Ohio
Lake Erie: Birding the Islands and Shores
Program No. 12641RJ
There’s no place like the Lake Erie Islands when it comes to bird migrations: beautiful trees, blue skies and myriad birds passing through. Bring your binoculars, this is a good one!
Program
At a Glance
Duration
6 days
Program Begins
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Program Concludes
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Meals
15 (
5B, 5L, 5D
)
Activity Level
Welcome to the beautiful Lake Erie Islands, where more than 450 bird species pass through during their annual migration. Witness this journey and gain authoritative knowledge of the many species you observe — including Black-throated Green Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers and Indigo Buntings. Take part in walks, lectures, bird-banding and more, all led by local bird experts.
Best of all, you'll...
- Enjoy a special field trip to Middle Bass Island on select dates.
- Observe seasonal migrations at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, a 2,200-acre state wildlife refuge located on the shores of Lake Erie.
- Learn about the importance of bird banding during a presentation led by Master Bander Tom Bartlett.
General Notes
Participants are divided between three B&B’s for the duration of the program. Please see Lodging and Meals for details. Requests can be made for specific B&Bs. All Road Scholar birding programs have a maximum participant-to-instructor ratio of 14:1 in the field. We adhere to the American Birding Association’s Code of Ethics. Learn more at http://www.aba.org/about/ethics.html
Featured Expert
All Experts
Tom Bartlett
Tom is a retired biology instructor with an MS in biology and education from the University of Toledo. He has banded over 90,000 birds of over 200 species since 1971. Tom has led bird banding and census efforts at Springville Marsh State Nature Preserve for more than 35 years and the Lake Erie Islands for more than 25 years. A Road Scholar instructor since 2003, he has traveled and birded extensively across North America, as well as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Great Britain.
Please Note:
This expert may not be available for every date of the program
Please Note:
These experts may not be available for every date of the program
Lisa Kutschbach Brohl
Lisa Brohl lives on South Bass Island in the western end of Lake Erie with her husband Russ. She holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management and a master’s degree in environmental studies. She is chair of the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy and a founding board member of the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center and the Put-in-Bay Township Park District. Lisa has been involved with Road Scholar as an instructor or Group Leader since 2000.
Tom Bartlett
Tom is a retired biology instructor with an MS in biology and education from the University of Toledo. He has banded over 90,000 birds of over 200 species since 1971. Tom has led bird banding and census efforts at Springville Marsh State Nature Preserve for more than 35 years and the Lake Erie Islands for more than 25 years. A Road Scholar instructor since 2003, he has traveled and birded extensively across North America, as well as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Great Britain.
Paula Bartlett
Paula Bartlett earned her bachelor's in sociology and psychology from Heidelberg College and master's in rehabilitation counseling from Bowling Green State University, which prepared her for a career in working with people with disabilities. Retired since 2010, she has picked back up on a search for bird species with her husband, Tom, that began before their daughter's birth over 35 years ago; they are up to 635 species. Paula volunteers with local parks and the library, and writes, reads, gardens, hikes and does yoga.
Valerie Nose Chornyak
Valerie was born on Put-in-Bay, Ohio and spent most of her life in Columbus before returning to her home town. She taught jazzercise for almost 25 years and is now very active in her community in many ways including teaching and volunteering at the Senior Center, Nature and Wildlife Center and the Historical Society. When she has a spare moment, Val enjoys an active life of tennis, walking, golf and the OWLS book club. She has three children and seven grandchildren and loves sunsets.
Tammy Martin
Tammy Martin, now of Napoleon, Ohio, retired from Oberlin College where she worked as a library cataloger. She earned her BS and MS in environmental interpretation from The Ohio State University. During college, Tammy worked as a seasonal naturalist on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the National Park Service. She returned to academia for employment in the library field, during which time she and husband, Dan, raised twins. After their graduation, Tammy found time to revive her interest in birding and hasn’t looked back.
Shane Roberts
Shane Roberts was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and settled in Perrysburg, Ohio, in 2002. A young age, Shane has had a keen interest in wildlife, especially birds. Since 2002, he has been one of Tom Bartlett’s bird banding assistants. Shane and his wife are members of Kelleys Island Audubon Club, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and Friends of Magee Marsh. He has served in several positions with the Friends of Magee Marsh and volunteers for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
Courtney Brennan
Courtney Brennan has been an ornithologist for over 10 years is currently working as a barista and taxidermist. Courtney graduated from Cleveland State University with a master's degree in environmental science.
Emily Beal
Emily Beal is in her third year with Road Scholar. She is originally from Hinckley, Ohio but has spent much of her life on the Lake Erie islands. Emily graduated in 2023 with a degree in wildlife and fisheries resources. Her roles at the Nature & Wildlife Center include Road Scholar coordinator, nature camp coordinator, and assistant director. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, kayaking, and hiking.
Laura Roberts
Laura Roberts has had an interest in watching birds and other wildlife from a young age, inspired by her mother and frequent visits to Crane Creek State Park (Magee Marsh Wildlife Area). Since meeting and marrying her second husband, Laura’s passion grew, as she and Shane have shared birding and genealogy for over twenty years. Laura has been leading bird watching groups with Shane for many years, more recently for the Road Scholar program while on vacation from her regular work at FedEx Ground.
Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams earned her M.S. in environmental studies from Ohio University in 2008 and her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary Biology at Ohio University in 2013. She is a Rush Elliott Professor and associate professor of instruction in biological sciences at OU. Her research has focused on understanding how habitat, temperature, food availability, and nest parasites affect parental care, reproduction, foraging behavior, and avian community composition. Kelly teaches field ecology, comparative vertebrate anatomy, multivariate statistics, ornithology, and a seminar on disease ecology at Ohio University.
Diana Steele
Diana Steele is an avid birder and science writer living in Lorain County, Ohio. She has conducted breeding bird surveys, volunteered as a bird banding assistant, and led field trips for The Biggest Week in American Birding and Black River Audubon Society. She has birded around the world including Antarctica, China, New Zealand, Germany, and Venezuela. In 2019 she traveled to both her 50th state (Alaska) and her sixth continent (Asia).
Talia Meade
Talia Meade, an avid birder, joined Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center in 2024 as a birding leader for Road Scholar programs. She is a recent graduate of Ohio University.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
This program can accommodate most accessibility requirements. The hiking trails on the islands are all relatively short (less than 2 miles) and flat, with slow walking and standing for short increments. Most trails are free of obstacles, though some areas have uneven terrain. Our Group Leaders will make everyone aware of any potential walking hazards. The famous Magee Marsh Boardwalk may have crowds, but the boardwalk is handicap-accessible and equipped with railings and benches at regular intervals.
Suggested Books and Resources
View Full List
You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call
800-454-5768
Enroll with Confidence
Peace of Mind
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.
Assurance Plan
Road Scholar's continued commitment to our participants and their well-being is exemplified whether participating on a program in the United States or on one of our International programs, every Road Scholar participant receives coverage under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan.
Want to Protect Your Investment?
Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.
Sustainable Travel
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.
- Peace of Mind
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. That’s why we go to the ends of the earth to give you peace of mind, from the moment you enroll until the day you return home.
- Assurance Plan
Road Scholar's continued commitment to our participants and their well-being is exemplified whether participating on a program in the United States or on one of our International programs, every Road Scholar participant receives coverage under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan.
- Want to Protect Your Investment?
Road Scholar is pleased to offer its Trip Protection Plan as a way to protect your program investment. You may purchase this optional trip protection plan when enrolling in your program.
- Sustainable Travel
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Read about our commitment to a more sustainable planet.