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Late Fall Migration – East Fork State Park
Theme: Late Fall Migration
Location: East Fork State Park
Date: Sunday, November 6, 2022
Meet: *8:00 a.m. at the South Swimming Beach Parking Lot (see the directions below)
Leader: Dave Helm, (513) 403-4519, helmmd@icloud.com
*Note that daylight savings time ends at 2:00 a.m. on November 6th. On Nov. 6 at 2 a.m., turn your clocks back to 1 a.m.
The primary focus of this field trip will be migratory waterfowl and other migrant water birds which we should find on Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park. But many other avian species are attracted to the great habitat diversity found at East Fork as well. Besides waterfowl (ducks & geese) of several species, we should also find numbers of seasonal birds including; loons, grebes, cormorants, gulls, a few late shorebirds such as Dunlin, Bald Eagles and other raptors, and many late migrant and over-wintering songbirds. Sparrows of several species should abound and Red-headed Woodpecker is likely. Also consider that East Fork SP has a well deserved reputation for attracting rare species. Some examples seen just over the past few weeks include Neo-tropical Cormorant, American Avocets and Red-necked Grebe, to name a few. This is also a beautiful time of year so all of these birds will be seen against the backdrop of stark but spectacular late fall color.
Our trip leader, Dave Helm, is an exceptionally skilled and expert birder and long-time ASO advocate. Dave has always been a regular visitor to East Fork SP and knows the area extremely well. Dave’s experience will certainly come in handy as birds should be abundant on this date. Dave is also a well rounded naturalist who, aside from birds, has a great interest in botany and all other wildlife and he will gladly share his knowledge on these topics.
Dave plans to begin our trip at the south swimming beach which is probably the best spot to find a diversity of water birds.
From there, Dave will move to several other spots and habitats around the park. While we will drive to several spots around the park, we will also walk quite a bit during the morning but it will be moderate and at a leisurely pace over mostly level trails and along quiet roadsides. Dave will probably stay at it until birding begins to tail off around noon. So come out and see a diversity of birds on what should be a beautiful early fall morning. Restrooms are available in the park. If you have any questions feel free to contact Dave.
Directions: We will meet at the swimming beach parking lot located on the south side of East Fork State Park. We will meet at 8 AM on the far left side of the beach parking lot (when facing the lake); although at that time of day it shouldn’t be a problem finding our group. To get to the beach, enter the park from the south side and follow the park signs to the beach. To get to the south side entrance to East Fork SP from I-275, take exit # 65, SR 125 (Beechmont Ave./Ohio Pike) and go east about 9 miles to the junction of Rt. 222. Turn left onto Bantam Rd. (opposite Rt. 222) and follow the signs to the park entrance.
Visit the East Fork State Park website for a Park map and other info at:
https://stateparks.com/east_fork_state_park_in_ohio.html