2004 OFF-CAMPUS FIELD TRIPS

Birding and Nature Watch Tours: Want to do something wild? The Kirtland’s Warbler Festival is offering a nice selection of birding trips and nature watch tours in 2004. 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 14, 15 and 16, and as on-campus tours during the Festival, mid-day on Saturday, May 15.

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:

KIRTLAND'S WARBLER FESTIVAL TOURS:

Saturday, May 15, 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Sunday, May 16, 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Kirtland’s Warbler & Jack Pine Ecosystem – during 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 US Forest Service, Michigan DNR and US 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 (meet at site):

Friday, May 20

5 p.m. – 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.

Saturday, May 15

7 and 8 a.m. – Kirtland’s Warbler & Jack Pine Ecosystem – during 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.

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

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.

7 p.m. – Wakeley Lake Foot Travel Area, Crawford County.

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. 

Sunday, May 16

7 and 8 a.m. – Kirtland’s Warbler & Jack Pine Ecosystem – during Festival.

A repeat of the Saturday tours (see above). Leave from the Student Center on the Kirtland Community College campus.

8 a.m. – Jeremy and Lois Jones’ Wildlife Preserve, near Roscommon, Crawford County.

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.

© 2008 Kirtland's Warbler Festival