Shorebird migration seems to be proceeding at a normal pace in northwestern
Ohio, in terms of both numbers and timing. Areas of shorebird habitat have
been changing constantly over the last six weeks ... as is also normal.
Among the areas accessible to the public, Pickerel Creek and Pipe Creek
wildlife areas were productive for a while, then the action shifted to
flooded fields in Ottawa County, and now the best accessible viewing is at
the flooded fields near Bellevue.
Stopover habitats for shorebirds are changeable by their very nature --
changing by the hour in tidal situations at the coast, changing by the day
inland, as low-lying areas flood or dry up. The shorebirds, seemingly more
adaptable than the birders, are quick to take advantage of new habitat,
quick to move on when it loses its appeal. Most migratory shorebirds are
such strong fliers that they can keep going for hundreds of miles, at least,
until they happen to find a good spot. In an inland region like Ohio, when
an area of good habitat appears, shorebirds migrating over will drop in. So
these temporary habitats give us a chance to take a sample of what is
passing overhead.
I had a chance to sample what was pausing in the back country of Ottawa Natl
Wildlife Refuge on Friday, Aug. 8, and today, Monday Aug. 11, when I tagged
along with a team doing research there. (Unfortunately, as reported
earlier, the auto tour at Ottawa won't be open this weekend, owing to
unforeseen delays in construction, but the main shorebird concentrations
right now are away from the auto tour anyway.) These are my very rough
numbers from one major impoundment from today, estimated when I wasn't up to
my knees in glutinous mud:
Semipalmated Plover 20 (mostly adults)
Killdeer 35
Greater Yellowlegs 14 (mostly adults)
Lesser Yellowlegs 90 (more juveniles than adults)
Solitary Sandpiper 15 (those seen well were adults)
Spotted Sandpiper 10 (adults and juvs)
Semipalmated Sandpiper 120 (roughly equal numbers of adults and juvs)
Least Sandpiper 200 (more juvs than adults)
Pectoral Sandpiper 40 (adults)
Stilt Sandpiper 2 (juvs)
Short-billed Dowitcher 25 (1 adult, the rest juvs)
Wilson's Snipe 4
The mix on Friday 8/8 was similar, but with the addition of one Long-billed
Dowitcher and two Dunlin, and larger numbers of Short-billed Dowitchers.
Also on Friday, slightly fewer of the Semi and Least Sandpipers were
juveniles.
I'm not mentioning these birds to frustrate birders who can't get into the
closed area of the refuge, but just to indicate that there are indeed good
numbers migrating through. Fortunately, we didn't see anything rare, and
all of these species could be expected in visits to the Bellevue ponds and
other accessible sites.
Dowitchers are worthy of special mention. Hundreds of Short-billed
Dowitchers were passing through the area a month ago; for example, I counted
86 on one impoundment at Pickerel Creek on July 4, and others had higher
counts there. Western Ottawa County had very heavy rains in early July,
causing damage to some local crops but creating temporary shorebird habitat,
and many Short-billeds (all adults of the prairie race, hendersoni) paused
in these flooded fields. On July 10 I saw a dozen in a flooded front yard
in the town of Rocky Ridge! July is the peak migration season for adult
Short-billeds here; by now the great majority of the adults have departed,
and numbers of juveniles have not yet reached their peak. Meanwhile, a few
adult Long-billed Dowitchers can be expected now, but juveniles aren't
likely to show up until September.
Along the lakeshore in northwestern and north-central Ohio there are many
areas of shorebird habitat that are far more accessible to the birds than to
the birders. For good viewing, for the time being, it's probably best to
keep checking the flooded fields near Bellevue. This is a great time of
year to be looking, too, because the differences between adults and
juveniles are very obvious for many species now, and the juveniles are
particularly beautiful in their crisp new plumage.
Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, Ohio
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