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Kirtland’s Warbler Tours:
Maximize your chances of seeing the
elusive Kirtland's Warbler. Ride a bus to nearby Warbler Habitat
with naturalist guides on board to answer questions and enhance
the experience. At the field stops within the young jack pine
habitat, you also will see and/or hear many of the dozens of other
native birds that share this special habitat with our endangered
Kirtland's warbler. Please note that the Kirtland's Warbler field
trips leave from the Kirtland Community College Campus Grounds.
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NOTE: When attending
the following Field Trips, meet at the field trip site.
Click
here
for directions and a map for how to find each site.
Wakeley Lake Owl Prowl and Bird
Hike:
This area is a Forest Service
non-motorized, foot travel area, 15 minutes east of Grayling. It
is a managed lake with a marshy shoreline. Other habitats include
old growth pine and pole-sized oak/aspen forests. Loons nest on
the lake and ospreys and eagles frequent the lake. Marsh birds and
a diversity of pine and hardwood forest birds will be seen or
heard. At dusk, tape recorders will be used to attract a response
from native barred owls and screech owls. Guides are USFS Wildlife
Technician, Joe Gomolo, and retired MDNR Naturalist, Eve Rolandson.
Sandy foot path to lake is about 1/2 mile long and quite flat.
Houghton Lake Marsh Birding Field Trip:
You will visit the Houghton Lake
Flats and Michelson's Landing, two large marsh complexes just
north and west of Houghton Lake. Habitats visited will be emergent
cattail marsh and upland hardwoods. Expected species will be
Osprey, Bald Eagle, Black Tern, Mallard, Canada Goose, other
wetland species, and many migrant warblers. A visit to an active
heron rookery and view of an eagle nest are some of the
highlights. Guide is Mike Petrucha, MDNR biologist and avid
birder.
Birding Field Trip to Lois and Jeremy Jones Farm :
This abandoned farmland and diked
wild rice farm has a variety of wetland habitats and shrubby old
field habitat with woodland edges. A rich diversity of wetland,
grassland and forest bird species live on this farm. Guides are
Tom Dale, a retired biology professor from KCC, and Bob Hess,
retired wildlife biologist, MDNR. Conditions of grass will likely
be damp early morning, rubber boots or tennis shoes are
recommended.
Gahagan Nature Preserve:
This tour is on a 60 acre forest
preserve on the outskirts of Roscommon. Habitat includes mature
pine, mid-sized oak, aspen, and jack pine woodlands, and conifer
swamp. Guide is Tom Dale, retired biology professor from Kirtland
Community College.
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