In the area of Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, and
nearby migrant traps on the Lake Erie shoreline in n.w. Ohio, today
(Saturday May 1) was the biggest day of the year so far for sheer variety of
species.  Jim Witter and Mary Warren have already mentioned most of the
highlights of the day from the Magee boardwalk.  As of mid-afternoon, a
minimum of 26 warbler species had been reliably reported from the boardwalk
itself, with at least 29 for the area as a whole.  The rarest bird at the
Magee boardwalk itself by mid-afternoon was the Kentucky Warbler (probably
the same individual moving between #16 on the boardwalk and the woods
adjacent to the southwest corner of the East Parking Lot).   Two Cerulean
Warblers were near #17, and Greg Links found another individual at the
"Wildlife Beach" east of the boardwalk.  A female Hooded Warbler was near
#6.  A few Blackpoll Warblers were somewhat early, including one hanging
around the west entrance to the boardwalk.  All five brown thrushes were
along the boardwalk -- in fact, individuals of all five were seen just north
of #6, as well as elsewhere.  Other noteworthy birds included the
Black-billed Cuckoo and Yellow-breasted Chat that Jim mentioned, and at
least four Summer Tanagers (possibly more).

Elsewhere in the area, the entrance pool at Ottawa NWR had at least three
Solitary Sandpipers, as well as both yellowlegs species and Pectoral
Sandpipers.  At the woodlot at the end of the road at Metzger Marsh, Greg
Links found a Prairie Warbler.

For maps and directions to the sites mentioned here (including the numbered
points along the boardwalk), see the links for "birding hotspots: directions
and maps" from the Black Swamp Bird Observatory website:
http://www.bsbo.org/birding/

The theme for today was variety, not abundance. Most migrant species were
present only in small numbers, but most birders who persisted in searching
wound up seeing a lot of different species.

Okay, so what about tomorrow?  For Sunday, May 2, I expect birding
conditions to be similar.  There's still a good flow of wind out of the
south-southwest, but there is also (as of early evening) a lot of rain
falling in southern Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, so I don't expect many
birds to be coming from there tonight. Undoubtedly there will be some
turnover, and some birds will continue to move into the better patches of
habitat, but I think the overall numbers and variety on Sunday will be
similar to today's.  We'll probably see heavy showers moving through the
area in the morning, but in between rain showers, bird activity should be
intense.  To see a lot of variety, visit multiple sites: check out the woods
at Ottawa NWR, Metzger Marsh, and East Harbor State Park.  Look at shorebird
habitat at Ottawa and along the Magee causeway: numbers of shorebirds are
still building up.

If you're in the area, stop by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, just north
of Route 2 at the entrance to Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.  The observatory
will be open every day in May from 10 to 6.   We'll be glad to share the
latest sightings and we'll be eager to hear what you've seen!

Kenn Kaufman
Black Swamp Bird Observatory
Oak Harbor, Ohio

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