OFF-CAMPUS FIELD TRIPS
KIRTLAND'S WARBLER FESTIVAL TOURS
Saturday, May 17, tours leaving at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
(sharp), and
Sunday, May 18, at 8 a.m.
Kirtland's Warbler & Jack Pine Ecosystem - during the Festival.
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, including the upland sandpiper, the Brewer's blackbird, Lincoln's sparrow and clay-colored sparrow. More common species like the hermit thrush, rose-breasted grosbeak, song sparrow and the Nashville warbler should be sighted or at least heard. Please note that the Kirtland's warbler field trips leave from the Kirtland Community College campus grounds. These tours leave from campus and visit a MDNR Kirtland's warbler management unit nearby. They offer an excellent opportunity to see and hear one of the rarest songsters in North America – our endangered Kirtland's warbler.
Guides: Wildlife biologists from U.S. Forest Service, Michigan DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Meet near the Festival Information Tent. School buses will be provided. Viewing will be from dry, sandy trail roads.
OFF-CAMPUS NATURE & BIRDING FIELD TRIPS
Birding and Nature Watch Tours: Want to do something wild? The Kirtland's Warbler Festival is offering an expanded selection of birding trips and nature watch tours in 2008. These guided tours will get you "out there" in wild habitats to great wildlife viewing areas. We've recruited some knowledgeable guides to help you. Guides are naturalists with many years of experience either as natural resource biologists, or as science educators and birders.
These nature tours are offered as off-campus trips on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 16, 17 and 18, and as on-campus tours during the Festival, mid-day on Saturday, May 17.
Although not critical, since others will have equipment, it's best to bring your own binoculars or a spotting scope. Weather can get nippy this time of year, so layering of clothing is recommended. Wet, dew-laden vegetation is common on early morning trips so another good idea is to wear or bring water-resistant footwear.
Here's our selection of tour options (meet at site):
Friday, May 16
5 p.m. – Marguerite Gahagan Nature Preserve.
Habitats include old-growth pine, lowland hardwood swamp,
cedar swamp, streamside/riparian, upland oak and pine.
Forest birds will be the main feature here with many
warblers, thrushes, sparrows and raptors found in these
habitats.
Guide: Tom Dale, Education Director for this 60-acre wooded preserve. Tom is a recently retired biology professor from Kirtland Community College.
Location: The Gahagan Preserve is located on the south edge of the village of Roscommon. Meet at the Preserve parking lot which is located on Southline Road, 1/4 mile west of M-18, south side of Roscommon. Southline Road is located just south of the Ford dealership on M-18. Hiking on handicapped-accessible trail and boardwalk.
Saturday, May 17
7 and 8 a.m. - Kirtland's Warbler & Jack Pine Ecosystem -
during the Festival.
These tours leave from campus and visit a MDNR Kirtland's
warbler management unit nearby. They offer an excellent
opportunity to see and hear one of the rarest songsters in
North America - our endangered Kirtland's warbler. Other
likely and unusual birds include the upland sandpiper, the
Brewer's blackbird, Lincoln's sparrow and clay-colored
sparrow. More common species like the hermit thrush,
rose-breasted grosbeak, song sparrow, and the Nashville
warbler should be sighted or at least heard.
Guides: Wildlife biologists from US Forest Service, Michigan DNR and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Location: Meet near the Festival Information Tent. School buses will be provided. Viewing will be from dry, sandy trail roads.
6 p.m. - Houghton Lake Marsh Wetland Bird Tour
This MDNR waterfowl management area is open marsh and
wooded/shrub wetland.
Nesting ospreys, black terns and a great blue heron rookery
are special attractions. Waterfowl species and many wetland
songbirds and wading birds are also common. Tour will end at
the nearby Michelson's Landing on the Muskegon River
Deadstream Flooding. An active eagle nest will be the
attraction of this final stop.
Guide: Mike Petrucha, wildlife specialist, MDNR Wildlife Division, Houghton Lake Field Office.
Location: Meet on the marsh at the wildlife observation platform and parking lot on west side of Old-27, 1 1/2 miles north of the M-55 and Old-27 intersection on the southwest side of Houghton Lake.
7 p.m. - Wakeley Lake Foot Travel Area, Crawford
County.
Includes a diversity of woodland habitats, plus shrub
wetland habitats around Wakeley Lake, a Huron-Manistee
National Forest special walk-in area. Good chance to see
nesting loons and eagles, and ducks, geese and other wetland
birds, plus many woodpeckers, warblers (including pine
warblers) and many other woodland species. Beavers and
otters have been seen on these tours in other years. An "owl
prowl" will wrap up the tour, using taped owl calls to
attract resident owls at dusk.
Guide: Kim Piccolo and Jenna
Casey, US Forest Service, Mio Ranger District
Office.
Location: Meet at parking lot on M-72, about 10 miles east of Grayling or 5 miles west of the intersection of M-18 and M-72. Area is well marked by directional signs along M-72. Hiking will be mostly on dry, sandy foot trails.
Sunday, May 18
8 a.m. - Jeremy and Lois Jones' Wildlife Preserve, near
Roscommon, Crawford County. "Fractured habitats – a
little bit of everything," according to owner and wildlife
photographer Jeremy Jones. This diverse habitat makes for a
diverse nature watching experience. Constructed wetlands,
old field/grasslands, shrub/forest habitat, and two beaver
colonies, have created an unusual and rich mixture of
habitats and bird life. Coyotes, bobcats, bear, deer, beaver
and otter add to the intrigue. Jeremy has a photography
studio that displays his many award-winning wildlife and
nature photographs - and many are for sale.
Guide: Bob Hess, Michigan DNR
district wildlife biologist (retired) and Tom
Dale, naturalist and retired biology professor from Kirtland
will lead this nature tour.
Location: Meet at the farmhouse at 3121 East Seven Mile Road. Follow Chase Bridge Road north three miles from the M-18 intersection, or Chase Bridge Road south about six miles from the M-72 intersection, to Seven Mile Road. There is a large sign for Jeremy's studio at the intersection of Chase Bridge and Seven Mile roads. Grass will likely be damp, so best to wear water-resistant shoes or boots. Hiking will be on impoundment dikes and trail roads.
Wakeley Lake - Grayling
Meet at Wakeley Lake Forest Service parking lot on M-72
about 8 miles east of Grayling; or 5 to 6 miles west of M-72
and M-18 intersection. (Look for signs along M-72.)
Houghton Lake Marsh – Houghton Lake
From the Houghton Lake exit on US-127, take M-55 east
approximately 3/4 mile to Old 27. Turn north for about 1.5
to 2 miles. See the gazebo and parking lot on the left
(west) side of road.
Lois and Jeremy Jones Farm – Roscommon
From downtown Roscommon take M-18 north about 3 miles. Turn
left on Chase Bridge Road, go about 3 miles and look for
Nature Photography Gallery sign on right side of road.
Gahagan Nature Preserve – Roscommon
From downtown Roscommon, take M-18 south to the Industrial
Park (Ford dealer on this corner). Turn right on Southline
Road and go about a quarter mile west to Preserve parking
lot.
OTHER GUIDED TOURS
U.S.D.A. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Kirtland's Warbler Tours – The guided birding tours listed
below are conducted annually from May 15 through July 4 by
biologists from these federal natural resource agencies,
both key players in the recovery of the Kirtland's warbler.
These tours are very popular, so it is recommended that you
call ahead to check on reservations.
U.S. Forest Service Tours, Mio:
Tours slated for 7 a.m. daily, May 15 to July 4 (except
Memorial Day, May 26). A $5 fee is charged. Meet at the
U.S.F.S. Mio District Ranger Station, 107 McKinley Road,
located off M-33 North of Mio. Visitors should meet at
U.S.F.S. office at 6:45 a.m. if they want to receive a
briefing and watch a video on Kirtland's warbler recovery
efforts. Tours take two to three hours and you will drive
your own vehicles. Contact information is listed below.
U.S. Forest Service, Mio Ranger District
107 McKinley Road
Mio, MI 48647-9314
Phone: 989-826-3252
Contact Kim Piccolo or Jenna Casey
For more information, visit online at
www.fs.fed.us/r9/hmnf/pages/warbtours.htm.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tours, Grayling:
Tours also leave from the Ramada Inn in
Grayling. For more information on the Grayling tour, contact
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at their Web site or at
the address below.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
East Lansing Field Office
2651 Coolidge Road
East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: 517-351-2555
Contact: Chris Mensing, phone extension 316
E-mail:
chris_mensing@fws.gov
Web Site:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eastlansing/documents/tour.html
© 2008 Kirtland's Warbler Festival