If you’re having a tough time finding reasons to venture outdoors in the winter, try looking up.
Other than spring’s dynamic migration season, winter is arguably the next best time for birding: trees have shed their leaves, lakes are free from shoreline shrubs, and farm fields are bare. It’s tough to hide if you’re a bird.
Here are a few winter birding spots suggested by the folks at Cleveland Metroparks. You can find their full list here.
Eagle’s Nest, Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation
Take a walk on the Towpath Trail to visit an eagle’s nest. The Cuyahoga River has plenty of fish and flowing water to keep the nesting pair of Bald Eagles happy while they wait for their eggs to hatch. You may see a variety of waterfowl and song birds as well on your way to the nest site.
Wildlife Management Trail, Rocky River Reservation
With a variety of habitats, this trail provides birders with the chance for great views of year-round and winter birds, including sparrows and woodpeckers. Coopers hawks, eastern bluebirds and barred owls are often seen and heard along this route.
Lake-to-Lake Trailhead at Lake Isaac, Big Creek Reservation
Lake Isaac Waterfowl Sanctuary is often full of wading birds and waterfowl. The roughly one-mile loop offers frequent opportunities to observe wildlife in a peaceful winter wetland setting.
Astorhurst Park, Bedford Reservation
Explore the frozen ponds and snowy tree line in search of wrens, kinglets, woodpeckers and more.
Overlook Trail, North Chagrin Reservation
This trail in the remarkable old-growth A.B. Williams Memorial Woods has been a stand-out birding location for decades. Enjoy the historical and newly repaired overlook shelter and listen for the calls of the owls that call that area home.
Scranton Flats, Lakefront Reservation
Travel along the northernmost part of the Towpath Trail, where the shipping channel of the Cuyahoga River stays flowing all winter long. The open water makes it a hotspot for a variety of gulls, diving ducks such as mergansers and cormorants, as well as herons fishing along the riverbank.
