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Late Fall Bird and General Nature Walk at Armleder
November 19, 2023 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Theme: Late Fall Bird and General Nature Walk
Location: Otto Armleder Memorial Park
Date: Sunday, November 19, 2023
Meet: At 8:00 AM at the Main Pavilion Parking Lot at Armleder Park (See directions below)
Leader: Luke Thies, (937) 733-9325, thiesluke997@gmail.com
Armleder Park in jointly managed by the Hamilton County Great Parks and the Cincinnati City Parks. This 305 acre park has developed an excellent birding reputation, mostly due to its unique habitats. The park lies in a flood plain along the west bank of the Little Miami River, about a mile north of its confluence with the Ohio River. The park is prone to flooding, which can be good for water birds but difficult to access at those times. The park also has a sizeable amount of open space, including grassland and weedy fields, an uncommon habitat in the Greater Cincinnati area. This in turn attracts many open country and grassland species (including Short-eared Owls in the winter). The wooded riparian corridor and sandbars along the Little Miami are very attractive to a number of birds. Brushy woodland edges, athletic fields and abandoned gravel pits, at least one which is permanently filled with water, round out the habitats. All of this attracts a great diversity of species throughout the various seasons. Many trails meander through the park.
Our trip leader, Luke Thies, is a skilled birder and naturalist. Luke is also a valued board member of our Audubon Society who works for Great Parks of Hamilton County. Luke plan is to walk the trails through the diverse habitats this Park has to offer. We expect to find a diversity of seasonal birds. Among the late fall migrants and winter resident species we should find several species of sparrows and raptors, including Bald Eagle. While birds will likely be our focus, Luke will not ignore other flora and fauna we find along the way. Late autumn is a beautiful time of the year. The subtle hues of the landscape interspersed with fall colors offer up a stark beauty. So come on out with us and join Luke for what should be a pleasant morning walk in an interesting and unique park.
Virtually all of this trip will be on foot, but walking will be easy to moderate and at a birders pace. As always, be prepared for muddy spots, especially if conditions have been wet. Expect winter temperatures and dress accordingly. It should go without saying that binoculars are necessary for seeing birds well. Restrooms are available at Armleder. This field trip will end sometime around noon.
If you have any questions about this trip feel free to contact Luke at his contacts listed above.
Directions:
Otto Armleder Park is located at 5057 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45226. It is located directly north of Lunken Airport and Beechmont Avenue, but can only be accessed from Wooster Pike. You can access Wooster Pike and Armleder Park from Columbia Parkway (US 50), and Red Bank Road from the north or Beechmont Avenue (Rt. 125) or Wilmer Avenue from the south. From Wooster Pike, turn into Otto Armleder Park and follow the Park road straight to the stop sign at the T intersection. Then go straight ahead, into the main Pavilion Parking lot where we will meet.
Otto Armleder Website (Includes Google Directions & Park Map)
https://www.greatparks.org/parks/otto-armleder-memorial-park/otto-armleder-memorial-park-trails
(Contributed by Jay Stenger)