16 May 2009 Last nights rumors of a storm and a mass of birds dropping in at Magee, did not totally work to plan. The night time storm did not happen quite as dramatically as hoped, although certainly birds did drop in at Magee, and a good crowd of keen birders lined the edges, scoured the underbrush, and blazed the boardwalk in hot pursuit of the latest sightings. The “paparazzi” were lined up along the edges of the lot and cameras went into overdrive. It is difficult to argue that warblers are not A-list celebrities when you take a good look at this fascinating Magee Marsh birding scene. Friday had been forgettable, however Saturday was truly memorable. We soon moved our thoughts on from the dreary, slow day that was yesterday, and turned our attentions to another magic Magee day today. This may not have been a great day, but it was unquestionably a very good one. Warblers gave us the Magee Marsh “low down” (where they frequently dropped down low and dangled temptingly in front of us), and there was also a good crop of other migrants to go to work on too. On the warbler front birders managed to chalk up at least 26 different species. Rumors floated around concerning an early morning report of a tantalizing Connecticut Warbler that unfortunately never came to fruition for anyone thereafter. We all continue to wait with baited breath for a good arrival of the “Big C”. Among the available goodies in the warbler crowd were a Blue-winged hanging out in the brush just in from the western end of the boardwalk, and a late Louisiana Waterthrush, a “southerner” that surprised a few of us by dropping in this late in the season, just beyond the little loop from the western end. An unobtrusive Hooded Warbler was also a good turn up during the morning at the west end of the big loop on the boardwalk, and a lone Orange-crowned continued to get reported. Also notable was another pair of Prothonotarys that were setting up shop at Magee, this pair nest-building around marker 16 along the boardwalk; the males’ powerful song continues to haunt the undergrowth now at two separate locations along there. Warblers massed in the trees along the boardwalk and posed along the edges of the parking lot that left birders buzzing with excitement, and photographers positively beaming after a fruitful day in Magee. Wilson’s and Canadas enjoyed a big bounce in numbers today, and were hard to miss as they showboated along the trails and edges. Commonest Magee migrant warblers though appeared to be American Redstarts, Magnolias, and Chestnut-sideds. Scorching male Blackburnians flitted elegantly around the edges of the packed car park, and the odd dandy Blackpoll also competed for our affections. Bay-breasteds also arrived overnight, as did the next installment of Cape Mays and Northern Parulas. It was a difficult to tell whether the “wraiths of the underbrush”, Mourning Warblers, were newcomers or hangers on from previous days as at least three of these were in the exact same top spot as in previous days – at the extreme western end of the parking lot, around marker 4 on the western end of the Magee boardwalk, and another lingered on just before the small bridge as you come in from the western end. Another at least showed up along the edges too, and was visible just east of the western end of the boardwalk, and a further bird was found further afield along the boardwalk. A good showing for this bird, that could still frustrate when it chose too, fading into the undertangles whenever it felt like it. In smaller numbers than some of the warbler gang, although still in good form were Swainson’s Thrush and Red-eyed Vireos that had a strong presence in this Erien woodlot today. A few Gray-cheekeds were also out there although in much smaller numbers. Other “anti-warblers” included the odd Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, and Blue-headed, Philadelphia, and Red-eyed Vireos. A Common Nighthawk tried and failed to be invisible as it roosted prominently by the western entrance to the boardwalk, although an American Woodcock did a better job, probing the dank, dark leaf litter for a while before fading into the undergrowth and promptly disappearing after its early showing. Another noticeable feature of the day was an overnight arrival of empids, with Leasts continuing to turn up, but now having a significant number of Yellow-bellieds for company, and at least one singing Alder was also present along the trail. All in all a good display for the weekenders that had turned up in force to get another Magee fix. For those of us who are completely and utterly addicted to the mayhem of migration birding long may this birding madhouse continue. Sam Woods/Tropical Birding (www.tropicalbirding.com) Black Swamp Bird Observatory Bird Guide in Residence (www.bsbobird.org) Lost in Birding Blog (www.samwoodsbirding.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]