Blackbrook Audubon invites nature enthusiasts to witness the arrival of migratory birds from near and far in the annual tradition of the Spring Bird Walk Series. Blackbrook's sponsored hotspot is the north end of Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve and Headlands Beach State Park. Meet in the parking lot west of Shipman Pond at 9600 Headlands Road by the northern trailhead of Zimmerman Trail. The walks start at 7:30 a.m. on these Sundays: May 3, 10, 17. Blackbrook will have binoculars to lend attendees.
Before the trees leaf out fully, participants should be able to see the Bald Eagle nest from the bridge over Shipman Pond during these walks. Two eaglets are growing fast and have their second, thicker layer of down feathers to keep them warm over these recent cold nights. Birders will be able to get a view of the nest through a spotting scope.
Ospreys returned to the area and are nesting again on the cell phone tower by Laketran on Lakeshore Blvd. They've been catching fish from Shipman Pond.
After the loop in the state park, birders return to the parking lot at Zimmerman Trail and have the option of moving their cars to the parking area by Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve where they search for more songbirds and scan the channel beside the dunes for waterfowl.
For more information on the 6-week, Cleveland-area Spring Bird Walk Series, email blackbrookaud@aol.com or rdonaldson@cmnh.org.
Blackbrook Audubon started as the Blackbrook Bird Club and has been leading walks in this area since the 1940's. Now Blackbrook Audubon is the local chapter of National Audubon Society covering Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties. Follow Blackbrook Audubon Society on Facebook.
Photos: clockwise, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Canada Warbler by Deb Schuster