Field Trips

Field Trips

Eastern Bluebird
Birders Tomahawk Park Leawood
Cedar Waxwing

Know Before You Go
For all field trips, dress for the weather, in layers, and bring binoculars, water, snacks, and insect repellent. In the details, we’ll let you know about lunch plans. If a trip is cancelled due to weather, we’ll post that here the night before the trip. Contact the leader if you have specific questions about an outing. Visit our Facebook page for additional field trip information. For recaps of previous field trips, click here.


 

Burroughs Field Trips for February 2025

Sunday, February 23 | 12:00 PM Noon
Raptor Roll at Loess Bluffs Wildlife Refuge

Sally Urdang, a Master Naturalist with the Osage Trails chapter, is our host for this birding field trip, which includes the option of riding your bike around the refuge. We will meet at the Visitor Center at noon.

Drive your car through the refuge or bring a bike if you'd like to ride around the 10 miles of gravel roads. If you are choosing to ride a bike, your bike must be in good, working order, as this is a self-supported bike ride. We also suggest you ride a bike that has mountain bike-sized tires on it, or is a gravel bike. We’ll be looking for Bald Eagles, raptors, Snow Geese, Trumpeter Swans, sparrows, and more.

Please bring your own lunch/snacks and your own binoculars, or Sally will have a few on hand as extras. Experienced and novice birders are welcome! Wear warm clothes. This event is dependent on weather. Please check the Burroughs Facebook page as well as this page for weather updates.

Contact Sally (816/565-1839 or urdang.sal@gmail.com) if you need more information.


Burroughs Field Trips for March 2025

Tuesday, March 4 | 5:45 PM
American Woodcocks at Jerry Smith Park

Join us as we meet just before sunset in search of American Woodcocks! These birds generally display near the parking lot and along the trails of the prairie near the parking lot. The temperature tends to fall rapidly at dark; please dress for the weather and bring a flashlight, as a short walk along the trail is possible. Meet at the Jerry Smith Trailhead parking lot at the top of the ridge for a short 15-minute presentation about the aerial displays and courtship behavior of these birds. Feel free to arrive at 6:00 PM if you have already heard the presentation.

Directions: From Holmes Rd, turn EAST at 139th St. and travel approximately a mile to the second drive on the LEFT; the first drive goes to a private residence. The park sign can’t be seen coming from this direction. From I-49, take the Main St. exit and turn WEST. Drive through downtown Grandview and across the railroad tracks to the first street on your LEFT. This is 2nd St. Turn LEFT and travel approximately 2 miles to the park entrance; the sign can be seen coming from this direction. The road does wind around and change names until it becomes 139th St.

Your leader for this trip is Sherry Leonardo (816/718-5888 or home172@aol.com). If weather is possibly a concern, check back here for an update.


Thursday, March 6 | 5:45 PM
American Woodcocks at Jerry Smith Park

See information above for March 4th event.


Monday, March 10 | 6:45 PM
American Woodcocks at Jerry Smith Park

See information above for March 4th event.  Keep in mind daylight savings time change this week.


Wednesday, March 12 | 6:45 PM
American Woodcocks at Jerry Smith Park

See information above for March 4th event.  Keep in mind daylight savings time change this week.


Sunday, March 23 | 9:00 AM
Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary

We will meet leader Sally Urdang in the parking lot and explore this nature sanctuary in Liberty using the many paved and hiking trails within the property. We will be looking for Eastern Phoebes, woodpeckers, mockingbirds, raptors, sparrows, and more. Please bring your own binoculars, although Sally will have some extras on hand. Experienced and novice birders are welcome! Wear warm clothes and hiking shoes. This walk is dependent on weather. Please check the Burroughs Facebook page as well as this website for weather updates.

Sally is a Master Naturalist with the Osage Trails chapter. Please contact her if you need more information (816/565-1839 or urdang.sal@gmail.com).

Burroughs Field Trips for April 2025

Saturday, April 12th Eastern Kansas Wetlands

This trip is focused on searching for shorebirds, waterfowl, and whatever else is present in one of these two eastern Kansas counties wetlands. We will meet behind the bus stop in front of Price Chopper at the corner of 119th and Metcalf at 7am to carpool south. Expect a mile or more of walking on this trip as we stop at various locations. We plan to focus either on Browns Wetland and Antioch Marsh near Hillsdale Lake or Unit F and Unit G at Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area. The choice of where will likely be made close to the field trip date. The trail to the lake at Browns Wetland and Unit F are usually not well kept and it is advised to wear pants and footwear sprayed with Permethrin or Deet to keep chiggers at bay. Bring scope and binoculars, water, and appropriate clothing. Individuals of all skills and experience levels are welcome to attend, if you need some help with shorebird identification bring your field guide as we’ll help point out the differences in what we see to arrive at the identifications. This trip will likely take the entire morning and we plan to be back to vehicles shortly after noon.

Your leaders for this trip are Malcolm Gold and Chris Krafft. You’ll meet Malcolm for carpooling, and we’ll meet Chris on location. For more information, contact Chris at chriskrafft2@gmail.com.


 

Field Trips Organized by Other Groups

In addition to Burroughs Field Trips, other nature walks and bird walks are available around the metro area.
Backyard Bird Center: Kansas City, Missouri
Wild Birds Unlimited: Shawnee, Kansas (Sign up for their every other Sunday walks here)
Wild Birds Unlimited: Leawood, Kansas
Overland Park Arboretum: Overland Park, Kansas
Bird by Birds Kansas City Birding Enthusiasts: Kansas City Metro Area Facebook Group


 

Area Birding Information

The Missouri LISTSERV provides up-to-the-minute information from birders throughout Missouri and offers the opportunity for you to ask questions and engage in conversation about birds and birding in Missouri.

The Kansas LISTSERV provides up-to-the-minute information from birders throughout Kansas and offers you the opportunity to ask questions and engage in conversation about birds and birding in Kansas. Access the KSBIRD-L login site here (account required—needed for commenting/posting observations).

eBird Every birdwatcher has unique knowledge and experience. eBird’s goal is to gather this information in the form of checklists, archive it, and freely share it to power conservation and education while helping you find where others are seeing birds. Use the Explore option to discover the bird species being seen in local counties and beyond.

The Cornell Lab’s All About Birds and Birds of the World are your online guides to birds and their natural history.

Time Table For Birds of Kansas City Historical document from Burroughs Nature Club (c. 1959).