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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:
Fri, 14 May 2010 18:13:14 -0400
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I tried to send an update to the lists from the east beach at Magee this
morning, and my iPhone said that it went out, but it never showed up on the
listserve.  Anyway, at least the news of the Kirtland's has appeared here
already.  Here are a few more details on today's great migratory movement
along the Lake Erie shoreline in n.w. Ohio (Magee Marsh / Ottawa Natl
Wildlife Refuge area).

Friday, May 14: It's never possible to predict big arrivals of migrants with
absolute certainty, but the predictions for today turned out to be right on
target. This was by far the biggest day of the spring so far in terms of
numbers of migrants along the lake shore in n.w. Ohio.

For the last few days we'd been having modest numbers but very good
diversity. Today the diversity went up a little and the numbers were at
least ten times what they had been. I started off by going to the east beach
at Magee Marsh (about half a mile east of the boardwalk; see the BSBO
birding map of the Magee area for clarification). The low trees near the
beach were hopping with American Redstarts, Gray Catbirds, Least
Flycatchers, Magnolia Warblers, Baltimore Orioles, and many other birds. I
saw my first good numbers of Indigo Buntings for the spring, several Scarlet
Tanagers, and a lot of other migrants including Orchard Oriole, Lincoln's
Sparrow, and Mourning and Wilson's Warblers. Diurnal migrants were streaming
past: flocks of Eastern Kingbirds, Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings, and all the
expected species of swallows.

At about 9:15 a.m. I was lucky enough to find a male Kirtland's Warbler. I
was luckier still that it stayed around: I sent out the word via Twitter and
cell phone, hundreds of people arrived during the next four hours while I
was there, and it was still being seen after 4:30 pm. The location was along
the east (wildlife) beach about 300 yards east of the parking lot. The bird
was feeding low for the entire time, sometimes hopping on the ground,
sometimes foraging among low branches of sumacs or willows, or even among
brush piles. Often it was amazingly easy to see, and several times it flew
toward crowds of people and foraged unconcernedly within a few yards of its
admirers. I'm sure it was seen by over a thousand birders, and undoubtedly
tens of thousands of photos were taken; this is probably the
most-photographed Kirtland's Warbler in history!

Of course it's impossible to say whether the bird will still be there
Saturday morning, May 15, but I'm sure that people will go to look for it. I
will try to get the word out early if it is seen Saturday.

Right now the winds are still out of the west-southwest, and they should be
out of the west for most of Friday night, shifting to northwest sometime
Saturday. My best guess is that Saturday will have somewhat fewer individual
birds than today, but still very large numbers, and lots of variety.

Aside from the excitement of the Kirtland's: I heard about sightings of
roughly 30 species of warblers in the general area. Several Mourning
Warblers were found in the woods at Ottawa NWR and the Magee boardwalk, and
Golden-winged and a "Brewster's" hybrid were found at the latter location.
The first C0nnecticut Warblers of the season were found at the BSBO banding
station (on a closed section of Ottawa NWR), so the species should show up
soon at the Magee boardwalk.

Nine American White Pelicans circled over the Magee - Ottawa area around the
middle of the day. A Marbled Godwit was being seen from the observation
platform on Stange Road (southwest corner of Ottawa NWR -- see the BSBO map
of the refuge) and at least two Yellow-headed Blackbirds were being seen a
short distance west of there on Krause Road.

Good birding all, hope to see you out there tomorrow.  Activities of the
Biggest Week In American Birding (which was certainly living up to its name
today!) will continue through Sunday the 16th.

Kenn Kaufman
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Oak Harbor, Ohio

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