Fall Migration in the Oxbow

Fall Migration in the Oxbow & Bird Survey

Saturday, October 14, 2023, 8:00 A.M.

Meet in the upper Oxbow parking lot at the main entrance to the Oxbow

Leader: Dave Helm, (513) 403-4519, helmmd@icloud.com

Join our field trip leader Dave Helm for what should be a beautiful autumnal morning visit to the Oxbow. From my perspective October may be the best time of year to be outdoors in terms of pleasant weather and natural beauty. Cool to mild temperatures are the norm, fall color abounds and there seems to be crispness in the air.

Birds are abundant at this season too, as many different species are still migrating throughout the month.  By the date of this trip waterfowl migration will be well underway.  But many other species are still on the move during October. Shorebirds, various water birds, raptors and a diversity of songbirds are all expected on this date.  The various habitats of the Oxbow and the lower Great Miami River valley are a great place to see the diversity of these migration patterns.

Dave Helm is a long time Oxbow member and advocate and is an exceptional all around naturalist and expert level birder. Dave knows the Oxbow area extremely well. Dave’s plan is to lead us to several spots in and around the Oxbow, looking for the “mixed bag” that fall migration can bring. There will be some walking on this trip, but it will be level and at a birders pace. Depending on time, Dave may carpool us over to the newest Oxbow Inc. property known as “Oxbow East” or to Lost Bridge.

The Indiana Land Preservation Alliance (ILPA) has invited Oxbow Inc., for the second consecutive year, to participate in their Indiana statewide October Big Day that will take place on this date. Many land trusts throughout Indiana will be participating in this statewide bird survey, so of course we accepted their invitation. So we can help Dave keep track of all the species and numbers of individuals we find on our morning walk and then submit the results to ILPA.

 This is a morning field trip that will probably end around noon. Binoculars are necessary to see birds well. Restrooms are available nearby but not in the Oxbow itself. October usually has beautiful weather but plan accordingly and always expect mud in the Oxbow. Feel free to contact Dave if you have any questions.

(Contributed by Jay Stenger)