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 FIELD
TRIPS
WHITEFISH POINT
BIRD OBSERVATORY
2009 FIELD TRIP and ACTIVITY SCHEDULE
FIELD TRIPS and
ACTIVITIES
The Birding
Michigan Field Trip Series offers birders of all skill levels the
opportunity to spend time in the field with experienced leaders in
some of Michigan’s best birding “hot spots” while at the same time
supporting the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory’s research and
education programs. These trips focus on visiting great birding
places during peak times throughout the state and provide a great way
to improve your identification and bird finding skills. Leaders for
all trips are experienced birders and knowledgeable in the birds of
Michigan. All have led numerous trips for WPBO or other birding
organizations. They will make every attempt to ‘show you the birds.’
If you have questions or need more information on
these trips, contact Jerry Ziarno by email at
gziarno@aol.com or call
(989) 832-5936
Winter Birding in “the Sault”
Saturday and Sunday, January 17-18, 2009
Leaders: Lathe Claflin and Mike Sefton
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory has sponsored
these winter field trips in the Sault Ste Marie area for over 13
years. Winter in the Upper Peninsula is truly a unique experience
and birding can vary considerably from year to year. Regularly
occurring winter birds may include Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk,
Sharp-tailed Grouse, Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, Common Raven, Snow
Bunting and Pine Siskin. In some years, irruptive and uncommon
species such as Northern Goshawk, Gyrfalcon, Northern Hawk-Owl,
Great Gray Owls, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Bohemian Waxwing, Pine
Grosbeak, both Crossbills, Common and Hoary Redpoll and Evening
Grosbeak may be present.
The trip runs all day on Saturday and ends
mid-day on Sunday and begin and end in Sault Ste. Marie.
Should this trip be over-subscribed, we will
consider a second trip in mid-February.
Trip cost: $60/person for WPBO members and
$75/person for non-members.
The fee does not include lodging, meals, and park
fees (if any).
Birding the Shiawassee National Wildlife
Refuge and Saginaw Bay
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Leader: Jerry Ziarno and Refuge staff
Many areas of the 9,000 acre SNWR near Saginaw
are inaccessible to the public. This trip, however, will provide
birders with a “behind the scenes” tour of the refuge during the
period when thousands of migrating waterfowl, including Tundra
Swans, Greater-White-fronted and Snow Geese, and most North American
ducks will be stopping over at the Refuge. There may also be some
early migrating shorebirds and songbirds.
This all day trip will begin at the Shiawassee
National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County.
Trip cost: $35/person for WPBO members and
$50/person for non-members.
The fee does not include meals, accommodations,
or park fees (if any).
Birding in Paradise
(Pre-Spring Fling Trip)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Leaders: Jerry Ziarno and Tom Wheeker
If you are planning to attend the 2009 Spring
Fling, why not get a head start on the weekend with this pre-Spring
Fling trip. This field trip will focus on migration at the point
including that of raptors, waterbirds and early passerines. Leaders
will work with participants to improve their skill at identifying
raptors in flight above the hawk watch platform and waterfowl flying
out over the point. Weather and time permitting, we may visit other
birding areas in the vicinity.
This all day trip will begin at dawn. This
trip will involve some moderate walking.
Trip cost: $ 35/person for WPBO members and
$45/person for non-members.
This fee does not include meals, lodging or
registration costs for Spring Fling.
Searching for Spruce Grouse
(Post Spring Fling)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Leader: Bill Scharf
Spruce Grouse is a species on the “most wanted”
list for many birders and can be difficult to find on your own. We
will visit specific locations where the birds have recently been
seen. We will also keep our eyes open for other resident northern
species. This is a half-day trip beginning in Paradise, MI and
registrants will receive a letter prior to the date of the trip with
details and directions.
Trip coast: $30/person for WPBO members and
$45/person for non-members.
This fee does not include meals, lodging or
registration costs for Spring Fling.
Warblers at Shiawassee National Wildlife
Refuge
Saturday May 30,, 2009
Leaders: Jerry Ziarno and SNWR Staff
The target bird for this
trip is the Prothonotary Warbler and SNWR is probably the most
northerly nesting site for this species in Michigan and one of the
most reliable spots to observe this bird. We will also have a
chance to drive into the refuge, where public access is normally
restricted, searching for the many nesting waterfowl species, late
migrating shorebirds and other resident and migration warblers.
This all day trip will begin at the Shiawassee national Wildlife
Refuge Headquarters.
Trip cost: $35/person for WPBO members and $50/person for
non-members.
The fee does not include meals, accommodations,
or park fees (if any).
Breeding Birds of the Eastern UP
Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7, 2009
Leaders: Lathe Claflin, Joyce Peterson, Mike Sefton
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is the nesting ground
for numerous neotropical migrants that are not easily found at lower
latitudes. Target species include Olive-sided, Yellow-bellied and
Alder Flycatchers; Sedge Wren; Northern Parula; Palm and Mourning
Warblers; Clay-colored, LeConte’s and Lincoln’s Sparrows. Serious
efforts will be made for Canada and Connecticut Warblers. The
elusive and rare Black-backed Woodpecker has been seen on previous
trips.
The trip runs all day Saturday and half-day on
Sunday and begins in Newberry, MI.
Trip cost: $60/person for WPBO members and
$70/person for non-members.
The fee does not include meals, accommodations,
or park fees (if any).
Fall Migration at the Point
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Leader: Tom Wheeker
While bird migration at the Point in the spring
is very well known, fall migration can also be quite spectacular,
especially for water birds. Fall is also the season when rarities
are often observed at the Point. Target birds, in addition to the
numerous waterfowl, include Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Grebe,
Scoters, Sandhill Crane, and, with a little luck, a Jaeger species.
Owl banding will be in operation during the night and we may be able
to view a Saw-Whet or Boreal Owl the staff captured the previous
night.
This is an all-day trip that will begin in
Paradise, MI.
Trip cost: $30/person for WPBO members and
$45/person for non-members.
The fee does not include meals, accommodations,
or park fees (if any).
Whitefish Point
Bird Observatory Annual Spring Fling
SPRING FLING
2009 DAILY SCHEDULE
PARADISE AREA LODGING
Friday April 24th, Saturday April 25th,
Sunday April 26th 2009
- Mark your calendars,
download fill out and send in your registration, and
make your room reservation. You don't want to miss the Spring Fling this year!
- The $40 registration fee for the weekend includes
workshops, demonstrations, bird hikes, Saturday evening banquet and keynote speaker.
Special workshops are all designed
to maximize your birding pleasure. There will be lots of activities,
and also time to relax and spot birds.
SPECIAL EVENTS
- • Winner’s Choice Raffle WPBO
fundraiser
• Birding Fieldtrips around the
Point area
• Owl Program early morning
• Owl viewing on hawk platform at
dusk
• Educational Displays in Education
Center
• Owl’s Roost Gift Shop open for
business
FOOD
(Only the Banquet is included in your $40
registration price.)
- • Dinner, Friday 5:00-7:30 PM.
The Upper Peninsula’s favorite food, a Pasty Dinner, can be purchased at
the United Methodist Church of Paradise.
• Lunch, Saturday 12-1:30 PM
You may buy soup and sandwich at the community school, benefiting the
Paradise senior students.
• Banquet, Saturday 4:45 PM.
Scrumptious food provided at the Paradise Community Center is included in
your registration price.
• Breakfast, Saturday 6:30 AM and Sunday 6:30
AM
Hot beverages and muffins at the Point for purchase
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Elliot Tramer
Warblers in Winter: Going Home to the Tropics.
 Elliot
is Professor Emeritus at the University of Toledo in the Department
of Earth, Ecological, and Environmental Sciences where he founded
the Environmental Science Program and served as its Director until
his retirement in 2007. From 1994-2000 he was University of Toledo’s
Director of the Stranahan Arboretum. Since the age of 10, Elliot has
been an avid birder. Elliot has over 50 published articles, reviews,
and notes on avian ecology, population dynamics of plant
communities, stream fish populations, and ecology of Lake Erie. He
co-authored Birds of the Toledo Area in 2002 and has served on the
Ohio Bird Records Committee. Elliot has made many trips to the
tropics of Central and South America and has written many articles
regarding the lives of long-range migrants on their tropical
wintering grounds and extensive research on bird species diversity.
Most of the warblers that nest in eastern North America are
long-range migrants, traveling hundreds or, in some cases, thousands
of miles between the northern nesting areas and tropical wintering
habitats. During their travels, they must negotiate vast expanses of
ocean, with little or no access to food or water. Upon arrival in
the tropics, they must instantaneously become accustomed to
vegetation changes, to food availability, to competitors and to
potential predators. Elliot uses first hand knowledge with visual
presentation to help explain how these Neotropical jewels cope with
many challenges.
WORKSHOP PRESENTATION A and D
Randy Baker
Costa Rica a Land of Plenty
Randy, a Michigan native, is owner of Naturalist Endeavors,
located in Columbiaville, Michigan. Randy’s education was in the
biological sciences with a concentration in wildlife ecology at
Central Michigan University, Northeastern State University in
Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University. He established the Three
Forks Nature Center in Oklahoma as a wildlife rehabilitation center
and has worked as a naturalist for Oklahoma State Parks and Michigan
Audubon’s Seven Ponds Nature Center. He has received national
recognition for his research in the area of animal behavior and has
received numerous state and national awards for his work in helping
birds and other wildlife. Randy established Naturalist Endeavors in
1996 to offer a variety of high-quality science, wildlife, and
historical programs to schools, libraries, and other groups. When
not in front of an audience, Randy is on the road leading birding
and natural history tours throughout North America, Costa Rica, and
Ecuador.
Costa Rica is home to over 800 species of birds. This is
equivalent to all bird species found throughout Canada and the
United States combined into an area the size of West Virginia. In
addition to birds over half a million other species of animals and
plants have already been identified in this nation and new species
are being discovered every year. With two ocean coasts and a
mountain range extending the length of the country, there is a great
diversity of habitat types. The country is divided into six
biological zones; Tropical Dry Forests, Caribbean Lowlands, Southern
Pacific Lowlands, Highlands, Central Plateau and Coastal Beaches.
Randy's digital presentation will introduce a great number of these
biological zones and will focus on the natural history of birds,
reptiles, amphibians, and mammals and how they are influenced by the
habitat in which they live. Over many years, Randy has lead many
tours (accrued 150 days) to Costa Rica sharing his knowledge of
wildlife and his enthusiasm for teaching with many people
PRESENTATION B and E
Chris Becher, Naturalist Educator
Marsh Magic
Christine is an extremely enthusiastic and dedicated birder as
well as a professional naturalist and has been avidly seeking out
birds for the past 35 years. Chris’ dedication to the field of
birding and natural history is revealed by her involvement in
numerous Audubon Chapters. For many years, she has served several
Audubon chapters as president, program chair, field trip
coordinator, and held other essential positions. Chris has
been working as a professional naturalist for the past 20 years and
has been organizing and leading birding field trips and tours for
various groups for 30 years. Currently she is a naturalist at Metro
Beach Nature Center in Harrison Township. She also assists Randy
Baker, owner of Naturalist Endeavors, in the development and tour
management of birding and natural history excursions throughout
North America, Costa Rica, and Ecuador; including the Galapagos
Islands.
Spring is in the air and your local marsh is bustling with
activity. Rails are calling; turtles and frogs have crawled out of
the muck; Red-winged Blackbirds are on sentry duty; dragonflies
emerge from an old life form and take to the air. Join Naturalist
Christine Becher on a digital tour into the marsh to learn about the
magic of this intriguing ecosystem. She will also have some of the
live marsh actors to share with you.
WORKSHOP PRESENTATION C and F
Dr. Star Kraven-Madd a.k.a. Dorothy McLeer
Cranial Capacities of Corvids:
What it Really Means to be a “Bird Brain”
Dr. Star Kraven-Madd is a faculty member at Concorvidae
University. She grew up in the Black Forest of Germany where she
first conducted her field research on members of the Corvid family.
Dr. Kraven-Madd’s colleague and assistant, Dorothy McLeer, is an
interpretive naturalist and the Program Coordinator at the
University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Environmental Interpretive Center.
Dorothy happily teaches many visiting groups to the Center using the
campus’ 300-acre outdoor classroom. Dorothy is also very involved
with the recovery of gray wolves in the Great Lakes Region and is on
the advisory council of Timber Wolf Alliance, part of the North
Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.
Birds of the taxonomic family Corvidae are known to be among the
smartest of birds (and maybe other creatures as well!). Blue Jays,
Gray Jays, American Crows, and Common Ravens are included in this
fascinating and globally distributed group of birds. Join corvid
researcher Dr. Star Kraven-Madd, in partnership with Naturalist
Dorothy McLeer, for a look at the antics and problem-solving
abilities of these intriguing Michigan residents
REGISTER NOW for the 2009 SPRING FLING
SPRING FLING 2009 DAILY SCHEDULE
See you in Paradise!
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