05/28 -- Holiday Field Trip -- OAK ORCHARD WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
Details
05/28 -- SAT -- HIKE -- OAK ORCHARD WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
Explore the wetlands of Oak Orchard Wildlilfe Management Area. We will meet at 9:45 AM and hike 200 yards to the trail head at 10:00 AM. This is a great spring photo opportunity! We will hike about 1.5 miles into the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area to an abandoned Great Blue Heron rookery with a guide. There are (or perhaps were) about 100 nests in this rookery, and they still attract a variety of birds, including osprey and herons, and bald eagles are often sighted in this area. This is a leisurely hike on flat, mostly gravel-covered trails. Along the way we will see a riot of swamp flowers, especially yellow swamp iris. Depending on howthe group feels, we might also do a bit of "wandering" to see what else this wildlife management area has to offer. Waterproof hiking boots or a spare set of dry shoes and sox would be a good idea if it has rained a lot recently. Also, be aware that there is poison ivy in some areas, so sandals are not recommended.
** Bring water, binoculars, camera and a lunch. **
NOTE: I must pre-register a head count ahead of time therefore, you must RSVP.
Oak Orchard Wildlilfe Management Area is next to the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge located in the rural towns of Alabama and Shelby mid-way between Rochester and Buffalo, NY and has been described as one of the best kept secrets of Western New York. Teeming with wildlife and wild lands the Refuge offers opportunities for the public to experience nature in all seasons.