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Leader: Jay Stenger, (513) 910-2087, [email protected] ; Co-Leader: To be announced*Note that this is an evening field trip.
To beat the heat of the August “dog days”, our August field trip is in the evening and has become quite popular. This trip will focus on birds, specifically early fall migrants through the Oxbow area. The southbound fall migration of shorebirds (sandpipers & plovers), long-legged waders (herons & egrets) and several other species begins quite early and will be well under way by this date. Trip leader Jay Stenger, a long-time advocate and board member of Oxbow Inc., is a skilled and expert birder and well-rounded naturalist who knows the Oxbow area inside and out. A co-leader, to be named, will also be present on this trip.
Shorebirds (sandpipers and plovers) need exposed mudflats and shorelines to forage for their invertebrate food. Most years the Oxbow area provides good to great habitat for them, and the nearby Great Miami River usually has exposed sand bars at this season as well. In addition to several species of shorebirds, we expect to find numerous Great Egrets and other herons including Great Blue, Green and maybe Black-crowned Night-Herons. We may also see unusual or rare species such as Little Blue Heron and Snowy Egret. Purple Martins and other migrating swallows “stage” in large numbers in the Oxbow during this month. Terns, Osprey, Bald Eagle (year-round) and other early migrants are possible. With most of our summer residents still present as well, we should find a good diversity throughout the evening.
The plan for this trip is to first look at a couple of spots around Oxbow Lake and then wrap up the evening at Lost Bridge over the Great Miami River, ending around dusk (8:45 PM). We suggest bringing water, sunscreen, and insect repellant to make your visit more comfortable. Feel free to contact Jay if you have any questions.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Oxbow Nature Conservancy, 1457 Otter Dr, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025-7564, United States,Greendale, Indiana
