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May 2010

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From:
Kenn Kaufman <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Kenn Kaufman <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 11 May 2010 07:03:26 -0400
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In northwest Ohio -- the region centered on Magee Marsh and Ottawa Nat'l
Wildlife Refuge -- there were literally thousands of people looking at birds
over the last long weekend, Thursday through Monday, May 6 - 10.  It has
been by far the most intense concentration of birding activity in Ohio, one
of the most intense on the continent.  But even though this is the Biggest
Week In American Birding, it hardly registered on the Ohio-birds listserve,
probably because everyone here is too busy to post anything!

Here's a brief rundown:
With unsettled weather and no strong southerly wind flow in the last few
days, the migrant traps on the lake shore have not seen a massive arrival of
songbird migrants.  But the diversity has been outstanding, and the cool and
windy conditions have mostly kept the birds down low.  On the Magee Marsh
boardwalk and in the woods at Ottawa NWR and Metzger Marsh, birders have
been getting the kinds of point-blank eye-level views of warblers for which
this region is famous.  About 30 species of warblers have been reliably
reported  from the Magee boardwalk over the last 5 days, with highlights
including multiple Golden-winged Warblers almost every day, multiple
Mourning Warblers on Monday, Pine Warbler from Saturday on, Kentucky,
Hooded, and Worm-eating warblers just before the weekend, Prothonotary
Warblers actively nest-building, and so on.  For the many beginning birders
who flock to the boardwalk, stunners like Blackburnian, Cape May,
Black-throated Blue, Bay-breasted, and Black-throated Green warblers have
been just as much of a draw.  Professional bird guides from Tropical Birding
are in town again this year, volunteering to help Black Swamp Bird
Observatory and to take part in the Biggest Week; several of these guides
are stationed along the boardwalk at any given time, helping people to spot
and identify birds.

At Ottawa NWR, refuge staff drew down the entrance pool in advance of the
main shorebird migration, and this area held an excellent variety of
shorebirds, especially on Sunday and Monday.  At least a dozen shorebird
species have been reported there, with highlights including multiple
White-rumped, Pectoral, Least, and Solitary sandpipers, Short-billed
Dowitcher, Semipalmated Plover, and lots of Dunlins in full breeding
plumage.  A Baird's Sandpiper reported there on Sunday apparently has not
been relocated.  Wooded areas on the refuge also have been very productive
for songbird migrants.

At Metzger Marsh, the woodlot at the end of the road held a good diversity
of migrants in the early part of the weekend, including at least two
Golden-winged Warblers and various other warblers.  On Monday, the marsh
south of the main road held Black Terns, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and 9
American White Pelicans.

At the moment it is raining in the area, and weather forecasts for the next
few days are confusing, but I expect that we'll have another infusion of
migrants arriving either Wednesday or Thursday.

One of the innovations of the Biggest Week In American Birding is the
instantaneous updates on bird sightings being sent out via Twitter.  If
you're under the age of 30, you already know all about Twitter and you're
probably following the sightings already.  If not, you can get a peek at the
latest by going to
http://biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/sightings_update.htm
The guides from Tropical Birding (and a few others) are posting these quick
updates (not many on this rainy morning, but you can track back to
yesterday's, etc) and you can subscribe to get these text messages on your
mobile phone.  Or if you're in the area, stop by the Black Swamp Bird
Observatory or the visitors' center at Ottawa NWR to read the latest Twitter
updates off the screens there.

Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, Ohio

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