
Ridges Sanctuary Nature Center: 8166 Hwy 57 Baileys Harbor, WI, 45.06757, -87.12415
Baileys Harbor Ridges County Park: 2301 Ridges Road, Baileys Harbor WI, 45.07035, -87.11833 Bathrooms are available at the County Park.
https://www.co.door.wi.gov/653/Baileys-Harbor-Ridges-County-Park
Toft Point SNA,
Toft Point State Natural Area - Wisconsin DNR
Paul Regnier
