Memorial Day Nature Get-away 2008

Loon Lake Lutheran Retreat Center

Hale, Michigan

Sponsored by Detroit Audubon Society

Make your reservation for:

Friday, May 23 to Monday, May 26, 2008

Leaders: Rosemarie Attilio and Jim Bull

You, your family and friends are invited to join us for an inexpensive weekend of birds, nature, learning and lots of fun at beautiful Loon Lake Lutheran Retreat Center

located in Iosco County near Hale, (about a 2.5-3 hour drive from the Detroit area). Loon Lake offers a prime spot to enjoy Northern Michigan’s birds, wildflowers and scenic wonders. The camp has the beautiful lake complete with nesting loons, cabins and lodge, and many acres of woods, marshes, fields and streams. Check out their website at www.loonlakeretreat.org

This weekend offers many opportunities for nature lovers who would like to relax and enjoy access to many nearby state parks or just stay in camp. The camp is also great for family activities. The area is also a birders paradise, offering close proximity to premiere Michigan birding areas during the spring migration.

Birding Highlights

Last year’s birding adventures yielded Sedge Wrens, Brewers Blackbirds, Upland Sandpipers, Cliff Swallows, Trumpeter Swans, Pileated Woodpeckers and nesting Bald Eagles with young. Over the years we have also seen such rarities as Piping Plover, Whimbrel, Merlin and Western Meadowlark. We may, as we have had in the past, get the U.S. Forest service to guide us to view a Kirtland’s Warbler.

Fieldtrips

Offsite field trips will include: Tawas Point State Park (a hotspot for migratory birds), Tuttle Marsh (a great place to see a Sora or Virginia Rail), Kirtland’s Warbler viewing area, Rifle River Recreation Area and Lumberman’s Monument.

Family Adventures and Other Activities

Back at the camp, many nature lovers enjoy kayaking, canoeing, fishing and swimming. Hikes around camp to discover spring wildflowers, mushrooms and salamanders are also offered. In addition, everyone is invited to participate in the challenge course. Other Auduboners may take the leisure approach and spend the day sitting on the bench overlooking the lake to read and relax or climb the stairs inside the Tawas Point Lighthouse to peer out from the top.

Evening Programs

From singing around the campfire and roasting s’mores to learning about Michigan wildlife from expert researchers and naturalists, evenings at the camp are both relaxed and educational. Every year we bring in speakers on a variety of nature subjects to both entertain and enlighten our group.

Join us

Expect the weekend to be filled with great food, educational programs and new friends to enjoy Michigan’s natural heritage. The weekend package includes:

Eight meals (Saturday though Monday), snacks, field trips, evening programs and

three nights’ accommodations.

Make your reservation today.

You will receive a packet of information upon registration with directions and what you will need to bring. We look forward to having you join us! It is a trip you’ll come back to year after year.

Fill out this Registration Form

For more information and registration:

Rosemarie Attilio email - rattilio@aol.com, or Phone 313-802-3785

Jim Bull 313-928-2950

MEMORIAL WEEKEND NATURE GETAWAY 2007

By Rosemarie Attilio

May 25-28th at Loon Lake Lutheran Retreat Center in Hale Michigan, Detroit Audubon and Michigan Audubon once again hosted a fun packed Memorial Weekend Nature Get-away for 75 nature loving birders, hikers, campers and families The weekend began with a slide presentation of all the wonderful areas to explore both within and around the camp grounds.

The weather broke sunny and warm on Saturday as Karl Overman led an eventful trip to Tawas State Park, one of Michigan’s premier migratory hot spots. This park, which in years past has hosted White Pelican, Piping Plover, Whimbrel and Scissortail Flycatcher, yielded another Michigan surprise. While Karl Overman and Robert Epstein were leading the group back from the point, Karl saw a kingbird with a yellow belly. He urged Robert to take a quick photo as they began trying to identify if it was a Tropical or a Couch’s Kingbird. Other birders were called in and Robert’s photo was downloaded onto a laptop. People from the Michigan birding records committee were called and the next day the bird was identified by call as a Couch’s Kingbird. The bird’s news hit the internet and many people raced up to Tawas Saturday and Sunday to try and view it. Many birders in our group got to share in the exciting sighting. Over the weekend, the group had over 153 species of birds.

Tawas Point State Park

People signed up for a kayaking tour of Loon Lake to view the camp grounds from the water by paddling out where the Loons were swimming and Eagles, Spotted Sandpipers and Kingfishers were flying. Different paths were taken throughout the weekend - from a lighthouse tour and climbing to the top to just enjoying guitar playing on the beach. Jim Bull and Rosemarie Attilio led a few trips to the Rifle River. There they saw the breathtaking overlook tower, wildflowers such as the rare pitcher plant and nesting Bald Eagles flying in with fish to feed their 2 large babies. Back in camp, 10 explorers joined Jeanette Henderson for an in-camp hike to look for morel mushrooms, wildflowers, frogs, nesting loons and nesting Bald Eagles. On Sunday, they got to enjoy the morels as part of their dinner. Another trip, led by Rosemarie Attilio, took a group to explore scenic Iargo Springs, Lumberman’s Monument and the Au Sable River. As we do every year, a group led by Jim Bull went with the forest service guide, Jenna Casey, to explore near Mio, Michigan for the rarest warblers in the world, the Kirtland’s Warbler. This area often yields Brewer's Blackbirds, Upland Sandpipers, thrushes and the Kirtland’s.

Bill and Jack

A new area was explored this year, Clark's Marsh, and was led by Cory Gildersleeve. This marsh area outside of Oscoda gave a memorable view of a nesting painted turtle and many of the children entertained themselves catching wood frogs and spring peepers. Peggy Ridgway, former MAS president, led a very interesting and entertaining trip near Cooke’s dam to explore trilliums, ferns, flowers and ending with a very close and rewarding view of the rare Trumpeter Swan pair that was nesting in the Foote dam area.

Rifle River

Later in the day, fifteen children had a rousing fun filled challenge course event within the camp led by the camp director, Doug, and Jeanette Henderson. The challenge course is a series of ropes, and wooden structures that the group needs to brainstorm on how to get through, over and around - a true team building event and great physical challenge.

While our campfire sing-along was rained out, our spirits were not as we shared S'mores and snacks with the breathtaking bird photography of Robert Epstein. Sunday’s evening program was an informative and intriguing view of the life of the Kirtland’s Warbler in its wintering grounds down in the Bahamas.

All in all, we had a fantastic weekend of birding, kayaking, hiking, eating and fun.

We would like to thank Michigan Audubon Society and all the volunteer leaders and wonderful speakers for making the weekend great. Don’t be left behind next year! Loon Lake is a fantastic way to spend the holiday weekend.

View the pictures of last year's excitment