OH - Warblers in Spring Part I

Connecticut Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

The Lake Erie shore has proven to be a massive draw for me every year since 2012. The central two weeks of May provide a unique opportunity to observe a huge diversity of North American wood-warblers up close, often singing and often in abundance. It's fantastic place to learn and celebrate some of the most colorful passerines on the continent. The focal point of the trip, quite naturally, is the World famous Magee Marsh and it's boardwalk but there's so much more to do and see along the Erie shore and plenty of scope for finding pockets of birds without having the Magee crowds in tow. That much said, it's those very crowds that contribute to some impressive bird finding meaning that little, if anything, gets missed at Magee Marsh. This year I traveled with my friend John Barkham. We engaged on a ten day avian adventure starting on May 10th with six consecutive nights in Port Clinton before heading north into Michigan for the remaining three nights. Highlights were many, too many to list here in fact, but certainly prolonged views of a migrant Connecticut Warbler at Magee Marsh would have to be up there!

Connecticut Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

Connecticut Warbler  'twitch' - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

A showy Connecticut Warbler (ABA Code 2) caused quite a stir along the edge of the East parking lot. 

Here's John (in black) trying to get more views having just seen it reasonably well a few minutes earlier.

Blue-winged Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Bay-breasted Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Blackburnian Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Canada Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Canada Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Black-throated Blue Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Cape May Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Cape May Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Hooded Warbler - Pearson Metropark, Lucas Co. , OH. May 11th, 2019.

Hooded Warbler - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 15th, 2019.

Northern Parula - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019. 

Ovenbird - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

And a few species other than warblers;

Racoon family - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

Summer Tanager - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

Baltimore Oriole - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 11th, 2019.

Eastern Screech-Owl - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Black-billed Cuckoo - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Dunlin - Howard Marsh, Lucas Co., OH. May 11th, 2019.

Great Horned Owl - Pearson Metropark, Lucas Co. , OH. May 11th, 2019.

Eastern Whip-poor-will - Magee Marsh, Ottawa Co., OH. May 12th, 2019.

Entrance to Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, Sandusky, Erie Co., OH. May 12th, 2019. 

We experienced a lot of flooding in the first few days of the trip but we still managed to get to our birding sites

by using rubber boots which came in really handy for our days along the Erie shore. 

Henslow's Sparrow - Ottawa Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.

Marsh Wren - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Trumpeter Swan - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 13th, 2019.

Sandhill Cranes - Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas Co., OH. May 11th, 2019.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Oak Openings, Lucas Co., OH. May 14th, 2019.