Birds in the Hills 2026

Birds in the Hills 2026

by | Feb 26, 2026 | Current News and Events, OOS Events

Artwork by Ann Geise - prints available at anngeiseart.com

Birds in the Hills in Hocking County

May 1-3, 2026

Register Here!

This year, the OOS has partnered with Appalachian Understories, to sponsor the Birds in the Hills festival instead of hosting Warblers and Wildflowers as a separate event. This experimental sponsorship will allow the OOS to continue to provide birding events to our membership and support (instead of compete) with a similar birding event while also reducing the administrative overhead for our volunteer board.

Birds in the Hills is family friendly and takes place in the Hocking Hills. Join us on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 5 p.m., at the beautiful Camp Oty’Okwa in Hocking Hills for a fun-filled weekend celebrating the natural world and the spring migration, with Keynote speaker, Nicole R Jackson How Birds Connect People to Place, Community, and Care. 

Birds in the Hills welcomes individuals of diverse ages and backgrounds, providing a chance to explore the biodiversity of the Appalachian region through interactive nature activities led by local guides and naturalists. 

If you’ve attended Warblers and Wildflowers in the past, the structure of Birds in the Hills is a bit different, with events and field trips throughout each day. For those who prefer a full day field trip, there will be a “Warblers and Wildflowers” track on Saturday May 2, at no additional cost to OOS members (use “OOSMember” discount code at checkout).

Lodging

Onsite lodging options are available with registration: 

  • Heated dorm-style bunk lodges
  • Rustic cabins with electricity and heating
  • Tent camping in an open field or hammock garden
  • Car camping, van camping, and small RVs are welcome (no hookups available).

There are also many lodging options throughout the Hocking Hills area:

If you have questions about the event reach out to Madison@RuralAction.org 

2026 Regional Director Birdwalks

2026 Regional Director Birdwalks

by | Feb 24, 2026 | Current News and Events

Join the OOS Regional Director Birdwalks!

Every year, the Regional Directors of the Ohio Ornithological Society lead a birdwalk in their region.

Mark your calendars and join them for a fun morning of birding. Learn about birds and birding areas in your region OR venture outside of your region and see what great birding areas are available within our beautiful Ohio.

Regional Directors are working on setting up their walks for 2026. 

 

Be sure to check our website, Facebook and your email for continuing information on these walks as they develop.

Spring Migration Walk at Oak Openings
with Lindsey Kunkel – Northwest Regional Director

Where: Oak Openings 
When: Saturday, May 23, 2026 – 9 to 11 am
Register: with Lindsey Kunkel

We’ll meet at Buehner Center on Mallard Lake address: 5240 Wilkins Rd. Whitehouse, OH. 43571. This walk will be about 2.5 miles on paved and well-kept dirt trails. There is also a window on wildlife at this location to view birds at their feeders. There are bathrooms on site, and shelters to eat a packed lunch. Nearest other food is in the town of Swanton or Holland off Airport HWY. The walk will be during migration right after The Biggest Week in American Birding. Oak Openings has alot of great special warblers that call it home for breeding seasons including Hooded Warblers, Kentucky Warblers, Yellow Warblers, and Ovenbirds. We will have many other birds present at this time of year as well like Lark Sparrows, vireos, and many woodpeckers. Many other birds are there year round including different raptors, owls, etc.

Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge (restricted area)

Summer Grassland & Wetland Birds 
with Leigh Casal, Northeast Regional Director

Where: Bath Nature Preserve, Summit County
When: Friday, June 19 from 8:00 am to 11:00 AM
Register: leigh.casal@ohiobirds.org

Join us for a morning of birding through the diverse habitats of Bath Nature Preserve in Summit County! We’ll explore prime grassland in search of Bobolinks and Henslows’s sparrows and venture into wetlands where we’ve encountered Least Bittern, Marsh Wren, Common Gallinule, Trumpeter Swans and more. Time permitting, we may also explore the tamarack bog and old-growth forest.

Expect to walk around 2 miles on mostly flat terrain, with a few hills. Directions, parking details and more specifics to come. Register with Leigh Casal at leigh.casal@ohiobirds.org.

Bobolink in flight

Late Summer Birding and Botany
with Rick Luehrs, Southwest Regional Director

Where: Huffman Prairie Flying Field
When: Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 8 to 10 am
Register:  Register with Rick

We’ll meet at the restroom parking area on Marl Rd. and walk the prairie in its full “superbloom”. We’ll be hoping to see Bobolinks, Henslow’s Sparrows, Orchard Orioles and plenty of Common Yellowthroats. Enter the area off of route 444 via Communications Blvd. right beside the Golf course. Make a left on Hebble Creek Rd., pass the shooting range on the right. Next make a right on Marl Rd. and the parking area will be about a half mile up the road on the left. It will most likely be hot so dress cool and bring water. I recommend spraying your legs with deet as the Chiggers thrive in this habitat. Experienced, non-experienced, young and seasoned birders all are welcome to join us!

HuffmanPrairie

Fall Shorebirding at Hoover Reservoir
with John Kuenzli – Central Regional Director

Where: Hoover Reservoir
When: Mid/late September
Register: RSVP to John Kuenzli

Depending on local conditions related to drawdown of the reservoir, the north end of Hoover Reservoir can be a gem for shorebirding enthusiasts! We will walk along the edge of whatever mudflats are available (mud boots strongly suggested) and focus on finding shorebirds (spotting scope suggested). There will also be migrant songbirds to sort through, so be on your toes!

More details to follow about exact meeting location and date since the reservoir conditions may dictate a change in plans (watch your emails early Fall). Walking is flat and easy, though we may end up covering close to 2 miles. We’ll meet at about 8 AM and will plan on birding for a few hours.

lake snowden
Register for the 2025 OOS Annual Meeting at Aullwood Audubon

Register for the 2025 OOS Annual Meeting at Aullwood Audubon

by | Sep 17, 2025 | Past News and Events | 0 comments

OOS at Annual Members Meeting at Aullwood Audubon on November 8

Join OOS at Aullwood Audubon Nature Center in Dayton for our annual meeting and elections. We’re excited to have access to this beautiful property and facilities.

Registration

Registration is free for OOS members and Aullwood’s admission fee is waived, but we ask that you register by November 2 so we have an idea of how many will be attending.

Register Here

Schedule

9am – 12 pm: bird walks. Groups will leave from the nature center at 9 am, led by Sam Romeo, Environmental Educator at Aullwood, and one of our board members to return by noon for lunch. Trails are close to the center so no driving will be required.

12 – 1 pm: Lunch & Speaker. Lunch will be various chilis, provided by OOS board members, to tempt your tastebuds. Our speaker will be Nenita Lapitan, Senior Conservation Manager-Ohio Centers.

1 pm: Election of 2026 new and returning board members
Once the meeting is concluded, members are free to explore the area for additional species and nature on the property. All trails close at 4:30 PM and gates are closed and locked at 5 PM. Please see Aullwood’s Trail Map and Brochure for a complete guide to Aullwood’s farm, center, sanctuary and walking trails, as well as general information about us and details on the “The Troll that Hatched an Egg” exhibit by internationally famous recycle artist Thomas Dambo.

 

About Aullwood

Marie S. Aull gave Aullwood to the Miami Valley and the National Audubon Society in 1957. It was her dream to create a beautiful wildlife sanctuary and one of the Midwest’s first nature centers. Today, more than fifty years after Marie Aull’s gift, Aullwood Audubon continues to be an enjoyable and exciting place to visit.

With over 200 acres of nature sanctuary with eight miles of trails through prairie, forests, marsh, ponds, and meadows, and agricultural grasslands, Aullwood provides experiences and activities that increase understanding and preservation of the planet through education, research, recreation, and to protect birds and the places they live today and tomorrow. During the last school year, over 120,000 visitors enjoyed Aullwood and 65,700 children discovered nature, conservation and farming through field trips, special classes or other programs through Aullwood. These 65,700 youngsters came from 14 counties, 22 public school systems and 120 schools or educational facilities.

Join OOS at Butterfly Ridge on August 2

Join OOS at Butterfly Ridge on August 2

by | Jul 29, 2025 | Past News and Events | 0 comments

OOS at Butterfly Ridge in Hocking County on August 2

Hoping you can join us for Ohio Ornithological Day at Butterfly Ridge in the beautiful
Hocking Hills on August 2, 2025.

Your $9 registration fee will include all of the following:
We offer guided tours of the 21-acre property at 1 and 3pm, or you can walk the trail on
your own. The trail is about a mile, however there are several smaller loop trails that
connect to the main loop trail. If you explore all of the different loops the distance is
about 1.25 miles. The trail goes through a variety of habitats including wet meadow,
deciduous forest, pine forest, riparian deciduous forest, a series of woodland openings,
and a two-acre tallgrass prairie that was constructed from old, abused farm field. We
advise allowing at least an hour to walk the trail to fully enjoy the plants, insects, and
birds along the way. The guided tour is usually about 90 minutes.

In the evening we hope you will join us for a special Mothing Zone experience. The
moth diversity at Butterfly Ridge is second to none in the state of Ohio, featuring several
species on our list that are undescribed and the only sightings in Ohio. Our current
species list includes 1,100 species. Arrive at Butterfly Ridge between 8:30 and 9:00pm
to shop in the gift shop or just hang out, with the program starting at 9pm. The program
will go until midnight, although you don’t necessarily have to stay until midnight.

https://www.butterfly-ridge.com

Register Here

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE! REGISTRATION IS LIMITED!

To register, reach out to Trevor Zook and let him know how many will be joining you.

Butterfly Ridge Butterfly Conservation Center ltd is a limited liability company owned by Christopher and Kris Kline.  The initial idea for Butterfly Ridge came into being in early 2014.  The idea was to have a garden that would focus on the health and well-being of butterflies native to southeastern Ohio.  Ultimately, the goal is that this garden will be open to the public to visit and learn about butterflies, moths, and other pollinators.  We officially opened July 1, 2017.

2026 Regional Director Birdwalks

2025 Regional Director Birdwalks

by | Mar 29, 2025 | Past News and Events

Join the OOS Regional Director Birdwalks!

Every year, the Regional Directors of the Ohio Ornithological Society lead a birdwalk in their region.

Mark your calendars and join them for a fun morning of birding. Learn about birds and birding areas in your region OR venture outside of your region and see what great birding areas are available within our beautiful Ohio.

Regional Directors are working on setting up their walks for 2025. 

 

Be sure to check our website, Facebook and your email for continuing information on these walks as they develop.

Summer Grassland & Wetland Birds 
with Leigh Casal, Northeast Regional Director

Where: Bath Nature Preserve, Summit County
When: Thursday, June 19 from 8:00 am to 11:00 AM
Register: leigh.casal@ohiobirds.org

Join us for a morning of birding through the diverse habitats of Bath Nature Preserve in Summit County! We’ll explore prime grassland in search of Bobolinks and Henslows’s sparrows and venture into wetlands where we’ve encountered Least Bittern, Marsh Wren, Common Gallinule, Trumpeter Swans and more. Time permitting, we may also explore the tamarack bog and old-growth forest. 

Expect to walk around 2 miles on mostly flat terrain, with a few hills. Directions, parking details and more specifics to come. Register with Leigh Casal at leigh.casal@ohiobirds.org. 

Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge (restricted area)

Fall birding at Pearls
with Rick Luehrs, Regional Director

Where: Pearls Fen
When: Saturday, September 6, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Register:  Register with Rick

Pearls Fen is one of the Greene County Parks and is part of the Beavercreek Wetlands network and it is usually awesome for birding in the Fall. We hope to see good numbers of hummingbirds, woodpeckers, flycatchers and Warblers! Maybe even a surprise or two!

We’ll meet at the paved parking area on Byron Road in Fairborn. There is a porta-potty and a picnic table beside the lot. We’ll walk the scenic boardwalk that crosses the natural spring first and then we’ll walk the wide, easy trail that skirts the fen.

Red Eyed Vireo

Late Fall in Southeast Ohio​
with Madison Donohue, Southeast Regional Director

Where: Lake Snowden Campground
When: Saturday, October 25, 2025 – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Register: RSVP to madison@ruralaction.org 

Lake Snowden is a late fall Southeast Ohio hotspot, especially for migrating waterfowl, including American Coot, Northern Shoveler, Common Loon, Ruddy Duck and grebes (Pied-billed and Horned). The bushes around the fish ponds are very good for sparrows, including White-crowned and Vesper and also Wilson’s Snipe.

We’ll meet at the pavilion near the small jungle gym to bird from 10am to noon. Dress for the weather and bring water.

lake snowden