2020 BARB PADGETT MEMORIAL VAN TRIPS
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A percentage of the funds raised for The Biggest Week In American Birding's Van Trips will go towards the Barb Padgett Migratory Bird Research and Education Fund. Barb Padgett was an avid birder, conservationist, political activist, and beloved social media personality.This fund will provide support for Black Swamp Bird Observatory's long-time migratory songbird research and our youth birding and nature programs, aspects of our mission that Barb cared deeply about. CLICK HERE to donate to the Barb Padgett Migratory Bird Research and Education Fund.
Subscribe to Biggest Week eNews for all the latest updates
A percentage of the funds raised for The Biggest Week In American Birding's Van Trips will go towards the Barb Padgett Migratory Bird Research and Education Fund. Barb Padgett was an avid birder, conservationist, political activist, and beloved social media personality.This fund will provide support for Black Swamp Bird Observatory's long-time migratory songbird research and our youth birding and nature programs, aspects of our mission that Barb cared deeply about. CLICK HERE to donate to the Barb Padgett Migratory Bird Research and Education Fund.
We’re really proud of the quality of our van trips. Small groups (only 10 people per van), wonderful leaders, and all for a great value.
Please note: All van trips will leave from and return to Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center.
Also: Each van will be numbered, so be sure to match your van number listed on your itinerary with the numbered van in the parking lot.
Boxed lunches are available by filling out a form at the front desk of the Maumee Bay Lodge the day before. You do not have to be a registered guest of the Lodge to order a boxed lunch.
Please note: All van trips will leave from and return to Maumee Bay Lodge and Conference Center.
Also: Each van will be numbered, so be sure to match your van number listed on your itinerary with the numbered van in the parking lot.
Boxed lunches are available by filling out a form at the front desk of the Maumee Bay Lodge the day before. You do not have to be a registered guest of the Lodge to order a boxed lunch.
Photo courtesy of Charles Owens
BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 9, 12, or 15
Time: 7 AM - 1 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 6:45 AM
Fee: $55
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 1 van.
Are you a beginning birder who would enjoy some time in the field with an expert leader who really understands the finer points of teaching birding? Or, perhaps you've never gone birding before and you're ready to give it a try! These trips will offer a very comfortable, easy-going, no-pressure day of watching, learning, and enjoying birds in a totally unintimidating way.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 9, 12, or 15
Time: 7 AM - 1 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 6:45 AM
Fee: $55
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 1 van.
Are you a beginning birder who would enjoy some time in the field with an expert leader who really understands the finer points of teaching birding? Or, perhaps you've never gone birding before and you're ready to give it a try! These trips will offer a very comfortable, easy-going, no-pressure day of watching, learning, and enjoying birds in a totally unintimidating way.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Summer Tanager
OAK OPENINGS PRESERVE METROPARK
Activity Level: EASY
Dates: May 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
This trip to the Toledo Metroparks’ crown jewel--Oak Openings Preserve and surrounding area--is hugely popular and rightfully so! Known for its oak savannahs and ancient sand dunes, expert guides will help you find an assortment of migrating warblers as well as locally rare breeders including Lark Sparrow, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak. Other species that are possible in the Oak Openings that are more difficult at the lakeshore migrant traps include Pine and Hooded Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole, Red-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers, and much more! We may also visit the nearby Kitty Todd and Irwin Prairie Nature Preserves, Secor or Wildwood Metroparks depending on local intelligence.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: EASY
Dates: May 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
This trip to the Toledo Metroparks’ crown jewel--Oak Openings Preserve and surrounding area--is hugely popular and rightfully so! Known for its oak savannahs and ancient sand dunes, expert guides will help you find an assortment of migrating warblers as well as locally rare breeders including Lark Sparrow, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak. Other species that are possible in the Oak Openings that are more difficult at the lakeshore migrant traps include Pine and Hooded Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole, Red-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers, and much more! We may also visit the nearby Kitty Todd and Irwin Prairie Nature Preserves, Secor or Wildwood Metroparks depending on local intelligence.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Dunlins in flight
POINTE MOUILLEE STATE GAME AREA
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 9, 12, 14, or 16
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
Pointe Mouillee sits just under an hour from Maumee Bay State Park but offers a totally different birding experience than other spots in northwest Ohio. Mouillee is a vast complex of marshes, mudflat, open water, and thickets that attract species that are often hard to come by in other nearby locales. The focus on this trip will be ducks, waterbirds, shorebirds and rarities. While you’ll encounter warblers and other passerines along the dikes, this trip will have a pretty heavy focus on scoping the open spaces that can hold up to 20 species of ducks, even in May! With just a little luck, we could find something really amazing like an ibis, Yellow-headed Blackbird or better. After we’ve had our share of Pointe Mouillee, we will bird our way back to Maumee Bay State Park, hitting some key locations along the lakeshore that will inflate our day list with a variety of migrants.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 9, 12, 14, or 16
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
Pointe Mouillee sits just under an hour from Maumee Bay State Park but offers a totally different birding experience than other spots in northwest Ohio. Mouillee is a vast complex of marshes, mudflat, open water, and thickets that attract species that are often hard to come by in other nearby locales. The focus on this trip will be ducks, waterbirds, shorebirds and rarities. While you’ll encounter warblers and other passerines along the dikes, this trip will have a pretty heavy focus on scoping the open spaces that can hold up to 20 species of ducks, even in May! With just a little luck, we could find something really amazing like an ibis, Yellow-headed Blackbird or better. After we’ve had our share of Pointe Mouillee, we will bird our way back to Maumee Bay State Park, hitting some key locations along the lakeshore that will inflate our day list with a variety of migrants.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Black-throated Blue Warbler
THE WILDS OF ERIE COUNTY
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
To the east of Magee lie some of the “birdiest” migrant traps, woodlands, and marshes in the entire Great Lakes. Pipe Creek Wildlife Area will be our primary destination on this trip where it's possible to encounter a huge variety of species in a very small area. The woods at the parking area and adjacent path are usually teeming with warblers and other neotropical migrants and often rivals Magee for its activity. As we wander down the path, the woods give way to shrubby thickets where we will continue to see songbirds, and then eventually open up into a number of impoundments. We’ll walk the dike system there and because of the different habitats in such close proximity, our bird list will be impressive from this site alone. We may also visit Sheldon Marsh, yet another migrant trap that attracts hordes of warblers, vireos, thrushes and the like.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
To the east of Magee lie some of the “birdiest” migrant traps, woodlands, and marshes in the entire Great Lakes. Pipe Creek Wildlife Area will be our primary destination on this trip where it's possible to encounter a huge variety of species in a very small area. The woods at the parking area and adjacent path are usually teeming with warblers and other neotropical migrants and often rivals Magee for its activity. As we wander down the path, the woods give way to shrubby thickets where we will continue to see songbirds, and then eventually open up into a number of impoundments. We’ll walk the dike system there and because of the different habitats in such close proximity, our bird list will be impressive from this site alone. We may also visit Sheldon Marsh, yet another migrant trap that attracts hordes of warblers, vireos, thrushes and the like.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
THE BIG DAY VAN
Activity Level: EASY, but pace is fast!
Date: May 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
This trip will take you all over northwest Ohio in search of as many species as you can possibly find! Your expert guide will take you on a faster paced, day-long trip to the widest variety of habitats in the region. However, we will make sure that we spend more time on higher-quality species. We’d much rather spend a few extra minutes looking at a Blackburnian Warbler than a House Sparrow, after all! These full-day Big Day Van trips will focus on the local birding hotspots depending on where the latest migrants arrive. You never know, a competition just may break out between the two Big Day vans.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: EASY, but pace is fast!
Date: May 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
This trip will take you all over northwest Ohio in search of as many species as you can possibly find! Your expert guide will take you on a faster paced, day-long trip to the widest variety of habitats in the region. However, we will make sure that we spend more time on higher-quality species. We’d much rather spend a few extra minutes looking at a Blackburnian Warbler than a House Sparrow, after all! These full-day Big Day Van trips will focus on the local birding hotspots depending on where the latest migrants arrive. You never know, a competition just may break out between the two Big Day vans.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
CATAWBA/MARBLEHEAD BIRDING HOTSPOTS
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 8, 13, or 16
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
Many visiting birders have never heard of the birding sites located on this peninsula, but all the local birders frequent these spots! East Harbor State Park will be one of our main stops on this tour, and if the winds are right, the number of migrants can be truly impressive. Other stops on this trip might include Great Egret Marsh, Cedar Meadow Preserve, Catawba Point Preserve, and Meadowbrook Marsh, providing a variety of habitats for a surprising diverse amount of bird species. Warblers, finches, thrushes, and more all stop to rest along the peninsula, preparing to cross the islands.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 8, 13, or 16
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 2 vans.
Many visiting birders have never heard of the birding sites located on this peninsula, but all the local birders frequent these spots! East Harbor State Park will be one of our main stops on this tour, and if the winds are right, the number of migrants can be truly impressive. Other stops on this trip might include Great Egret Marsh, Cedar Meadow Preserve, Catawba Point Preserve, and Meadowbrook Marsh, providing a variety of habitats for a surprising diverse amount of bird species. Warblers, finches, thrushes, and more all stop to rest along the peninsula, preparing to cross the islands.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
PICKEREL CREEK WILDLIFE AREA / SANDUSKY BAY AREA
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 9, 11, 14, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
May 9 and 14: limited to 10 participants per van; 2 vans.
May 11 and 17: limited to 10 participants per van; 1 van.
The rich marshes of Pickerel Creek and the diversity of habitats in the surrounding area offer participants on this trip a high diversity of species as well as a good chance at finding a rarity. In recent years, Pickerel Creek hosted White-faced and Glossy Ibis, Ruff, Eurasian Wigeon, American White Pelicans, Brewer’s Blackbird, and much more! You simply never know what you will turn up here.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 9, 11, 14, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
May 9 and 14: limited to 10 participants per van; 2 vans.
May 11 and 17: limited to 10 participants per van; 1 van.
The rich marshes of Pickerel Creek and the diversity of habitats in the surrounding area offer participants on this trip a high diversity of species as well as a good chance at finding a rarity. In recent years, Pickerel Creek hosted White-faced and Glossy Ibis, Ruff, Eurasian Wigeon, American White Pelicans, Brewer’s Blackbird, and much more! You simply never know what you will turn up here.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
LEADER'S CHOICE - HALF-DAY BIRDING TRIP
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
(We are offering morning AND afternoon Leader's Choice trips on each of the following days!)
Date: May 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17
Morning Trips: 6-10 AM
Afternoon Trips: 11 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM or 10:45 AM
Fee: $35
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per van; 1 van in the morning, 1 van in the afternoon.
Our leaders will be keeping up with where the best birds are and will take you to those locations. This will be a fast-paced tour of some of the lesser-known hotspots located near Maumee Bay State Park. From migrant traps for warblers to chasing reported rarities, you never know where these trips might lead.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
(We are offering morning AND afternoon Leader's Choice trips on each of the following days!)
Date: May 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17
Morning Trips: 6-10 AM
Afternoon Trips: 11 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM or 10:45 AM
Fee: $35
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per van; 1 van in the morning, 1 van in the afternoon.
Our leaders will be keeping up with where the best birds are and will take you to those locations. This will be a fast-paced tour of some of the lesser-known hotspots located near Maumee Bay State Park. From migrant traps for warblers to chasing reported rarities, you never know where these trips might lead.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
BIRDING THE METROPARKS OF TOLEDO
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 10, 12, 15, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per van; 1 van.
The Metroparks Toledo parks system is one of the real treasures of Northwest Ohio. Our stops will include some or all of the following parks:
- Secor Metropark is just west of Toledo and a wide variety of migrants and breeders can be expected. The swamp forest here is home to forest species like Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Hooded Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, and in some years, Cerulean Warbler. The wooded edges around the nature center often play host to excellent numbers of migrants as well. Just west and south of Secor lies Irwin and Schwamberger Prairies which offer a much different habitat and in turn a different selection of birds. Yellow-breasted Chat (Schwamberger), Blue-winged Warbler, breeding Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and many more can be found without a lot of difficulty.
- Wildwood Preserve Metropark, which offers more nice forest as well as some excellent riparian habitat where Yellow-throated Warbler have been reliable the last several years.
- Pearson Metropark. The north side of the property offers great marsh habitat where species such as Sora, Virginia Rail, and Marsh Wrens are likely to be found in the cattail stands and grassland species like Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows will be in the open area. There may even be some shorebird habitat around. We’ll also have a look around the visitor center and bird feeding station where there are often a good number of migrants.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 10, 12, 15, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per van; 1 van.
The Metroparks Toledo parks system is one of the real treasures of Northwest Ohio. Our stops will include some or all of the following parks:
- Secor Metropark is just west of Toledo and a wide variety of migrants and breeders can be expected. The swamp forest here is home to forest species like Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Hooded Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, and in some years, Cerulean Warbler. The wooded edges around the nature center often play host to excellent numbers of migrants as well. Just west and south of Secor lies Irwin and Schwamberger Prairies which offer a much different habitat and in turn a different selection of birds. Yellow-breasted Chat (Schwamberger), Blue-winged Warbler, breeding Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and many more can be found without a lot of difficulty.
- Wildwood Preserve Metropark, which offers more nice forest as well as some excellent riparian habitat where Yellow-throated Warbler have been reliable the last several years.
- Pearson Metropark. The north side of the property offers great marsh habitat where species such as Sora, Virginia Rail, and Marsh Wrens are likely to be found in the cattail stands and grassland species like Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows will be in the open area. There may even be some shorebird habitat around. We’ll also have a look around the visitor center and bird feeding station where there are often a good number of migrants.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Off the Beaten Path – The Parks of Wood and Sandusky Counties
Photo courtesy of lovemyparks.com
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 10, 12, 13, 14, 16
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
A new route to the Biggest Week roster, this van trip will cover the hidden gems that lie within the suburbs of northern Wood County and the farmlands of Sandusky County. Cedar Creek Preserve and Northwood Nature Trails in Wood County host mature forest interspersed with grassland, bolstering a number of woodland species alongside grassland foragers including Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, and American Goldfinch.
Traveling down into Sandusky County, Ringneck Ridge Wildlife Area, White Star Park, and Creek Bend Farm present new habitats isolated within the agricultural landscape. Stream edge, shrub-scrub, and wet forest at Ringneck invite a host of migrating songbirds and summer breeders such as Wood Thrush and White-eyed Vireo. Adding a bit of diversity, White Star’s wetland area can attract insect-hungry migrants and offer refuge to wetland birds like Wood Duck, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Prothonotary Warbler. Creek Bend Farm offers a beautiful nature facility along Muddy Creek where Belted Kingfisher rattle away and Eastern Bluebird warble throughout the adjacent upland grassland.
These areas present a new opportunity of exploration to visitors of the Biggest Week but also an opportunity to record sightings where few have traveled.
Date: May 10, 12, 13, 14, 16
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
A new route to the Biggest Week roster, this van trip will cover the hidden gems that lie within the suburbs of northern Wood County and the farmlands of Sandusky County. Cedar Creek Preserve and Northwood Nature Trails in Wood County host mature forest interspersed with grassland, bolstering a number of woodland species alongside grassland foragers including Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, and American Goldfinch.
Traveling down into Sandusky County, Ringneck Ridge Wildlife Area, White Star Park, and Creek Bend Farm present new habitats isolated within the agricultural landscape. Stream edge, shrub-scrub, and wet forest at Ringneck invite a host of migrating songbirds and summer breeders such as Wood Thrush and White-eyed Vireo. Adding a bit of diversity, White Star’s wetland area can attract insect-hungry migrants and offer refuge to wetland birds like Wood Duck, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Prothonotary Warbler. Creek Bend Farm offers a beautiful nature facility along Muddy Creek where Belted Kingfisher rattle away and Eastern Bluebird warble throughout the adjacent upland grassland.
These areas present a new opportunity of exploration to visitors of the Biggest Week but also an opportunity to record sightings where few have traveled.
BIGGEST WEEK EXCLUSIVE BIRDING OPPORTUNITIES
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SOUTH BAY - PRIVATE LANDS BIRDING TRIP
Activity Level: HIGH, Involves considerable walking over somewhat challenging terrain
Date: May 8, 11, or 13
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Limited to 10 participants per trip
The Green Creek Hunt Club Marshes located along the upper reaches of Sandusky Bay are both under-birded and rich in possibility. The property is permanently protected by a conservation easement held by Black Swamp Conservancy. Well-known for large movements of land birds along Green Creek and its associated swamp woods, this area also has a wide variety of wetlands and grasslands available to explore. Our expert field trip leaders will be scouting other neighboring private holdings daily to provide for a great diversity of birds each trip. Green Creek is a fine example of how hunt clubs provide great habitat, not only for waterfowl, but also amazing concentrations of songbirds and other wildlife.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: HIGH, Involves considerable walking over somewhat challenging terrain
Date: May 8, 11, or 13
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Limited to 10 participants per trip
The Green Creek Hunt Club Marshes located along the upper reaches of Sandusky Bay are both under-birded and rich in possibility. The property is permanently protected by a conservation easement held by Black Swamp Conservancy. Well-known for large movements of land birds along Green Creek and its associated swamp woods, this area also has a wide variety of wetlands and grasslands available to explore. Our expert field trip leaders will be scouting other neighboring private holdings daily to provide for a great diversity of birds each trip. Green Creek is a fine example of how hunt clubs provide great habitat, not only for waterfowl, but also amazing concentrations of songbirds and other wildlife.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
PRIVATE MARSH BIRDING TRIP: Top-Secret Locations!
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 10, 12, or 15
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per trip
These trips are both popular and fruitful so be sure to make reservations early. You may not know the destination until you arrive, where our expert guides will lead you through a variety of wetland, swamp forest, and grassland habitats. You will explore these private properties for migrating songbirds, nesting specialties such as Bald Eagle, King Rail, Prothonotary Warbler, and a wide variety of marsh and waterbirds.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 10, 12, or 15
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per trip
These trips are both popular and fruitful so be sure to make reservations early. You may not know the destination until you arrive, where our expert guides will lead you through a variety of wetland, swamp forest, and grassland habitats. You will explore these private properties for migrating songbirds, nesting specialties such as Bald Eagle, King Rail, Prothonotary Warbler, and a wide variety of marsh and waterbirds.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
BIRDING PRIVATE LANDS OF THE LITTLE PORTAGE REGION
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 9, 11, 13, or 16
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
May 13: limited to 10 participants per van; two vans.
May 9, 11 and 16: limited to 10 participants per trip; one van.
The Christy Farm Nature Preserve is a 100+ acre riparian corridor along the Muskellunge Creek north of Fremont. The area supports a wide range of woodland birds during migration and breeding season and the trail system takes advantage of the Preserve’s woodland setting. This trip will also include a stop at a private grassland and a private wetland that in the past have produced some amazing species such as Bobolink, Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlarks and with a LOT of luck – Dickcissel or Henslow’s Sparrow.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: MODERATE, involves considerable walking
Date: May 9, 11, 13, or 16
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
Fee: $60
Registration required
May 13: limited to 10 participants per van; two vans.
May 9, 11 and 16: limited to 10 participants per trip; one van.
The Christy Farm Nature Preserve is a 100+ acre riparian corridor along the Muskellunge Creek north of Fremont. The area supports a wide range of woodland birds during migration and breeding season and the trail system takes advantage of the Preserve’s woodland setting. This trip will also include a stop at a private grassland and a private wetland that in the past have produced some amazing species such as Bobolink, Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlarks and with a LOT of luck – Dickcissel or Henslow’s Sparrow.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
NORTHWEST BAY PRIVATE LANDS
Activity Level: HIGH, Involves considerable walking over somewhat challenging terrain
Date: May 10, 12, 14, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per trip
Expert guides will take you to visit Peninsular Farms, a private complex of grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands along the Sandusky River. The farm has a conservation easement with Black Swamp Conservancy and will eventually be deeded to Sandusky County Parks District. The site offers spectacular birding across a diverse range of habitats and is hidden treasure for migrating landbirds. The backwaters of the river and associated thicket habitats provide all the necessities for migrants looking for great stopover habitat.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
Activity Level: HIGH, Involves considerable walking over somewhat challenging terrain
Date: May 10, 12, 14, or 17
Time: 6 AM - 2 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 participants per trip
Expert guides will take you to visit Peninsular Farms, a private complex of grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands along the Sandusky River. The farm has a conservation easement with Black Swamp Conservancy and will eventually be deeded to Sandusky County Parks District. The site offers spectacular birding across a diverse range of habitats and is hidden treasure for migrating landbirds. The backwaters of the river and associated thicket habitats provide all the necessities for migrants looking for great stopover habitat.
**Bring a brown bag lunch. Or, you can pre-order a boxed lunch the night before at the front desk at Maumee Bay Lodge.
PLUM BROOK STATION: BIRDING IN OUTER SPACE (WELL, SORT OF)
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 8, 11, or 15
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 1 van.
The NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has several satellite facilities, including the ten-square-mile Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, OH. Apart from housing four world-class test facilities for the international space community, Plum Brook Station is also one of the largest complexes of managed natural habitats in Ohio. The property is teeming with birds in habitat that includes swaths of original, pre-settlement Black Swamp elm-ash swamp forest, mixed-mesophytic deciduous forest, oak-hickory forest, oak savanna, and native tallgrass prairie. Hundreds of acres of dogwood brush, early-succession cottonwood forest and brushy cool season meadows are also featured onsite.
PLEASE BE ADVISED! Plum Brook Station is owned and operated by NASA. As such, all participants on this field trip must pass a security checkpoint to enter the property. NASA security requires that participants are U.S. citizens and must bring a government-issued photo ID on the day of the trip.
Activity Level: EASY
Date: May 8, 11, or 15
Time: 6 AM - 3 PM
Where: Board the vans in front of Maumee Bay Lodge by 5:45 AM
**IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Port Clinton Pickup location has changed to the Port Clinton City Hall parking lot. Please see the maps for more information about the new pick up location**
Please arrive at the pickup location no later than 6:30 AM. Click HERE for a map of the parking area.
Fee: $60
Registration required
Limited to 10 people per van; 1 van.
The NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has several satellite facilities, including the ten-square-mile Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, OH. Apart from housing four world-class test facilities for the international space community, Plum Brook Station is also one of the largest complexes of managed natural habitats in Ohio. The property is teeming with birds in habitat that includes swaths of original, pre-settlement Black Swamp elm-ash swamp forest, mixed-mesophytic deciduous forest, oak-hickory forest, oak savanna, and native tallgrass prairie. Hundreds of acres of dogwood brush, early-succession cottonwood forest and brushy cool season meadows are also featured onsite.
PLEASE BE ADVISED! Plum Brook Station is owned and operated by NASA. As such, all participants on this field trip must pass a security checkpoint to enter the property. NASA security requires that participants are U.S. citizens and must bring a government-issued photo ID on the day of the trip.