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A vibrant red scarlet tanager with black wings perches on a branch during bird migration along the Lake Erie shores in Ohio.
Ohio

Lake Erie: Birding the Islands and Shores

Program No. 12641RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
15 meals ( 5B, 5L, 5D )
7 expert-led lectures
15 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
B&B check-in from 3:00 p.m. Walking short distances to dinner and orientation.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment as well as your welcome packet, join us at The Crew’s Nest to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At The Crew’s Nest.
Evening:
Orientation: 6:45 p.m. at Put-in-Bay Town Hall. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. The program is staffed with a birding leader who will provide educational content, a Group Leader who will deal primarily with logistics, and a series of local birding experts who will help lead field trips and provide evening lectures. For most of the time, we will use taxi vans to travel to various birding locations and other locations not accessible by walking. On Tuesday, we will travel by ferry to Gibraltar Island. Breakfasts will be at our B&B. Dinners will be at The Crew’s Nest as well as lunches except Friday when we will have box lunches in the field. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of taxi vans; driving about 2 miles, approximately 1/4 hour riding time. Getting on/off open-air train; driving about 3 miles approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking about 1 mile, approximately 4 hours; uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
At the B&B.
Morning:
We will gather at the Town Hall and divide into three small groups (up to 10 participants each). We’ll then take taxi vans for our first birding field trip around the island, led by expert birders. In addition to public spots, we have permission to explore private property. We’ll return to the Town Hall mid-morning.
Lunch:
At The Crew’s Nest.
Afternoon:
We will board an open-air tram for a tour of South Bass Island. We will then visit Heineman’s Historic Winery where we may sample the local wines and visit The Crystal Cave. This cave holds the world’s largest geode: measuring 35 feet at its widest point! Finally we will head to Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial where we will meet a National Park Service Park Ranger. We will learn about the War of 1812 and how the Battle of Lake Erie proved to be a turning point for the Americans against the British during the war. We will see the monument which is considered the world’s largest doric column and commemorates the men who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie. The column stands 352 feet tall. After the tour of the visitors center and a 15 minute video, we will have some free time before dinner. Take a leisurely walk through DeRivera Park and meet us at the Crew's Nest for dinner.
Dinner:
At The Crew’s Nest.
Evening:
We will walk to the Town Hall where we will enjoy a lecture from master bird bander Tom Bartlett as he highlights some of the many birds we will observe this week.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of taxi vans; driving about 2 miles, approximately 1/4 hour riding time. Getting on/off a boat. Walking about 1 mile, approximately 4 hours in the morning; uneven terrain. Walking short distances on Gibraltar Island.
Breakfast:
At the B&B.
Morning:
We will take taxi vans to the banding station to observe Tom Bartlett band songbirds. We will head out on another walk to find more birds, with a mid-morning break
Lunch:
At The Crew’s Nest.
Afternoon:
We will board a boat and cruise for 1/4 hour to Gibraltar Island. This small island is the location of Cooke Castle, the historic summer home of Civil War financier Jay Cooke and later the headquarters of The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory, the oldest freshwater lab in the U.S. We will have a walking lecture from OSU staff while also looking for birds. We will return on the boat to Put-in-Bay with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner:
At The Crew’s Nest.
Evening:
At the Town Hall, we will update our bird checklist, followed by a presentation on bird conservation from local experts. We will also learn about American naturalist Lynd Jones who introduced academic courses in ornithology and ecology at Oberlin College
Activity Note
Getting in/out of taxi vans; driving about 2 miles, approximately 1/4 hour riding time. Walking up to 1 mile, approximately 4 hours; uneven terrain, steep stairs to caves.
Breakfast:
At the B&B.
Morning:
We will take taxi vans to Tom Bartlett's banding station. We will split into small groups for another walk to find more birds
Lunch:
At The Crew’s Nest.
Afternoon:
We will head via taxi vans to the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center, where we will explore the facility and learn about their programming. We will then head to the newly renovated ODNR Put-In-Bay Aquatic Visitor Center which features hands-on exhibits, live fish displays, and interactive activities where we may learn about the invasive Sea Lamprey. Before dinner, we will head to the Town Hall to update our bird checklist, and listen to a lecture from ODNR representative, Martyn Drabik-Hamshare and the H2Ohio initiative.
Dinner:
At The Crew’s Nest.
Evening:
We will walk back to the Town Hall, where Shane Roberts discuss various owl species as Ohio is home to 8 including the Barred, Great Horned and Eastern Screech owl. We will then take a late evening "owl prowl" where we will explore areas of the island known to have local owl.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a ferry. Walking 1 to 2 miles throughout the day; even trails.
Breakfast:
At the B&B.
Morning:
We will board the Miller Ferry downtown for a 1/4 hour ride to Middle Bass Island. The group will split in two, to explore the best birding locations of the island with our bird leaders. Taxi van transportation will be used.
Lunch:
The Island Grind on the grounds of the Historic Lonz's Winery
Afternoon:
We will enjoy a tour of the Lonz Winery grounds and remaining building. The winery is no longer operational but is a site of historic significance. There will then be independent time to explore Middle Bass Island and maybe look for beach glass along the rocky Lake Erie shoreline. We will head back to Put-in-Bay via the Miler Ferry to enjoy at least two hours of free time on South Bass Island before dinner
Dinner:
At The Crew’s Nest. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
We will walk over to the Town Hall where we will update our bird checklist. Tyler McClain will give a lecture on Fall Warblers. We will also discuss closing procedures and prepare for check-out and Friday morning ferry departure.
Activity Note
B&B check-out 7:00-8:00 a.m. Getting on/off a ferry. Driving own vehicles to Magee Marsh. Walking 1 mile, approximately 3 hours; accessible woodland bird trail.
Breakfast:
B&B buffet.
Morning:
We will check out of our B&Bs and say goodbye to Put-in-Bay as we return by ferry to the mainland. Upon reaching shore, we’ll drive independently to Magee Marsh Wildlife Area for a final bird walk. This 2,200-acre state wildlife area on the shore of Lake Erie is a mainly popular with waterfowl hunters, but in spring and fall migrants draw birders from all over the world for the best opportunity to spot a variety of different warbler and shorebird species.
Lunch:
On the trail, we'll have box lunches. This concludes our program.
Afternoon:
If you are returning home, safe travels! If you are staying on independently in the area, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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