TNA Field Trips

The Toledo Naturalists' Association offers a variety of field trips each year that are free to nature enthusiasts of all ages and led by our local experts in that field. Our leaders volunteer their time in search of birds, butterflies, moths, snakes, and even mushrooms. We have special trips on owls, herps, dragonflies, hawks, as well as stationary subjects like trees and wildflowers. Our field trips are informative, educational and loads of fun!

Remember to check the TNA monthly bulletin, the TNA website, or Rarebird.org for added field trips, updates on times, dates, meeting places or cancellations.

2012 TNA Field Trip Schedule

Sunday, January 29, 8:30 a.m. Winter Gulls and Ducks - Depending on ice conditions on the lake and river, we could see up to fifteen species of ducks and a nice variety of winter gulls such as Glaucous, Iceland, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Potential areas to visit include Bayshore Power Plant, north Toledo (Lotus Drive, etc.), the Maumee River and Erie Power. Dress warmly, pack your favorite hot beverage, and meet leader Steve Stockford at 8:30 a.m. at the public access on Bayshore Road in Oregon, just east of the power plant. This trip will be dependent on birds, ice conditions, and weather. Please check www.rarebird.org, or www.toledonaturalist.org web sites for announcements on cancellations.

Wednesday, February 22, 7:00 p.m. – Owls of the Oak Openings – Come dressed for cold weather and armed with your favorite hot drink and a good spotlight as we attempt to coax some owls to the edge of the woods. There is a good chance of finding Screech Owls, and Barred Owls are a possibility. We can also hope for the distance hoot of a Great-Horned Owl if the night is still and if we are really lucky, maybe even hear a Saw-Whet. Meet leader Sherrie Duris at the Shell gas station, corner of Weckerly and Finzel Roads in Whitehouse at 7:00 p.m.

**Rescheduled**
Sunday, March 25, 8:30 a.m. - Lakeshore Birding with Matt Anderson - Weather dictates the movement of birds so much; it’s difficult to say what might grace the Lake Erie shore in late March. Ducks will certainly be present, and some of the earliest arriving songbirds and other migrants should be seen. Southwest winds would almost guarantee a flight of hawks along the lake. Meet at the Maumee Bay State Park campground parking lot at 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 31, 7:00 p.m. – Owls & Woodcocks at Maumee Bay State Park w/Sherrie Duris - Maumee Bay State Park is an Owl and Woodcock hotspot during the early spring. In March/April 2011, Sherrie Duris had five species of owls during her nightly walks around the park. Great Horned and Screech Owls are year round residents of the park, and Short-eared, Long-eared and Saw-whet Owls have been found roosting during the winter/early spring months. Join leader Sherrie Duris at the Sledding Hill parking lot at Maumee Bay State Park at 7:00 p.m. for a two mile walk around the paved path in search of Owls and Woodcocks. Waterproof hiking boots are recommended.

Saturday, April 7, 7:00 p.m.  Herps in the Maumee State Forest  Meet with leader Greg Lipps to look for snakes, frogs, salamanders and toads.  With any luck, we will have a warm, rainy evening and the frogs and toads will be in full song.  Possible finds are spring peepers, chorus frogs, wood frogs, American toads, snakes and “Blue-spotted” salamanders.  Be prepared to get your feet wet.  Directions:  Directions: From Rt. 24 SW of Waterville, go west on Neowash Rd. (which becomes road V in Henry County), turn left on CR. 2 and drive south until you reach the parking lot at the far end of the cedar trees.

Sunday, April 22, 2012 - The Bling of Spring - Sharon Valley, Washtenaw County Michigan - Join trip leaders Todd Crail and Greg Links in the Sharon Valley near Manchester, MI to enjoy all the color and excitement Spring has to offer. We will meet at the Sharon Mills county park at 9:00 a.m. and compress vehicles to explore The Nature Conservancy's Nan Weston Preserve. The preserve sits on a glacially derived valley with diverse geology along a boardwalk down to the River Raisin. We will enjoy flowing patches of trillium and dutchman's breeches while looking for multiple species of amphibians. Early migrants include a handful of warbler species, returning orioles, grosbeaks and thrushes. Pileated Woodpecker nest nearby, there is always a chance of a rail or bittern lurking in some of the wetland areas as well as "southern overshoot" species such as Louisiana Waterthrush or Kentucky Warbler. We will then return to the Sharon Mills park where we will have restroom accommodations and can enjoy a packed lunch. At 1:00 p.m., we will begin a program at Sharon Mills examining spawning fish in their brightest nuptial coloration, and we will exlore the term "burn your eyes out green". Expect to also see native mussels displaying their lures to infect fish with their young, as well as macro invertebrate taxa you never imagined, including the impressive Dragonhunter dragonfly larvae. Waders will be provided for those who'd like to get in, we will also have an array of aquaria set up stream side to observe our catch for those who'd like to stay on shore. The stream portion is extremely kid friendly, and we encourage you to please bring them along.

Friday, May 4, 8:00 p.m. - Springtime at Irwin Prairie SNP - Join leader Elliot Tramer to find shorebirds and amphibians at “the finest remaining sedge meadow in the state.” We will walk the boardwalk, listening to the calls of Spring Peepers and Swamp Sparrows, until the loud trills of Tree Frogs drown them out. As the sun goes down, we will return to the open meadow to watch and listen for Woodcocks and possibly a Snipe or two as they display and call in the setting sun. Meet at the Bancroft St. parking lot ¼ mile west of Irwin Rd at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 5, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Spring Bird Walk at Woodlawn Cemetery w/Tim Haney - Join Woodlawn’s premier bird guide, Tim Haney as he unfolds the magic of the annual spring migration. The inherent tranquility of Woodlawn makes the cemetery a popular place for more than 208 confirmed varieties of birds found in the Toledo area, which Tim has personally documented.

Friday, May 18, 9:00 p.m. to Saturday, May 19, 9:00 p.m. - North Coast Open - Why not get one last BIG blast of spring migration? To many people's surprise, late May has just as many if not more neotrpoical migrants than earlier in the month! Most of the warblers are still coming through (THE best time for Mourning and Connecticut) in great numbers, and other families like flycatchers, vireos and many shorebirds are peaking. Instead of hanging up the binoculars after the Biggest Week and IMBD, join the TNA in their annual birding big day event. The friendly competition is for birders of all skill levels and will again cover Lucas, Ottawa, Wood, Sandusky and Erie Counties. Planning a route is half the fun, and places like the Oak Openings, Magee Marsh, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Pickerel Creek are all part of the geography and are among the very best birding locations in the entire state. Start at 9:00 p.m. Friday evening, or start at whenever you want with 2 or 3 of your best birding buddies and beat the bushes until 9:00 p.m. Saturday, finding and identifying (by sight or sound) as many bird species as you can. Those less competitive birders can still enjoy the fun by entering a team in the Freestyle Division. All interested parties are welcome to join the teams at the official countdown at Blackberry Corners at 9:00 p.m. See your TNA bulletin or the TNA website for further details.

Saturday, May 26, 8:00 a.m. - Late Neotropic Migrants with Rick Nirschl - Warblers should still be quite common and some of the later migrants will be targeted. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and cuckoos can be expected, and perhaps an Olive-sided Flycatcher will put in an appearance. A check of the beach should produce Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings, and maybe even a Red Knot. Meet trip leader Rick Nirschl at the west entrance of the boardwalk at Magee Marsh at 8:00 a.m.

Tuesday June 5, 6:30 p.m. - Breeding Birds of the Oak Openings with Matt Anderson - Always a favorite, this trip is designed to see some of the regular breeding birds of the Oak Openings. Species we will seek include Lark sparrow; Grasshopper sparrow; Henslow’s sparrow; Pine, Blue-winged and Hooded warblers; Blue grosbeak and Summer tanager. Bring your bug spray. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are also recommended. Meet Matt Anderson, TNA’s premier field birder, at the Oak Openings Metropark Lodge at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 23, (Time – TBA) - Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Oak Openings – Rick Nirschl will lead field trips during the Annual Ohio Odonata Society Meeting at the Beuhner Center in Oak Openings. This event is free and open to everyone. There will be speakers in the morning with field trips in the afternoon. Check out the Ohio Odonata Society’s website here http://www.marietta.edu/~odonata/.  Sunny skies and warm temperatures may yield up to 24 or more species of dragonflies and damselflies in Oak Openings Metropark. We'll be looking for darners, skimmers, clubtails, bluets, dancers and hopefully a few emeralds. Bring a field guide, camera and net if you have them. Meet with leader Rick Nirschl at the Buehner Center parking lot near Mallard Lake. Time - To be announced.

Saturda, July 28, 4:00 p.m. - In Search of Edwards' Hairstreak w/Steve Smith – Oak Openings - Join leader Steve Smith on this special field trip at Oak Openings Metropark to look for this often overlooked and intriguing butterfly and its unique habitat & biology. It will also be an opportunity to see other Lepidoptera at their peak time. We will meet at the Girdham Rd. Sand Dunes & the Bike Trail at 4:00 pm. Be prepared for ridge trail hiking through scrub oak & expect mosquitoes.

Saturday, August 11, 9:00 a.m. - Monclova Sand Pits Wildflowers and Insects - This not-often-visited area of Oak Openings Metropark has plenty to offer in the way of flora as well as fauna. Blooming yellow-eyed grass, colic root, club mosses, and milkwort are some of the plants we should find. Dragonflies and butterflies abound, as well as many other interesting insects including the antenna-waving wasp. We may try to do some netting of critters, land and aquatic, for closer inspection. Meet trip leader Elliot Tramer at the Buehner Nature Center, Oak Openings Metropark at 9:00 a.m.Saturday, September 1, 5:45 a.m. - Fall Migrants and Breakfast w/Matt Anderson & Eric Durbin - Meet at 5:45 am at the corner of Girdham and Reed for pre-dawn flyovers. Rally at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast at Mallard Lake. Then back to the field for warblers, vireos, and whatever else is passing through. Saturday, September 8, 8:00 a.m. - Shorebirds with John Szanto and Sherrie Duris - Anywhere from 10 to 20 species of shorebirds could be tallied during this trip along the lakeshore. The destination will depend on available habitat. Meet leaders John Szanto and Sherrie Duris at Tony Packo’s, on the corner of Front and Consaul Street in east Toledo at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, September 29, 11:00 a.m. - Mushrooms of the Oak Openings - Mushrooms can be abundant in the Oak Openings in the fall if we've had sufficient rain to produce a good fruiting. We'll be searching for boletes, amanitas, chantrelles, puffballs, polypores and many more. Bring a field guide and camera if you have one and meet with leader Rick Nirschl at the Buehner Center parking lot near Mallard Lake.

Sunday, October 7, 8:00 a.m. - Looking for Sparrows – Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge - Late September and early October feature a good variety of sparrows, some residents, some newly arrived from the north. We will search for 8-10 species of sparrows, perhaps finding one of the rarer species like LeConte's or Nelson's Sharp-tailed. Meet leader Tom Kemp at 8:00 a.m. at the old parking lot at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

Sunday, October 21, 10:00 a.m. - Raptors and Brunch with Steve Stockford - Raptors migrating south are the attraction, possible Golden Eagles are the goal. Bring your lawn chair and hope for clouds. Bring a food item to share; it doesn’t have to be fancy. Camp stoves and tables will be available. Perrysburg City Boat Launch. Directions: Four blocks (.4 miles) NE of “downtown” Perrysburg along the river on E. Front St. (Rt. 65), turn toward the river on Maple St. and drive downhill.

As field trips are scheduled, they will be added to the website. Check back soon!