2007 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 2007. 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 18, 19 and 20, and as on-campus tours during the Festival, mid-day on Saturday, May 19.

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 19, 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Sunday, May 20, 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 18

5 p.m. – 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.

The Gahagan Preserve is located on the south edge of the village of Roscommon. Meet at the Preserve parking lot on Southline Road, 1/4 mile west of M-18, south side of Roscommon.

Look for the Ford dealership and turn west at that corner. Hiking on handicapped-accessible trail and boardwalk.

Saturday, May 19

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

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.

Meet on the marsh at the wildlife observation platform and parking lot on west side of Old-27, 1 ½ 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.

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 20

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.

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 find 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.

© 2008 Kirtland's Warbler Festival