The Name Was
Never an Accident.
Harbor Springs, Michigan’s premier vacation rental on the Sunset Coast Birding Trail — where the feeders are full, the binoculars are by the door, and the sighting logbook is already waiting for you.
A Note from the Owners
We’ve always known what this place was. Now we want you to know too.
When we named this property The Bird House, we didn’t fully envision what it would become. It was to honor a family member and thankfully she loves it. Step outside on any morning in Harbor Springs — whether it’s the first warm day in May or a snow-dusted morning in January — and you’ll understand immediately. This corner of Northern Michigan is alive with birds in a way that genuinely surprises people who didn’t come looking for them.
You will see four feeders. We keep a pair of quality binoculars by the back door and field guides by the fireplace. And we started a guest sighting logbook that we hope becomes one of our most talked-about features — families flipping through it when they arrive, serious birders adding to it carefully, and kids treating it like a treasure hunt.
You don’t have to be a birder to love what happens here. You just have to look up. But if you are a birder — welcome. You found the right house. The Sunset Coast Birding Trail runs right through Emmet County, and The Bird House is your base camp.
What’s Waiting for You
Four feeders.
Maintained year-round.
Field guides provided to make identification easier. Binoculars by the back door — use them freely during your stay.
Year-Round Wonder
Every season brings something
worth watching.
Birders know Northern Michigan is special. But you don’t have to be a birder to feel it — just be here when the warblers arrive in May, or when the first Snowy Owl appears in January.
Spring migration along the Lake Michigan shoreline is one of the most spectacular natural events in the Midwest. Waves of colorful warblers, tanagers, orioles, and thrushes surge northward through Emmet County, stopping to rest and refuel in the woodlands surrounding Harbor Springs. May mornings here are a full sensory experience — every tree seems to be singing at once.
This is peak season at The Bird House. The feeders are busy from first light, and the surrounding forests are alive with movement.
Summer nesting season means the property’s resident birds are in full voice. Backyard birding is relaxed and rewarding — this is the perfect season to get children interested, as birds linger long enough to really watch and identify. Late July brings a bonus: Arctic shorebirds begin their remarkable southward migration along Little Traverse Bay, stopping to feed along the Lake Michigan shore.
Bald Eagles are a genuine possibility any day of the year in Emmet County — and summer is no exception.
October in Northern Michigan is extraordinary for two reasons: the foliage, and the hawks. Thousands of Broad-winged Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, and Bald Eagles funnel southward along the Lake Michigan shoreline as they migrate. Watching a kettle of hundreds of hawks spiral overhead against a backdrop of crimson and gold maples is something that stays with you.
Fall also brings irruptions of winter finches pushing south — keep an eye on the nyjer feeder for Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls arriving from the north.
Winter is when serious birders make the trip north, and for good reason. The feeders become a lifeline for resident birds, making them incredibly approachable. In irruption years — when prey populations crash in the north — Snowy Owls appear along the Lake Michigan shoreline, Great Gray Owls move through the forests, and Northern Shrikes hunt from exposed perches. This is rare stuff, and The Bird House puts you right in the middle of it.
There’s something deeply peaceful about watching a Downy Woodpecker work the suet cage against a backdrop of snow-covered Northern Michigan pines.
The Guest Sighting Logbook
Every guest leaves something behind.
When you arrive at The Bird House, you’ll find a Leatherette-bound sighting logbook on the window sill. Guests can record what they saw, when they saw it, and a small note like a child’s excited handwriting next to “BALD EAGLE!!!” or a seasoned birder’s careful notation of an unexpected winter finch.
Flip through it when you arrive. Add to it when you leave. We hope it becomes the most genuine record of what’s alive and moving through this corner of Northern Michigan — and it belongs to every guest who’s stayed here.
Our eBird checklist for the property is also public and growing. Every observation adds to a permanent scientific record of bird life at this location — something that connects The Bird House to the global birding community.
Live sighting data for Emmet County is tracked on eBird — updated daily by local observers.
View Recent Sightings on eBird →This log grows with every guest. Add your sightings to eBird and the physical logbook when you visit.
For Families
You don’t have to be a birder.
You just have to look up.
Some of the best moments at The Bird House have nothing to do with life lists or rare species. Its about spending time with the family and hearing shrieks of enjoyment from the kids.
Birds are the original wildlife encounter — accessible, abundant, and endlessly surprising. We’ve designed the property to make that encounter as natural and inevitable as possible for guests of every age.
in Michigan
on Property
Every Season
After the Birds
The Sunset Coast Birding Trail
Your front door opens onto one of Michigan’s premier birding routes.
The Sunset Coast Birding Trail runs through Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet counties — the three-county region surrounding Harbor Springs. It was established to showcase the extraordinary diversity of birds along Michigan’s northwest Lake Michigan shoreline, where forest, wetland, and open water create habitat for more than 400 species. The Bird House sits squarely within this trail’s geography, making it a natural base camp for exploring the region’s best birding spots.
A 30-acre wildlife sanctuary in Harbor Springs. Three accessible trails through old-growth forest and dune habitat. Home to waterfowl, wading birds, woodpeckers, and warblers. One of the most productive local birding spots in Emmet County.
Beach and dune habitat along Little Traverse Bay. Exceptional for shorebirds in late summer and migrating waterfowl in spring and fall. Common Loons are a reliable sight on the bay. The park sits on a key migration corridor.
One of the darkest skies in Michigan — and one of the best spots in the country for owl banding sessions. Nocturnal owl migration through the Straits of Mackinac is extraordinary in October and November. Special banding events are open to the public.
The feeders are full.
The binoculars are waiting.
What will you add to the logbook?
Whether you’re a lifelong birder planning a Sunset Coast Trail expedition, or a family who just wants to see what shows up at the feeder — The Bird House is ready for you, in every season.
Your Home Base in Harbor Springs
Stay at The Bird House
Private 5-bedroom home that sleeps 11 — hot tub, firepit, and parking for 8. 7 minutes from Nub’s Nob and a short drive from everything in Harbor Springs.
View The Bird House →Birding with kids? Two resident birds run the kids’ missions at the house — binoculars by the back door, bird journal on the shelf. Meet Toskey & Tern →