Washtenaw Bird and Nature Alliance

Restoration Workday at Searles Nature Preserve
2024-03-24 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Detroit) | Searles Nature Preserve, 585V+4J Ypsilanti, Michigan, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, United States
Did you know Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance (formerly Washtenaw Audubon Society) owns a nature preserve? We do! Searles Nature Preserve is a 50 acre natural area that hosts the headwaters of Stony Creek. Did you also know that Ninety-seven percent of North American landbirds require animal, primarily insect, protein to raise their young? Most insects require specific, native, host plants for successful reproduction and this is why supporting a biodiverse ecosystem of native plants is so important. More on this here: https://tinyl.io/93Ka
Join us as we work to remove invasive species and improve biodiversity to support the birds we love. Tools and know how will be provided. Please bring leather work gloves, wear long pants, tall socks, and closed-toe shoes or boots.
Directions: Meet at the entrance to the preserve on Bolla Road between Crane and Stony Creek Roads. (map here)

Migration Thursdays at The Arb
2024-03-28 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-04-04 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-04-11 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-04-18 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-04-25 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-05-02 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-05-09 08:00 - 10:00, 2024-05-16 08:00 - 10:00 and 1 more date | Nichols Arboretum – Dow Prairie, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, United States
Join us at Nichols Arboretum Thursday mornings through May to observe migrants making their way north. These leaderless walks are a great opportunity to join with other birders of all skill levels.
Directions: Meet at the east end of the arboretum near the Dow Prairie entrance.

All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.

eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList

Tour: UM Museum of Zoology Insect Collection
2024-03-30 14:00 - 16:00 | University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, United States
Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on the planet. There are an estimated 5.5 million species accounting for 80% of animal life on earth and the most biomass of all terrestrial animals. When it comes to birds, 97% of all North American land birds rely on animal protein, largely insects, to raise their young. The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Insect Collection currently houses approximately 4.5 million prepared insect specimens from around the world as well as hundreds of historical field notebooks and audio recordings related to specimens in the collection. Join us for a presentation and tour of this wonderful resource.
Due to the nature of the space, we will be limiting the tour to 20 people and to Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance (formerly Washtenaw Audubon Society) members only and requiring registration. If there is space available the week prior to the event, we will open them to non-members. Memberships start at just $10 per year and go to great causes like environmental education, conservation, and scholarships for those in need. More information here.
Directions: Registered attendees will meet at University of Michigan Research Museums Center at 3600 Varsity Drive.

Woodcock Walk with Natural Area Preservation
2024-04-05 19:45 - 21:15 | Furstenberg Nature Area, 2626 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States
**Note: We will depart the parking lot PROMPTLY at 8pm. If you would like to learn a little more about the American Woodcock, please arrive at 7:45**
Join Natural Area Preservation and Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance (formerly Washtenaw Audubon Society) as we partner to bring you another installment of our annual Woodcock Walk. If you have never witnessed the display of the American Woodcock, you should join us for this event. This wacky shorebird has evolved to live far away from water in the forest. After sunset, males will display by flying high into the air then engage in a circling dive that initiates their display call by moving air fast over three specially evolved feathers. Make sure to dress for the weather (walks happen rain or shine). You will be walking in the dark so bring a flashlight.
Registration is required and space is limited to provide a quality experience for all. We have scheduled two events this year to be able to accommodate everyone that is interested.
Register: http://tinyurl.com/WoodcockWAS
Directions: Meet at the Furstenberg parking lot off Fuller Rd.

Leader: Matt Spoor

Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) Feathered Friends Walk
2024-04-06 09:30 - 11:30 | Scarlett Middle School, 3300 Lorraine St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, United States
This event at Scarlett-Mitchell Nature Area is meant specifically for students participating in the WESO event “Feathered Friends.” We will take a walk through and around the Scarlett-Mitchell Nature Area to look and listen for the birds in the area. All ages and skill levels are welcome. We will have extra binoculars if you do not have any. Wear boots as the nature area can get very muddy.
Directions: Meet at the parking lot of Scarlett Middle school.
Leader: Victor Chen

Wildflower Walk at Black Pond Woods
2024-04-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Rd,, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States
Spring is exploding and there is so much life to explore! Let’s go for a walk and explore the highly biodiverse oak hickory forest of Black Pond Woods. Many of our beautiful spring ephemeral wildflowers will be in bloom. There is such a short window to soak them in so come on out and learn all about them and other interesting things we may find.
Leader: Matt Spoor
Directions: Meet in the parking lot of Leslie Science & Nature Center at 1831 Traver Rd.

Woodcock Walk with Natural Area Preservation
2024-04-12 19:45 - 21:30 | Furstenberg Nature Area, 2626 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States
**Note: We will depart the parking lot PROMPTLY at 8pm. If you would like to learn a little more about the American Woodcock, please arrive at 7:45**
Join Natural Area Preservation and Washtenaw Audubon as we partner to bring you another installment of our annual Woodcock Walk. If you have never witnessed the display of the American Woodcock, you should join us for this event. This wacky shorebird has evolved to live far away from water in the forest. After sunset, males will display by flying high into the air then engage in a circling dive that initiates their display call by moving air fast over three specially evolved feathers. Make sure to dress for the weather (walks happen rain or shine). You will be walking in the dark so bring a flashlight.
Registration is required and space is limited to provide a quality experience for all. We have scheduled two events this year to be able to accommodate everyone that is interested.
Register: tinyurl.com/WoodcockWAS2
Directions: Meet at the Furstenberg parking lot off Fuller Rd.

Leader: Ray Stocking

Weekend Walk for Waterfowl at Hewens Creek Park
2024-04-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Hewen’s Creek Park South Trailhead, 6515 Bemis Rd, Ypsilanti Charter Township, MI, 48197, United States
This beautiful 191-acre park is located on the south side of Ypsilanti Township has had 162 species reported in April and is a great place to find migrating waterfowl. We will explore the pond and then walk the forest in search of amazing birds.
Directions: Navigate to 6515 Bemis Road and you will find us in the parking lot.
Leaders: Matt Spoor & Juliet Berger

Texas Tour with Ben Lucking
2024-04-16 - 2024-04-24 | MI
Each April, a significant proportion of North America’s migratory birds descend on Texas in what is among the world’s greatest migratory spectacles. The Gulf Coast’s famed migration hotspots such as High Island and Sabine Woods see mass afternoon arrivals of birds that left the Yucatan the evening prior. Hooded, Kentucky, and Swainson’s warblers fill dark understories while flocks of Indigo Buntings and Bobolink find themselves in grassy verges and saltmarsh. Adjacent mudflats and beaches are alive with vast numbers of American Avocets, peeps, and plovers. Rice fields just inland hold plentiful Black-necked Stilts, White-faced Ibis, dowitchers, and the odd Hudsonian Godwit.
In addition to the migratory riches of the Gulf Coast, Texas is home to a rich diversity of landscapes. Heading West of Houston, prairies filled with Scissor-tailed Flycatchers make way to Texas Hill Country. This region is something of a crossroads in avian diversity. Eastern migrants such as Black-and-White Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo, and Least Flycatcher meet dry Southwestern species such as Cactus Wren, Scott’s Oriole, Scaled Quail, and Greater Roadrunner; Southern species such as Green Jay, Ringed Kingfisher, Tropical Parula, and Morelet’s Seedeater; and a whole cast of regional specialties such as Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, and Black-crested Titmouse. Heading further West, the landscape grows increasingly dry, culminating in the vast expanses of the Chihuahuan Desert. Rising up from this desolate landscape are Big Bend National Park’s Chisos Mountains. The wetter, vegetated valleys high among these peaks are home to one of the ABA area’s rarest breeding birds, the Colima Warbler.
Texas’s diversity of habitats and location at the heart of the Central Flyway give it the greatest avian diversity of anywhere in the ABA area. The current ABA area record of 294 species seen or heard in a day, set by a Cornell team in 2013, was set using a route from Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. This tour aims to be a relaxed pace, extended version of that record day’s incredible route. We’ll begin on the Gulf Coast, before making our way West across Hill Country and the Edwards Plateau to Big Bend’s Chisos Mountains. We will fly in and out of Houston, and the tour will include a one way flight from West Texas to Houston at the end of the tour.
Maximum of 3 participants with 1 leader, or 6 with 2 leaders.
Download/view this PDF for detailed information, including pricing, a detailed itinerary, and contact information.

Birding Costa Rica, with Len Sander
2024-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Ann Arbor District Library: Downtown, 343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please note new location and time!
Join Len Sander for an informative program on birding in Costa Rica. This Central American country, despite its small size, has one of the greatest biodiversities in Latin America, with 948 bird species, including seven endemics and 73 near-endemics. Len Sander is professor emeritus of physics and complex systems at the University of Michigan, a keen birder, and an avid photographer.
This will be a hybrid in-person (at our new location, the downtown Ann Arbor District Library) and virtual meeting.
The link you the live stream can be found at least one hour before the event on AADL site here: https://aadl.org/node/625001

BIPOC Bird Walk at Furstenberg Nature Area
2024-04-20 09:30 - 11:30 | Furstenberg Nature Area, 2626 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States
We invite all people from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community and our white allies to join us on this walk to look for early spring migrants. All ages and skill levels are invited. We will have extra binoculars if you do not have any.
Directions: Meet in the main Furstenberg parking lot by the bathrooms.
Leader: Victor Chen

Restoration Workday at Searles Nature Preserve
2024-04-27 14:00 - 16:00 | Searles Nature Preserve, 585V+4J Ypsilanti, Michigan, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, United States
Did you know Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance (formerly Washtenaw Audubon Society) owns a nature preserve? We do! Searles Nature Preserve is a 50 acre natural area that hosts the headwaters of Stony Creek. Did you also know that Ninety-seven percent of North American landbirds require animal, primarily insect, protein to raise their young? Most insects require specific, native, host plants for successful reproduction and this is why supporting a biodiverse ecosystem of native plants is so important. More on this here: https://tinyl.io/93Ka
Join us as we work to remove invasive species and improve biodiversity to support the birds we love. Tools and know how will be provided. Bring gardening gloves (we will have extra), wear long pants, tall socks, and closed-toe shoes or boots.
Directions: Meet at the entrance to the preserve on Bolla Road between Crane and Stony Creek Roads. (map here)

Weekend Walk for Wildflowers & Birds at Nan Weston Preserve
2024-04-28 08:00 - 10:00 | Nan Weston Preserve, Easudes Rd, Manchester, 48158
Join us to explore Nan Weston Preserve for spring ephemeral wildflowers and migrating birds. This 248 acre preserve is owned and protected by the Nature Conservancy and features more than 260 species of wildflowers and other native plants. It should be a beautiful, educational and enjoyable walk.
Directions: Meet in the parking lot off of Easudes Rd.
Leaders: Matthew Spoor & Juliet Berger

All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.

eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList

Spring Migrants and Summer Residents at Hudson Mills Metropark
2024-05-05 08:00 - 11:00 | Hudson Mills Activity Center Parking Lot, 93GV+C6V, Hudson Mills, MI, United States
This annual walk at Hudson Mills with Karen Markey is always tons of fun and super interesting. Join us as we search for spring migrants and recently returned summer residents. Target birds include beautiful spring wood warblers, woodpeckers, tanagers, towhees, thrushes, and any of the other 146 species seen here in May. The field trip is free, but a Metroparks Pass is required for admission. Free passes can be checked out using your library account via Michigan Activity Pass.
Leader: Karen Markey
Directions: Meet at the southern end of the large parking lot near the Activity Center. (map here)
All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.

eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList

Tuesday Evening Birders
2024-05-07 18:00 - 22:00 | Miller Park & Ride, 3001 Miller Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, United States
*****May 7 Update*****
Weather may be an issue so check back here before leaving
Ben Lucking is our trip leader! Meet at Miller Park & Ride in time for a 6 pm departure.

Each Tuesday Evening Birders will feature a new trip leader and location of their choice. These events have produced many memories and stories over the years and often yield interesting birds. Each Tuesday in May, we meet somewhere at 6pm, often at Miller Rd. Park & Ride, Plymouth Rd. Park & Ride, or Meijer on Zeeb Rd., depending upon which direction in the county we are headed, and leave from there.
Please register and we will email you the meeting location at least 24 hours before as details for these walks tend to come together closer to the event than our other walks.
All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.
eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList

2024 Washtenaw May Count
2024-05-11 | MI
Please join dozens of enthusiastic volunteers for the Washtenaw County May Count, on World Migratory Bird Day and eBird’s Global Big Day. This event is a day to be out there counting all the birds we can find, and it’s a super fun Big Day!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
Juliet Berger is the organizer for this countywide count, which uses eBird to benefit bird science with its comprehensive results. The organizer divides the county into townships, each of which has an Area Leader. Leaders recruit additional volunteers to count birds throughout their area.
We still could use more volunteers across the county, as well as a couple of township leaders. Come join in the fun and go birding!
Washtenaw County May Count Organizers and Compilers: Juliet Berger
Please see these documents describing the count procedures:

Procedure flowchart – a brief visual representation of the procedures and process (PDF)
Detailed written description of the procedures (PDF)
Washtenaw County May Count eBird Usernames (PDF) – also shown below
Township species checklist, sorted taxonomically (PDF)
Township species checklist, sorted alphabetically (PDF)
Unusual/rare species list and documentation requirements (PDF)
Washtenaw County Map of Townships (PDF)

Washtenaw County Coordinator/Compiler: Juliet Berger Contact Juliet!
Area Leaders:

TownshipArea LeaderTownship eBird Username

Ann ArborJuliet BergerWasMayCount-Ann

AugustaJim LawWasMayCount-Aug

BridgewaterVictor ChenWasMayCount-Bri

DexterTBD/Juliet BergerWasMayCount-Dex

FreedomBob MaddoxWasMayCount-Fre

LimaBob MaddoxWasMayCount-Lim

LodiJuliet BergerWasMayCount-Lod

LyndonCathy TheisenWasMayCount-Lyn

ManchesterSilas BialeckiWasMayCount-Man

NorthfieldGreg JacksWasMayCount-Nor

PittsfieldJacco GelderloosWasMayCount-Pit

SalemJoe KennedyWasMayCount-Sal

SalineVictor ChenWasMayCount-Sln

ScioDiana KernWasMayCount-Sci

SharonFrancie KrawkeWasMayCount-Sha

SuperiorKarl BrennerWasMayCount-Sup

SylvanAndy DettlingWasMayCount-Syl

WebsterFaye StonerWasMayCount-Web

YorkJim LawWasMayCount-Yor

YpsilantiBill Nolting
Donna ParmeleeWasMayCount-Yps

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Tuesday Evening Birders
2024-05-14 18:00 - 22:00 | MI
** Meet at the Miller Park and Ride to carpool for a 5:30 pm departure**

If you are not up for carpooling, meet on Embury Rd just north of N. Terrritorial Rd by 6pm.
Matt and Juliet will lead an enchanting walk down Embury Road. This location has shown us some amazing and unique Washtenaw County species over the years. We will park and walk a large portion of the gravel road.

Each Tuesday Evening Birders will feature a new trip leader and location of their choice. These events have produced many memories and stories over the years and often yield interesting birds. Each Tuesday in May, we meet somewhere at 6pm, often at Miller Rd. Park & Ride, Plymouth Rd. Park & Ride, or Meijer on Zeeb Rd., depending upon which direction in the county we are headed, and leave from there.
Please register and we will email you the meeting location at least 24 hours before as details for these walks tend to come together closer to the event than our other walks.

All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.

eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList

Birding in Guantanamo, Cuba: A Tale of Two Journeys
2024-05-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Ann Arbor District Library: Downtown, 343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Join Jacco Gelderloos for a presentation on the birds and other wildlife of Cuba’s easternmost province during two trips in June 2022 and February 2024. This remote and under-birded area is ecologically rich and hosts many of the island’s endemic species, as well as a wide range of migrants. Jacco Gelderloos is a long-time WBNA member and Board member, World Traveler, Washtenaw Wingnut, Washtenaw Big Green Big Year rider, Ann Arbor CBC Complier, Washtenaw County Township birder, Ann Arbor NAP Breeding Bird Surveyor and produces our Newsletter bi-monthly, as our Newsletter editor, in his spare time.

A livestream of this event will be available at the AADL website approximately one hour prior to the start.

Warbler Wonderland at Magee Marsh
2024-05-18 07:00 - 14:00 | Magee Marsh Boardwalk
This trip speaks for itself. If you are not familiar with this North American warbler mecca, please take a minute (or a thousand) to check out www.mageemarsh.org. After Magee, many of us usually stop by neighboring Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge or Howard Marsh (2023 Trip Report), so one could plan on being down there until the late afternoon or just leave late morning from Magee.
We will meet at the west platform warbler sign at the west entrance of the boardwalk. Directions can be found here.
Directions: Meet at 7:00 am at warbler sign at boardwalk here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PXD3EjnfmPWJKXBb7
Trip Leaders: Juliet Berger & Matthew Spoor
All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.
eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList

BIPOC Walk at Eliza Howell Park
2024-05-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Eliza Howell Park, 23751 Fenkell Ave, Detroit, MI, 48223, United States
This is a joint walk with the BIPOC Birders of Michigan. At this walk, we will walk along the Rouge River in one of Detroit’s hidden gems and look for warblers and other migrating species. Park near the Nature Trailhead, by the third set of parking spots as you drive around the loop.
Leader: Victor Chen
Directions: 23751 Fenkell Ave, Detroit, MI

All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that
love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.

eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList

Natural Communities Walk at Scio woods Preserve
2024-05-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Scio Woods Preserve, 754R+9Q, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Join Michigan Natural Features Inventory Botanist, Julie McLaughlin, to explore the dry-mesic (oak-hickory) and mesic (beech/maple) forest communities comprising this 91 acre preserve owned and managed by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation. We will explore and learn about the plants that make up these natural communities.
Leader: Julie McLaughlin, Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Directions: From I-94: Exit Number 169 (Zeeb Road), southbound. Turn left from Zeeb Road onto Scio Church Road, go approximately 1.0 mile. Preserve entrance is on the north side of Scio Church Road.

Tuesday Evening Birders
2024-05-21 18:00 - 22:00 | MI
***May 21 Update – Andy Dettling to lead as we explore the Sharonville Prairie area for Henlow’s Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, and others.
**Meet at the Miller Road Park and Ride for a 6pm departure. We will carpool to reduce the number of vehicles in the caravan.**

Each Tuesday Evening Birders will feature a new trip leader and location of their choice. These events have produced many memories and stories over the years and often yield interesting birds. Each Tuesday in May, we meet somewhere at 6pm, often at Miller Rd. Park & Ride, Plymouth Rd. Park & Ride, or Meijer on Zeeb Rd., depending upon which direction in the county we are headed, and leave from there.
Please register and we will email you the meeting location at least 24 hours before as details for these walks tend to come together closer to the event than our other walks.

All are welcome and encouraged to join us. New to birding? Bird curious? No binoculars? No problem! There is no better way to learn than to get out in the field with experienced birders that love to help. Plus, you get to meet awesome people. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come out. We will have many pairs of quality binoculars on hand for anyone to use.

eBird Checklist Signup: If you are attending the walk and would like the eBird checklist shared with you, please give us your email or eBird username here (you may do this onsite well): tinyurl.com/eBirdList
