Today was the opening day of "The Biggest Week in American Birding" in the western Lake Erie basin. We saw lots of people and lots of birds. Helen and I have seen 198 bird species in Ohio this year and seven of them were new today: 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee - Magee Marsh Wildlife Area--Boardwalk 2 Canada Warbler - Magee Marsh Wildlife Area--Boardwalk 3 Wilson's Warbler - Magee Marsh Wildlife Area--Boardwalk 4 Blackpoll Warbler - Metzger Marsh--Woodlot 5 Black-bellied Plover - Metzger Marsh--Causeway Viewing Areas 6 Semipalmated Plover - Metzger Marsh--Causeway Viewing Areas 7 Semipalmated Sandpiper - Metzger Marsh--Causeway Viewing Areas 8 Orange-crowned Warbler - East Harbor SP--Beach Ridge The river of birds is flowing north. When the south wind was blowing fairly briskly this afternoon I compared it to turning on the elevator which the birds ride north in their journey. Many of the birds we saw today are headed toward Canadian breeding territories. They don't need a passport for their travel! Ken Ostermiller Westfield Center Medina County ______________________________________________________________________ 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]