Sometimes in life we have pleasant little surprises. Such was the case when we headed to Fernald Preserve with the intention of a 3 mile hike on the Hickory Trail. I was under the impression that the Hickory Trail wove through an upland woodland. But I didn’t take into consideration the section of trail that lead to the woodland loop.
As we headed toward the woodland from the back of the Visitors Center, we found ourselves walking on a gravel path through a meadow that featured wildflowers.
The landscape was dotted with ponds that were buzzing with activity.
Soon we noted a bird blind up on the crest of a hill.
Looking through its portals one had great views onto a pair of ponds in the distance, again teeming with wildlife.
We noted some Great Blue Herons,
as well as several Pied-billed Grebes who dove beneath the water’s surface to feed.
We also had a nice view onto a swathe of Lotus in full bloom. Lotus is a native wetland plant.
Leaving the blind, we enjoyed watching the aerial acrobatics of a group of Barn Swallows.
After returning to the main path we had views onto other ponds. You are close enough to enjoy the sightings, but far enough away that the animals are relaxed and you can observe their behaviors.
Eventually we were delivered to the loop section of the trail, where we had a chance encounter with a mother deer, who emerged from the meadow, followed by her fawn. Fawns start grazing at 2 to 3 weeks of age, and are entirely weaned by 8 to 10 weeks. Based on the size of this fawn, who still had its spots, the deer are well nourished here.
Fernald was a bunny palooza on this date, as we noted rabbits, one after another.
Soon we found ourselves in the hickory wood for which the trail is named.
With the presence of curling bark and compound leaves with seven leaflets, they appeared to be Shellbark Hickories. The more common Shagbark Hickory also has curling bark, but its leaves have five leaflets.
It was surprising to see a collection of Whorled Rosinweed in the narrow band between the path and the big hickories. Rosinweed tends to be seen more in prairies and meadows.
The whorled nature of its leaves, which gives it its name, can be better appreciated in this photo, with three leaves arising in a whorl along the stem.
A not surprising find in the same setting was its look alike, Woodland Sunflower, that always calls the woodland edge home.
Later the wood featured some towering Red Oaks.
After leaving the primary wood, the trail turned to grass and wove through areas of meadow intermixed with younger, progression woods.
There we noted a native Wild Plum. This is one of the species impacted by the presence of invasive species like Bush Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, and Callery Pear. It is a small tree that grows on the edge of woods as well as roadsides, the same areas where the invasives have had so much success. This is only the third time that we have seen them during our five years of writing Footpaths. They were fairly common in the woodland edges of my youth.
This image typifies the setting on this part of the hike – mowed grass path, wildflowers, and small shrubs.
Soon we entered another wood with bare dirt trails and a healthy understory.
One of the highlights of the hike was noting this large Shingle Oak, undoubtedly the largest of the species that I have ever seen. My tree field guide lists Shingle Oak with trunk diameters of up to two feet but this looked larger than that.
Nearby, we also noted a comparatively large Persimmon tree. Its trunk diameter was approaching eighteen inches. Its “alligator bark” is the identifying feature.
After a short return to another meadow habitat, where we saw a collection of St. John’s Wort,
we found ourselves in an open woodland above a deep creek ravine, and came upon this towering member of the White Oak Family.
As we walked along the ridge above the creek we noted a large collection of Robins, perhaps numbering thirty to forty, fleeting back and forth in some of the ravine’s trees that were at eye level. At first I thought that it was perhaps a feeding frenzy in a Black Cherry tree ladened with fruit, which can be seen this time of year, but that was not the case. They were primarily in Sugar Maples.
There were a surprising number of juveniles, with their speckled chests, in the group. On-line sources report that Robins will flock together, after their young have left the nest, for protection.
Leaving the wood, the path transitioned to a section of gravel path that was in close proximity to a number of ponds, and completed the loop part of the trail. We passed through the meadow to return to the Visitors Center.
Odds and Ends:
While birdwatching is not the focus of our outings, we do enjoy venues that offer a diversity of avian species and that is certainly the case at Fernald. On this trek we noted a flock of King Birds.
We also saw this Kingfisher flying over one of the ponds.
The Eastern Wood Peewee is a member of the Flycatcher Family. Like other flycatchers, they will perch on a branch and wait to capture a flying insect in midair.
We were serenaded by Eastern Towhees over much of the hike.
Here is a recording of the delightful Eastern Towhee song from xeno-canto, a site that shares wildlife sounds from around the world.
And while it is not an uncommon bird, we were impressed with this Robin’s work efficiency, captured with a mouthful of earthworms and insects for her brood.
Plants, like humans, are susceptible to disease and are often attacked by other organisms. It is part of the ecology and we witnessed several of these on our outing. A variety of insects lay eggs in the tissues of plants. The developing embryo then releases a growth hormone that causes the host plant to form a protective growth around the invader, providing a nursery for the developing offspring. These growths are called galls.
The first was Cottonwood Galls, which we noted on a young Cottonwood tree. These are caused by the Petiole Aphid. The petiole is the stem of a leaf.
The second was the Grape Filbert Gall that was growing on a Wild Grape vine. The term Filbert comes from the resemblance of the growths to Hazelnuts, which are also called Filberts.
The final gall noted was a Twig Gall in the large Shingle Oak. It is caused when a species of non-stinging wasps lays its eggs in young twigs. Compared to the previous two galls, this one has a hard, woody texture.
Another interesting observation was the presence of the yellow-flowered Bladderwort in one of the ponds. They are a carnivorous plant that captures microscopic organisms in chambers on their stems and leaves beneath the surface of the water to supplement the nutrition provided by photosynthesis.
Potato Vine was an important food source for Native Americans. The plant arises from a large tuber that can weigh up to twenty pounds. The tuber was eaten roasted, or dried and ground into a flour. The blossom is hard to miss as it measures three inches in diameter. It is a member of the Morning Glory Family, as is the Sweet Potato.
Another plant of importance to Native Americans were members of the Sumac Family, whose berries contain many nutrients including Vitamin C. The berries were used to make a tea. The photographer and I were discussing, that while we have seen sumac berries numerous times, we do not recall seeing Sumac trees in bloom. Clearly we were not paying attention. This appears to be Smooth Sumac.
Lastly, we thought that we would share some images of Swamp Milkweed, which we saw in several locations on this hike, but, as the name implies, always in wetlands. It differs from Common Milkweed by having smaller, lance shaped leaves and less round flower heads. Like Common Milkweed, it plays the important ecological role as a nursery plant for Monarch Butterflies.
In summary, our outing on the Hickory Trail at Fernald Preserve was a terrific experience. The variety of habitats over a short distance allowed us to see a diversity of wildlife species, both plants and animals. This visit reinforced the positive impression of Fernald that we had after a hike on a different trail this past April. Quality wetlands are a real attraction for wildlife – and they are in abundance at Fernald. Recently, I have had conversations with birders who have made it clear that Fernald is unique with the number of bird species found there. The Audubon Society of Ohio notes that over 240 species of birds have been identified on the campus. So grab your binoculars and head to Fernald. You will not be disappointed.
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Photo credits to Caroline Burns Grizzle.
Overview:
Location – 7400 Willey Road, Hamilton, OH 45013, twenty-five miles from downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – asphalt lot for 100 plus cars.
Trail Conditions –gravel, mowed grass, and bare dirt. The terrain is generally flat and this would be considered an easy hike. We hiked about 3.5 miles on this outing.
Print Map Link – https://www.energy.gov/documents/fernald-preserve-ohio-trails-mappdf
Benches – yes.
Picnic Tables – yes, near the visitor center.
Facilities – formal facilities in the visitor center (Wednesday – Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday:
12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ).There is a portolet in the parking area.
Kids – kids of all ages would do well on these trails.
Dogs – prohibited.
Suggested Paired Hikes – also at Fernald Preserve are the Shingle Oak Trail (0.7 miles), the Sycamore Trail (1.9 miles), and the Lodge Pond Trail (1.4 miles). We have written previously about the Shingle Oak and Sycamore Trails (see link below).
Links:
https://www.energy.gov/lm/visit-fernald-preserve-visitors-center
https://footpathsblog.com/2026/05/03/fernald-preserve-hamilton-ohio/