OAK OPENINGS METROPARK, OHIO From Ann Arbor take U.S. 23 and I-475 S south to Hwy 2 (Airport Highway) west of Toledo. From farther east take I-75 or I-275 south to Toledo, exit at the first opportunity on I-475. Follow this west and south to Ohio Route 2 (Airport Hwy.). Take Hwy. 2 west about 8 miles to Route 295. Follow 295 (also A20) south but stay on Wilkins Road (right) at the Y and continue 2.5 miles to Oak Openings Parkway. Stop first at the lodge. Bird around the parking lot. The pines there may yield a Pine Warbler or two. Continue along the road in front of the "lodge" to Mallard Lake. Park in the parking lot and bird the area as much as you want. I don't know what's to be found along the trails. I've never stayed long there. Continue on from Mallard Lake, stopping along the road to examine the scrubby fields for sparrows, etc. Turn right at a road that leads down to a dune area. Almost immediately after turning, though, begin to examine the large field on your left for Lark Sparrows. This is the single best place in the park for Lark Sparrows. Continue on to the Girdham(?) Dunes. Pull off next to the split-rail fence (on your right) and walk into the low dunes area. We've found Summer Tanager and Red-headed Woodpecker there. Oak Openings is next to the airport and about nine miles southwest of Irwin Prairie Preserve and Secor Metropark. On this web site see the maps for both Oak Openings and Irwin Prairie Preserve. Oak Openings is the shaded area just southwest of the airport. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Directions to Oak Openings Oak Openings is southwest of Toledo. Take US-23 to route 2 (Airport Road at that point). Go west on 2 past the turnpike and the airport (somewhere around 5 or 6 miles). There is a sign pointing south for Oak Openings - it's Hwy 295 South/Hwy 20A but I just look for the sign.. Oak Openings is a large park - we only went to 2 spots in it. First we went to Mallard Lake where we found a Pine Warbler and a Phoebe. Then we went to the corner of Reed and Girdham roads where the Lark Sparrows nest. We did found a couple of Lark Sparrows, but didn't see or hear a Grasshopper Sparrow. We left by 6:00 so they may well have been out later. Last year I also heard Bobwhites at that corner. In the relatively short birding day we ended up with 87 species. The only shorebirds (besides herons and egrets) were Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin and Lesser Yellowlegs. No peeps and no rails. Bob ----------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 15:59:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Deaver Daves Armstrong To: "Bruce M. Bowman" Subject: Re: announcing trip to Crane Creek State Park Regarding Oak Openings near Toledo: At the Fish and Wildlife coference last year several presentations on work done at this site were presented. One on plants and another on small mammals. A short video talked about source-sink dynamics of restored ecosystems and mentioned grassland species such as lark and grasshopper sparrow, golden and blue-winged warbler. Three habitats: savannah, dune and grassland are there. I have no idea how big the area is or what birds they really see there. I'll try to look for an email addres for presenters and ask them. Because they are not university connected they may not have email. Will let you know if I find out anything. Dea A ----------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 23:32:20 -0400 From: djhoff@ix.netcom.com (Jean M. Hoffman) To: bbowman@umich.edu Subject: Re: Oak Openings Metro Park Reply to message from bbowman@umich.edu of Fri, 03 May Bruce, I think Oak Openings is a good place, but I am NOT familiar with Erie Marsh. One reason Oak Openings is popular with Ohio birders is that it is one place to find Lark Sparrow, usually Prairie Warbler, maybe Pine Warbler and some other unusual things for northern Ohio. The habitat in places is quite unique. It can also draw some good migrants. Hope this helps. Jean Hoffman --------------------------------------------------------------- Oak Openings Preserve Metropark Two miles west of Toledo Express Airport off SR 2, Swanton; Park Office, 826-6463; Oak Openings Lodge: 877-5675 The largest Metropark lies within the Oak Openings sand belt and offers large varieties of plant and animal life including many rare wildflowers. Here you will find Ohio's only "living" or moving sand dunes. For the hiker, there are 27 miles of trails, including one stretching for 17 miles. For the horseman, there are more than 20 miles of horse trails. Oak Openings also has a scout camp. Children 14 and under may fish in Mallard Lake, while adults with fishing licenses are permitted to fish on Evergreen Lake. Oak Openings Lodge, which is operated by a private contractor, is a beautiful setting for a business meeting or wedding reception.