White-crowned Sparrow is a common spring migrant in n.w. Ohio, with numbers peaking during the first two weeks of May. This spring, there have been significantly more than usual in the general Magee Marsh region (eastern Lucas Co. and western Ottawa Co.). I've been seeing and hearing dozens of individuals every day, especially in areas a short distance south of the lake shore. My impressions of abundance are backed up by results from the Black Swamp Bird Observatory banding operation at Navarre Marsh (east of Magee); Mark Shieldcastle tells me that exceptional numbers have been banded there during the last few days. Among these concentrations of White-crowns, I've noticed more "Gambel's" White-crowns than usual. This subspecies (Z. l. gambelii), which breeds west of Hudson Bay, is usually a rare migrant through here. Since moving to n.w. Ohio in 2005, I've averaged one or two per spring. Today I saw three at Black Swamp Bird Observatory (one banded bird which has been around since winter, plus two unbanded individuals) and a fourth at a private residence north of Oak Harbor. I've seen two others within the last week. This represents only a few data points, of course, but it suggests that more of these birds than usual are passing through this region. Birders who are out during the next few days might want to keep an eye out for these birds. The vast majority of our migrant White-crowns are of the eastern subspecies, Z. l. leucophrys, with black lores cutting off the white eyebrow from the base of the bill, giving the bird a fierce or imperious expression. On Z. l. gambelii, the white eyebrow extends forward to the base of the bill, and the lores are pale gray, creating a more "gentle" expression. There are some intermediate birds (probably from immediately west of Hudson Bay), so some individuals can't be identified to subspecies, but typical "Gambel's" are easy to pick out with a little practice. I suspect that a lot more would be reported in Ohio if more birders were watching for them. Kenn Kaufman Oak Harbor, OH ______________________________________________________________________ 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]