Name: Summer Nature Walk with Dave Helm
Start: 2024-07-20T08:00:00-04:00
Location: Oxbow Nature Conservancy

Leader: Dave Helm, (513) 403-4519, [email protected]
Meet in the Hardintown end Oxbow Parking Lot. This general nature walk will be led by trip leader Dave Helm for a very interesting summer morning visit into the Oxbow. Dave, a long time Oxbow member and advocate, is an exceptional all around naturalist and expert level birder. Dave knows the Oxbow area extremely well and has a great knowledge of birds, plants, butterflies and other wildlife.
There are many breeding songbirds in the Oxbow. Bald Eagles now breed in the Oxbow area and are always a possibility. Double-crested Cormorants are now regular summer residents in the Oxbow, but are they breeding here? Black-crowned Night-Herons have always been present during the summer, but where do they breed? These questions illustrate what we can still learn. July also marks the very beginning of southward shorebird migration in the Oxbow area, so some shorebirds can be expected. Heron and Great Egret numbers will also begin building and it is a good time to find one of the rarer species of long-legged waders such as Little Blue Heron or Snowy Egret.
There is a great diversity of plants found in the Oxbow and the prairie plants in our grassland should be in bloom at this season. Amphibians, such as frogs, are at their peak in mid-summer. We should see many interesting plants, birds, dragonflies, butterflies, turtles and other wildlife on this morning walk.
Dave plans to spend the morning mostly walking around Oxbow Lake and Osprey Lake, interrupted by a short drive or two to move from one location to another. The walking will be at a slow pace over flat terrain with a lot of stopping to look at birds and plants. If time permits, Dave may also take a look at Lost Bridge to see what we can find along the Great Miami River and the nearby ponds.
This trip will end before noon. We suggest long pants and decent footwear for walking in tall grass and possibly mud. You also might consider wearing a hat and bringing water, sunscreen and insect repellent to help make your trip more comfortable. There are no restrooms available in the Oxbow but there are plenty of nearby businesses with restroom facilities. If you have any questions feel free to contact Dave.