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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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
)
5 expert-led lectures
10 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Meals:
D
Stay:
Ashley's Island House 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. On Wednesday we will travel via ferry to Kelleys Island. On Thursday, we will travel by ferry to Middle Bass Island. Breakfasts will be at our B&B. Dinners will be at The Crew’s Nest. Lunches will be at varied locations. 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
Location:
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ashley's Island House 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 Banding, Gibraltar Island, Stone Laboratory
Location:
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ashley's Island House 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, uneven terrain. Walking short distances on Gibraltar Island.
Breakfast:
At the B&B.
Morning:
We will load into taxis and venture to private property on the island to witness expert Tom Bartlett band migratory songbirds!
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 a birding leader.
Day
4
Birding Banding
Location:
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ashley's Island House 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 will load into taxi vans and embark on a short trip to private property on the island where we will witness expert Tom Bartlett band migratory songbirds.
Lunch:
At The Crew's Nest.
Afternoon:
We’ll visit the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center as well as Heineman's Winery, one of the oldest family-run wineries in Ohio!
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 warblers that migrate through the region.
Day
5
Middle Bass Island Birding Trip
Location:
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ashley's Island House Bed & Breakfast
Activity Note
Getting on/off a ferry. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; generally even trail terrain.
Breakfast:
At the B&B.
Morning:
We’ll take a ferry from Put-in-Bay to Middle Bass Island. A 1/2 hour ride. We will venture across the island while searching for various species. Along with experienced birders, we’ll keep an eye out for various warbler species.
Lunch:
We will visit the Island Grind for a light lunch.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue our birding walk at a different location on Middle Bass Island. At an announced time and place, we’ll board the ferry and return to Put-in-Bay.
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
Location:
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Meals:
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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Please Note:
This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Sep 07, 2025 - Sep 12, 2025
Sep 07, 2025 - Sep 12, 2025
Sep 21, 2025 - Sep 26, 2025
Apr 26, 2026 - May 01, 2026
May 03, 2026 - May 08, 2026
May 10, 2026 - May 15, 2026
Sep 06, 2026 - Sep 11, 2026
Sep 20, 2026 - Sep 25, 2026
Sep 7 - Sep 12, 2025 Itinerary Differences:
This date is a small group.
