Field Trips and other Activity Reports and Pictures

Hover your mouse over pictures for description and photographer

July 11, 2010 Plum Creek Reservation See report here.

June 13, 2010 Bradley Woods See report here

June 4 & 5, 2010 UltraWalk/Bird See report here.

Box Turtle © Mary Anne Romito

Coopers Hawk © Carla Biggert

May 23, 2010 Lake View Cemetery A Wood Thrush high in a tree, and multiple Baltimore Orioles put on a beautiful show. See report here.

April 10, 2010  South Mastick. A Bald Eagle perched by the river, offering a close-up look. See report here.

March 22, 2010 Cleveland Zoo. WCAS explored the possibilities of a Bird Trail at the Zoo. See report here.

March 20, 2010 Lakeview Park in Lorain With the Rose Café just ready to open after renovations, we were able to bird from inside as well as outside. See report here.

White-breasted Nuthatch © Georges Darris

Great Horned Owl with chick © Penny O'Connor

February 14, 2010 Lake View Cemetery with Dick & Jean Hoffman. See report here.

January 10, 2010 Birders had a brilliantly sunny and cold day on the lakefront. It was our first winter field trip to the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve. See report here.

December 27, 2009 What a fabulous Christmas Bird Count held on Sunday, December 27. See report here.

Ring-billed Gulls at Edgewater Marina. All photos © Brooke Meyer of Cary, NC.

November 7, 2009 Lighting was perfect for viewing waterfowl at Sandy Ridge. See report here.

October 4, 2009 Wendy Park was the field trip spot today for Western Cuyahoga Audubon. See report here.

September 13, 2009 Splendid blue skies made this a perfect day to be outside.  A visitor from Colorado was among the 21 birders at Canalway Center. See report here.

August 30, 2009 WCAS survey of Hinckley Twp property. See report here.

August 1, 2009 Ohio Prairie Nursery in Hiram, Ohio. See report here.

July 31, 2009 A special field to the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center in Cuyahoga Heights was an eye-opening experience for 18 WCAS friends. See report here.

July 18, 2009 Families of Pied-billed Grebes and Common Moorhens and a singing Dickcissel were the highlights of the WCAS auto tour at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. See report here

Our Rocky River Eaglet is flying! © Lisa Romaniuk

July 5, 2009 WCAS survey of Hinckley Twp property. See report here

June 14, 2009 Hampton Hills. Alder Flycatchers did not disappoint!...The Yellow-breasted Chats were vocal, but never came out into the open. See report here

June 12, 2009. Follow the Swallows. Birding Buddies IBA favorite walk. Barn Swallows have built 14 nests and Cliff Swallows 7 on the Cedar Point Bridge. See report here.

June 2, 2009 Royalview Picnic with WCAS. Great company, Cardinal flowers for the taking (provided from Nancy's own yard) and excellent views of a Yellow-billed cuckoo made our day. See report here.

Canada Warbler © Dave Lewis

Osprey at Atwood © Mary Anne Romito

May 31, 2009 River Styx field trip. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird performed U-shaped courtship flights. Brown Thrashers and Field Sparrows flew about in pairs. See report here.

May 24, 2009 WCAS survey of Hinckley Twp property. See report here.

May 23, 2009 WCAS UltraWalk and UltraBird report here.

May 5, 2009 A lovely spring evening in Hinckley was the perfect time to look for woodcocks. See report here.

New yard bird in Cleveland, OH (part of Rocky River Important Bird Area) © Page Stephens

Lark Sparrow © Dave Lewis

April 18, 2009 WCAS visited Spencer Lake and Medina Raptor Center. Medina Raptor Center is an amazing facility, in its twentieth year. See report here.

April 5, 2009 WCAS and a member of Hinckley Township took an early springtime walk. See report here.

April 4, 2009 Birding Buddies IBA favorite walk.Six birders met by Mastick Woods Golf Course and walked the trail by the stables. See report.

March 22, 2009 It was our "larky" day. We went to several Lorain County locations. See field trip report here.

March 1, 2009 A few WCAS members met with a Hinckley Township representative to walk one of their properties. See report.

Eastern Screech Owl ©Dave Lewis

Proposed Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Wind Turbine. Click on picture to learn more.

February 8, 2009 Waterfowl were abundant in icy Lake Erie on this mild day at East 72nd Street. White-winged Crossbills prompted a side trip to Lake View Cemetery. Click here for a full report.

Tufted Titmouse © Dave Lewis

Hooded Merganser © Vic Macha

January 11, 2009 A storm the day before our trip blanketed the trail with soft deep snow to Lake Abram, but an amazing 23 birders showed up. Click here for details.

December 28, 2008 The Lakewood Christmas Bird Count was WINDY but warm for December. Despite the windy conditions, this was one of the best Christmas Counts with regard to the number of species seen.  Sixty-nine species were sighted the day of the CBC and four species during count week.   Click here for details.

Great Blue Heron & Black-crowned Night Heron at Spitzer Marina © Hannah Lesiw

Winter Wren © Dave Lewis

November 9, 2008. Black River Audubon joined Western Cuyahoga Audubon for this trip to one of Northeast Ohio's prime birding spots. We were treated to eagles overhead. Click here for more.

November 2, 2008 A few WCAS members met with a Hinckley Township representative to walk one of their properties. See report.

Heron Rookery Bath, OH © Page Stephens

Juvenile Barn Swallow © Page Stephens

October 18, 2008. Monthly Morning with the Birds found high numbers of Pine Siskins. Read more.

October 5, 2008. Cool, sunny skies greeted 10 birders at Dike 14 on Sunday October 5, 2008. We spotted 49 species, including 8 warblers. Birds abound along the fences and in the Gordon Park picnic areas as well as in the nature preserve. Click here for a full report.

Solitary Sandpiper © Dave Lewis

Green Heron © Dave Lewis

September 7, 2008 In an on-and-off rain 18 birders enjoyed the rolling hills of Allardale, a former dairy farm, just south of Cleveland Metroparks Hinckley Reservation. Click here for details.

August 17, 2008 Fifteen birders enjoyed the formal gardens and shady wooded trails at Schoepfle Garden next to the peaceful Vermilion River. Click here for details.

Juvenile Turkey Vulture in Rocky River Reservation © Mary Anne Romito

Black-necked Stlit in western Ohio © Page Stephens

July 12, 2008 Birding in shady woods is the best way to spend a steamy summer morning!  WCAS joined the Rocky River Nature Center’s Monthly Morning with the Birds led by Dave Grasskemper. Click here for details.

June 14, 2008 The RR IBA Blitz was wonderful. Despite the rainy morning over 25 people participated. Groups, both large and small went out into 4 Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBAII) blocks. Click here for details.

We did it! We walked 31 miles for the Rocky River Important Bird Area © Penny O'Connor

May 24, 2008 The Ultra Walk for the Rocky River Important Bird Area. The number of participants is growing. This was our second annual Ultra Walk. We walked 31 miles! From Buzzards Roost in Hinckley to the Marina in Rocky River. We are raising money for the Rocky River Important Bird Area project. These funds will be used for funding graduate students who will analyze our data from our survey and to pay for the coordinator of our survey. Click here for pictures and a report.

May 17, 2008 WCAS and the Medina/Summit Chapter of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy met at the Top O' Ledges in Hinckley Reservation. We met a local private land owner who has a land conservation easement on her property. We also learned about other easements and we shared information about work WCAS is doing with the Rocky River Important Bird Area Forest Breeding Bird survey. Click here for detail.

April 26, 2008 WCAS and the Native Plant Society had a wonderful spring day filled with early spring wild flowers and early spring migrating birds at Bacon Woods in Lorain County. Click here for a report.

Trout Lily © Terri Martincic

Wild Turkey © Vic Macha

March 15, 2008. WCAS and the Lorain County Metroparks met at Sandy Ridge Reservation. Great surprises awaited them. Click here for details.

February 17, 2008. This trip was just plain FUN. Seventeen people gathered for a great time at the Cleveland Zoo and Rainforest. Click here for details.

February 2, 2008 Forty hardy souls braved the icy weather to see gulls along the Cleveland Lakefront at East 72 St. Click here for details.

January 26, 2008. Greater Akron Audubon and Western Cuyahoga Audubon joined forces and took on Horseshoe Pond trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 25 members attended. Click here for details.

Ross's Goose at Links Golf Course on Lakewood Christmas Bird Count © Dave Lewis

December 29, 2007. The Lakewood Christmas Bird Count had chilly but dry weather. We even got a new species for our count. See details here. There's a few pictures from our December silent auction too.

November 10, 2007. A brisk November day in the 40's turned out to be quite a lovely day in Wellington, Ohio as 37 members of Western Cuyahoga Audubon and Black River Audubon met and walked the trails behind the new Visitors Center. Click here for details.

A whole slew of Monarchs © Dave Lewis

Viceroy © Dave Lewis

Monarch & caterpillar © Dave Lewis

October 14, 2007 WCAS visited Wendy Park at Whiskey Island. Dave and Laurie our leaders, picked the perfect day. The weather was chilly to start, but warmed up nicely. The road into Wendy Park is set to close October 16, 2007 through April 15, 2008 for repairs. Boy were we lucky! Click here for pictures and report.

September 23, 2007 was Scenic Sunday at the Nature Preserve at Dike 14. Four members of WCAS staffed a table and talked to the public about the merits of having a natural area in downtown Cleveland. We also kept track of the birds we saw from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Click here for a list.

September 15, 2007 A chilly, windy morning greeted 20 WCAS members for the Dike 14 field trip on Saturday, September 15. Click here for details.

August 18, 2007, you couldn't have asked for nicer weather. The sun was out, the sky was blue and just a slight breeze. The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge was the place to be. Click here for details. Click here for details.

July 14, 2007 was a great day. The weather was pleasant and just slightly cool. Up in Whipps Ledges nesting birds were singing. Click here for details.

June 24, 2007 Chris & Chad Saladin met eleven WCAS members and friends at the Hilliard Blvd. Bridge to show us the Peregrines. The group then went to the innerbelt nesting sight. For pictures and a report click here.

June 5, 2007. WCAS held it's annual June picnic at a new location, Royalview Picnic Area in Mill Stream Run Reservation. Twenty-three people attended. Click here for a full report.

May 26, 2007. Three of our WCAS supporters took the challenge to walk the entire 31.5 miles of the Rocky River Important Bird Area from the south end of Hinckley Reservation to the north end of the Rocky River Reservation. Click here for the story and a bird list from the support crew who followed the Rocky River IBA Walkers by car.

May 2007 Month-long. Birders who entered our birdathon saw a total of 95 species in the Rocky River Important Bird Area during May 2007.For details click here.

May 5, 2007 Warblers are here. WCAS went to Shaker Lakes and found quite a few. Seven participates found 50 species. Click here for details.

May 1, 2007 we kicked off our Month-long Birdathon at Rocky River Nature Center with a walk before our regularly scheduled program. It was just a short walk around West Channel pond but a good time was had by all. Click here for a trip report.

April 21, 2007 was a bright sunny, crisp spring day at Sheldon's Marsh in Huron. Fourteen people came and enjoyed 59 species along the trails at the marsh. Click here for a trip report.

March 31, 2007 was a special evening field trip to Sandy Ridge Reservation in Lorain. We had a great turn out both birds and birders. Click here for details.

February 4, 2007 Twenty-six WCAS members and friends braved the COLD weather at E 72 St. to see gulls and other waterfowl. Click here for details.

January 20, 2007 WCAS and Greater Akron Audubon had a joint field trip to Bath Nature Preserve. The weather was sunny and crisp. Click here for details.

December 30, 2006 This was our annual Christmas Bird Count and Chili Luncheon. The weather was unseasonably warm and dry. Click here for details

November 4, 2006 We had some surprises today. Ten birders came to West Creek Reservation in Parma and found 27 species. Click here for details.

October 8, 2006 Nancy Howell lead a great field trip to Columbia Reservation in Lorain County. To see the report and pictures click here.

October 1, 2006 Although it was not an official WCAS field, many WCAS members attended the OOS Sparrow Symposium field trip on Sunday, October 1, 2006. Click here for details.

September 24, 2006 Twenty seven attendees came to Dike 14 in downtown Cleveland to find 50 species of birds. Highlights were American Bittern, several birds of prey as well as several warblers and sparrows. Click here for details.

August 12, 2006 Six members and friends of WCAS came to Conneaut for shorebirds. Click here for details.

July 2, 2006 Bacon Woods in Lorain County was the place to be for nesting birds. A dozen birders including the Plain Dealer's Jim McCarty and his son, Bret were there. For details of our field trip, including a link to Jim's Aerial View review of our fieldtrip click here.

June 6, 2006 was WCAS's annual picnic and plant exchange. This year the event was held at South Mastick Picnic Area. Lots of plants were exchanged. We saw quite a few species of birds too. See the details here.

June 3, 2006 WCAS and Fireland's Land Conservancy took a joint field trip to Wendtwood. See the trip pictures and report here

May 7, 2006 WCAS met Tim Krynak at Canal Way for a great Spring bird walk. See Terri Martincic's report and Dave Lewis's pictures of the field trip here.

April 16, 2006. Twenty-six people came to the first Spring Audubon Walk at Rocky River Nature Center. The weather was great for April. For details click here.

March 19, 2006. Fourteen people came to Lewis Road Riding Ring. Terri Martincic showed us a new trail where none of us had been. We came up with quite a few surprises. Click here for details.

February 18, 2006 WCAS and Greater Mohican again teamed up to go on a joint field trip. This time we went to Killdeer Plains.. Craig Caldwell was there and reports: "Wicked cold and windy but, thankfully, sunny most of the day. Dave and Laurie stayed until about 4.  Dick and I and a photographer on assignment from "Glucose" magazine braved the whole day."  Click here for details.

February 5, 2006, WCAS members and friends went to Avon Lake Power Plant in very bitter weather. Afterwards we went to E. 72 St. in Cleveland. Larry Rosche, our leader pointed out the highlights: Thayer's Gull, Common Goldeneye. We had 11 attendees at Avon and later were joined by a half dozen more people at E. 72. At Avon we also saw a surfer and steelhead fishermen. We thought we were crazy to be out in that weather until we saw the other sportsmen. For details click here.

January 21, 2006, WCAS and Great Mohican Audubon made a trip to the The Wilds. Click here for details.

December 31, 2005, New Year's Eve. What a better way to celebrate than to get up early and go out with your friends and count birds on the last day of the year, then adjoin to Rocky River Nature Center for a Chili Luncheon. To see our Christmas Bird Count tally click here.

November 20, 2005 WCAS's field trip to Perry Park & Geneva State Park drew 23 participates and 24 species of birds. The highlight was a Cackling Goose. Click here for details and pictures.

October 2, 2005 WCAS went to Beyer's Pond and Isaac Lake in Middleburg Hts., OH. Fifteen people attended. Click here for details.

 

September 11, 2005's field trip to West Creek Preserve in Parma, OH took us on new trails we've never traveled before. Fifteen people came and saw 40 species of birds. Click here for details.

August 27, 2005's second annual field trip to Conneaut produced 49 species. Highlights were 2 Willets and 3 Bald Eagles. Click here for details.

August 14, 2005's chimney swift roost watch in Berea was great fun. Some said it was better than watching TV. Click here for details.

July 2005's trip to Bath Reserve was terrific. Click here for details. Hope you can make it to one of our next field trips.

June 2005's trip to Wolf Creek turned out to be the first HOT field trip. Although the group was small in numbers, we had a great time. Click here for details.

December 2004's Christmas Bird Count attendees counted 71 species during the count and 2 more during count week. We had five kinds of chili at our chili dinner/bird count. Click here for details and pictures.

November 2004's field trip along Cleveland's Lakefront from Rocky River Park to Avon Power Plant was attended by 55 enthusiastic birders. Click here for details.

October 2004's Big Sit at Ira Rd Trailhead  was more than just sitting. We met a lot of new friends. Click here for details.

September 2004's field trip to Sandy Ridge was great fun. We had 28 birders and more than twice as many bird species. Click here for details.

August 2004's field trip to Conneaut brought out a record attendance of 50 birders. Click here for details.

July 2004's field trip to Bath Nature Reserve had several nice surprises. Click here for details.

June 2004's field trip to the Richfield Grasslands was a great trip. Seventeen people participated. Click here for pictures and list of species seen.

June 2004's Picnic and Birdwalk at Horseshoe Pond was a big success. Click here for details.

April 2004's field trip to Ira Rd in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park had a record number of participates. Click here for details.

February 2004's field trip to Mill Creek Falls was cold but beautiful. Click here for details.