Leaders: Dea Armstrong; Lathe Claflin, and Mike Sefton

Dea, Lathe, and Mike will take turns leading and co-leading these outings. They will scout locations and scan bird reports during the day, and then in the evening take the group to where the action is. This is a carpool event, typically with multiple stops. Meet at 6:00 p.m. at the Miller Road/M-14 park-and-ride lot, where everyone will consolidate into fewer vehicles and prepare for a 6:15 sharp departure.

Click here for Google map of location and to get directions. These outings will end at dusk.

PLEASE NOTE: Since these are carpool outings, anyone under 18 who is not accompanied by an adult relative or legal guardian will need to have a completed parental consent form to participate. If this applies to you or your child, please download the form from the right column of our field trip page and bring the completed, signed form to submit when the child is dropped off.

Join us on Thursday mornings in April and May at Nichols Arboretum to observe migrants making their way north. These leaderless walks are a great opportunity to join with other birders of all skill levels. In addition to the birds, the Arb's trees and plants offer delights of their own. For example, in late April and early May, trillium blooms abundantly on the wooded hillsides.

This season's walks will start on April 4 and go through May 30. Park and meet at the Riverview Court cul-de-sac off Geddes Road at 8:00 a.m; the walks will end around 11:00, but participants can leave whenever they prefer. Click here for a map of the meeting spot or to get directions to it.

Leader: Karen Markey

Stinchfield Woods is 777 acres of conifer plantations and stands of native hardwoods--mostly oaks and hickories. This census on this property typically yields species such as Pine and Black-throated Green Warblers, Solitary Vireos, and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Also heard or seen are Wild Turkeys, Hooded Warblers, Ovenbirds, and Acadian Flycatchers. Taking part in this bird count is a great way to observe migration into June, when many other sites in the county have already seen most of their migrants come and go.

The count starts at 7:00 a.m. Participants will assemble at the top of the hill near the caretaker's house and the observatory, and divide into groups. After hiking the trails and recording observations, everyone will reassemble late in the morning to compile a list of all birds seen or heard. NOTE: If you are interested in participating, please contact Karen at ylimeATumich.edu to sign up.

Stinchfield Woods is north of Dexter. Go north on Dexter-Pinckney Road, and about 1.5 miles north of North Territorial Road, you will come to Stinchfield Woods Road. Turn left (west) onto Stinchfield Woods Road and drive about 1 mile to the north entrance of Stinchfield Woods. Turn left (south) into Stinchfield Woods and drive up the hill and bear to your right toward the top of the hill. Bring insect repellant and dress appropriately.

Leader: Cara Shillington, associate professor of biology at Eastern Michigan University

Professor Shillington, who lectured on spiders at our monthly meeting in May 2009, will lead this trip to Matthaei Botanical Gardens to find and observe spiders. (Click on this map link for location and directions.) We will meet in front of the gift shop.

During the summer many different spiders can be found in this area. Many can easily be identified from their webs. These include Bowl-and-doily spiders, Hammock spiders, Nursery web spiders, Orb weavers, Long-jawed spiders, Dictinids, and Funnel weavers. In addition to looking for those, participants will also be sweep-netting in some of the more open areas for spiders that do not have obvious, large web retreats. These include Jumping spiders, Crab spiders, Grassland spiders, and Lynx spiders. The more eyes we have, the more we are likely to find.

Brief spider field guides will be available for the trip if you do not have one. If you prefer to get your own field guide prior to this exciting walk, Dr. Shillington recommends Spiders of the North Wood by Larry Weber for its fine photos and reasonable price. Lastly, if you have any local spiders that you would like identified, please bring them in a container and or bring a photo, Dr. Shillington will be happy to help you identify them.

Leader: Jim Fowler

Pointe Mouillee, on Lake Erie near the mouth of the Huron River, is one of the best destinations in the Midwest for viewing shorebirds and waders, but vehicular access is limited. Jim Fowler knows this territory through and through and leads several field trips each year at this location.

PLEASE NOTE: This trip has limited space, and registration is mandatory. To register, send your name(s) and a contact phone number to fieldtripsATwashtenawaudubon.org. Registered participants will meet at the Pointe Mouillee SGA parking lot on Sigler Road at 8:00 a.m., and from there will consolidate into four vehicles. Because of the restricted access, it is necessary to attend the entire outing. Participants should bring insect repellent, wear a hat, and dress for warm weather--there is no shade or shelter at Pointe Mouillee. Bring all the food and fluids you think you will need to sustain you for approximately five hours of birding.