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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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.

What You'll Learn

  • Enjoy a special field trip on select dates, to Middle Bass Island
  • 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

Select dates enjoy a special field trip to Canada and require a U.S. passport. 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
Profile Image
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.

Profile Image of Lisa Brohl
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.
Profile Image of Kristin Stanford
Kristin M Stanford View biography
Kristin Stanford received her BS, MS, and PhD degrees from Northern Illinois University. She has been actively involved in Lake Erie watersnake (LEWS) conservation for almost 20 years and has served as the recovery coordinator since 2003. She currently works for The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory as the Education and Outreach Coordinator, responsible for overseeing the programming logistics for this nationally recognized education and outreach venue. Kristin also continues to facilitate the research, management, and outreach needed to maintain recovery for the LEWS.
Profile Image of Tom Bartlett
Tom Bartlett View biography
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.
Profile Image of Paula Bartlett
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.
Profile Image of Valerie Chornyak
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.
Profile Image of John Lortz
John Lortz View biography
John Lortz has been birding since he was a child but found a deeper passion for it when he met birder Tom Bartlett. John has been banding and assisting Tom for 20 years at Springville Marsh. Besides birding, his retirement hobbies include gardening, genealogy, woodworking, and woodcarving. He has carved since 1992 and enters several woodcarving competitions each year. His wood sculptures often have a wildlife theme, including a great horned owl. John is a resident of Upper Sandusky in Wyandot County.
Profile Image of Tammy Martin
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.
Profile Image of Shane Roberts
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.
Profile Image of Amy Alford
Amy Alford View biography
Amy Alford is the board chair and volunteer research coordinator at Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center. She has a B.S. in Zoology from The Ohio State University, an M.S. in wildlife and fisheries science, and a Ph.D. in forest resources from Mississippi State University. Amy fell in love with fish when she was an undergrad at Stone Laboratory, OSU's research/education station in Put-In-Bay. She is delighted to be back in her home state and make conservation education and research accessible to everyone.
Profile Image of Morgan Drabik-Hamshare
Morgan Drabik-Hamshare View biography
Dr. Morgan Drabik-Hamshare (Pfeiffer) joined the Ohio Field Station of the USDA APHIS WS National Wildlife Research Center in 2016. She obtained her doctorate and master's from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her research interests include avian species plasticity, movements and behavior in anthropogenic landscapes. She applies these interests to understanding and preventing wildlife collisions with aircraft. Her current research involves evaluating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology for wildlife hazard management. Morgan is an avid birder; her world life list is at 854 species.
Profile Image of Emily Beal
Emily Beal View biography
Emily Beal is in her second 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.
Profile Image of Laura Roberts
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.
Profile Image of Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams View biography
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.
Profile Image of Diana Steele
Diana Steele View biography
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).
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Year
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
Date
May 05 - May 10
  • May 05 - May 10
  • May 12 - May 17
  • Sep 08 - Sep 13
  • Sep 22 - Sep 27
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Select trip year and date
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
May 05 - May 10
  • May 05 - May 10
  • May 12 - May 17
  • Sep 08 - Sep 13
  • Sep 22 - Sep 27
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.
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6 days
5 nights
15 meals
5 B 5 L 5 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
D
Arbor Inn Bed & Breakfast

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, walk or take your personal vehicle to join us at The Crew’s Nest waterfront restaurant 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 Thursday and 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.

DAY
2
Bird Walk, Island Field Trip, War of 1812, Bird Migration
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
B,L,D
Arbor Inn Bed & Breakfast

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’ll board an open-air train for an exploration of South Bass Island to learn about the over 150-year history of the land and people. We’ll drive past the most iconic feature of South Bass Island, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, the world’s largest Doric Column. (The Memorial itself will not be open to visitors at the time of the program.) Returning to Town Hall, we’ll have a presentation by a National Park Ranger from the Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. We’ll 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 and their allies.

Dinner: At The Crew’s Nest.

Evening: At the historic town hall, we’ll update our bird checklist with what we spotted this morning, then hear a lecture on bird migration by regional bird conservation experts.

DAY
3
Bird Walk, Gibraltar Island, Stone Laboratory
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
B,L,D
Arbor Inn Bed & Breakfast

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’ll head out on another expert-led walking field trip to find more birds, returning to the Town Hall mid-morning for a short break before returning to look for even more birds.

Lunch: At The Crew’s Nest.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll 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’ll have a walking lecture from OSU staff while also looking for birds. We’ll 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’ll update our bird checklist, then hear a presentation by Master Bird Bander Tom Bartlett on his specialty, bird banding, the act of catching birds and tagging them for study.

DAY
4
Bird Banding, Nature Museum, Historic Island Winery & Cave
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
B,L,D
Arbor Inn Bed & Breakfast

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’ll take taxi vans to the start point of today’s birding walking field trip, this time focusing on bird banding by master bander Tom Bartlett as discussed in his presentation the previous night.

Lunch: At The Crew’s Nest.

Afternoon: We’ll walk to the Town Hall for a presentation with live birds of prey. We’ll then head via taxi vans to the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center, where we’ll explore the facility and learn about their programming. Finally, we’ll visit Heineman’s Winery and Crystal Cave, a location that holds the world’s largest geode: measuring 35 feet at its widest point!

Dinner: At The Crew’s Nest.

Evening: Back at the Town Hall, we’ll update our bird checklists and hear again from local bird experts on the spring warblers that migrate through the region.

DAY
5
Middle Bass Island Birding Field Trip
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
B,L,D
Arbor Inn Bed & Breakfast

Activity note: Getting on/off a ferry. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; generally even trail terrain. Will be split into birding groups to explore different areas of the island.

Breakfast: At the B&B.

Morning: We’ll take a taxi from our B&B to board a ferry for a 3/4 hour ride to Middle Bass Island. We’ll go on a full-day birding field trip as we walk around the local state park and take vans to local preserves.

Lunch: We'll enjoy lunch at the Island Grind.

Afternoon: We'll continue our birding near the historic Lonz Winery. An tour of the winery museum will be available. We will then board the ferry back to South Bass.

Dinner: At The Crew’s Nest. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: Before leaving the restaurant, we’ll do a final update of the bird checklist and discuss closing procedures. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Magee Marsh, Program Concludes
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
B,L

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: At the B&B.

Morning: We’ll 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 birding walk. This 2,200-acre state wildlife area on the shore of Lake Erie is mainly popular with waterfowl hunters, but in May, birders from all over the world converge on the marsh for the best opportunity to spot a variety of warblers stopping over before continuing their northward migration.

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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