BIRDING FIELD PROGRAMS

Off the Beaten Boardwalk Guided Bus Trip
to Area Birding Hotspots
May 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (Just Added!)
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Meet at Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Fee: $15.00
Registration required.
Open to BSBO Members only
Click here to join or join when you register!
Seating is limited to the first 13 passengers!
These trips will take participants to search for migrants in some of the lesser-known birding hotspots that all the local birders know about. Our expert field trip leaders will be scouting all these areas daily, and will take 13 lucky birders per trip to chase the latest arrivals. We're keeping these trips small to ensure a quality experience, so, reserve your seat on the famous BSBO Bird Bus TODAY!

Guided Bus Trip to
Oak Openings Preserve
May 10, 12, & 14, 16
7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet at Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Fee: $15.00
Registration required.
Open to BSBO Members only
Click here to join or join when you register!
This trip takes you to a Toledo Metroparks location approximately 50 minutes Southwest of the Magee boardwalk. This birding hotspot is known for its Oak savannahs and ancient sand dunes. It is like no other place you have seen before. Here expert bird guides will help you find a great assortment of migrating warblers as well as possible Lark Sparrows, Summer Tanagers and Blue Grosbeaks arriving to breed.

Guided Bus Trip to Oak Openings Preserve (ABA Century Club)
May 6
7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet at Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Fee: FREE
Registration required.
Open to ABA Century Club Members only
This trip takes you to a Toledo Metroparks location approximately 50 minutes Southwest of the Magee boardwalk. This birding hotspot is known for its Oak savannahs and ancient sand dunes. It is like no other place you have seen before. Here expert bird guides will help you find a great assortment of migrating warblers as well as possible Lark Sparrows, Summer Tanagers and Blue Grosbeaks arriving to breed.

Guided Walks
(Warbler Workouts)
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area Boardwalk
Daily
8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 p.m.
Fee: FREE
The Magee Marsh Boardwalk has been dubbed as “The Warbler Capital of the World” by Kenn Kaufman, and with just a brief visit anytime in mid May you will soon learn why. Warblers drip from the trees, many dangling invitingly at eye level in front of appreciative birders gathered on this well-maintained boardwalk, that is just off the southern shore of Lake Erie. Everyday during the event a number of guides from Tropical Birding and Black Swamp Bird Observatory will be leading walks from the western entrance of the boardwalk. Everyday at 8am, 11am and 3pm a number of guides will be waiting there to show you the delights within! Please note there will be guides based on the boardwalk throughout the day from 8am and 6pm even outside the scheduled times advertised for the walks.



Family  & Beginner Guided Bird Walks
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Daily
9 a.m.
Fee: FREE
If you feel intimidated at stepping into the breech on the boardwalk, then we are running daily walks for beginners and families to escape the crowds and take our time to run through some birding basics. This will range from how to use binoculars, what field guides to use, and of course how to work out some of the common species around Ottawa. Ottawa NWR makes an ideal location for this as large and impressive waterbirds abound in this huge refuge that flanks Magee Marsh. Here we can enjoy brilliant white egrets and bold herons fishing in the marshes, as well as Bald Eagles surveying the swamp for their latest catch. A short woodland walk will also introduce you to some of the common and colorful songbirds of the area that include both the dazzling warblers of the treetops and thrushes of the woodland floor. For those of you who do not possess a pair of binoculars or a field guide, a limited supply will be available, free of charge, for these walks from the Ottawa NWR.

Guided Shorebird and Waterbird Guided Walk

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Daily except for
Saturday May 8
3 – 5 p.m.
Fee: FREE
For those who feel intimidated by those awkward brown “peeps” or those mysterious gray sandpipers, these field trips will focus on the wetland and shorebirds within Ottawa NWR. This impressive refuge contains massive marshes, and a multitude of dikes and swampy areas and is therefore a haven for waterbirds of all shapes and sizes. Shorebirds recorded during May 2009 included White-rumped Sandpipers, a mass of Dunlin, Black-bellied and American Golden Plovers, a single Ruff and Red-necked Phalarope, and several breeding dress Wilson’s Phalaropes among others.  The dikes will also play host to large waterbirds and ducks such as Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, dapper Wood Ducks or maybe even a regal Sandhill Crane. For those birders needing relief from the siege of warblers and other migrants on the Magee Marsh Boardwalk this is the perfect afternoon diversion after a frenzied morning down on the boardwalk.



Self-guided Refuge Auto Tour
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
May 8 & 15
Entry gate opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m.
Exit gate closes at 6:30 p.m.
Fee: FREE



Drive at your own pace along this seven-mile route in the comfort of your own car. Pick up a guide at the entrance to learn about the refuge features, management, and for bird sighting tips. The route travels past marshes, prairies, mature trees, shrubs, and Crane Creek. With such a wide variety of habitats numerous bird species may be found along the auto tour route. Many wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors and songbirds are commonly seen while driving through the refuge. Past highlights have included Bald Eagle, Yellow-headed Blackbird, ibis species, Black Terns, American Avocets, Sandhill Cranes, Osprey, and Peregrine Falcons, however the possibilities are endless.



The Biggest Week -
BIG HALF DAY BIRD RACE

Sunday May 9
6 a.m. - 12 Noon
Fee: FREE
You must register in person at
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Teams of 2 people are invited to join in this half-day bird race running from 6 a.m. to noon, for the grand prize of 2 places on a Tropical Birding Andes Intro tour in northwest Ecuador.

The areas included will be the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory trails.

Registration of the teams must be made through the Black Swamp Bird Observatory no later than Saturday, May 8, 6 p.m. Team sheets need to be handed in at noon at the Observatory. 



Woodcock Extravaganza

Displaying Woodcocks of Black Swamp Bird Observatory
May 9, 12, and 15
8 – 9:15 p.m.
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Fee: $10
Registration required.
The Black Swamp Bird Observatory lies slap bang in the middle of a core area for American Woodcocks, and more importantly, is located within a known site for seeing their incredible displays. Join the BSBO research and education team for an evening of fun-filled fascination beginning with an indoor program that looks a little bit closer into the bizarre lifestyle of these wonderful birds. After the program we’ll split into two groups (limited to 15 people per group) and make the short walk to the territories of these shorebirds; then wait quietly to listen for their strange croaking calls. We’ll listen for the sound of the males whirring wings as he takes to the skies above and rides the dusk sky. Once we catch sight of him patrolling the night sky we will move slowly a little closer and wait for him to drop down right beside us for an incredibly close encounter with this woodland denizen.



Guided Bus Trip to Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge

A private migration hot spot
May 10, 12 and 14
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

May 11 and 13
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Leaving from Ottawa NWR
Fee: Free
Registration required.
Cedar Point NWR is a true migration hot spot.  The 2,500-acre refuge contains a 2,000-acre marsh, the largest contiguous marsh in the Lake Erie Marshes.  Natural features combine to provide a stopover spot for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds.  The wooded beach ridge provides an excellent stopover location for migrating songbirds including large numbers of warblers.  Refuge staff and expert bird guides will take you into this closed area in search of a large variety of migrating birds. This trip will leave from the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.


Guided Bus Trip to the Darby Unit of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

May 11
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Leaving from Ottawa NWR
Fee: FREE
Registration required.
The Darby Unit is located on the shore of Lake Erie just west of Port Clinton.  The 500-acre unit is not open to the public.  This area, surrounded by development, agriculture and the lake provides a great hide-away for wildlife.  Refuge staff and expert bird guides will take you into this closed area in search of a large variety of migrating birds.  This trip will leave from the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.


Guided Bus Trip to Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
May 13
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

May 10, 12, and 14
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Starting from the Ottawa NWR main parking lot
Fee: FREE
Registration required.
Go behind the scenes of the Ottawa NWR with refuge staff and expert bird guides. They will take you into closed areas of the refuge in search of migrating birds.  The refuge habitat varies between marsh, estuary, woods, prairie, and shrubs, providing for sightings of a wide variety of bird species.  This trip will leave from the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.



Ohio Young Birders Club Guided Walk

May 15
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Meet at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Please bring your lunch!
Fee: FREE
Young birders ages 12-18 are encouraged to join us on the famous Magee Marsh Boardwalk and other local birding hotspots to search for the most recent arrival of migrants in the area. Not only will we experience migration in one of the world's BEST birding areas, but, just to make it even more better, : ) two of the country's leading young birders, Jen Brumfield and Mike Freiberg will be the leaders!  Jen is a renowned bird artist and tour leader, and Mike works for Nikon Sport Optics, so, this is a great opportunity for young birders to "pick their bird brains!"

Hike the Dikes Beyond the Boardwalk
May 15
9 - 11 a.m.
Meet at the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area Bird Center.
Fee: FREE
There are 2000 acres at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area......come explore some of the areas that are normally closed to the public.