2020 BIRD WALKS UPDATE COMING SOON
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LOOK FOR THE GOLDEN CAPS!
In addition to the walks listed below, our wonderful guides will be on and near the Magee Marsh boardwalk each day throughout the festival. Look for the folks in the golden caps with the word GUIDE on the back. These guides are happy to help visitors find, identify, and appreciate the wonderful birds that grace us with their presence on their migration journeys!
MAGEE MARSH GUIDED WALKS
Activity Level: MODERATE: requires substantial walking
Dates: Daily, from May 8 to May 17
Time: First walk from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Second walk from 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Fee: Included with festival registration; just show your name badge to participate
Meeting Location: Meet at the white Division of Wildlife tent
Click here for a map
Black Swamp Bird Observatory has dubbed the Magee Marsh area “The Warbler Capital of the World," and with just a brief visit anytime from early to mid-May you'll discover why! Warblers 'drip' from the trees, many dangling invitingly at eye level along a well-maintained boardwalk. But it can get quite crowded. So these walks were created with two goals in mind:
1) To reduce the number of people on the boardwalk.
2) To introduce birders to the other wonderful places to go birding on the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area!
Groups will split up and visit either the Crane Creek Estuary Trail or the Wildlife Beach at the east end of the area. Both of these areas have hosted Kirtland's Warblers and dazzling concentrations of migrants. Every day during the event, a number of experienced guides will be leading these walks starting from the west entrance of the boardwalk.
SKYDANCE: WOODCOCKS ON THE WING
PEENT!
Activity Level: EASY
Date: Daily, from May 8 to May 17
Time: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO)
Meeting Location: BSBO Parking Lot
Fee: $12
Registration required
Limit: 25 Participants per trip
BSBO lies slap bang in the middle of a breeding territory for the bizarre and fascinating American Woodcock. These walks will take you to see their incredible courtship rituals. We’ll meet at BSBO and then make the short walk to the trail. We'll wait quietly to listen for their strange PEENT calls and the sound of the male's whirring wings as he takes to the skies in a ritual known as The Sky Dance. These walks are great for all ages - but we must be able to be still and keep quiet in order to have the best experience and not disturb the birds!
Date: Daily, from May 8 to May 17
Time: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Where: Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO)
Meeting Location: BSBO Parking Lot
Fee: $12
Registration required
Limit: 25 Participants per trip
BSBO lies slap bang in the middle of a breeding territory for the bizarre and fascinating American Woodcock. These walks will take you to see their incredible courtship rituals. We’ll meet at BSBO and then make the short walk to the trail. We'll wait quietly to listen for their strange PEENT calls and the sound of the male's whirring wings as he takes to the skies in a ritual known as The Sky Dance. These walks are great for all ages - but we must be able to be still and keep quiet in order to have the best experience and not disturb the birds!
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SKYDANCE: WOODCOCKS ON THE WING
Activity Level: EASY Date: Daily, from May 8 to May 17 Time: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM Where: Maumee Bay State Park Meeting Location: Parking Area #6 (See map to the right.) Fee: $12 Registration required Limit: 25 Participants per trip Maumee Bay State Park hosts a healthy population of breeding American Woodcocks. We’ll meet at Parking Lot 6 (see map, right) and then make the short walk to the breeding grounds. Once there, we'll wait quietly to listen for their strange PEENT calls and the sound of the male's whirring wings as he takes to the skies in a ritual known as The Sky Dance.These walks are great for all ages - but we must be able to be still and keep quiet in order to have the best experience and not disturb the birds! |
Click HERE for a printable pdf of this map
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YOUNG BIRDER WALK, Sponsored by the Ohio Young Birders Club (OYBC)
YOUNG BIRDER WALK: BIRDING THE FAMOUS MAGEE MARSH
Date: Saturday, May 9, and Saturday, May 16 Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: Meet at the east end of the Magee Marsh Parking Lot (See map at right.) Fee: PUBLIC *Please bring your lunch! **YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE OHIO YOUNG BIRDERS CLUB TO ATTEND! ***STUDENTS ONLY! Parents who attend will be led on a separate guided walk. Each year, the OYBC offers a young birders walk at Magee and it's always a blast! Join young birders from all over the state and the country and meet some really cool field trip leaders, too! No need to be a member, and young birders of all ages are welcome! On Saturday, May 4, Richard Crossley will be joining the walk. On Saturday, May 11, Katie Fallon will be joining the walk.These authors and speakers from this year's Biggest Week will be able to answer questions and bird with the young birders! |
Click image for larger view
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Night Hike at Pearson Metropark
Date: Monday, May 11
Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Pearson Metropark
Fee: $15
Limited to 20 participants
Registration Required: Yes
Click HERE for a map of the meeting location
Come explore Pearson Metropark at night! Listen to the music of the night insects. Witness the soft sounds of the winds flowing through the forest. Maybe we’ll hear an owl or two. Experience this amazing park at a time when few get to do so.
NOTE: Special permitting is required for these Night Hikes. The general public is not allowed to access these properties after dark, Parks close at sunset
Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Pearson Metropark
Fee: $15
Limited to 20 participants
Registration Required: Yes
Click HERE for a map of the meeting location
Come explore Pearson Metropark at night! Listen to the music of the night insects. Witness the soft sounds of the winds flowing through the forest. Maybe we’ll hear an owl or two. Experience this amazing park at a time when few get to do so.
NOTE: Special permitting is required for these Night Hikes. The general public is not allowed to access these properties after dark, Parks close at sunset
Night Hike at Howard Marsh Metropark
Date: Friday, May 15
Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Howard Metropark
Fee: $15
Limited to 20 participants
Registration Required: Yes
Click HERE for a map of the meeting location
You’ve experience the splendor of Howard Marsh Metropark during the day. Join us and experience this now famous hotspot at night! Take in the stars and marvel at the Milky Way. Listen for bird’s night flight calls as the wonder toward their northern breeding grounds. What will we find…well honestly, since the park us closed at night, we don’t really know. Come along and find out with us!
NOTE: Special permitting is required for these Night Hikes. The general public is not allowed to access these properties after dark, Parks close at sunset.
Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Howard Metropark
Fee: $15
Limited to 20 participants
Registration Required: Yes
Click HERE for a map of the meeting location
You’ve experience the splendor of Howard Marsh Metropark during the day. Join us and experience this now famous hotspot at night! Take in the stars and marvel at the Milky Way. Listen for bird’s night flight calls as the wonder toward their northern breeding grounds. What will we find…well honestly, since the park us closed at night, we don’t really know. Come along and find out with us!
NOTE: Special permitting is required for these Night Hikes. The general public is not allowed to access these properties after dark, Parks close at sunset.
Night Hike at Mallard Club Marsh
Date: Friday, May 15
Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Location:
Fee: $15
Limited to 20 participants
Registration Required: Yes
Visit Mallard Club Marsh at night! Take in the flight of herons and egrets at dusk as they head to roost. Listen for rails and bitterns calling in the dark. Be dazzled by calling migrants as they call from the invisibility of the night sky. Watch for meteors streaking across the sky with the virtual 360° view from the banks of the marsh.
NOTE: Special permitting is required for these Night Hikes. The general public is not allowed to access these properties after dark, Parks close at sunset
Time: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Location:
Fee: $15
Limited to 20 participants
Registration Required: Yes
Visit Mallard Club Marsh at night! Take in the flight of herons and egrets at dusk as they head to roost. Listen for rails and bitterns calling in the dark. Be dazzled by calling migrants as they call from the invisibility of the night sky. Watch for meteors streaking across the sky with the virtual 360° view from the banks of the marsh.
NOTE: Special permitting is required for these Night Hikes. The general public is not allowed to access these properties after dark, Parks close at sunset
FAMILY BIRD WALK
Activity Level: EASY
Date: TBD
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Pearson Metropark
761 Lallendorf Rd.
Oregon, OH 43616
Fee: PUBLIC
Meet in Parking Lot #4
Click HERE for a map to the meeting location
Bring the whole family (all ages welcome!) for this enjoyable family-paced walk in one of the area's great parks! Pearson offers wonderful trails through rich forest, and a window on wildlife where we can enjoy watching birds at the feeders and the waterfall -- so we'll have fun even if the weather isn't perfect. We'll take our time watching for birds and any other interesting things we notice in nature.
Binoculars and field guides will be available to borrow for this workshop.
Date: TBD
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Pearson Metropark
761 Lallendorf Rd.
Oregon, OH 43616
Fee: PUBLIC
Meet in Parking Lot #4
Click HERE for a map to the meeting location
Bring the whole family (all ages welcome!) for this enjoyable family-paced walk in one of the area's great parks! Pearson offers wonderful trails through rich forest, and a window on wildlife where we can enjoy watching birds at the feeders and the waterfall -- so we'll have fun even if the weather isn't perfect. We'll take our time watching for birds and any other interesting things we notice in nature.
Binoculars and field guides will be available to borrow for this workshop.
BEGINNING BIRDING WALKS
Activity Level: EASY
Date: TBD
Time: 10:00 AM - 12 PM
Where: Pearson Metropark
761 Lallendorf Rd.
Oregon, OH 43616
Fee: PUBLIC
Meet in Parking Lot #4
Click HERE for a map to the meeting location
You've decided birding sounds interesting and you'd like to give it a try, but what do you do next? In this fun and easy workshop, we'll walk you through everything you need to know to get started birdwatching. We'll point you in the right direction to find a pair of binoculars and a field guide, basic bird identification tips, and where and how to find birds.
Binoculars and field guides will be available to borrow for this workshop.
Activity Level: EASY
Date: TBD
Time: 10:00 AM - 12 PM
Where: Pearson Metropark
761 Lallendorf Rd.
Oregon, OH 43616
Fee: PUBLIC
Meet in Parking Lot #4
Click HERE for a map to the meeting location
You've decided birding sounds interesting and you'd like to give it a try, but what do you do next? In this fun and easy workshop, we'll walk you through everything you need to know to get started birdwatching. We'll point you in the right direction to find a pair of binoculars and a field guide, basic bird identification tips, and where and how to find birds.
Binoculars and field guides will be available to borrow for this workshop.