Barnside Creamery owners, Tonia and Lorne Tice, stand in front of their farmland that they are converting into wetlands. The area is known as a birding hotspot. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

OAK HARBOR – Longtime birders visiting Oak Harbor have a routine during The Biggest Week in American Birding. They stop by Magee Marsh to see the migratory birds. They stop by Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to see the migratory birds. And they stop by Barnside Creamery to see the migratory birds and eat a footlong coney dog or shredded chicken sandwich and a milkshake or gourmet sundae. The fields surrounding Barnside are known as a popular stop-spot for warblers and other birds passing through the area.

Thanks to Barnside owners Lorne and Tonia Tice, the view is about to get even better.

Last year, the Tices began a project to convert their farmland behind Barnside into wetlands that will better serve the area’s yearlong and migratory birds. The project is part of the H2Ohio program and was supported by local, state, and federal agencies, including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District. It was funded in part by a grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Plus, we’ve always had a good relationship with Black Swamp Bird Observatory,” Tonia said.

The project, which encompasses about 105 acres, will restore wetlands and native upland habitat and include reforestation efforts. Planting trees will improve the environment and provide shelter for birds.

“My concern was having a place for the eagles and birds to perch,” Tonia said.

As of mid-April, Lorne estimated that this year’s phase of the project was 90% complete.

“We have one more dugout to do on the south end of the farm, and we’ll seed all the dikes,” he said. “The excavating was done by Buehler Excavating. They did a heck of a job.”

Solar pumps needed to be connected to electricity, and incoming water lines needed to be tied to pumps.

This bird’s-eye view of the backside of Barnside Creamery shows the wetlands restoration project that is in progress. (Photo by Bill and Cyndi Rayburn)

The land was never open to the public, and it will remain inaccessible, but birders can do what they’ve always done – watch the birds from the parking lot, which is even bigger this year. The land has provided opportunities for rare spottings of Ruff, Glossy Ibis and Marbled Godwit.

“We extended the parking lot so people can overlook the marsh and enjoy the birds,” Lorne said. “The six acres behind Barnside is still part of Barnside. We’ll plant sunflowers and wildflowers out there.”

Although much work has been done on the property, the Tices hope to do even more. They have invested much of their own resources into the project already, but they hope to add more, like an osprey platform.

“We have a big vision, but it will take time and money to see it through,” Tonia said. “This project wasn’t a monetary gain for us, and it was a lot of work, but we want everyone to enjoy it.”

And they can enjoy Barnside treats at the same time. Barnside offers a full lunch menu with daily specials, homemade sherbet, Newberry yogurt, Dole Whip, milkshakes, and more. Gourmet sundaes are their specialty. The business is a family affair. The Tices daughters – Emily Keller, Katelyn Shirer, and Brooke Graham – help them run the shop.

As they all work together this summer, the land behind them will heal from the excavator’s scars, native grasses and flowers will slowly extricate themselves from the agitated soil, and a season of birds will discover a restored homeland to nurture their young.

“We’ll let nature take its course, see what comes up, and manage it from there,” Lorne said.