tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58361658002572854782024-03-18T17:44:22.622-04:00Birding the Crane Creek - Magee Region of Northwest OhioBirders all over North America have heard of "the boardwalk at Crane Creek" as a fabulous place to see migrants, while locals more often refer to "the Magee boardwalk." The confusion is understandable. The famous boardwalk is actually on the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, while the adjacent parking lot and beach are part of Crane Creek State Park. On these pages I refer to "the Crane Creek Region" as a general term for the Lake Erie shoreline between Toledo and Sandusky, Ohio.Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-56532239264667056922019-05-12T17:25:00.002-04:002019-05-12T17:25:59.701-04:00Migration Update May 12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsOU1o_GyVXXF3oH_PrmZX_EOAw-LsjhauC0_mXk260y4Wj88KEBPHlDUiFwMr7BSYmPJAFakqoA7yqeiRziRF9QeNcZiLZYJfrZetmRVTso-IrX8KhyphenhyphenZ5pOlUho2S77dadqALuvZqJht/s1600/IMG_4277_SCTA_Ryan+Jacob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="1600" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsOU1o_GyVXXF3oH_PrmZX_EOAw-LsjhauC0_mXk260y4Wj88KEBPHlDUiFwMr7BSYmPJAFakqoA7yqeiRziRF9QeNcZiLZYJfrZetmRVTso-IrX8KhyphenhyphenZ5pOlUho2S77dadqALuvZqJht/s400/IMG_4277_SCTA_Ryan+Jacob.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male Scarlet Tanager foraging among boxelder along the Magee Marsh boardwalk. Photo: Ryan Jacob.<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday, May 12: </b><i>Ryan Jacob writes:</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Beginning
Thursday, May 9, new winds from the south were able to overcome the northerly
blasts, and the marsh region was renewed with fresh migrants. Leading up to
International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 11, birding in the area was
quite exceptional. With cooler temperatures still accompanying these new winds,
photography opportunities have been plentiful with most birds foraging low, and
on days with rain, cuckoos have moved down from their typical canopy haunts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With this turnover, a bump in diversity has definitely been
noticeable with Magnolia, Cape May, Bay-breasted, Nashville,
Chestnut-sided, and Tennessee Warblers all becoming more prevalent (albeit in scant
numbers), with lesser numbers of Blackburnian and Blackpoll. Replacing the last
of the Hermit Thrushes, Swainson’s Thrushes finally made their first push through
the region on Thursday, with moderate numbers of Wood Thrushes and a handful of
sightings of Gray-cheeked and Veery. However, leading to today (Sunday, May 12)
thrushes have all but disappeared, with the next arrivals most likely held up
in southern Ohio. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the greatest finds this week was of a Townsend’s
Warbler, spotted by members of Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s Ohio Young
Birders Club (OYBC) on the boardwalk at Maumee Bay State Park. This bird (seen
the evening of Friday, May 10) represents one of only a handful of sightings of
the species in the state of Ohio, but was made even more incredible by the fact
that it was from the OYBC – an exceptionally bright and enthusiastic group of
young naturalists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As has been the case since March, the region is retaining a
high degree of water, making typical shallow areas and mudflats too deep for
migrating shorebirds. However, areas within Howard Marsh Metropark and the farm
fields behind Barnside Creamery have been holding small groups of Dunlin, both
yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, and the occasional dowitcher and Black-bellied
Plover. The Boss Unit of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex (typically a
great place for viewing shorebirds) has had an assortment of birds utilizing
its waters, but they have been restricted to the far side of the unit,
southwest of the viewing platform, where the water isn’t quite as deep. One
benefit to the region-wide flooding though, has been the easy access to rail
species. With most water high along dike roads and paths, Sora have been easily
seen walking along marsh edges and along the south side of the big loop of the
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area boardwalk and earlier last week a Black Rail was
reported along the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge auto tour. Also, just to the
north, a flock of four Whimbrels is still being reported today at Pointe
Mouillee State Game Area in Monroe County, Michigan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Looking ahead: </b>The
Biggest Week In American Birding may be over today, but there are many birds
yet to come. Numbers are a little scant at the moment, but variety remains
high. Anyone wanting to or with the only opportunity to go out Monday or
Tuesday, should still experience some fair birding. The expected temperatures
are a bit chilly for mid-May, but this provides an excellent opportunity to
view and photograph birds foraging lower in the vegetation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As of today’s check, the next push of migration can be
expected for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, May 15. </b>Winds
are expected to shift from Tuesday into Wednesday to a southerly direction, and
right now forecast maps are predicting a good setup of low pressure systems to
drive warmer southerly winds towards northwest Ohio. As with any prediction,
things can change; and as we draw closer to Wednesday, it will be beneficial to
watch the overnight weather conditions. Right now, Wednesday looks like it
should be the next good day for migration. However, if that changes or the wind
shift is delayed, Thursday or Friday would be good alternate days. In
particular, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday, May 17,</b> is
calling for southwest winds and thunderstorms in the morning. With incoming
thunderstorms, birds will be pushed ahead toward the lake and any associated
rain may deter them from traversing the open waters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This next push, known as the “big wave,” generally brings
the highest volume of birds. And, if weather conditions are just right, there
can be a massive number of neotropical migrants utilizing the lakeshore
marshes. Associated with this movement is a much higher volume of Magnolia
Warbler, as well as Nashville, Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, and Blackburnian.
Along with a wide variety of warblers, look for a big push of Swainson’s Thrush
with lesser numbers of Gray-cheeked and Veery; as well as orioles, tanagers,
and more sightings of Red-eyed Vireo. While we’re still a little ways away from
peak migration for the following species, this next push should also see more
inklings of Empidonax flycatchers and cuckoos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-47214600355377215282019-05-07T16:37:00.000-04:002019-05-07T16:37:02.824-04:00May 7 Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPp0E4FTh-9uutYaKdgW7ZbfvVmEpQAbqn6s0ZDjCeH7LN45lhCYQVbN7Fyw6klpIVEXhsUKiHyGN-T6c5oosbYM1AntX3YrctNij_PZGr-jupcjKjMrJRik2D8PcaSFzexbB923igG_y/s1600/KIWA+Jeff+Bouton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="623" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPp0E4FTh-9uutYaKdgW7ZbfvVmEpQAbqn6s0ZDjCeH7LN45lhCYQVbN7Fyw6klpIVEXhsUKiHyGN-T6c5oosbYM1AntX3YrctNij_PZGr-jupcjKjMrJRik2D8PcaSFzexbB923igG_y/s400/KIWA+Jeff+Bouton.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male Kirtland's Warbler pauses at a private residence at Curtice, Ohio, near Howard Marsh Metropark, on May 6, 2019. Photo: Jeff Bouton.<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tuesday, May 7: </b><i>Ryan Jacob writes:</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>As
predicted, a new shift of winds to the south Sunday night produced some new
arrivals Monday morning, May 6. It was a tough call to gauge how large of a
push of second wave migrants would occur, but as suspected, diversity
definitely increased with only a mild rise in numbers. While southerly winds
were definitely beneficial for nocturnal movement, much of this air was also
mixed with cold northerly air around the lakeshore region. Regardless, the
marshes were alive with great new arrivals! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before we delve into these arrivals and departures, probably
the greatest sighting yesterday was of not one, but TWO Kirtland’s Warblers;
one on the Estuary Trail at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (accessed from the west end of the parking lot at the Magee Marsh boardwalk) and another at a private residence near Howard Marsh (in
addition to at least three other birds reported in the region recently). At
this point, more Kirtland’s have been seen in the region than Bay-breasted
Warbler! This has been not only a great opportunity for birders to see this
chunky, jack-pine-loving warbler, but is a great correlation to the
repopulation success of the species, and an indicator of the importance of
lakeshore habitat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As stated, Sunday’s wind did not bring in a massive number
of birds, but there were new arrivals. Black-throated Green Warbler, Nashville,
Ovenbird, Cape May, and Black-and-white have become more prevalent, as well as
additions of American Redstart, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Blackpoll.
Surprisingly, new thrush arrival was not evident from field observations or
from Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s research station. But, Gray Catbirds
experienced a good surge, as well as a slight uptick in Lincoln’s and
White-crowned Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, and Red-eyed, Warbling, and Blue-headed
Vireo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recent arrivals from last week and over the weekend –
particularly Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Baltimore Oriole – that were quite
numerous, all but disappeared going into Monday, with a lesser number appearing
again today, Tuesday, May 7. Slowly dwindling down to single digit sightings,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and
White-throated Sparrow have nearly all departed and this week could be the last
we see of these species until fall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Looking ahead:</b> As
forecast and suspected a few days ago, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday,
May 9</b>, still appears that it will see a new and large influx of birds. With
a line of low pressure systems along the central US, warm southerly winds will
be headed along the Mississippi River through Ohio Wednesday night into
Thursday. Of course, with a low pressure system, rain and clouds are sure to
come with this new air. Wind speeds are expected to be moderate with areas in
southern Ohio experiencing a low of only 70 degrees – making for good flying
conditions – and rain is not predicted to come until right around sunrise. If
this timing stays the same, rain could force arriving (and departing) birds to
hunker down in the lakeshore marshes rather than attempting to cross the lake.
While rain is expected throughout the rest of the day, any break in the
precipitation will be a great opportunity to get out and start searching the
local hotspots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being that weather is weather, and can always change, an
alternative day or even possibly an extension of this Thursday push can be
expected for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Friday, May 10</b>, as
well, with continued southwest winds overnight and a low in the mid 60’s. If
the forecast remains the same, the afternoon of Friday will clear up, allowing
for sunshine to appear and heighten bird activity as they chase down insect
prey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Continuing along with Monday’s arrivals, we can expect to
see more warblers and variety including Magnolia Warbler and Nashville; as well
as Baltimore Oriole, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Swainson’s Thrush, and Veery. While
we’re still too early for the arrival of most flycatchers, we can expect to see
more Great Crested Flycatcher and Least Flycatcher, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wheeping
</i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chebeking</i> amongst the warbler
songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-76377534703116666612019-05-05T18:25:00.000-04:002019-05-05T18:25:10.587-04:00Migration and Weather Update, May 5 <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R1Al_JYGvHnUF0fbJ_z3pdG5OqdbBncZJcTaj7fyyLR168TU6TdHLeCdB0ht8rMpsUc2J_m4y_KaI2pGMvOqYqmZ2Clqc09dXL2RI1ZVs8jFaL2q8noj6ZExCIiuHULy-Sh-ooczLX8N/s1600/BTBW+Nate+K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R1Al_JYGvHnUF0fbJ_z3pdG5OqdbBncZJcTaj7fyyLR168TU6TdHLeCdB0ht8rMpsUc2J_m4y_KaI2pGMvOqYqmZ2Clqc09dXL2RI1ZVs8jFaL2q8noj6ZExCIiuHULy-Sh-ooczLX8N/s400/BTBW+Nate+K.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male Black-throated Blue Warbler foraging among the tangles along the Magee Marsh boardwalk. Photo: Nate Koszycki.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Sunday, May 5:</b> <i>Ryan Jacob writes:</i> Despite temperatures that have felt more like mid-April, the last few days have
seen a good migration push of the kind that we've been looking forward to. Beginning
Wednesday, May 1, bird numbers throughout the region steadily began to climb,
crescendoing to Friday, May 3 (the start of Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s
Biggest Week in American Birding) when conditions in the area were almost
“fallout” in nature. First wave migrants including Yellow, Yellow-rumped, and
Palm Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow, and Rose-breasted
Grosbeak invaded the region, and with cold temperatures and misty conditions, a
large number of birds were forced down into available habitat. This offered great
low views of numerous birds, as well as some sightings of fairly rare birds
such as Kirtland’s and Kentucky Warbler at the Magee Marsh Boardwalk, and
Clay-colored Sparrow at Metzger Marsh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Weather conditions remained the same throughout much of
Saturday May 4 and then gradually warmed on Sunday May 5, with bird numbers steadily falling as
migrants continued north, and only mild northerly winds standing between them
and Canada. While Ruby-crowned Kinglets are still slowly winding down,
Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers have seemingly disappeared within one night;
while other recent arrivals such as Black-throated Blue Warbler, Nashville
Warbler, and Baltimore Oriole only being seen in single digits in many areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Much of northwest
Ohio remains flooded – creating ample foraging for shorebirds, but a challenge
for birders – birds of the shore are appearing throughout the area (including
roving Franklin’s Gulls) and in mudflats at Howard Marsh which has been holding
Black-necked Stilt, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, and both Yellowlegs. (Yellow-headed Blackbird is also being seen frequently at Howard Marsh). Another area
to check as migration progresses is the field behind Barnside Creamery on Rt 2
and OH-19, which is quite saturated and has been known in the past to
attract shorebirds such as godwits and plovers (it’s also a quick place to grab
lunch and some ice cream).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>For
spring migration, we are always looking for warm southwest winds overnight to
bring new migrants into the region. However, the weather doesn’t always
cooperate with what “we’d like to see” for a good push of birds. Looking into
the upcoming week, tonight going into <b>Monday,
May 6, </b>is looking like the next (or at least most optimal) day for
migrants. With winds shifting to southwest Sunday into Monday, new arrivals of
warblers (including Magnolia, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, and Bay-breasted),
vireos, flycatchers, and thrushes should be hitting the lakeshore. These winds
don’t appear to be carrying warm tropical air that we would look for with a big
push, but any wind direction other than north will benefit incoming arrivals.
This date also lines up with the second wave of migration in northwest Ohio
which typically occurs between May 7 and 10.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Looking even farther ahead, if Monday does not see the
movement we are expecting, keep an eye out for weather conditions on <b>Thursday, May 9. </b>Going into the morning
of Thursday, winds are expected to be from the southwest, with a low of only 60
degrees. While these conditions are certainly great for migration, they also
bring thunderstorms and rain. If precipitation is light going into Thursday,
this could also be an alternate day to look forward to for the next big push of
migrants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-55348016444485042072019-05-01T18:04:00.000-04:002019-05-01T18:04:12.777-04:00May 1 Migrant Update and Outlook<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qs9gYwU4dMW7kt7xVwWDmD1XXsl7PWIFSjGdkb5HkcwwMt9ieGLT-a_vNJRZJBxx1HKReRNRhaemvjLg0aSG4JLdNuAknhJDm_wG5plLhDSk7Wnb3fKAhrjBUtOO6oprPyIKyXAh_EST/s1600/Baltimore+Oriole+KK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="678" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qs9gYwU4dMW7kt7xVwWDmD1XXsl7PWIFSjGdkb5HkcwwMt9ieGLT-a_vNJRZJBxx1HKReRNRhaemvjLg0aSG4JLdNuAknhJDm_wG5plLhDSk7Wnb3fKAhrjBUtOO6oprPyIKyXAh_EST/s400/Baltimore+Oriole+KK.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baltimore Orioles were among the migrants flooding into the region today. Photo: Matt Sanders</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Wednesday May 1, 2019:</b> <i>Ryan Jacob writes:</i> Well, migration really feels like it has finally kicked off in the marshes of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">northwest Ohio. For what seems like weeks, the area has been blasted by northerly cold winds, allowing for very minor bird movement. However today, May 1, winds in the morning shifted just enough to the south to allow for some great bird movement. Many new warblers entered the area including more Yellow Warblers, Black-throated Green, Nashville, and Prothonotary, and southern overshoots such as Hooded and Prairie. Also accompanying the “stars of migration,” Baltimore Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks invaded the area, with lesser appearances by Veery, Swainson’s Thrush, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and Gray Catbird.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But most spectacular of all, Blue Jays were on the move today in great numbers. Being diurnal migrants, Blue Jays are hesitant to cross Lake Erie, making a decision to travel either west or east along its shoreline, and allowing for easy views of migration in process (something we don’t get to observe from nocturnal migrants). Just from Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s Navarre Marsh Banding Station, an estimated 2,000 jays were recorded traversing the lakeshore from 8am until noon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another group of diurnal migrants on the move today were Broad-winged Hawks. Again, as with other migrants this season, we have not seen the biggest raptor push through the area due to northerly winds. Along with scant numbers of Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawk, Broad-wings were observed heading northwest near the lakeshore. The next shift to southerly winds could still see some excellent raptor movement near the lake, and it will be worth keeping an on the sky between occasional looks for warblers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you haven’t been to northwest Ohio recently, then you might be surprised to learn (or maybe not) </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">that the region has experienced a massive amount of flooding. This is good and bad. Good for shorebirds searching for shallow fields to forage in. Bad for birders hoping for views of said shorebirds. Flooded fields throughout the area have provided many opportunities for migrating shorebirds, reducing the concentration of birds when local water levels are lower. However, already living up to its inaugural reputation, Howard Marsh Metropark has provided some accessible mudflats for shorebirds and has recently hosted Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Dunlin, and even the occasional Yellow-headed Blackbird.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Along with the birds that have come in, the marshes are seeing some of the last “winter birds.” Golden-crowned Kinglet are very few and far between, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets are now making their last push through the region with mainly females being seen. Fox Sparrows have not been spotted for a couple of weeks or so, and White-throated Sparrow and Hermit Thrush seem to be making their last push.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead:</b> A few days ago, it appeared that tomorrow, Thursday May 2, would be the first really good day for migration. However, forecasts have changed and winds are expected to come from the west to northwest. Low pressure systems are developing in the central US which should be great for warm air and birds traveling into northern regions. But this unclear weather direction along the lakeshore could make for some great birding tomorrow, or keep recently arrived birds along the lakeshore. Either way, tomorrow should be a good day for birding. Woodlots along the lakeshore will be worth checking, especially Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and the woodlot at Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area (which can hold quite a variety of migrants in the right conditions). If winds are coming from the north, areas such as Pearson Metropark and the woods surrounding Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge’s visitor center could be good alternate birding locations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As these pressure systems make their way to the east, cold northern air is expected to hit the region on Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4. While a jacket may be necessary for outdoor excursions, this can be an excellent opportunity to see birds foraging lower than normal, following the insect activity closer to the ground. Combined with bouts of rain, birds in this weather should be right near eye-level while in areas such as the Magee Marsh Boardwalk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While predicting anything past a couple of days is difficult (even for the professional meteorologists), it currently appears that our next wave of migration could come in Tuesday May 7, when winds again shift to the south and warm air infiltrates overnight. This lines right up with the second wave of migration, when the biggest push of neotropical migrants descend upon the region. Again, the timing of this push won’t be clear until we head farther into the week.</span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-1782241838598381262018-05-11T12:09:00.000-04:002018-05-11T12:09:51.457-04:00Update: Changing forecast and migration outlook May 12 - 16<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hyphenhyphenYNeMGpU8X4TMvwK2mHZY2BPiD8DwabnOcKRROmb0ETQrvORVgFza2pk7VO546Z1r-ShvPNtZ0mgQlxreiItdqF8DhbkB3h-W5T7vssKsm9CSGBdhDb7BQqdI3m-gsqrI71isN5CJWe/s1600/Bay-breasted+Warbler+20110519+Magee+2104+KK_700w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="700" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hyphenhyphenYNeMGpU8X4TMvwK2mHZY2BPiD8DwabnOcKRROmb0ETQrvORVgFza2pk7VO546Z1r-ShvPNtZ0mgQlxreiItdqF8DhbkB3h-W5T7vssKsm9CSGBdhDb7BQqdI3m-gsqrI71isN5CJWe/s400/Bay-breasted+Warbler+20110519+Magee+2104+KK_700w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A female Bay-breasted Warbler pauses along the Estuary Trail at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio. Photo by Kenn Kaufman. </td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Friday May 11, 2018:</b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Three days ago, based on the weather forecast at the time, we predicted that tomorrow (Saturday the 12th) could see a major arrival of migrants. The weather pattern has changed since then. Tonight (Friday night) there will still be strong winds from the south, all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Midwest, but apparently they won't reach northern Ohio. A high-pressure area over southern Ontario will block that system, so here along the Lake Erie shoreline, we're supposed to get cool temperatures, east-northeast winds, and probably scattered thunderstorms during the night. Saturday and Sunday will continue to be relatively cool, with northeasterly winds and probably with scattered thunderstorms on Saturday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What does that mean for birding? While we probably won't see many new birds arriving, most of the migrants that are here now should stick around. Excellent numbers and variety of warblers and other migrants have been seen in all the usual spots along and near Lake Erie during the last couple of days, and that good birding continued this morning. When we get a cold spell in mid-May, it usually brings many migrants down to forage at lower levels, since fewer insects are active in the treetops in the chilly breeze. Under these conditions, photography can be excellent. But be sure to carry good waterproof covering for your camera gear in case of sudden downpours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When migrants are grounded here by northerly winds, the best strategy for birders is to check multiple spots instead of continuing to work the same areas. During their stopovers, some migrants move around but others stay in the same spot for several days, so it's good to visit more different places to find different individuals. At <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/birding-locations.html" target="_blank">this link</a> you can find directions to many excellent birding sites. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A slow migration day might be the perfect time to visit the Oak Openings area, a short distance away on the west side of Toledo. Lark Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Henslow's Sparrow are being seen near the south end of Girdham Road, and Red Crossbills are in the pines near the Lodge at the south end of Wilkins Road; see <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/uploads/3/0/8/0/30807041/oakopenings.pdf" target="_blank">this map</a> for directions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead:</b> The winds are supposed to shift to southeasterly sometime Sunday night, and depending on when that happens, we could see some turnover on Monday, the 14th. Tuesday May 15 and especially Wednesday May 16 should produce more new birds after southwesterly winds overnight. At the moment it doesn't appear that these will be huge flight days, just fairly good ones; but as we've seen, weather forecasts can change quickly! We should at least start to see better numbers of flycatchers and of typical late migrants like Canada Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-61099797468154415062018-05-08T10:25:00.000-04:002018-05-08T15:07:08.926-04:00May 9 - 13: Two more waves incoming<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATPwr_SUQzj2zBJowGmzdI6KlKJn8leFsBViXARKxp04-mvrBSUg2rVcAmGakEoZoWl5SYke8G60uwlWRrc7NpQBJUEtTYleRXIq07xzh4C1fm3gSKI6vLXnvQ7x2gedZd_wEY54DE9aO/s1600/N+Parula+20180502+Magee_1277+KK_700w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="700" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATPwr_SUQzj2zBJowGmzdI6KlKJn8leFsBViXARKxp04-mvrBSUg2rVcAmGakEoZoWl5SYke8G60uwlWRrc7NpQBJUEtTYleRXIq07xzh4C1fm3gSKI6vLXnvQ7x2gedZd_wEY54DE9aO/s400/N+Parula+20180502+Magee_1277+KK_700w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Northern Parula launches from a twig at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio, in early May 2018. Photo by Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday May 8, 2018:</b> After a very slow migration up through April 30th, the birding has been outstanding locally in the week since, making for a great start to <b>The Biggest Week in American Birding</b>. Large numbers of migrants came in overnight on several nights, and rain helped to put birds down in local habitats around May 3rd and 4th. Numbers of new arrivals haven't been as large for the last couple of days, but warblers, thrushes, and other migratory songbirds have remained numerous in woodlots near the Lake Erie shore, as they rest and feed to build strength for the next leg of their journey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, a <b>Neotropic Cormorant</b> (very rare in Ohio) was along the auto tour May 5 and 6. It was near the northeasternmost corner of the auto tour route (identified on refuge maps as the corner of Trumpeter Trail and N. Estuary Avenue) but it would be worth watching for anywhere at Ottawa, Metzger Marsh, or Magee Marsh. A Rough-legged Hawk (common here in winter but very rare in May) lingered through this morning along Stange Road north of State Route 2, on the southwest edge of Ottawa NWR.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The new Howard Marsh Metropark (off Howard Road north of State Route 2, west of Metzger Marsh) has been outstanding for shorebirds this week. Big flocks of American Golden-Plovers have been consistent, with sightings of Black-necked Stilt, Ruddy Turnstone, Wilson's Phalarope, and others. American Pipits and Horned Larks have been in open areas along the entrance road. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Looking ahead, winds are expected to be light and variable tonight (Tuesday night) under clear skies, so some migrants will be moving, but we don't expect a big arrival Wednesday morning. However, winds are supposed to shift to the south on Wednesday and to be strong out of the south and southwest that night, with scattered thunderstorms, so Thursday morning should see a widespread arrival of migrants, at inland sites as well as along the lake shore. Northerly winds on Thursday should keep birds grounded here. Then a strong flow on Friday night, bringing southwest winds all the way from the Gulf of Mexico, should usher in another major arrival of migrants on Saturday, as long as the forecast doesn't change too much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The wave of birds that arrived last week included an interesting mix of species that usually push through in late April (like Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers) with species more typical of the second wave in May (like Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, and Blackpoll Warblers). Some of the typical later migrants are still scarce or absent. Very few flycatchers have arrived, and very few of the late warblers like Mourning, Wilson's, and Canada. If the weather forecast holds up, we should start to see more of such birds by this weekend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To recap, we expect very good birding to continue through the next six days. We should see a moderate arrival of new migrants on <b>Thursday May 10</b> and potentially a bigger wave on <b>Saturday May 12.</b> Conditions for the 12th should bring migrants to all good habitats along the lake shore, so if you're concerned about potential crowds at the Magee Marsh boardwalk on a big Saturday, there are several great alternatives, such as Maumee Bay State Park, Metzger Marsh woodlot, and all the woods at Ottawa NWR. Just east of Port Clinton, East Harbor State Park, Marblehead Lighthouse, and Meadowbrook Marsh are all excellent. Over in Erie County, Pipe Creek Wildlife Area and Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve can be outstanding on big flight days. You can find directions to these sites at <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/birding-locations.html" target="_blank">this link.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-22192879530893633712018-05-03T21:03:00.002-04:002018-05-03T21:13:16.361-04:00Update: Current Conditions and Looking Ahead through May 7<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcs4hHmgPoGvF12Va1nVE7DPHqFobqI5S2oTcqPSxOKOmL76oFDnX7UY-w2DnjRD7pUQRnsG3LQbgkQbD9sl3a6fHdHkotj2qsmbfKmFfvLnQXuZdYz8jEZr7eZ9X1ssrzaJGsMHutAFP/s1600/KEWA+20180502+Magee_1322+KK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="700" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcs4hHmgPoGvF12Va1nVE7DPHqFobqI5S2oTcqPSxOKOmL76oFDnX7UY-w2DnjRD7pUQRnsG3LQbgkQbD9sl3a6fHdHkotj2qsmbfKmFfvLnQXuZdYz8jEZr7eZ9X1ssrzaJGsMHutAFP/s400/KEWA+20180502+Magee_1322+KK.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Kentucky Warbler entertained birders at the west entrance to the Magee Marsh boardwalk for hours on May 2nd. Photo by Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Thursday, May 3, 2018:</b> As predicted, after a very slow migration through the end of April, the floodgates opened this week. Numbers and variety of migrants in sites along Lake Erie increased dramatically on Tuesday May 1 and increased even more on Wednesday May 2. The number of warbler species in the area jumped from about six to more than 25. Between rain showers today (Thursday) the birding was still outstanding, with most of Wednesday's prizes still around. As The Biggest Week in American Birding launches tomorrow, we can be certain that there will be plenty of birds around each day, even though the flow of migration will vary from day to day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A notable feature Wednesday was the arrival of some "overflight" species: birds that mostly nest farther south than this, evidently overshooting their intended destination. Such birds tend to be early spring migrants, and are most likely here at the end of April. Kentucky, Worm-eating, and Hooded Warblers are examples. All three were seen Wednesday and again Thursday at Magee Marsh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thunderstorms moved through the area on Wednesday night. When this happens, we can predict that migrants will be more widespread the next day, not just concentrated on the lake shore, because they stop wherever they are when they run into rain. So as expected, today (Thursday) birds like Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Baltimore Orioles were widespread, even in woods several miles from the lake. This can make for excellent birding at sites like Pearson Metropark and Oak Openings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Looking ahead, tonight (Thursday May 3) we're supposed to have continued southwest winds, with scattered thunderstorms moving through between midnight and dawn. So we may get more migrants arriving, but again they should be well dispersed through all good local habitats, and many of today's specialties are likely to stick around. With more variable winds over the weekend, we should continue to see some turnover through Saturday, but then new arrivals are likely to be fewer on Sunday May 6 and Monday May 7 after northerly winds set in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In that weather pattern you can still have great birding, but it takes a different strategy. Instead of just scouring one hotspot (like the Magee boardwalk or the Metzger Marsh woodlot), it works better to visit a variety of spots. There are many good migrant spots in northwestern Ohio, from Erie County sites like Sheldon Marsh and Pipe Creek to state parks like East Harbor and Maumee Bay and many of the Toledo Metroparks. See <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/birding-locations.html" target="_blank">this link</a> for more ideas about places to visit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The wildlife drive at <b>Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge,</b> always an outstanding route for birding, will be open every day from May 4 through 20. This provides access to some of the best waterbird habitat in Ohio. The woodlots at Ottawa, accessible from the visitors' center or from the parking lot straight north from the entrance, are also wonderful places for warblers and other migrants. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And if you want to explore, check out the brand-new <b>Howard Marsh Metropark</b> -- on Howard Road just north of State Route 2, just west of the entrance to Metzger Marsh near the village of Bono. Howard Marsh has only been open to the public for about a week, and it has already produced sightings of American Avocet, Willet, and American Golden-Plover, among other species.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>A couple of safety notes:</b> The boardwalk at Magee Marsh can be extremely slippery after rains! Please step carefully if it's at all wet. Also, please do not stop on any of the area roads to look at birds. If you think you've spotted something outstanding, find a safe place to pull completely off the pavement. Thank you!</span><br />
<br />Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-38373687506074341912018-04-28T11:47:00.000-04:002018-04-28T12:14:47.747-04:00April 30 to May 4: First Big Wave Coming<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c9LekM4Ie3vd6ZznUCfWoQkuBkUxqOMVDqjRlN0FDLseJde2ijSQJbrLyqv_16XxjZfYMdR6P9zy8sDMLR68b8YYZQTrs2pg9F6fgppiv7Tea8zIfCfG_3RQLyeu98VFBuQvyph5rpBt/s1600/BTGreen+W+20070501+Magee2645_700w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="700" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4c9LekM4Ie3vd6ZznUCfWoQkuBkUxqOMVDqjRlN0FDLseJde2ijSQJbrLyqv_16XxjZfYMdR6P9zy8sDMLR68b8YYZQTrs2pg9F6fgppiv7Tea8zIfCfG_3RQLyeu98VFBuQvyph5rpBt/s400/BTGreen+W+20070501+Magee2645_700w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-throated Green Warbler, one of the migrant species that should show up in good numbers during the next few days. Photo by Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday, April 28, 2018:</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> As of today migration still seems delayed. The warblers and other stars of The Biggest Week In American Birding - which begins in six days - haven't arrived in big numbers yet. Fortunately, at this season, migration is not a gradual thing: big pulses of movement happen when conditions are right. Conditions should be right in a couple of days. With many migrants undoubtedly dammed up to the south of us, we should have a major arrival of variety and numbers starting around Tuesday, May 1, and continuing through the week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This last week in woods near Lake Erie, the selection of species seemed more typical of early April, featuring Golden-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wrens, and other early birds. On Thursday, April 26, a modest influx brought in many White-throated Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers, plus a few other early warblers such as Palm, Pine, and Orange-crowned. But northerly winds and some overnight rains stopped the flow again by Friday night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For birding in northwest Ohio this weekend, April 28-29, diversity of migrants from the tropics is likely to remain low, but there are fair numbers of early species. Leaves on the trees are just budding out, so birds are easier to see (and photograph) than they will be later in the season after full leaf-out. Area marshes are still holding a fair variety of ducks and other water birds. Some low-water spots along the Magee Marsh causeway are attracting shorebirds; two Willets were there on Friday, the 27th. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A high-pressure area will slide gradually eastward over us this weekend, with light or northerly winds, and nighttime temperatures down near freezing. But by sometime Monday, as the high moves on east and a low approaches from the west, winds should switch around strongly to the southwest, with daytime temperatures up to the high 60s on Monday and the 70s on following days. The sustained southwesterly air flow should bring large numbers and greatly increased variety of migrants. The number of warbler species along the Magee Marsh boardwalk, for example, should jump from the current 3 or 4 up to something like 10 to 20, along with an arrival of orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and others. We're overdue for a big daytime flight of Broad-winged Hawks, and that could happen as early as Monday, if the wind shifts early enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When will be the best birding this week? It's hard to pick a favorite because <b>Tuesday May 1 through Friday May 4</b> all appear to have great potential. Based on current weather forecasts I expect each of those days to produce new birds that have arrived overnight. Thunderstorm activity beginning Wednesday afternoon may have the effect of putting more migrants down, depending on exactly when and where those storms move through. Anyway, regardless of questions about exact timing, migration is just about to kick into high gear. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-23572550485591704832018-04-13T19:30:00.000-04:002018-04-13T19:30:25.187-04:00Update: Weekend of April 14-15<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb5_3SbYTwWdzTaxeZMj4f-Snk00SuZwvDfI3s-5YCngSVGClgHhSr0GPQ1kUazivUUk7oA7iaKzmjuC-SuAW9zWEtoLiGZi7c9zhdy3Ou9gqxZYPAGQRwWi9w0Ms5RoifjWCjjItmPog/s1600/Purple+Finch+090408+lucas+co+OH+2346+KK+700w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="700" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb5_3SbYTwWdzTaxeZMj4f-Snk00SuZwvDfI3s-5YCngSVGClgHhSr0GPQ1kUazivUUk7oA7iaKzmjuC-SuAW9zWEtoLiGZi7c9zhdy3Ou9gqxZYPAGQRwWi9w0Ms5RoifjWCjjItmPog/s400/Purple+Finch+090408+lucas+co+OH+2346+KK+700w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Numbers of Purple Finches arrived in northwestern Ohio this week. Photo by Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br />Friday, April 13, 2018:</b> At the time of our last post, the extended weather forecast made it sound as if this weekend could offer very good birding. Unfortunately, the forecast has changed considerably since then. The southerly winds of the last couple of days are ending tonight. Winds will shift around to the northeast, temperatures will drop, and we're predicted to get a lot of rain over the weekend in northwestern Ohio. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The middle of this week did see a good arrival of early migrants, as predicted. Daytime flights brought a push of Sharp-shinned Hawks and some other raptors. Among the nocturnal migrants that appeared or increased this week were Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Purple Finch, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. With the arrival of northerly winds and cooler temperatures, these birds are likely to stick around. So if you can get out between rain showers this weekend, and check the sheltered, downwind, edges of the woods, you may still find good birding. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking ahead, we may have southerly winds and the chance for a good daytime flight on Wednesday, April 18. But overall the pattern looks like a return to cooler temperatures and winds mostly from the north, holding down the migration. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While this weather forecast may seem a little discouraging, it's important to remember that some migrants will continue to filter into the region even if conditions aren't favorable. And when the weather does shift to bring warmer temps and southerly winds, there will be a huge backlog of migrants still south of us, waiting to move in this direction. We will keep an eye on the forecasts and try to update as soon as we have potential good news. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-64411508058577644742018-04-08T12:31:00.000-04:002018-04-08T12:31:18.333-04:00April 11 to 15: More Migrants Incoming<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgK9L24sgxIW4lYmmCyJBr1wNloST2myszl6uC5_PGoBdofBhu5HO1H3ii8ynIUspgLK_np61HvrGpwNNzw4w1p6LP6K3SbxEaKwWtl7yVeHB6oUaR-vxd0AV8MGJNOAIUwXa2Bnfu3k9/s1600/Yellow-rumpedWarbler20070423Magee2487_700w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="700" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgK9L24sgxIW4lYmmCyJBr1wNloST2myszl6uC5_PGoBdofBhu5HO1H3ii8ynIUspgLK_np61HvrGpwNNzw4w1p6LP6K3SbxEaKwWtl7yVeHB6oUaR-vxd0AV8MGJNOAIUwXa2Bnfu3k9/s400/Yellow-rumpedWarbler20070423Magee2487_700w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first major wave of Yellow-rumped Warblers should arrive in woodlots of northwestern Ohio within the next few days. Photo by Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>April 8, 2018:</b> After a month of cool temperatures and relatively few days with south winds, some aspects of spring migration seem a little behind schedule in northwestern Ohio. As a result, large numbers of migrants are probably held up to the south of us, so we can expect to see substantial movements of birds whenever conditions improve. For example, winds shifted to the south and southwest on March 31, and a huge flight of Turkey Vultures moved through the region that day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Waterfowl migration peaked in March as expected. The thousands of Tundra Swans that passed through are now mostly gone, and numbers of most ducks are decreasing now, although a good variety of species will be around for another couple of weeks. Good numbers of Tree Swallows, Great Egrets, and American Coots have returned to area marshes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the woodlots near Lake Erie, we're seeing the songbird migrants expected at the beginning of April: Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird, and others. They're around in modest numbers so far, but things are likely to pick up soon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If current weather forecasts don't change too much, we should see a major arrival of migrants beginning Wednesday or Thursday. There's some uncertainty caused by a small low-pressure area that may move either north of here or right through here on Thursday, but overall, we're predicted to have warmer temperatures and southerly winds from <b>Wednesday April 11 through Sunday April 15.</b> If I had to guess right now I would say that Wednesday and Friday might have the best daytime movements (of Turkey Vultures, raptors, and others) while Thursday and Saturday may be better for numbers of nocturnal migrant songbirds that have arrived overnight. Of course, weather predictions at this season are notoriously changeable. But any time during the latter half of the week should offer a chance to see early migrants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So far, only a few Yellow-rumped Warblers have arrived. There should be many more by late this week, along with Palm Warbler, and possibly a few others like Black-and-white Warbler and Pine Warbler. This is a good time to look for southern species "overshooting" their ranges, so Louisiana Waterthrush and Yellow-throated Warbler may show up at hotspots near the lake. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Speaking of hotspots - many visiting birders gravitate to the boardwalk at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, and of course that's a wonderful place, but it's just one of many superb birding sites in the region. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, right next door to Magee, can be spectacularly good, and the same is true for other spots such as Maumee Bay State Park, Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, East Harbor State Park, Sheldon Marsh State Nature Reserve, and others. For ideas and directions on local birding, <a href="http://www.bsbo.org/local-birding-hotspots.html" target="_blank">see this link</a> on the Black Swamp Bird Observatory website. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-80128138847816623402017-05-23T09:13:00.000-04:002017-05-23T09:13:29.695-04:00Migration Update and Finding Connecticut Warbler: May 23-28<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoCO9VFN9TY6e7eD5dWOoIt6G3977bPEYWNYr3UYYZierzIppJpVoH4jOq5HLWCKL3tnoRphQpMAcsUzeHHyAF9h5T6tMoXtf77cW6evCKPAh7q4_TCkjvuPL6OmMak44ZaGB-vLD0SU/s1600/IMG_1920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoCO9VFN9TY6e7eD5dWOoIt6G3977bPEYWNYr3UYYZierzIppJpVoH4jOq5HLWCKL3tnoRphQpMAcsUzeHHyAF9h5T6tMoXtf77cW6evCKPAh7q4_TCkjvuPL6OmMak44ZaGB-vLD0SU/s400/IMG_1920.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilson's Warbler: one of the typical late-May migrants. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday, May 23: </b>As predicted, last week (particularly Wednesday, May 17th) saw a great number and diversity of birds enter the region. With southerly winds each night from Tuesday through Friday, there was plenty of turnover each night with birds arriving and departing the marshes, until northerly winds took hold on Friday the 19th, retaining many migrants. With cooler daytime temperatures and some rain mixed in Friday through Sunday, any birds that were still in the area offered great looks, foraging low at eye-level. Dominating this arrival of migrants were American Redstart and Magnolia Warbler, with lesser numbers of Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Tennessee, and Red-eyed Vireo. Of special note, up until Sunday the 21st, a pair of <b>King Rail</b> could be heard and seen actively foraging on the eastern side of the Magee Marsh Causeway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Corroborated with daily totals from Black Swamp Bird Observatory's Navarre Marsh Banding Station, we also saw a somewhat early arrival of Wilson's Warbler, Canada, Mourning, and Connecticut, and also a substantial push of <i>Empidonax </i>flycatchers. Typically these species don't make a large push until the third wave of migrants in late May. But as many observers have seen, plenty of Wilson's, Canada, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher could be found throughout the region, with Willow and Alder Flycatchers being quite numerous for this time in May. (Note that Willow and Alder can't be separated with complete certainty if they're silent, so the old name "Traill's Flycatcher" is useful for designating this pair of species.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Following this southerly wind shift, the marshes saw the departure of many previously common migrant species. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm, Nashville, and Cape May made their final flight from the lake shore leading into Thursday. And while Hermit Thrush has completely disappeared, Swainson's and lesser numbers of Gray-cheeked have taken its place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>Heading into the third wave of migration, we can expect to see more <b>American Redstarts, Magnolia Warbler, Wilson's, Canada, Mourning, </b>and the elusive<b> Connecticut. </b>Along with <b>Red-eyed Vireo</b>, this is also the peak time for the <i><b>Empidonax</b> </i>flycatchers. However, given the numbers we've already seen enter the region, it's difficult to say what the abundance of these typical late-May migrants will be. Making this prediction even more challenging is the absence of true southerly winds. Each day this week seems to shift back and forth between southerly and northerly winds, with southerly winds bringing in cooler air from the Appalachians. While this wind origin won't necessarily drive birds away, it won't direct them to Northwest Ohio either, resulting in a scattering of birds across the lake shore. At this point, it doesn't look like the real push of southerly tropical winds will come until Saturday night leading into Sunday the 28th. But by this time many of the birds that would have taken advantage of this front will probably have moved through during the earlier part of the week. In terms of birding opportunities, check each night for southerly winds for good birding the next day (at this moment, those days appear to be <b>Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, the 24th, 25th, and 28th</b>). Also expected on these days is intermittent rain. While not great for birding and photographing in, periods after rainfall will generally see birds move low to eye-level, and into areas where vegetation is a little more sparse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Connecticut Warbler</b> is a highly sought-after migrant: It's uncommon, quiet, and secretive, and it migrates late in spring, after the peak of birding activity. In northwestern Ohio, May 20 to 30 is the best time to find it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This species forages mostly by walking slowly on the ground, occasionally jumping up onto a log or low branch. Males will sing from high perches on their breeding grounds in northern forest, but when they sing here in Ohio, they usually do so from just a few feet off the ground. So the birds are almost always very low or on the ground, inside forest or dense thickets, where they are hard to see. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The best way to seek these elusive migrants is to get out at dawn and listen for their loud, distinctive song. You can search more area by walking quickly and quietly, or driving slowly, along the edge of good habitat. At this <a href="http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/173597" target="_blank">link</a>, you can hear a good recording of the song from the Macaulay Library at Cornell. And at this <a href="http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Oporornis-agilis" target="_blank">link</a>, you can hear several recordings from Xeno-Canto.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Migrants usually stop singing shortly after dawn. After they've fallen silent, the best way to search is to walk very slowly on boardwalks or trails, stopping to scan any place where you can actually see the ground inside the forest. The Connecticut will be walking very slowly and methodically, its colors looking surprisingly obscure in the forest shadows. With great luck, you might see one pop up onto a log as you're going past. On the Magee Marsh boardwalk, some consistent areas have been between numbers 3 and 6, near number 10, near number 16, at the west end of the west parking lot, and along the Estuary Trail to the west. (For a map of the boardwalk showing the locations of the numbers, see <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/uploads/3/0/8/0/30807041/magee_marsh_boardwalk_map_and_text.pdf" target="_blank">this link</a>.) But this is very much a needle-in-a-haystack kind of search, so it's best if you can be out early enough to locate one by sound. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Where should you search? Greg Links, an ace birder with experience throughout this region, shared this list of specific places to look for Connecticut Warblers: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"In no particular order:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Magee Marsh - no details necessary. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Maumee Bay State Park - boardwalk behind the nature center, easternmost dike in the park that leads north from the parking area at the far east end of the cabin road. Also some of the grassy trails in the NW corner of the park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Far east end of Cedar Point Road, at Decant Road. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. North end of Yondota Road at entrance gate area to Cedar Point NWR (no access to refuge, and area around belong to water treatment plant. Stay on road.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If west of Toledo in Oak Openings area: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Wolfinger Road, between Secor Metropark and Bancroft Road (accessed from either).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Irwin Road, especially between Wolfinger and Bancroft. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Schwamberger Road between Bancroft and Old State Line Road.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. In Oak Openings Park, Sager Road between just west of Wilkins and Girdham roads."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In addition to the places listed above by Greg Links, we have found Connecticut Warbler on the Gallagher Trail behind Black Swamp Bird Observatory; inside the woods behind the visitors' center at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge; and in the woods at East Harbor State Park, east of Port Clinton. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-24336780548171581842017-05-15T12:05:00.000-04:002017-05-15T12:26:15.221-04:00Migration Update: May 16-21<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Kw4KUM-zTvSuPMqgjg4gdoy5DvdoT8ZPMgVIdrF13ypj0DUE1Jtbebc-v6LVU61TK1tLembk1WhaZYPTWhTvNYqbW5iivE0a3KyiPeLqCnnE77QWIyngj-DfWlIoT8KeECQ427rQn10/s1600/IMG_2955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Kw4KUM-zTvSuPMqgjg4gdoy5DvdoT8ZPMgVIdrF13ypj0DUE1Jtbebc-v6LVU61TK1tLembk1WhaZYPTWhTvNYqbW5iivE0a3KyiPeLqCnnE77QWIyngj-DfWlIoT8KeECQ427rQn10/s320/IMG_2955.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-billed Cuckoo: a typical - yet hard to find - migrant in mid-May.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Monday, May 15: </b>The end of the "pressure system clog" is nigh, and the birds are telling us that they are ready to arrive. Over the past week the lake shore region has seen a great diversity of incoming migrants, pushing against northerly winds to get to their breeding grounds. Because of persistent northerly winds Tuesday through Friday, birds weren't in a great abundance in the marshes, and seemed to be spread across the Midwest rather than being driven to Lake Erie. However, with calm to southerly winds leading into Saturday and Sunday, the region began to see some of the numbers and the diversity we would expect at this time in May, especially on Sunday, May 14th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>American Redstart, Black-and-white, Nashville, Magnolia, and Tennessee Warbler</b> all increased in abundance over the weekend, and multiple <b>Blackpoll</b> and <b>Wilson's Warblers</b> were seen at key lake shore sites. An increase in flycatchers was apparent, with <b>Willow Flycatchers</b> beginning to populate their local breeding areas, and more sightings of <b>Least, Great Crested, and Eastern Kingbird. </b>Along with these more "common" migrants, there were plenty of notable finds throughout the region including Prairie, Connecticut, and Canada Warbler on the Magee Marsh boardwalk, a handful of Mournings scattered across the lake shore marshes, and <b>Golden-wingeds</b> seen at Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Maumee Bay SP, and Oak Openings MP. On Sunday, a <b>Connecticut Warbler</b> was singing south of the boardwalk at Maumee Bay State Park, and two males were singing (and a female was seen) along the Wood Thrush trail at Pearson Park. The woodlot at the end of Metzger Marsh - which may be small, but can be a great migrant trap and is worth checking when other areas seem "slow" - produced over a dozen warbler species, and has been hosting a very vocal <b>Least Bittern</b> just past the woodlot on the outer dike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rain and northerly winds pushing Lake Erie into the marshy shoreline, have over saturated many typical shorebird habitats. The platform at Ottawa NWR's Stange Prairie has benefited from this deluge and has seen both yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, American Pipit, and a female <b>Wilson's Phalarope</b> (although the waters there are rapidly drying up). While not holding as much as some of the other flooded fields, parts of the Magee Marsh causeway have been drawn down and have seen Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Snowy Egret utilizing the exposed marsh. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's worth noting that, while many are excited for incoming birds, there are other migrants dwindling down and can be expected to disappear within the next few days. Hermit Thrush are virtually gone and are being replaced by Swainson's, Veery, and soon enough, Gray-cheeked. Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher have dropped down to only a handful of individuals. And White-throated Sparrow - although still somewhat abundant - will depart the region any day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>Even though we've seen a less than typical movement of second-wave birds, things are about to change! Winds and temperatures are shifting, and by <b>Tuesday</b> afternoon, the region is expected to see an 80 degree day. While there will be some movement Monday night with a southerly wind, the real wave of birds looks like it will arrive <b>Wednesday, May 17. </b>This is right around the time when a second pulse of the second wave usually arrives, bringing high diversity and high volume. Combined with this time frame is a perfect setup of winds and warm fronts. Shifting mid-day Tuesday, winds will be coming from the southwest, and will be driving up tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico. If the birds don't overshoot the marshes, this could be a massive day of migrants, bringing in <b>more warblers, vireos, thrushes, cuckoos, and flycatchers. </b>Because temps will be in the upper 80's, the best birding will be in the cooler morning and evening hours. With great birds and high heat, it can be easy to over-exert yourself and risk heat exhaustion. Take breaks often and bring along extra water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These southwest winds will continue into Thursday, and will produce some turnover of arrivals and departures. Despite how many birds take advantage of these winds and warm front, and depart the marshes overnight, there will still be great diversity and numbers by Friday and Saturday, when winds shift to the north and bring cooler temperatures for a more comfortable day of birding. As Sunday rolls in, winds are predicted to shift back to the southwest. It's unclear of the timing of this shift, but we can expect it to still be a good day, with many birds most likely departing Sunday night into Monday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-10228999754423202222017-05-09T11:43:00.000-04:002017-05-11T05:49:47.936-04:00Migration Update: May 9-15<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmjcmrckeSoPq5qM7A3C14lAhKWPB4dU0Jzim2BmxqzSP1i5NvlBbZBZWacScKARAQXH0Jcrp11JYhpYZou8o7R5iE7B2CeOkiBeXfZGL9O5YOZjgmuDlj6bt9Ti-dFlfZN4jVexhu2s/s1600/Chestnut-sided+Warbler+20110501+MetzgerOH+1538+KK+550w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmjcmrckeSoPq5qM7A3C14lAhKWPB4dU0Jzim2BmxqzSP1i5NvlBbZBZWacScKARAQXH0Jcrp11JYhpYZou8o7R5iE7B2CeOkiBeXfZGL9O5YOZjgmuDlj6bt9Ti-dFlfZN4jVexhu2s/s320/Chestnut-sided+Warbler+20110501+MetzgerOH+1538+KK+550w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-sided Warbler: a major player in the second wave. <br />
Photo by Kenn Kaufman</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday, May 9: </b>Rain, wind, cold, sun, birds...last week had a mix of everything. Just before persistent northerly winds set in, the lake shore region was met with the arrival of many first-wave migrant birds - predominantly Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow, and Yellow Warbler. As is typical with the first wave of movement, there wasn't necessarily an abundance of incoming migrants, but there was definitely diversity. Blue-winged, Orange-crowned, and Black-and-white Warbler made great appearances on the Magee Marsh boardwalk, and along with an influx of Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles started to appear throughout the region. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/" target="_blank">The Biggest Week in American Birding</a> now in full swing, there are many eyes in the area, locating birds that might otherwise be missed. Only in the past few days a Le Conte's Sparrow was seen briefly along the outer dike at Metzger Marsh WA, Upland Sandpipers were found at Grimm Prairie on St Rt 2 and Krause Rd, Black-necked Stilts were seen foraging in the fields around Metzger Marsh, and a Marbled Godwit and Black-bellied Plovers were easily observed in a flooded field behind Barnside Creamery on St Rt 2. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It appears that - despite this clog of northerly winds - birds have been on the move. Even though the Great Lakes region has been dominated by these northerly winds, migrating birds have been making their way through the southern US. With mostly calm winds overnight, that movement is apparent today, <b>Tuesday, May 9</b>, as a new variety and amount of birds are already being reported. But what has so far been reported today, should only get better tomorrow!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tonight, leading into <b>Wednesday, May 10</b>, winds are predicted to be mild and take a brief shift to the south. With the clog of pressure systems that have dominating the country, this shift won't be the kind we look for to see a massive movement of birds. But, as we've already seen this morning, birds are waiting to move in from the south, and this shift should be conducive enough for the region to see the second-wave of migrant birds. This wave typically brings in the greatest diversity of birds, and we can expect to see an increase in warbler species including <b>Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, and Magnolia</b>. Along with warblers, expect a new arrival of thrushes such as <b>Swainson's and Veery</b>, cuckoos, flycatchers, and an increase in shorebirds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even though this "pressure system clog" has made for a cold and seemingly slow migration, there is a positive note for birders and photographers. With strong northerly winds swinging back around on Wednesday, the rest of the week's forecast looks good for holding birds in the region. Any new arrivals in the next day will be here for a couple of days until the winds calm down or hormones push the birds across Lake Erie. And with mostly cool daytime temperatures, these new arrivals can be expected to be foraging lower in the vegetation throughout <b>Wednesday, Thursday, </b>and <b>Friday</b>. Barring any rain over the weekend, easily finding birds on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday may pose a challenge (but a fun challenge!). With temperatures in the high 60's, and heavy leaf-out, birds are going to be high and well hidden. This will be a great time to practice birding by ear, and really study tail patterns. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-40427819706806153052017-05-01T11:39:00.000-04:002017-05-01T11:39:35.336-04:00Migration Update: May 1-6<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5a2y5RTQZpMYQ-bFHCNKz6qeERc4XWiyepMyb6Gtk7eDDqU9j5znWEmVf_wX-p708mu4mAhaNn2fJQ8Y9X_-c83Ez1Xe72h6g1xouHauPZ3fm5ovlRT-NUdf-EDVHzMzRvX2nXl0DaZk/s1600/WPWA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5a2y5RTQZpMYQ-bFHCNKz6qeERc4XWiyepMyb6Gtk7eDDqU9j5znWEmVf_wX-p708mu4mAhaNn2fJQ8Y9X_-c83Ez1Xe72h6g1xouHauPZ3fm5ovlRT-NUdf-EDVHzMzRvX2nXl0DaZk/s320/WPWA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palm Warbler, one of the dominant warblers of the first wave.<br />
Photo by Ryan Jacob</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Monday, May 1: </b>As expected, following a lull of birds, last Wednesday and Thursday, April 26th and 27th, saw a good push of first-wave migrants enter the marshes. Dominant first-wave migrants such as White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, female Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Palm were well represented throughout the lake shore region along with small numbers of Black-throated Green, Nashville, and Cape May Warblers, and Baltimore Oriole. A few other nice surprises to come out of this push were a male Golden-winged Warbler seen by many at the west entrance of the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area boardwalk, a couple of sightings of Hooded Warbler throughout the region, and a Kentucky Warbler seen at Maumee Bay State Park. Diurnal migrants like Broad-winged Hawk and Osprey were observed only in a couple of instances, but Blue Jays made a great push along the lake shore (with 5,000 being counted in one 5-hour stretch by Black Swamp Bird Observatory staff in Navarre Marsh). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And then Friday rolled in...and the birds rolled out. With calm to southerly winds overnight and into the early morning, the majority of recent arrivals pulled out of the region to continue northward. Diversity was still well represented Friday and Saturday, but numbers were noticeably low. However, despite this turnover in songbirds, shorebirds were on the move. Throughout the state, scattered flocks of <b>Willets</b> were being seen (including a small flock briefly held up in Metzger Marsh); Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper have become more evident in the marshes; and Dunlin, Pectoral, <b>Least, </b>and<b> Semipalmated Sandpipers</b>, plus a rare-in-spring <b>Stilt Sandpiper</b> and both <b>dowitcher </b>species,<b> </b>beginning to filter into the region. Unfortunately, typical shorebird areas are holding high levels of water (Metzger Marsh, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the Boss Unit), forcing birds out into adjacent farm fields. Low areas in Magee Marsh and Pearson Metropark North could bring some birds in and will be worth scanning in the upcoming days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Despite a cold northerly wind, a trip out to the lake shore on Sunday was quite rewarding. Typically with northern winds, birds will move inland about a mile or so. However, exceptional numbers of Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher could be seen all along the Magee Marsh boardwalk. Present with other expected first-wave migrants, <b>Black-throated Blue Warbler</b> made its first appearance, as well as higher numbers of House Wren, Warbling Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Wood Thrush, and Gray Catbird. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>Given yesterday's surprise bird movement and warm southerly winds overnight, the morning rain of <b>Monday, May 1st,</b> cannot end soon enough. Due to this temperature and wind shift, it is expected for a new set of birds to have entered the region overnight. With this expectation, a trip out today should produce many of the previously mentioned migrants, and more signs of Scarlet Tanager, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Veery, and Eastern Kingbird. With a continuance of southerly winds tonight, <b>Tuesday May 2nd </b>could see some turnover (depending on the condition of new arrivals) and make for another great day of birding. Beginning Wednesday, winds will shift to the north, bringing with them cold air. This shift is expected to last for well over a week (weather predictions are notoriously unreliable the further out they get, so we'll be watching for a southern shift as the days progress) so any arrivals can be expected to stay in the area while northern winds persist. In times such as this, it can be advantageous to explore areas away from the lake shore such as Pearson Metropark, the woods around the visitor center at Ottawa NWR, and the trails around Black Swamp Bird Observatory. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A benefit to birders and photographers during these cold periods is the physical height of bird activity. During these cold times, birds tend to forage lower among the vegetation (following insects). This can bring treetop foragers such as Scarlet Tanager, Warbling Vireo, and Cape May Warbler down to eye level. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Eventually, hormones will outweigh weather conditions and, despite northerly winds, birds will begin to filter out of the area (with somewhat calm northerly winds and a mild shift to the south, this departure should begin Wednesday night). Looking to the Gulf of Mexico, conditions are looking good for migrants to start moving up into the southern US on Wednesday, but with the next wave of migrants typically arriving between May 7th and 13th, it's still going to be a little while before we see a "big wave" of birds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Summary:</b> Look for good numbers of birds and diversity in the early half of this week. Cold temperatures will make for great photo opportunities, but expect bird numbers to decrease as the week progresses. </span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-48353463052956473842017-04-25T12:14:00.000-04:002017-04-25T12:14:59.061-04:00First Wave Coming Soon: April 26 - May 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nBeAL4D49S4-QEznJOEG_NQo4p7_iSAFZPYUKggZvUtk05q0upX7FZr2Iw4s3HJVPbPCEjVeEFpYtKcG_rL9ZCEnVhzIZCyzg_FkXaPos5EMkUKwisrqHKDA4BRc8E2gqFpUpNIuN3A/s1600/BTGreen+W+20070501+Magee2658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nBeAL4D49S4-QEznJOEG_NQo4p7_iSAFZPYUKggZvUtk05q0upX7FZr2Iw4s3HJVPbPCEjVeEFpYtKcG_rL9ZCEnVhzIZCyzg_FkXaPos5EMkUKwisrqHKDA4BRc8E2gqFpUpNIuN3A/s320/BTGreen+W+20070501+Magee2658.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-throated Green Warbler, one of the typical migrants of the first major wave. <br />
Photo by Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday, April 25: </b>With a good push of warm, southerly winds earlier this month, the lake shore region has seen quite a bit of species diversity from short-distance and long-distance migrants (albeit "one of this" and "one of that" sightings). With mostly calm winds over the earlier part of last week, and a shift to North and East winds leading up to today, we have seen a fair number of migrants move in and quickly move out of the marshes. Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm, Pine, Eastern Towhee, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet were quite common only a few days ago, and have now all but disappeared from the lake shore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Despite this somewhat lack of songbirds over the past few days, there have been other great sightings throughout the area. <b>Black-necked Stilts</b> are being seen consistently at Pickerel Creek, moving between the marsh units. <b>American Golden-Plover</b>, Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpiper, and both Yellowlegs can be found foraging in the Boss Unit of Ottawa NWR and in the surrounding saturated fields. And all across the lake shore, American White Pelicans are being spotted overhead and in various open waters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At this point in April, we are well past waterfowl migration and many of the familiar winter birds are becoming harder and harder to find. Dark-eyed Junco, American Tree and Fox Sparrow, and Brown Creeper seem to have completely pulled from the area; while Golden-crowned Kinglet and Rusty Blackbird are steadily decreasing to single bird sightings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>Predicting bird movement can be tough. Through years of research from Black Swamp Bird Observatory, we have a general idea of which birds will be arriving and when. However, predicting the weather that migrating birds utilize for travel...that's where things can get a little tricky. Looking at forecast maps and general weather predictions, it appears that we should see some movement tonight into <b>Wednesday, the 26th</b>, with lows approaching from the west, driving up southerly winds. But with a steady shift to the south and <b>rain</b> (a sure sign of a low pressure system) it looks like <b>Thursday, the 27th</b>, could be the day we really start to see the first wave of migrants. These couple days of southerly winds don't appear to be coming from the tropics like we would hope to see for a big push of birds, but nonetheless, beginning Wednesday, we will start to see a new movement of birds entering the region.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Assuming this prediction is correct, over the next couple of days expect new arrivals of dominant first-wave species such as <b>Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow, and Yellow-rumped Warbler,</b> with lesser numbers of <b>Nashville, Black-throated Green, and Black-and-white.</b> We can also expect to see a few individuals of other warbler species and potentially "overflight" species like Hooded, Prairie, Kentucky, and Worm-eating. These "overflight" species generally nest farther south, but can be picked up by southerly winds and overshoot their destination, landing along the Lake Erie shoreline. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With this new set of winds, we can also expect to see more signs of Baltimore Oriole, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and an increase in shorebird numbers and diversity. Sometimes overlooked once songbird migration begins, this can also be a good time to see movements of Broad-winged Hawk and other raptors, and flocks of Blue Jays diurnally moving along the lake shore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Summary: </b>If you've been itching to get out and bird...do it! It's difficult to say what's going to happen over the weekend and into next week, but anytime you can get out from Wednesday, the 26th, to Monday, May 1st, will surely produce a great birding experience as we ramp up for the birds to come. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-78731025444589619262017-03-23T14:34:00.000-04:002017-03-23T14:34:37.621-04:00Potential hawk flight Friday, March 24<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQLt9zoxakH4flc0xhB_7AfeH6Jcrz9_eLWeR5yZBpLKK4D7MxZrMl32-xCE8y-NgjToLh5uBE_BM8-6mWJe2GRVzM31WAQWdxwsp8M4aT3kn0Dhiju17B8NYdYIc6lfX3jC05-Na0x8_/s1600/Red-shouldered+Hawk+20160308+Maumee+Bay+OH+KK+6319+600w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQLt9zoxakH4flc0xhB_7AfeH6Jcrz9_eLWeR5yZBpLKK4D7MxZrMl32-xCE8y-NgjToLh5uBE_BM8-6mWJe2GRVzM31WAQWdxwsp8M4aT3kn0Dhiju17B8NYdYIc6lfX3jC05-Na0x8_/s400/Red-shouldered+Hawk+20160308+Maumee+Bay+OH+KK+6319+600w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult Red-shouldered Hawk over Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio, in March 2016. Photo / Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br />Thursday, March 23:</b> With spring migration under way, we are watching the weather. Current forecasts call for the winds over this region of Ohio to shift around to the south tonight, and then to the south-southwest by Friday morning. Along with the wind shift will come warmer air, with temperatures expected to hit 70 by Friday afternoon -- quite a shift from lows in the 20s just the middle of this week!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At this season, southwest winds during the day are likely to produce a good flight of raptors and other diurnal migrants near the Lake Erie shoreline. These birds are moving north on a broad front across Ohio, and on an average day they may be so spread out that they pass unnoticed. However, southwest winds in this area will push them toward the lake shore. When they reach it they turn and move parallel to the shoreline, so their numbers become concentrated. Here in northwestern Ohio, the birds move west-northwest along the shore until they reach the Toledo area, and then turn north into Michigan to continue their northward journey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At this point in late March, raptors moving on such a day are likely to include <b>Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk,</b> and <b>Turkey Vulture</b>. The last <b>Rough-legged Hawks</b> should still be moving, and at this season there's a chance of <b>Golden Eagle</b> and maybe even a <b>Northern Goshawk.</b> There's also a possibility of an early <b>Osprey</b> at this time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Other daytime migrants that could be following the lake shore include <b>American Crow, Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur</b>, and many <b>blackbirds,</b> including <b>Rusty Blackbird</b> and <b>Eastern Meadowlark</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One classic spot for watching this daytime movement is the sledding hill at Maumee Bay State Park. But any spot near the lake shore with a good view of the sky would be worth checking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From about the center of Erie County eastward (between Huron and Lorain), the migrants are likely to turn east instead of west, following the lake shore east-northeast toward Pennsylvania and New York. So birders in the Cleveland area and elsewhere in north-central and northeastern Ohio could also see a good movement of birds on Friday. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Looking at forecasts for the next week, only next Monday, the 27th, appears to have potential for southwest winds and a daytime flight. Of course, weather forecasts can change, so it's always wise to keep an eye on the weather. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Currently there are no official hawkwatch sites in northwestern Ohio, but there are a few sites around the Great Lakes where official tallies of migrating raptors are kept every day. To see what birds are being reported at these locales, check out the information at <a href="http://hawkcount.org/" target="_blank">hawkcount.org,</a> sponsored by the Hawk Migration Association of North America. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-1074980187967926282016-05-22T13:18:00.001-04:002016-05-22T13:18:20.869-04:00Migration update: May 22-27<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYutkEtt5M63UdAE50aD7s-gkV5W_0rQL0HnqTR4H4-MSuM7JvDNkGUmOCpviGl5gpfbt0VLZQbVu8AHJCScLrJ7UNJpu-cr0AO5ZBCO6KsdcVt5FxlqcPTRKSj_PvcmqOi4HxCfcTIx8/s1600/IMG_2105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYutkEtt5M63UdAE50aD7s-gkV5W_0rQL0HnqTR4H4-MSuM7JvDNkGUmOCpviGl5gpfbt0VLZQbVu8AHJCScLrJ7UNJpu-cr0AO5ZBCO6KsdcVt5FxlqcPTRKSj_PvcmqOi4HxCfcTIx8/s400/IMG_2105.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Parula offering great looks at eye level along the Magee Marsh boardwalk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sunday, May 22, 2016: </b>As predicted, after a generous push of migrants early last week, numbers of migrant songbirds have tapered due to mild southerly winds and calm nights throughout this past week. While there were sightings of Connecticut Warbler and (potentially) Kirtland's Warbler from the boardwalk at Magee Marsh this past Friday, by today most of the birds that came in from this past push have departed. Tanagers, grosbeaks, and kinglets have become scarce (if not absent entirely) and warblers are becoming more difficult to find (especially given the growth of vegetation). <b>But</b>...that does not mean that there aren't any birds still out there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the boardwalk at Magee Marsh and in many other stopover areas, American Redstart (as well as breeders such as Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler) remain the most prolific species. But Tennessee, Magnolia, Northern Parula, and Chestnut-sided Warbler can still be found in small numbers. Other birds showing very well have been Common Nighthawk (often roosting in the open near the east entrance of the Magee Marsh boardwalk), White-crowned and White-throated Sparrow at the feeders at Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Veery, Swainson's Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush, and a new arrival of shorebirds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Boss Unit of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the wildlife drive through Ottawa have produced Marbled Godwit, Wilson's Phalarope, Red Knot, Semipalmated Plover and Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, and a pair of Cattle Egret. Larger shorebirds such as Marbled Godwit may move around between suitable habitats, but won't typically stick around too long (so this bird may be on the move soon). But smaller shorebirds can be expected to hold to the same area for a few days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Based off of numbers from Black Swamp Bird Observatory's Navarre Marsh Banding Station, the northwest Ohio region has yet to see a normal push (in terms of numbers of birds) from Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Red-eyed Vireo, and the thrushes. It's difficult to say whether these birds are still being delayed in their migration or whether they skipped over the Lake Erie marshes completely. We won't know until the next wave of birds arrives. But if migration has been delayed, we could expect to see a good number of birds and species in the upcoming days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vJ8IMdR8FeMwGDTrtg-37hw2RDaUZFbzvsqCGZeJ80Rq1HkNCzmaYPwjcPuL4EWHZ210FysRDudEi60FyXBHutQEEBtdIqxOml2N5Ied2Lvw1u9nZl2qP7-57NOGSfoJT1CRYkDNgpU/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vJ8IMdR8FeMwGDTrtg-37hw2RDaUZFbzvsqCGZeJ80Rq1HkNCzmaYPwjcPuL4EWHZ210FysRDudEi60FyXBHutQEEBtdIqxOml2N5Ied2Lvw1u9nZl2qP7-57NOGSfoJT1CRYkDNgpU/s320/IMG_1952.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - one of the least confusing of the <i>Empidonax</i> flycatchers.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>We may be nearing the end of spring migration, but the season is far from over. Based off of current weather forecasts we should see a major push of birds <b>Tuesday </b>and <b>Wednesday</b>, <b>May 24 </b>and <b>25</b>. With low pressure systems developing to the west and a high pressure system in the east throughout Monday night and much of next week, southwest winds will be coming straight from the Gulf of Mexico and the tropics, bringing warm air and rain. Rain always has the chance to push birds ahead or drop them down into the marshes. But rain can also keep birds foraging low throughout the day and offer great eye level views. Warblers such as Connecticut, Mourning, Canada, and Wilson's can be expected during this next wave of birds, but species still lagging behind, and a push from thrushes, could also be fairly prominent over the next week. Also, this next push should bring about a large number of flycatchers (which we've yet to really see) dominated by the confusing <i>Empidonax </i>genus - Least, Yellow-bellied, Alder, Willow, and Acadian flycatchers. Much of next week is expected to receive southwest winds, meaning that every day could see birds arriving and departing. With warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, and shorebirds all arriving in this time period, it will be advantageous to bird many habitats throughout the week. And with constant, strong southwest winds, one or two rarities could fly a little farther north than intended. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-32547156078265547122016-05-15T10:50:00.002-04:002016-05-15T23:30:17.776-04:00Migration update: May 15-17<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vi2jRuySOJALAG3BdOA2AeMWLpJ0_oyIiAkgByTXjcvuQlC_g4G4nN1_1oUznsnoN9h47tKx6RXmCaeoB9RhwI1_Gu95kLiZOc7LTgrc6nqcIKck7Lxh40Lon5w9uxh2cR-x97YtXzz3/s1600/Philadelphia+Vireo+20150515+Magee+Marsh+OH+KK_6911+650w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vi2jRuySOJALAG3BdOA2AeMWLpJ0_oyIiAkgByTXjcvuQlC_g4G4nN1_1oUznsnoN9h47tKx6RXmCaeoB9RhwI1_Gu95kLiZOc7LTgrc6nqcIKck7Lxh40Lon5w9uxh2cR-x97YtXzz3/s400/Philadelphia+Vireo+20150515+Magee+Marsh+OH+KK_6911+650w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philadelphia Vireo foraging at eye level along the Magee Marsh boardwalk during chilly conditions on May 15. Photo / Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Sunday, May 15, 2016:</b> The overall timing of migration continues to be somewhat delayed, but excellent numbers of birds arrived in northwestern Ohio on Wednesday and Thursday and the birding continued to be superb through Saturday and this morning. A <b>Kirtland's Warbler</b> was seen very well by large numbers of birders on Thursday, May 12, near the east entrance to the Magee Marsh boardwalk. Also on May 12, Steve Jones discovered a <b>Curlew Sandpiper</b> just west of Toledo, one of very few ever recorded in Ohio. Some energetic birders had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing both these rarities on the same day. The Kirtland's was not seen again after Thursday, but the Curlew Sandpiper is still being seen this morning, May 15th. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On Wednesday through Friday, the boardwalk at Magee Marsh was productive as expected, with good variety and fair numbers, but other local spots were also hopping. The woods at Maumee Bay State Park produced Cerulean, Worm-eating, Kentucky, and Prairie warblers among many other species, and Pearson Metropark (on Rt. 2 in the town of Oregon) had good warbler concentrations. Spots in eastern Ottawa County had large numbers of migrants, including another Kentucky Warbler at Marblehead Lighthouse State Park and many migrants at East Harbor State Park and Meadowbrook Marsh. Farther east, Pipe Creek Wildlife Area in Erie County produced Orange-crowned and Mourning Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, and many other migrants. So there were numerous birding opportunities throughout the area. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On Friday night a major cold front came through, and Saturday brought very chilly temperatures, wind, and occasional rain. The birding was challenging but outstanding, as all the migrants were foraging very low, and numbers of some species had picked up considerably. Good numbers of thrushes finally were being seen, Philadelphia Vireos were showing off at multiple sites, and a wide variety of warblers continued to please the birders and photographers. Places like Maumee Bay and Pearson parks continued to have outstanding variety. The key in every spot was to find a place sheltered from the wind, and look for the birds foraging low. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead:</b> The wind is expect to shift to the southwest tonight (Sunday May 15) but we don't know how many of the current crop of migrants will depart, because it will continue to be quite cold overnight. On Monday May 16 it will be warmer (at least up to the mid 60s), and with southwest winds overnight, we'll probably see a lot of turnover on Tuesday May 17. Numbers may drop off in the latter part of the week, but there should still be swarms of birds around, because the peak passage has not yet arrived for many of the common migrants. Weather patterns are uncertain beyond that point, but we'll try to update within a few days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Curlew Sandpiper:</b> We heard a report that the bird had disappeared around 9 a.m. Sunday morning, and as of 10:30 we haven't heard that it has returned. Check the Biggest Week twitter feed <a href="https://twitter.com/BiggestWeek" target="_blank">(at this link)</a> for updates before driving out there. The site is on Raab Road just north of Angola Road, a large flooded field on the east side of the road. This is in western Lucas County, Ohio, a couple of miles north of the Ohio Turnpike and a couple of miles south of US 20 / Central Avenue. Thanks to Jacob Roalef for these coordinates, in case you want to plug them into a GPS: </span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; line-height: 16.08px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">41°37'47.7"N 83°49'02.2"W - The site has also hosted a couple of Wilson's Phalaropes, a few White-rumped Sandpipers, and many other shorebirds. But again, as I'm writing this, the bird has been missing for a while, so check for updates before you make a long drive. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-48060535548608013302016-05-09T19:37:00.000-04:002016-05-09T19:37:18.136-04:00Migration outlook: May 10 - 13<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFWyeUlYbGtB7vHioCCL-9dZOFOborv1Z595TJev6T3LXpAnCy-oEZ8BkCdaKMSw_O4XjgAcaMwN6wPbIFBrgciDhG7psWu2BFM4C05oiFwgtlqNfDeG6r5yM2JiEdOgj4ecRgGRsfqjh/s1600/Bay-breasted+Warbler+20060519+Magee+OH+3000+kk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFWyeUlYbGtB7vHioCCL-9dZOFOborv1Z595TJev6T3LXpAnCy-oEZ8BkCdaKMSw_O4XjgAcaMwN6wPbIFBrgciDhG7psWu2BFM4C05oiFwgtlqNfDeG6r5yM2JiEdOgj4ecRgGRsfqjh/s400/Bay-breasted+Warbler+20060519+Magee+OH+3000+kk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male Bay-breasted Warbler, one of the classic, and classy, migrants of May.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Monday, May 9, 2016:</b> Our last prediction worked out fairly well in the short term. Only a small arrival of migrants appeared on May 4, but Saturday May 7 brought good numbers and much better variety of warblers and other migrants into areas near Lake Erie in northwestern Ohio. Birders visiting the Magee Marsh boardwalk on Saturday and Sunday were treated to more than 20 species of warblers, including some crowd-pleasing Cape May, Bay-breasted, Tennessee, Black-throated Green, and Blackburnian warblers that lingered for extended studies. The woodlot at the end of the road at Metzger Marsh had excellent numbers and variety on Saturday (including a "Brewster's Warbler" hybrid that was enjoyed by many), but fewer birds on Sunday, after the wind shifted back to the north. This small woodlot is in an exposed situation, and it doesn't seem to hold birds very long in north winds - the migrants probably disperse to more sheltered spots. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Wildlife Drive (auto tour) at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is open every day from sunrise to sunset through next Sunday, May 15th (the entrance gate closes an hour before sunset). This route through the interior of the refuge is always worth checking. (Go to <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/uploads/3/0/8/0/30807041/ottawa_birding_map-auto-tour.pdf" target="_blank">this link</a> for a map of the auto tour.) Pool 9, north of the road near the end of the route, held 7 American Avocets on Sunday, and one remained there on Monday. The impoundments marked as MS 7, MS 6, and MS 3 on the map produced a fair variety of shorebirds, including Black-bellied and Semipalmated plovers, Dunlin, and Least, Pectoral, and Solitary sandpipers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead:</b> A week ago, we thought that this coming Tuesday and Wednesday might be big flight days. The weather forecast has changed a lot since then. We'll probably see some turnover on those days, but conditions won't be particularly good for incoming migrants until Wednesday night. On the basis of the current weather forecast, it looks as if <b>Thursday May 12</b> could have the biggest arrival of migrants for this week. (It's not a classic weather setup for a huge flight; but on the other hand, there are apparently a <i>lot</i> of migrants still held up to the south of us, and they have to move sometime.) So Thursday should bring a good supply of new birds, and many of those migrants should stick around through Friday and Saturday at least.</span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-4292727952656343682016-05-03T19:45:00.000-04:002016-05-03T19:45:42.883-04:00Migration outlook: May 4 to 8<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8amb7ML-yMo1O5seZ5sgkjjLkyqxrDx135OsGrN3fRSeHhzL5IqeRnTSrh4thn4RrdSKl5JejONao2SVPApOQDeR07JHm9Blew7Z55qnaQmsMmKe_9PQPTwh4GKAGY15EWQFQdpaKy17q/s1600/Black%2526white+Warbler+20110426+MageeOH+1352+KK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8amb7ML-yMo1O5seZ5sgkjjLkyqxrDx135OsGrN3fRSeHhzL5IqeRnTSrh4thn4RrdSKl5JejONao2SVPApOQDeR07JHm9Blew7Z55qnaQmsMmKe_9PQPTwh4GKAGY15EWQFQdpaKy17q/s400/Black%2526white+Warbler+20110426+MageeOH+1352+KK.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-and-white Warbler. One of the characteristic early migrants among the warblers, and the logo bird for the Black Swamp Bird Observatory.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday, May 3.</b> With the Biggest Week In American Birding just about to start, birders in northwest Ohio are still waiting for the first really massive "warbler wave" to arrive on the Lake Erie shoreline. On April 25-26 we had a major arrival of the expected early migrants, giving a huge boost to numbers of things like Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, and White-throated Sparrow, and increasing the variety of other species present. But in the week since, with winds consistently out of the northeast, conditions haven't been ideal for another major flight. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The good news is that at this time of year, some birds will migrate even when conditions aren't ideal. On relatively calm nights, even without the help of tailwinds, some birds are moving, filtering north around rain storms and against mild headwinds. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have been seen all over the region, and a number of observers saw their first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds of the season on April 30 and May 1. The Magee Marsh boardwalk and other sites along the lake shore have continued to produce new arrivals such as Veery, Least Flycatcher, and Eastern Kingbird. Migrating flocks of Willets, ordinarily scarce in the region, have put down in a number of places, including Medusa Marsh (Erie County), Metzger Marsh, Maumee Bay State Park, and even flooded fields in Ottawa County. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On days without a major migration, the key to finding more species is to check more different spots. It may be tempting to just keep prowling the Magee boardwalk, hoping for different birds to show up, but on these quieter days you're much more likely to discover something new if you visit other sites. Go to <a href="http://www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com/birding-locations.html" target="_blank">this link</a> for a list of suggested birding sites in the general area, with links to maps, directions, and other information. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead:</b> With light southerly winds predicted for tonight, we should see a good arrival of birds on <b>Wednesday May 4</b>. It's not likely to be a huge day, because there's no major weather system behind these local winds, but it should be moderately good since there are so many migrants held up somewhere to the south of us. Rain is expected on Wednesday during the day, but between showers, the birding should be productive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By Wednesday night, winds are expected to go back to the north, so any new birds that have arrived should stay for a couple of days. After that, Friday night into Saturday looks like it may be a repeat of what we expect for Wednesday: mild southerly winds bringing a modest arrival, not a huge one, for <b>Saturday May 7.</b> Saturday may even bring a good daytime flight of hawks and other diurnal migrants near the Lake Erie shoreline, at least until thunderstorms arrive in the afternoon. Then the winds are forecast to go back to the north for a couple of days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The long-range weather predictions aren't very reliable when we start looking a week ahead, but there's a chance that we may see a really big migrant flight on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10 and 11. For the moment that's just conjecture, and we'll update as the time gets closer. In the meantime, expected smaller arrivals on May 4 and May 7 should provide plenty of variety, and at least some moderate numbers, to welcome birders to northwestern Ohio. </span><br />
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Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-45336677912659739442016-04-28T13:19:00.001-04:002016-04-28T16:37:33.302-04:00Migration outlook: April 28 - May 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMXcH-15waAwaa9MpTsK9uXLERI2fXzoWVKkx-osgZLv868uv5zTkO668gNozQwQ7bJOBjpjKAewH634ckrwdS0a4oyj1mlFe_MdDR8ATO6AYSlGCypjxCgk063pqUids1v-IQoNJE7nZ/s1600/Black-thr+Green+Warbler+20110501+550w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMXcH-15waAwaa9MpTsK9uXLERI2fXzoWVKkx-osgZLv868uv5zTkO668gNozQwQ7bJOBjpjKAewH634ckrwdS0a4oyj1mlFe_MdDR8ATO6AYSlGCypjxCgk063pqUids1v-IQoNJE7nZ/s400/Black-thr+Green+Warbler+20110501+550w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-throated Green Warbler, one of the typical early migrants among the warblers. Photo / Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Thursday, April 28:</b> As predicted last week by Ryan Jacob, this Monday (the 25th) produced an excellent flight in habitats near the Lake Erie shoreline, and the good numbers and variety continued through Tuesday. The dominant migrants were White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, all typical April birds. Warblers expected on the early side of the flight, aside from Yellow-rumped and Palm, include Pine, Nashville, Black-and-white, and Black-throated Green warblers, and multiples of all these were present. At least one Prothonotary Warbler had returned to the Magee Marsh boardwalk, and one or two Orange-crowned Warblers were being seen consistently near the boardwalk's west end; more than a dozen warbler species have been found here. A few Blue-headed and Warbling vireos and at least one White-eyed Vireo were among the other migrants at Magee. Throughout the area there were reports of returning House Wren, Gray Catbird, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Scarlet Tanager.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A wind shift and some rain during Monday night meant that nocturnal migrants were less concentrated on the immediate lake shore on Tuesday. But Tuesday and Wednesday brought major flights of migrating Blue Jays, with flocks cruising the lake shore and dozens swarming around some area bird feeders. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shorebird numbers have been good recently, although peak diversity will occur later in May. Water levels are high in many local impoundments, so shorebirds are concentrating around the edges and in adjacent fields. The Boss Unit of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (on Benton-Carroll Road south of Route 2, just east of the entrance to Magee Marsh) has high water mostly suitable for yellowlegs, but large flocks of American Golden-Plovers have been seen in the grass on the southwest side (a scope is essential for viewing from the observation platform). Other flocks have been seen in fields adjacent to Metzger Marsh. Metzger hosted a concentration of more than 60 Willets on Monday, April 25, in the marsh near the second pulloff, but they didn't linger. Incidentally, one area with lower water levels is along the causeway in to Magee Marsh; Solitary Sandpiper and other species have been there recently, and this will continue to be worth checking for shorebirds if the water stays low. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead:</b> Based on current weather forecasts, we don't see any huge arrivals of migrants happening in the next five days. Temperatures will be on the cool side (40s and 50s) and winds mostly from the east and northeast. Some migrants will continue to arrive even without helpful winds, but conditions don't look right for producing any major wave. Tuesday May 3 or Wednesday May 4 may have better potential, but the long-range forecast is uncertain. However, the longer we wait for the next wave, the bigger it's likely to be when it does finally get here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Birding in the counties along Lake Erie is still quite rewarding. Most of the migrants that arrived recently are still in the general area. Trees have barely begun to leaf out, so conditions for viewing (and photography) are excellent. If you visit on a day with northerly winds, remember that many of the migrants may be a mile or two south of the lake shore. Consider checking spots like the Gallagher Trail behind Black Swamp Bird Observatory, woods behind the visitors' center at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, sheltered spots at East Harbor State Park or Maumee Bay State Park, or trails at Pearson Metropark. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-16332996603686980432016-04-22T23:09:00.001-04:002016-04-22T23:09:30.062-04:00Migration Forecast: April 23-27<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcygsTABqI7O23TLwWhWs7f-X2hV8Zrk0uTGMUG3HASJHQrgb53wqq8KNN0FMDRYICx4rRU6buJ8T6EoT9eA7ewvOkG8c5ckPvxTbiVKI_8WaK4d33wtTluZfBZTZEcjEy2mUQ4r9KkE/s1600/IMG_1213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcygsTABqI7O23TLwWhWs7f-X2hV8Zrk0uTGMUG3HASJHQrgb53wqq8KNN0FMDRYICx4rRU6buJ8T6EoT9eA7ewvOkG8c5ckPvxTbiVKI_8WaK4d33wtTluZfBZTZEcjEy2mUQ4r9KkE/s400/IMG_1213.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Warbler</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Saturday, April 23rd:</b> As expected, a slight shift in wind direction to the south earlier this week carried away most of the waterfowl and Fox Sparrows lingering in the area. While there wasn't quite the boost in songbird numbers as was expected last Monday, there has been a trickle of birds streaming in throughout the week. Fairly calm winds over the past few nights have allowed for short-distance migrants to work their way into the marshes, with a noticeable increase in Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, White-throated and Swamp Sparrows, House Wrens, and the first arrival of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Nearing the end of their stay in northwest Ohio, Rusty Blackbirds are still quite numerous along the boardwalk in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and the woods surrounding Black Swamp Bird Observatory. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although we're still about a week away from seeing some serious warbler movement, individual birds including Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Palm Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, and Orange-crowned Warbler have made appearances in various locations. Yellow-rumped Warblers remain the dominant warbler species throughout much of the region and are becoming more numerous each day. Though not as numerous as the Yellow-rumped, and not that prolific in northwest Ohio, Pine Warblers (often two to three at a time) are being seen along the boardwalk at Magee Marsh and Maumee Bay State Park. Also, Wildwood Metropark saw the first arrival of Yellow-throated Warbler this week (uncommon for northwest Ohio), and Magee Marsh had the first Prothonotary Warbler of the season appear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also taking advantage of these calm nights, shorebirds have been on the rise. Increased numbers of Pectoral Sandpiper and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs are are being found utilizing flooded fields and low areas in the marshes, as well as small flocks of Dunlin around Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area. A trip to the Boss Unit of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex this week produced 40+ American Golden-Plover, with another 100+ birds in the fields around Metzger Marsh. Other birds that have made brief visits to the area this week include American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Willet, and American White Pelican. These latter birds are difficult to predict when and where they will show up, so keep an eye out and expect the unexpected in suitable fields and marshes as shorebird migration ramps up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>Saturday night should see some movement as winds begin to steadily shift from the southeast to the south overnight into Sunday. With this slight shift, Sunday should see more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds as well as an increase in warblers and thrushes. With southerly winds and higher temperatures on Sunday, raptors such as Broad-winged Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Osprey should show some decent movement throughout the day--utilizing a tailwind and thermals. But it appears that the best day--as of now--for migration and a new wave of birds will be <b>Monday the 25th</b>. With two Low pressure systems forming over the Mississippi, southwest winds from the Gulf of Mexico will be aimed at northwest Ohio Sunday night into Monday Morning. Accompanying these Lows will also be some rainfall, so be prepared to cover any equipment. By Tuesday, winds are predicted to shift back to a more northerly direction and hold through Wednesday, keeping any new arrivals in the area for at least a few days. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-78688934768137063002016-04-14T16:49:00.000-04:002016-04-15T14:21:20.264-04:00Migration Forecast April 14-18<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxVh_04gMfr206KfBXoyDF_h73PTBkLmB1Po2QehHYfRglyx8_FQHulJNJfF5OZqmXRwQFLlIqaD212TrnBeTb1hE3X1BXJVnE3J3RorbpGbVDVaWwUMKwm9XSYlylGtdJu5LX9CX7aU/s1600/IMG_1091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxVh_04gMfr206KfBXoyDF_h73PTBkLmB1Po2QehHYfRglyx8_FQHulJNJfF5OZqmXRwQFLlIqaD212TrnBeTb1hE3X1BXJVnE3J3RorbpGbVDVaWwUMKwm9XSYlylGtdJu5LX9CX7aU/s400/IMG_1091.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hermit Thrush: The earliest of the "brown" thrushes to move through northwest Ohio.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Thursday, April 14th: </b>Despite a rather unwelcomed snowfall over the past weekend, a quick shift of winds to the south last Sunday night led to a noticeable bump in short-distance migrant numbers in the marshes on Monday. In one night there was an immediate boost in Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wrens, Brown Creepers, and Brown Thrashers. These species and numbers continue to be present in northwest Ohio -- especially in areas such as the boardwalk at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area -- and can be expected to stick around while these northerly and easterly winds persist. Other passing species such as the Fox Sparrow can still be found in good numbers, but may take advantage of the next southerly wind and continue their journey northward. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While we are mostly at the tail-end of waterfowl migration, areas along the causeway at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, the pools at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area have been holding good numbers of American Coot, Green-winged Teal, and Blue-winged Teal. Other dabblers and a few species of divers can still be found mixed in with the deluge of teals and coots, but these birds (like the Fox Sparrow) may soon be gone with the next favorable wind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With all of the recent rain and snowmelt, areas typically frequented by shorebirds have been too saturated for this group of birds to forage in. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, and Wilson's Snipe are present in the region, but are being found in fields accustomed to flooding such as the Boss Unit of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Looking ahead: </b>A persistent high pressure system is expected to move south along the Atlantic coast, driving northerly and easterly winds our way throughout most of the weekend. However, at some point during the night, winds from the south are predicted to arrive. But the exact night this shift will occur is unclear at this time. Conflicting weather maps are forecasting southerly winds Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night (with each map predicting a different night). Although it's a fairly broad time period, at least one day this weekend (Saturday the 16th, Sunday the 17th, Monday the 18th) should see some movement. This movement may include the departure of waterfowl, Fox Sparrows, and Eastern Towhees, but may also include another boost in Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers, kinglets, and the arrival of a few Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Update: </b>After checking multiple forecast maps this afternoon, the current consensus is that winds will briefly shift to the south Sunday night, meaning there could be some movement overnight into <b>Monday the 18th</b>. There still seems to be some uncertainty about the timing of this wind shift, so paying attention to overnight wind direction throughout the weekend could prove advantageous for a good day of birding. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-67905660214898802202016-03-24T21:46:00.001-04:002016-03-25T09:48:07.007-04:00Spring 2016: Will we have an early migration?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyWRJE9g0SIVQRveRCpM_qV9PMc40oDTfsH6HhqfP_yGKcIfkCI16MAw4zmgjtSjspWuMlcpY40Egr6akwGrct18p4tqquWFZsglZY_gZkblXYnaS-4lPIRnhHckZ-1-6yYFLUrrD_MmY/s1600/Fox+Sparrow+20120319+BSBO+KK+8072_550w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyWRJE9g0SIVQRveRCpM_qV9PMc40oDTfsH6HhqfP_yGKcIfkCI16MAw4zmgjtSjspWuMlcpY40Egr6akwGrct18p4tqquWFZsglZY_gZkblXYnaS-4lPIRnhHckZ-1-6yYFLUrrD_MmY/s400/Fox+Sparrow+20120319+BSBO+KK+8072_550w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent numbers of Fox Sparrows are now moving through habitats near the Lake Erie shoreline in northwestern Ohio. Photo / Kenn Kaufman.</td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thursday, March 24:</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> After an exceptionally mild winter in northwestern Ohio, we've had many questions about how the weather might affect the timing of migration in spring 2016. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The short answer is that the mild season may alter the timing for a few species, but not for most. To understand the difference, it helps to think of migratory species in two categories, obligate migrants and facultative migrants. (These are really two ends of a spectrum, not two distinct categories, so these definitions are somewhat oversimplified.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Most migratory birds, especially those going long distances, are obligate migrants. That is, the timing of their migration is instinctive and hard-wired. A Blackpoll Warbler that leaves Brazil in April to start moving north toward Canada is not responding to local weather anywhere; it is going on instinct. This is true for the vast majority of the warblers and other Neotropical migrants that create so much excitement in northwestern Ohio in late April and May. No matter how harsh or mild the winter might be in the U.S., it won't change the timing of their flights. At most, an extremely cold, late spring in the southern U.S. might delay the arrival of these birds in Ohio by a few days--that is, they might linger for a few extra days in the southern states if conditions are bad. But a warm, early spring in the south won't speed up their travel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Some short-distance travelers, especially those moving in early spring, are facultative migrants. Within general outlines of the season, they may move earlier or later, for greater or shorter distances, depending on what the weather is doing. This is true to some extent for many of the waterfowl in early spring. In a cold season, when northern waters may still be frozen solid, they may linger later at our latitudes. Sandhill Cranes are facultative migrants, and in recent years they have been moving later in fall and earlier in spring, and not going as far south for the winter as they formerly did. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At this point in late March, the spring migration is well under way. In areas near Lake Erie, such as Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and Maumee Bay State Park, recent days have produced good numbers of typical early migrants such as Wilson's Snipe, Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow, and Rusty Blackbird. Eastern Towhees and Field Sparrows also have begun to appear (both species have been seen at the feeders at Black Swamp Bird Observatory). American Woodcocks have returned in force, and on calm evenings they can be heard performing their flight displays in damp meadows near woods. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During the next week or so, we should continue to see more of the typical early birds. Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Hermit Thrush, American Pipit, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, and Purple Martin are among the species to watch for. Some of the short-distance migrants might arrive earlier than usual. But as for those colorful warblers, tanagers, orioles, and the like, coming from the tropics, we should expect those to appear at their usual times in April and May. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836165800257285478.post-22164693210833680832015-05-28T19:26:00.001-04:002015-05-28T19:26:38.939-04:00Migration Forecast May 28-31<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Thursday, May 28: </b>As expected, the third wave of migrating songbirds began to move into the area this past week with the highest volume occurring Sunday (May 24). Numbers trickled down each day from Monday through Thursday but expected species for the third wave such as Eastern Wood-Pewee and the <i>Empidonax </i>flycatchers, Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-eyed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, American Redstart, and Mourning Warbler were all present in suitable habitat (mostly limited to a handful of individuals of each species).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those still coming up short on a Connecticut Warbler sighting there is still hope. A second pulse to this last wave is expected for this upcoming weekend, bringing in the last of the migrating songbirds. Steady easterly winds tonight should keep any birds still residing along the lake shore in place for Friday, but by Friday morning winds will begin to shift back to the south and hold throughout the night producing favorable southwest winds for migrants. This means that by Saturday morning, <b>May 30</b>, we should see a whole new group of birds in stopover habitat. The species in this pulse will remain the same -- flycatchers, waxwings, cuckoos, Red-eyed Vireo -- but late-migrating warblers will also be present (predominately females and some second-year males). This weekend could be one of the last opportunities this spring to see breeding plumage warblers such as Amreican Redstart, Blackpoll, Canada, Wilson's, Mourning, and the elusive Connecticut Warbler. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aside from passerines, the end of May is also the peak time for migrating White-rumped Sandpipers and one of the last opportunities to view other migrating shorebirds. This weekend and next week should bring in White-rumped as well as Semipalmated Sandpiper into suitable wetland habitat, mudflats, and flooded fields. An ideal place to check for these birds would be Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area adjacent to the road near the first and second pulloffs -- as these areas tend to be fairly muddy with low water levels. Also, walking around the pools at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and scanning the water along the causeway and walking the beach at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area could produce some shorebirds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By mid-June mostly all shorebirds that are not breeding in Ohio will be gone until fall migration. Along with White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpiper, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">this upcoming weekend and the first week of June will be the last time to potentially see</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> any lingering individuals such as Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Dunlin, and Short-billed Dowitcher -- </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">but there is always the possibility that a second-year bird that has failed to make the journey to its breeding grounds could hold out in the area until fall</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beginning Sunday night and continuing through Tuesday, winds are expected to shift back to the north and be fairly strong, keeping any new arrivals in the area for a few days. With temperatures in the low 60's and 70's and little chance of rain, it appears as if there will be a good string of days this weekend and upcoming week for catching the last bits of spring migration through Northwest Ohio -- until fall migration and the challenge of identifying fall female warblers begins! </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16100244625997580340noreply@blogger.com1