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2010 Schedule

Remember to dress appropriately for Field Trips (described in black) and that vehicle passes are required for any trips within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Programs (described in red) are usually held the first Thursday of each odd month at the Tribal Outpost at 7282 Hoadley Road in Benzonia (see map). All field trips and programs are open to the public without charge; everyone is welcome!

For last minute updates or more information contact a Board member: John or Char Ester (325-2445), Carl Freeman (352-4739), Bryce or Paula Dreeszen (275-7199), Doug or Sally Cook (352-8159), David Lean (882-2321), Doug Wozniak (882-0435), or Wes Blizzard (882-7277).

Thursday, March 4, 2010, 7:00 p.m. Native Orchids by Carl Freeman
Join us at the Tribal Center (see map) to dream of spring and learn about the many native orchids of our area. Of the 10,000 or so species of orchids worldwide, about 58 are found in the Great Lakes region. Some are among our most beautiful flowers, and some are the most inconspicuous.

Saturday, March 27, 8:30 a.m. Early Spring Bird Arrivals
Meet at the Betsie Valley Trail (BVT) parking lot in Elberta.
Carl Freeman (352-4739) will lead us on a search for early spring migrants and maybe some late winter holdovers. We'll scope the marsh and Betsie Bay from the BVT and carpool from the BVT parking lot to other hot spots.

Saturday, April 10, 8:15 p.m. Owl Prowl
 Meet at SBDNL Old Indian Trail parking lot (on the north side of M-22 just east of Sutter Road).
John Ester (325-2445) will lead us on a search for Barred Owls, but there are no guarantees (except maybe a momey-back one). We will check the parking lot, walk a short distance on the trail and then drive to another location or two. Dress warmly and bring your Park pass.

Saturday, April 17, 8:00 a.m. Arcadia Marsh
Meet at the Arcadia Beach parking lot at the end of Lake Michigan Street on Lake Michigan.
This field trip is a perennial favorite to see waterfowl and returning spring migrants. We'll break into smaller groups to car pool to local hot spots. Carl Freeman (352-4739) and John Ester (325-2445) will lead the trip.

Wednesday, April 28, 8:00 a.m. Warblers & Spring Wildflowers 
Meet at Baldy Trailhead parking lot in Arcadia Dunes Preserve on M-22, 0.8 mi. south of Joyfield. Arcadia Dunes preserve steward Paula Dreeszen (275-7199) will lead this and two more weekly hikes. We'll carpool to unique locations in the Preserve to look for spring ephemeral wildflowers, warblers and other returning migrant birds. Hikes will conclude  at around 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, April 29, 8:00 p.m. Frog Chorus & Woodcock Display
Location: Upper Herring Lake Nature Preserve parking lot on M-22
Steve Lagerquist is a Land Steward with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy whose master's study focused on frogs and toads. Steve will share fun facts about frogs and help us identify frog calls. After sunset Bryce and Paula Dreeszen (275-7199) will help us look for displaying Woodcocks.
NOTE: We will meet at the Upper Herring Lake parking lot, but we may carpool down the road to another nearby frog pond. 

Wednesday, May 5, 8:00 a.m. Warblers & Spring Wildflowers
(See information above for April 28.) 

Thursday, May 6, 7:00 p.m. Bats!
Join us at the Tribal Outpost (see map) for a program presented by the Organization for Bat Conservation, featuring live bats.  Bring the kids!

Saturday, May 8, Time: TBA North American Migratory Bird Count - Manistee Co.
Like a Christmas Bird Count in May to tally all the birds in the County. Results will be tabulated with counts from all over North America. Call Carl Freeman (352-4739), John Ester (325-2445) or Brian Allen (723-7956) to join a group.

Wednesday, May 12, 8:00 a.m. Warblers & Spring Wildflowers
(See information above for April 28.)

Saturday, May 15, Time: TBA Big Day Bird Count
Count all the bird species you can find. We'll gather at Doug & Sally Cook's house for lunch to tally the list and tell tall birding tales before heading out in the afternoon to find any missing species. The Cooks live at 155 Beech Street, which is west off M-22 north of Frankfort. Their house is the third house on the right. If you'd like to join a group, contact Bryce or Paula Dreeszen
(275-7199).

Saturday, May 22, 8:00 a.m. Beginning Birding
Location: Adams Road parking lot on River Road
Doug Cook (352-8159) will lead this trip to help birders develop their identification skills. There should be enough warblers around to challenge everyone.

Saturday, June 5, 6-10 a.m. Bird Blitz Count at Arcadia Dunes
Location: TBA
Join other birders in helping the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy survey the birds of the Arcadia Dunes preserve. Groups will cover different parcels of the property and list the species and numbers of individual birds found. Refreshments will be provided at the tally at Carl and Ginny Freeman's house after the count. You must pre-register by calling Paula Dreeszen at 275-7199.

Wednesday, June 16, 10 a.m - 12 noon  Dune Wildflowers
Meet at Baldy Trailhead parking lot in Arcadia Dunes Preserve on M-22, 0.8 mi. south of Joyfield. Mid-June is peak bloom-time for dune wildflowers, so join Preserve Steward Paula Dreeszen (275-7199) on this hike to Arcadia Dunes, where we'll see yellow Puccoon and coreopsis, orange wood lily, blue hairbells, and endangered Pitcher's Thistle. Be prepared for a 1.5 mile hike through the woods on an undulating trail, then a moderately strenuous climb up a sand hill and across the sand dune. Wear sun protection. 

Saturday, June 19, 8:00 a.m. Birding by Ear
Location: Esch Road parking area in SBDNL.
Join Doug Cook (352-8159) on this trip to improve your birding skills by learning to locate and identify birds by their songs and call notes.

Thursday, July 8, 7:00 p.m. Wings of Wonder
Come to the Tribal Outpost (see map) for our July meeting featuring Rebecca Lessard of Wings of Wonder with live raptors. Bring the whole family, as this is always a crowd-pleaser!

Sunday, July 18, 6-8:30 p.m. & Monday, July 19, 8-11 a.m. Bird Banding Demo at CSA,
Bring the whole family to this annual crowd-pleaser at the Congregational Summer Assembly on M-22 north of Frankfort. Anyone wanting to see warblers and other birds up close will not be disappointed.

Thursday, July 22, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Birding by Canoe & Kayak for Pearl Lake Loons
Meet at Boat Launch: Take Pettengill Road west from Maple City Road (#669) to Pearl Lake Road. Turn left and go south to Wagner Road. Turn left to the boat launch. Bryce and Paula Dreeszen (275-7199) will lead the search for the loon families and bald eagles on Pearl Lake. Bring your own boat and gear.

Thursday, August 12, 5:30 p.m. (Birding), 7 p.m. (Potluck) Shorebirds & Beach Picnic
Location: Peterson Road Beach, SBDNL
John and Char Ester will host this annual summer affair, and they'll provide hot dogs and a beach fire. Bring beach food to share, your beach chairs, table service and a log. Please RSVP to John & Char at 325-2445 so they can have a count on the number of people attending and can provide enough hot dogs.

Saturday, August 14, 10:00 a.m. Summer Birds & Plants
Location: Boardman River Nature Center located south of Traverse City on Cass St. between South Airport and Keystone. Meet at the parking lot in front of the nature center.
In this joint field trip with Grand Traverse Audubon, Tom Ford will take us on the trails and share lots of information on the birds and plants we find.  For more information check the Nature Center website.

Thursday, September 9, 7:00 p.m. Hummingbirds by Allen Chartier
Learn more about these fascinating little birds at our regular bimonthly meeting at the Tribal Outpost (see map).

Saturday, September 11, 8:00 a.m. Fall Birding: Platte Point 
Location: Mouth of the Platte River at the end of Lake Michigan Road..
Carl Freeman (352-4739) will lead us on a search for fall migrants and late summer birds. Depending on the temperature and lake level, a wade across the Platte River or a boat shuttle may be involved.

Saturday, September 18, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Birding by Bike on the BVT
Location: BVT Trailhead in Beulah.
Bryce and Paula Dreeszen (275-7199) will lead a leisurely paced bike ride for 10-15 miles along the BVT. Along the way we will be looking for bluebirds, and possibly inspecting and cleaning out bluebird trail birdhouses.

Saturday, September 25, 8:00 a.m. Fall Birding: Grassland Birds & Migrants
Location: Arcadia Dunes Grassland Preserve on Keillor Road.
Brian Allen (723-7956) will lead us as we look for migrating sparrows, warblers and possible rarities. A visit to the "Magic Bird Fence" is always a treat.

Thursday, November 4, 6:00 p.m. Potluck/Annual Meeting
Program: The Yucatan by Doug & Sally Cook
Join us at the Tribal Outpost (see map). Bring your appetite and a dish to pass (and your table service.

Saturday, November 6, 8 a.m. Fall Birding: Lake Michigan
Location: Pt. Betsie
Carl Freeman (352-4739) will lead us as we check the shoreline and adjacent area for waterfowl and other birds of interest. Remember to dress for winter!!

Sunday, December 19, Time: TBA  Christmas Bird Count
Call  Carl Freeman (352-4739) to sign up with a group to count birds in a defined territory or John Ester (325-2445) to count birds at your feeder. At 5:00 p.m. we'll gather at the Township Hall in Benzonia for our potluck supper and to share birding stories and tally the results.