Bird Walks in May at Capital City Bird Sanctuary at Hawk Valley Farm
Capital City Bird Sanctuary’s riverside location is ideal for migrating warblers.
Michigan Audubon’s newest sanctuary is located in Delta Township, just northwest of downtown Lansing. This suburban oasis provides a wide variety of habitats including open meadow, shrubland, and wooded river floodplain. The sanctuary’s riverfront location makes it a prime stopover location for migrating warblers in the spring and fall.
Black-throated Green Warbler. Credit: Daniel Behm
Please join Michigan Audubon’s Conservation Science Coordinator, Rachelle Roake, for free bird walks every Wednesday in May at Capital City Bird Sanctuary at Hawk Valley Farm in Lansing, Michigan. These walks are a great opportunity to tour the new sanctuary and to learn to identify migrating warblers by both sight and sound. Common species during migration include Yellow-throated Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Parula, American Redstart, and Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Magnolia, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Following the bird walk, birders have the option to join a short volunteer workday to remove invasive garlic mustard and improve the sanctuary for the birds. Snacks and drinks will be available to workday participants.
Invasive garlic mustard threatens habitat
Bird walks will depart at 8 am from the Capital City Bird Sanctuary Kiosk across the street from Hawk Meadow Park. Parking is available at Hawk Meadow Park, 6160 Delta River Dr, Lansing, MI 48917 (see map below). The bird walk will last from 8 am–10 am, with an optional garlic mustard pull from 10 am–12 pm (or as long as you’d like). Trails at the sanctuary are mowed, but uneven so please wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots. The grass is often dew-covered in the early mornings and the trail is muddy in spots. Ticks, mosquitoes and poison ivy are present so please dress appropriately. If you would like to help pull garlic mustard, please bring gardening gloves and hats are recommended. Please email Rachelle at RRoake@michiganaudubon.org to RSVP for the walk and/or the workday. Pairs of binoculars are available to borrow on a first come, first served basis—please indicate in your email if you would like to borrow binoculars.