In the area of Magee Marsh / Ottawa Natl Wildlife Refuge / Metzger Marsh in n.w. Ohio (Lucas County and edge of Ottawa Co., east of Toledo and north of Rt. 2), things are changing daily now, with big numbers of waterfowl moving in and moving around.  Today (Thursday March 13) I checked out Magee and Metzger, and found some changes already from what Karl Overman had reported yesterday.  Metzger Marsh was still more than half frozen, but in the areas of open water I carefully estimated 2800 Redheads, 850 Ring-necked Ducks, 500 Gadwalls, 250 Canvasbacks, 100 N. Pintails, and lesser numbers of ten other duck species.  Magee is still mostly frozen, but there was much more open water visible from the causeway today than yesterday, and a decent number of Redheads, Am. Black Ducks, Tundra Swans, and others.  Killdeers are still arriving in force; I saw / heard close to 40 today, in half a dozen spots.  Red-winged Blackbirds and Com Grackles are increasing in numbers daily, but I was surprised to see no Rusty Blackbirds today.  The field on the north side of the road on the way in to Metzger Marsh was one good spot for them last spring; today I carefully checked the Red-wings and grackles in that field and found no Rusties, but there was one male Brewer's Blackbird there.  Greg Links has recommended "scanning blackbird flocks in eastern Lucas County in March" to find Brewer's, and it worked today. 

As for rails -- they won't be arriving in force in our local marshes for another few weeks, but you can get a preview by attending the "Lunch Lecture" this Saturday, March 15, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m., at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory nature center just north of Rt. 2 at the entrance to Crane Creek State Park.  This month's program, "Rails: Ohio's most mysterious birds," is presented by Auriel VanDerLaar.  Auriel is one of the rising stars among Ohio's next generation of field ornithologists.  At the age of 17, she is already an experienced bird bander, a founding member of the Ohio Young Birders Club, and a participant in several research projects of BSBO.  For several years she has been working with researcher Tom Kashmer on a detailed study of rails in the marshes of this region, and she has some fascinating insights to share.  For details see http://www.bsbo.org/  and call the BSBO office at 419 898 4070 to reserve a seat.  

Spring is definitely happening here; come on out and join us!

Kenn Kaufman
Rocky Ridge, Ohio

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