May 12, 2009 Two words to describe warbler watching at Magee Marsh: eye-level. I have been asked repeatedly why the typically treetop warblers hang out so low in the trees at Magee. Well, I can’t answer that question with any certainty, but I do know that I am consistently getting the best views of these birds that I have ever had. At one point I had to choose between watching a fire-throated Blackburnian Warbler mere feet in front of me or a sophisticatedly beautiful Bay-breasted to my side. Alas, it didn’t matter, they both stuck around for so long that I got leisurely views of both! This meant I was able to study in great detail my favorite feature of the Blackburnian: the flaming orange central forehead stripe. This individual’s happened to be flecked with black, adding yet more flare to the incredibly complex plumage exhibited by this exquisite sprite. This is the classic Crane Creek experience. A total of 24 warbler species put in an appearance today; Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Green were most numerous. Thrushes were scarce, but a friendly Veery continues to charm observers by hopping about inches from their feet between the boardwalk and the canal. A rosy Red-breasted Nuthatch crept about the vines, a pleasant surprise for those who saw it. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo torpedoed in over the heads of its admirers, furtively hopping about the tree before being chased away by a robin unhappy about the cuckoo’s location in relation to its nest. Sora is still present—but shy as ever—even after its nest was dismantled by a muskrat over the weekend. Away from the boardwalk, the afternoon guided outing easily found a single female Wilson’s Phalarope feeding manically in the wetlands at Veler Rd. A Ruddy Turnstone in dapper breeding plumage livened up the beach adjacent to Metzger Marsh. With south winds a-blowin’ and a storm predicted for tomorrow night, we have high hopes for the next two days. No doubt many birders are hoping the season’s first Connecticut Warbler (and those particularly optimistic birders a Kirtland’s) blows in with the storm. Josh Engel Tour Leader, Tropical Birding: www.tropicalbirding.com Black Swamp Bird Observatory bird guide-in-residence: www.bsbobird.org The Guiding Light blog: www.oxypogon.blogspot.com ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]