The strong south winds and very warm temps were predicted to result in
large numbers of birds today in the Lake Erie marshes and swamps.  Assuming
that the north would be willing to share a few birds with us down south, I
biked about 3.5 miles of the Little Miami Bike Trail south from Roxana-New
Burlington Road (including Spring Valley Wildlife Area).  I expected the
end of migration to be announced by Swainson's thrushes and especially
Tennessee and blackpoll warblers, which in my experience often become quite
numerous and easily heard at the migration's end.  To my amazement I did
not hear or see a single bird I would call a passing migrant--this despite
hearing/seeing most of the expected summer residents:  warbling, r-e, w-e
and yellow-throated vireos; pewee, kingbird, crested and willow
flycatchers; parula, chat, c yellowthroat, and prothonotary warbler, indigo
bunting, wood thrush and waxwings.

I know southeast Ohio and Columbus seemed to report a pretty good spring
migration, while Magee's big week apparently had decent diversity, but
consistently low numbers.  My impression has been that the Dayton area had
a very poor migration.  How about this theory:  this spring's unusual
weather and wind patterns funneled most of our migrants that come up
through the Caribbean and Florida from SE to NW through southeast Ohio and
Columbus and west around Lake Erie, mostly missing Magee, while much of the
usual migrant flow from the Gulf and south Texas mostly missed Ohio to the
west.

This AM there were still two common loons in non-breeding plumage on the
gravel pit lake nearest Spring Valley Wildlife Area.

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.


You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]