Fernald Preserve–Sycamore and Shingle Oak Trails
7400 Willey Road
Harrison, Ohio 45303
Fernald Preserve Visitor Center website
Fernald Preserve webpage
Fernald Preserve map
Also, see Fernald Preserve
Great Miami River-Lower Important Bird Area
Hamilton County Northwest Birding Drive
eBird Bar Charts by Season
Entire Year
Fernald Preserve–Sycamore and Shingle Oak Trails
Coordinates: 39.2928589, -84.6946967
eBird links: Hotspot map – View details – Recent visits
My eBird links: Location life list – Submit data
Fernald Preserve Trails
Tips for birding Fernald Preserve
From Cincinnati Audubon website
About Fernald Preserve
The Fernald Preserve Visitors Center is a 10,000-square-foot green building that celebrates the rich and varied history of the Fernald site. Restrooms and drinking water are available.
The Fernald Preserve features 140 acres of wetland habitat including three lakes, 400 acres of forests and 360 acres of grasslands including tall grass prairies. The bird field checklist includes 215 species. In the short amount of time this site has been open to the public (since 2008), it has hosted a fair number of rarities. Garganey, Eurasian wigeon, black-necked stilt, Wilson’s phalarope, and golden eagle are all on the site species list. The Lodge Pond trail, located along the site’s access road approximately 1/8 mile from the Willey Road entrance, provides access to wetlands and prairies. In addition to a wide range of migratory waterfowl, this area provides excellent viewing opportunities for a variety of prairie species including dickcissels, bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows, and eastern meadowlarks and occasionally northern bobwhite. Shingle Oak and Sycamore trails primarily span woodland habitat and are good choices for viewing neotropical migrants as well as a variety of summer nesters. The Weapons-to-Wetlands trail features an overlook that provides excellent viewing for migrating waterfowl in the spring and fall as well as a variety of raptors in the winter months. The wetland has been good for shorebirds during migration when water levels are favorable. The 3.1 mile Hickory Trail spans prairies, upland forests, open water and a riparian corridor. Blue grosbeaks, dickcissels, grasshopper sparrows, savannah sparrows, bobolinks, and even the occasional Henslow’s sparrow can be found along the first section of this trail. Migrant songbirds, as well as breeders such as catbirds, white-eyed vireos, and yellow-breasted chats, can be found along the back loop of this trail.
From Fernald Preserve webpage
Restrooms are available in the Visitors Center.