ALPENA – The Thunder Bay Trails Association (TBTA) invites the community to a free guided nature hike at the Norway Ridge Pathway on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. The hike will be lead by Alpena Public Schools teacher and naturalist Andrew Wolfgang. The event is open to all ages and experience. No registration is required. Participants should meet at the Norway Ridge Pathway trailhead located approximately 4.5 miles southwest of Alpena on Werth Road. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars and download Cornell Lab’s free Merlin Bird ID app, which can identify birds by sight or by song in real time.

May is one of the most extraordinary times of year to be outdoors in northern Michigan. Right now, millions of birds are actively migrating across the state on route to their northern breeding grounds. According to Michigan Audubon, “each spring and fall, millions of birds are traveling” through Michigan with peak spring migration running from mid-April through mid-May.

Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology, through its BirdCast migration dashboard, estimated that over 3.6 million birds were in flight over Michigan in a single night during the current spring migration season. More than 325 bird species migrate through the Midwest along the Mississippi Flyway, with many traveling from Central and South America to nesting grounds as far north as Canada.

The Norway Ridge Pathway, with its diverse mix of red pine forest, sandy ridges, ponds, and lowland forest habitat, provides excellent structure for resting, foraging, and observing migratory songbirds. Participants can expect to look and listen for species including warblers, thrushes, and flycatchers moving through the canopy, along with resident and returning species such as red-winged blackbirds, pileated woodpeckers and bald eagles.

Beyond migratory birds, the hike will give participants an opportunity to observe and learn about:

• Spring wildflowers: Michigan’s iconic large-flowered trillium, spring beauty, wild geranium, bloodroot, Canada mayflower, and other spring wildflowers that bloom before the forest canopy closes out the sun.

• Amphibians and mammals: Spring is prime time to listen for the calls of spring peepers and other frogs emerging from wetland areas, as well as to observe salamanders, wild turkey and other resident wildlife.

• Forest ecology: The Norway Ridge Pathway offers the opportunity to observe and discuss the ecological relationships between trees, understory plants, insects, and wildlife.

The Thunder Bay Trails Association (TBTA) is a volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization formed in 1995. TBTA’s mission is to promote and protect non-motorized trail systems in Alpena County and adjoining areas, and to reflect their recreational significance for the enjoyment, education, and adventure of area citizens.