2024 Annual Meeting at the Gorman Nature Center

2024 Annual Meeting at the Gorman Nature Center

OOS Annual Meeting
November 23, 2024
Gorman Nature Center, Richland County

Are you planning on attending this year? You’ll have fun and we need your member input. So we hope you’ll register soon.

OOS will again have our annual meeting at the beautiful Gorman Nature Center in Richland County – 2295 Lexington Avenue, Mansfield, OH 44907. Event is free, but you need to register. Register here (via email) and indicate which birdwalk you wish to take – Clearfork Lake or Ohio Bird Sanctuary. (Please include all names in your party.)

We’ll start the day at 9 am with morning birdwalks at Clearfork Reservoir and the Ohio Bird Sanctuary in the area with experienced leaders. When everyone returns to the center around noon, we’ll have a chili cookoff lunch – be sure to vote for your favorite. And after, a short talk from our current Vice President, Jeremy Dominguez. Lastly, and most importantly, our annual elections. Join us and enjoy meeting with old birding friends and possibly meeting new ones.

 

Ohio Bird Sanctuary

The Ohio Bird Sanctuary is a haven for native birds, nature preserve, and living museum. It is dedicated to caring for and rehabilitating Ohio native birds, protecting natural habitat, and creating opportunities for people to engage with nature. Hike the footpaths and boardwalks lacing the woods and marshes along the headwaters of the Clear Fork River. The majority of the Sanctuary’s displays are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers for everyone to enjoy.

Clearfork creek

Clearfork Reservoir

Clearfork Reservoir Park is located seven miles southwest of Mansfield near State Route 97. The reservoir was designed to be the major source of water for the City of Mansfield and was completed in 1949. Situated in the upper Clearfork River Valley, the lake contains 997 surface acres of water and 14 miles of shoreline. Thirty-five square miles of farmland act as a collector of rainwater to keep the supply of water in the reservoir as constant as possible. The lake together with 1,000 acres of surrounding land is available for picnicking, boating, fishing, camping, hiking, hunting, and other forms of recreation.

2024 Regional Director Birdwalks

2024 Regional Director Birdwalks

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 2024. Watch your email in the next couple weeks for an entire list. The first walk is coming up March 16th (rain date March 23).

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

Migrant Waterfowl and More
with Trevor Zook, Northwest Regional Director

Where: Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge (restricted area) – meet at Ottawa NWR
When: Saturday, March 16, 7:30am (rain date: 3/23)
Register: Trip Limited to 14 birders – Register with Trevor

We will meet at Ottawa NWR at 7:30am. The Blue Goose bus will take you to Cedar Point. The trip will be a driving tour, with periods of parking and walking short distances, so the difficulty should be very low with the exception of getting on and off the bus. NOTE: There will be no restroom access until after the tour. We should get back to Ottawa NWR around 11:30am.

The focus of the trip will be waterfowl, as at that point in the year we can see a huge diversity of dabblers and divers both in the wetland and on the lake. Sandhill Cranes are also very prevalent and likely pelicans as well. Multiple eagles nests should be active and visible.

Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge (restricted area)
US-Fish-Wildlife Bus - Blue Goose Bus

Moonville Rail Trail, Vinton County
with Melissa Wales, Southeast Regional Director

Where: Moonville Rail Trail, Vinton County
When: Saturday, May 18, 2024 – 8:00 AM
Register: RSVP to seohiobirds@gmail.com by May 8 – Limited to 10 birders

A 2-mile round-trip walk of the section of the Moonville Rail Trail near Lake Hope State Park, just off SR 278 in Zaleski State Forest.
This trail:
  • runs along Raccoon Creek and an expanse of wetland
  • flat and partially graveled with some uneven ground
  • mostly shady, but there are some exposed, sunny spots, so a hat is recommended, along with sturdy, closed-toed walking shoes, water, and bug spray.
Limited to 10 birders. Pull-off parking along 278 is limited so carpooling is recommended.
 
Bonus: After the bird walk, Melissa will lead any interested birders to the famous haunted Moonville Tunnel a few miles away!
Moonville Trail
Moonville Rail Trail

Summer Grassland Birds: Bobolinks and Henslow’s Sparrows
with Leigh Casal, Northeast Regional Director

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

Join me at Bath Nature Preserve for Summer Grassland Birds. Last year we saw 44 species, including a Henslow’s Sparrow, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Gallinule, Acadian Flycatcher and more. Expect to walk around 2 miles on mostly flat terrain, with a few hills.

Directions and parking details to come.

Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge (restricted area)

Fall Migration – Waterfowl, Warblers, Eagles and more
with Jeremy Dominguez, Vice President

Where: Walbridge Park, Toledo
When: Saturday, September 21, 2024  – 9:00 AM
Register: jeremy.dominguez@toledozoo.org 

Come to Toledo and catch a glimpse of fall migration with Jeremy Dominguez, Vice President of the OOS. Jeremy will take you birding at Walbridge Park, located along the Maumee River in Toledo Ohio. This is conveniently located minutes from Downtown Toledo and only 40 minutes from Ottawa NWR and Magee Marsh. This can be a good place to see waterfowl, warblers, eagles and more.

Restrooms are available at the park.
Walking is extremely easy and paved – wheelchair accessible.

Moonville Trail
Moonville Rail Trail