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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!

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

6 days

5 nights

15 meals

5B 5L 5D

Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Bird Walk, Island Field Trip, War of 1812, Bird Migration

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Bird Walk, Gibraltar Island, Stone Laboratory

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Bird Banding, Nature Museum, Historic Island Winery & Caves

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Middle Bass Island Birding Trip

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Magee Marsh, Program Concludes

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

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At a Glance

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.

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.

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 trip 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 this program.

Lisa Kutschbach Brohl View biography

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 View biography

Paula Bartlett View biography

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 View biography

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 View biography

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 View biography

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 View biography

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 View biography

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 View biography

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.

Hayley Rinearson View biography

Hayley Rinerason is the education and outreach coordinator at LEINWC. She has a degree in environmental policy from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Hayley's professional background is in educational interpretation and outreach mainly focusing on ecology, geology, and environmental issues. When not at the Nature Center, she bartends, read books, draws, and hangs out with her dog and partner at Toledo Metroparks.

Lake Erie: Birding the Islands and Shores

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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