Laura & Tim, all interested birders: The Ironton District on the Wayne is rich in bird life and far less visited by birders than nearby Shawnee State Forest. Species like Black-billed Cuckoo and Summer Tanager and the array of southern warblers are more easily found there. Cerulean Warbler hotspots are scattered throughout the area. Ample road-birding along low traffic rural and forest roads will reward blind exploration of the area (purchase a forest map and take along a Delorme Atlas). There are access points to trails scattered throughout the area. These offer short or long walks (some trails can be rough and hilly). Like many rural areas, parking can be problematic, some pull-offs are muddy, etc. Pine Creek Road (west from R93) is hardtop and traverses varied habitats supporting bird diversity. Excellent services are available at managed locations like Vesuvius Furnace. On your way there, be sure to travel south on R93 through Olive Furnace, check out the stone arch iron furnace remnant west of 93 as you drive by. The area is rich in history as it is rich in biodiversity. Check out the FS website for lots of information and check-in with friendly FS staff for more detailed information (office located in Pedro). Go explore! On the way south, stop in at Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area and Pyro Wetlands (both eBird Hotspots), and drive through open areas of nearby reclaimed strip mines to add a lot of grasslands diversity to your list, south of Jackson, OH, east of R93. From there, west of 93, a long convoluted drive (Clay Banner Road) will take you to Baker Swamp, a TNC Preserve, and nearby hayfields and shrub rows that used to be reliable places of Northern Bobwhite. Tom Bain Ohio's Clayey Till Plain Delaware County Lots of optics time, Lawrence County, Gateway to historical Hanging Rock Iron Region -----Original Message----- From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura Dornan Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 2:11 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [Ohio-birds] birding question for Wayne Nat. For. We think we would like to try to do some birding in Wayne National Forest towards the end of this month but we don't really know anything about the area(s) that are best. I do know that the public areas of the forest are broken up. We are thinking in particular about the Ironton Unit since it is the furthermost southern area & would perhaps be most likely to hold spring migrants at that time. But we also need to do most of our birding from the car or on short jaunts. Does anyone have any suggestions for good birding spots? Thanks for any help. Laura Dornan Louisville ______________________________________________________________________ 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.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ 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.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]