Weekend outlook, April 16-17

April 15: We are definitely into the season of full-on migration, with new species appearing practically every day. The birds arriving now are mostly those that winter in the southeastern U.S., but a few of the long-distance migrants from deep in the tropics are starting to show up.


The weather word for the next few days is "unsettled." A strong low-pressure area, currently centered over the Kansas City region, is expected to track toward the northeast, passing north of our area over the weekend. Local conditions over the weekend are likely to be windy (winds near 20 mph), with some periods of rain, and temperatures not rising past the mid-50s. But birders who get out and look are probably going to see a lot of early migrants and perhaps some rarities.


As of Friday morning, April 15, local winds are from the east or east-northeast. Winds should shift to the southeast during the night, and to the south or southwest for much of the day Saturday. Rain is very likely late Friday night and early Saturday morning. By early Saturday afternoon, with south winds and an end to the rain, we may see a moderate movement of birds of prey along the Lake Erie shoreline. Magee Marsh, Metzger Marsh, and Maumee Bay State Park would all be good vantage points. Saturday night will probably produce some more rain, and winds will shift more toward the west by Sunday morning, but Sunday should be mostly clear. Depending on exact wind direction on Sunday, it could also produce some raptor migration along the lake shore: more if the wind is more southwesterly, less if it's directly from the west, so check the wind before you decide to go hawkwatching.


The auto tour at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge will be open on Saturday, the 16th. Two American White Pelicans were seen at the refuge on April 13th (near the Crane Creek estuary) and a male Eurasian Wigeon was found on April 9-10 on MS 8b, which is the first major impoundment to your right as you begin the auto tour route. These birds may still be in the area, and Ottawa usually holds some surprises at this time of year.


Although I don't expect any big waves of songbird migrants to arrive over the next couple of days, there are already many birds in the area, and both days this weekend should provide good birding if you stick to the downwind sides of the woodlots. Sparrow numbers and variety are excellent. Seven sparrow species were at the feeders at Black Swamp Bird Observatory on April 14. There are still surprising numbers of Fox Sparrows around (mainly in thickets very close to the lake) and American Tree Sparrows are still widespread, while we're seeing a good arrival of Chipping, Field, and Swamp sparrows at the woods and marshes, and Savannah and Vesper sparrows in more open country.


Purple Finches have been widespread in the area during the last few days, and we're seeing a decent passage of Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Towhee, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, and other typical early migrants. Rusty Blackbirds are past their peak but still present. Both kinglet species are around, although they seem to be in surprisingly low numbers. Many local breeders are arriving back on territory, including Brown Thrasher, Barn and Northern Rough-winged swallows, and Purple Martins.


The warblers, the stars of the show in May, are just now appearing. At least 9 species have been reported in nw Ohio during the last week, mostly in very small numbers. In addition to Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers, of course, this early part of the migration is good for Pine and Palm warblers, and some others such as Black-and-white Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler have shown up as scattered singles. The first Prothonotary Warblers should be here any day now. The latter part of April is the best time in spring to look for Orange-crowned Warbler. This is also the season for "overflight" species: warblers that nest to the south of us, which sometimes overshoot their nesting territories and show up here. Louisiana Waterthrush is annual in April in swampy spots along the Magee Marsh boardwalk, and other "southern" warblers such as Hooded, Worm-eating, Prairie, and Yellow-throated are worth watching for.


Finally, with all the unsettled weather and with winds shifting to the west by Sunday, it would be a good idea to check the lakeshore and open water areas for stray birds such as Franklin's Gull or American Avocet. Wherever you go, have a superb time, and please consider stopping by BSBO to let us know what you've seen.

Raptors & other migrants coming 3/17

Red-shouldered Hawk migrating over Magee Marsh during March. This is the best month for seeing this species near the Lake Erie shoreline.

Migration is in full swing, and it appears that Thursday, March 17, should be a good day for seeing migrants, especially birds of prey, in northwestern Ohio and nearby areas.


As of Wednesday afternoon, March 16, a high-pressure area is centered over the southeastern U.S., and the flow of air around that high is bringing in warm air from the southwest toward Ohio. That air flow should continue overnight, with skies at least partly clear, encouraging early migrants to move north. I expect traditional early birds like Tree Swallow and Eastern Phoebe to be around on 3/17. Numbers of migrant sparrows are already growing, with a big push of Song Sparrows during the last few days, and there should be many Fox Sparrows around for the next couple of weeks. Numbers of Rusty Blackbirds are increasing -- northwest Ohio represents one of the major stopover areas for this declining species, and we have a good opportunity to study it here. Hermit Thrush, Pectoral Sandpiper, and American Pipit are other birds to be watching for right now.


On Thursday 3/17, temperatures locally should climb into the 50s, with continuing south-southwest winds. This is a classic setup for a good flight of raptors (birds of prey) near the Lake Erie shoreline in northwest Ohio. We never get massive numbers of raptors, such as those sometimes seen in fall migration at the northwest corner of the lake; but by spending a while watching from a good vantage point, we can sometimes see a decent variety. One standard lookout is the "hawk watch tower" (observation tower) near the Sportsmens Migratory Bird Center on the way in to Magee Marsh Wildlife Area; another is the sledding hill at Maumee Bay State Park. But any open area with a good view of the sky, within a mile of the shoreline, may be a good vantage point.


Mid-March is a little before the peak of raptor migration but it still offers some good possibilities. Our healthy population of local nesting Bald Eagles is aumented by numbers of migrants passing through in early spring. March is the main month for migrating Red-shouldered Hawks. Northern Harriers, Rough-legged Hawks, and Cooper's Hawks may all be on the move. (By contrast, Broad-winged Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk mostly move later, in April.) Northern Goshawk is always extremely rare here, but conditions like those expected tomorrow could at least produce an outside chance.


If you get out to watch for passing raptors, you may spot other birds on the move as well. Sandhill Cranes are actively migrating now. Ace birder Karl Overman saw a Whooping Crane fly over Maumee Bay State Park on March 14, undoubtedly a bird from the reintroduced Wisconsin flock. Randy Kreager found a Yellow-headed Blackbird on Krause Road several days ago, and this bird is probably wandering the area with the mixed blackbird flocks. And with migration under way, there's no telling what else you might find.

Spring migration is on now!

March 2, 2011: Here in "The Warbler Capital of the World," the first substantial waves of warblers won't be arriving for another 6 or 7 weeks, and the peak of warbler migration is still more than 2 months away. But other signs of spring are unmistakable. They remind us that this region has a lot more to offer than just warblers.

Here's a brief rundown of some current happenings, arranged by group:

Waterfowl: Ducks, geese, and swans are moving into the region in big numbers. They're not at peak numbers yet, and they're not concentrated -- many of them are spread out over a large area of flooded farm fields, north and south of Route 2 in Lucas and Ottawa counties. Scattered flocks of hundreds of Tundra Swans are widespread, and smaller groups may be seen flying over anywhere. (There are also Trumpeter Swans and Mute Swans in the area, but a really large flock invariably will be mostly Tundras.)

Sherrie Duris saw a flock of nearly 30 Greater White-fronted Goose ( a large number for this region) on Stange Road just south of Rt. 2 on 2/28. Others saw smaller groups on Krause / Stange Roads, and I saw small flocks flying over Metzger Marsh and the Magee Marsh causeway on 3/1. During the last few days, small flocks of Snow Geese have been seen at Metzger, the Magee causeway, and in flooded fields in the region, and Brian Zwiebel saw at least two Ross's Geese at Maumee Bay State Park on 2/28. Large numbers of Canada Geese are now everywhere, and it's worth checking their flocks for Cackling Geese; I saw 2 (loosely associated with Canadas) on the ice at Metzger Marsh on 3/1.

Numbers of ducks are still increasing, and the big arrival of Wood Ducks and others is still ahead, but many Northern Pintails are moving in. There is still enough ice along the Lake Erie shoreline that viewing is poor at many lakeshore sites. At Bayshore Power Plant and Bayshore Park in the city of Oregon (just west of Maumee Bay State Park), there is plenty of open water holding large numbers of Canvasbacks, Redheads, Common Mergansers, and others. One or more Long-tailed Ducks have been seen here recently, and a Red-necked Grebe was seen from the boat launch near Bayshore Power Plant on 2/26 and 2/27.

Turkey Vultures: A few started showing up in the area in mid-February. The first really large movement was on March 1, with moderate SSW winds concentrating the birds near the lakeshore. Around 5 p.m. on 3/1, I watched straggling groups of Turkey Vultures totalling about 220 moving from east to west near the lake at Maumee Bay State Park -- a big number for this early date.

Birds of Prey: There are still scattered Rough-legged Hawks in the area; I've seen them recently on Krause / Stange Roads and at Maumee Bay State Park. Migration of other raptors should crank up soon. On any day with southwest winds, from now through April, it's worthwhile to find a vantage point near Lake Erie and watch for passing raptors. The observation tower at Magee Marsh and the sledding hill at Maumee Bay S.P. are two particularly good hawkwatch spots. Incidentally, I saw a Merlin at the Magee Marsh causeway on 3/1, and Chris Knoll had seen it there a day or two earlier ... an odd sighting for this season.

Shorebirds: Killdeers have arrived in force within the last few days, and the first American Woodcocks were heard at BSBO and Maumee Bay on the evening of 3/1. Wilson's Snipes should be arriving now, and the first Pectoral Sandpipers should show up in flooded fields soon.

Short-eared Owl: At least three are still present along the Magee Marsh causeway, spending most of their time in the southern part. They are very unlikely to be seen during most of the daylight hours. Near sunset they appear, flying around over the marsh with oddly deep, floppy wingbeats. In most years, these wintering birds will stay at least through March.

Crows: Flocks of dozens of American Crows are currently being seen in places near the lakeshore, such as Magee Marsh, Metzger Marsh, and Maumee Bay. This is actually a migratory movement; for most of the year, crows are distinctly scarce in this area.

Northern Shrike: A single bird along the Magee Marsh causeway is being much more elusive this year than in past winters; its main hunting areas must be well away from the road. Scott Hites has seen it a few times, and I finally saw it on 3/1 (flying across the causeway at about the halfway point, and flying straight to the west and out of sight). Based on past records, it could still be around through most of March.

Blackbirds: When Randy Kreager and I went out to the Magee causeway on 2/27, we saw an unmistakable sign of spring: the male Red-winged Blackbirds were scattered out over the frozen marsh, one here, one there, staking out their nesting territories. Other Red-wings are still in flocks, of course, big numbers of Common Grackles are moving in, and we should see a good arrival of Rusty Blackbirds very soon.

There is still some wintry weather ahead, of course. But from now through the end of May there will be new signs of spring every day, so it's a great season to get out and go birding just as often as you can!

Sabine's Gull 11/25 at Metzger, plus access to Magee Marsh

On Thursday, November 25, Delores Cole reports that the Sabine's Gull is still present at Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, still providing good looks from the area of the parking lot at the end of the road at around 10:30 a.m. See previous posts for more information.

Delores (along with observers Bill and Ann Toneff) also saw large flocks of Snow Buntings along the entrance road into Metzger. The fields on the north side of the entrance road, just after the turnoff from State Route 2, are often very good for open-country birds like Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Horned Larks, blackbirds, etc., and are always worth a look.

On a different listserve, I received a question about access to the causeway at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (where a Northern Shrike has probably settled in for the winter). According to information from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the causeway and the areas beyond (boardwalk and wildlife beach) will be open to the public on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 27, and all day Sunday, Nov. 28. These areas will be closed the rest of the time for the next week and a half, through Friday, December 3. Then they should be open on Saturday, December 4, and for the rest of December. So if anyone is considering coming up to look at the Sabine's Gull -- it may not stick around after today -- it has already stayed longer than most previous Sabine's in Ohio. But if you can't get here until Saturday, looking for the Northern Shrike on Saturday afternoon would be an additional possibility.

Sabine's Gull at Metzger 11/24

The Sabine's Gull at Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, mentioned in the previous post, is still present as of about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 24. Thanks to Erik Bruder for getting the word out quickly. The wind and the cold front that came through yesterday don't seem to have pushed the bird out, but this is a species that nests in the high Arctic, after all.

Sabine's Gull at Metzger Marsh

A juvenile Sabine's Gull turned up at Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area on the afternoon of Sunday, November 21. Sabine's Gull is a very rare migrant in Ohio; records are now almost annual along the Lake Erie shoreline in the eastern half of the state, but there are very few records for the region between Toledo and Sandusky. Sabine's Gulls found in fall are often seen for only very brief periods, but this individual actually has stayed for more than a day, and it is still present on Tuesday morning, November 23.

See our map of Metzger Marsh (under "birding hotspots: directions and maps" on the BSBO birding pages) if you're not familiar with the area. The road in to the wildlife area ends at a parking lot on the edge of Lake Erie, with a concrete fishing pier extending out into the lake. The Sabine's Gull has been spending time in the area just east of this pier. Part of the time it rests on the water out on the lake, often with Bonaparte's Gulls, at which time the Sabine's can be picked out by its much darker upperparts. Occasionally it gets up and flies around, showing its spectacular wing pattern.

When I first found the bird I was afraid that it would not even stay long enough for anyone else to see it. Now that it has stayed for more than 24 hours, there is a chance that it will stick around for a few more days. I'll try to post updates here as they become available.

Northern Shrike, Rough-legged Hawk, and other birds near Magee Marsh

At least one Northern Shrike has returned to the causeway that runs north across the marsh at Magee Marsh. This has been a reliable site to find the species for the last couple of winters. This afternoon (Sunday Nov. 7) I saw an apparent adult near the north end of the causeway (closest to the beach), and then later in the afternoon I saw one in flight near the south end of the causeway -- likely the same individual, but not necessarily.

Birders who want to look for this shrike will have to wait until next weekend. At this season the road in to Magee Marsh Wildlife Area is closed for waterfowl hunting on weekdays and on Saturday mornings. But it is open on Saturday afternoons (after about 12:30) and all day Sunday, and it's well worth a visit then.

This afternoon I took advantage of the opportunity to check out the causeway and the east (wildlife) beach at Magee. The beach yielded nothing rare, but it held a good number of typical late-fall birds, including 13 Fox Sparrows, 9 American Tree Sparrows, 60 Rusty Blackbirds, and a Winter Wren. Along the causeway there were still Swamp Sparrows, and fair numbers of American Coots and Pied-billed Grebes. Three flocks of migrating Tundra Swans (totalling 31 birds) flew over headed west to east; the next couple of weeks will be an excellent time to watch for migrating swans anywhere in northern Ohio.

At about 3:30 this afternoon, a Rough-legged Hawk (my first one for the fall) flew past, just north of the parking lot for the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (just north of Route 2, at the entrance to Magee Marsh). It could have been a migrant, but the species does usually winter in this general area, especially over fields on Ottawa NWR just to the west of us. Jeff Gordon, the new president of the American Birding Association, had stopped by BSBO for a brief visit, and he got to see this bird just before he left to continue his drive west -- so the Rough-leg provided a bit of Ohio birding hospitality.

October Shorebirds at Ottawa NWR

On the afternoon of Thursday, October 7, there was a lot of bird activity at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. For those unfamiliar with ONWR, the comments and directions here will make more sense if you consult the birding map of the trails in the eastern section of the refuge, available through the BSBO birding pages under "Birding hotspots: directions and maps."

The best shorebirding on Oct. 7 was in the Crane Creek estuary. To reach this area, drive straight north from the refuge entrance to the lot marked "East parking for trails" on the map, and hike north from there for about a mile on the dike road alongside the impoundments labelled MS 8b, Pool 2c, and Pool 2b. In about a mile the dike road angles northwest and then southwest, and the estuary becomes visible on the right (north) side, while the open areas of Pool 2b are visible to the left.

Water levels in Crane Creek estuary are very much affected by winds. Southwest winds push water out into Lake Erie and expose good mudflats, while northeast winds push water into the estuary from the lake and raise the water levels, covering the flats. On Oct. 7 there was a moderate amount of open mudflat surface and a lot of shallow water, and 16 shorebird species were present. Highlights were 23 Hudsonian Godwits (all juveniles, as would be expected on this date), 3 Marbled Godwits, 2 Red-necked Phalaropes, 2 Stilt Sandpipers, 6 White-rumped Sandpipers, 32 Black-bellied Plovers, and 2 American Golden-Plovers. Historically, Ottawa NWR probably has been the best place in Ohio to find numbers of Hudsonian Godwits; there are records of over 100 in a day there in late September and early October, although normally it's unusual for us in Ohio to see more than a dozen at a time.

Other water birds of interest on the estuary or on Pool 2b included 2 Snowy Egrets (getting late), about 190 Northern Pintails, about 450 Ruddy Ducks, and 7 Ring-necked Ducks (slightly early).

Songbird migrants were abundant in the woodlot adjacent to the parking lot and in the shrubbery along the dike roads, with big numbers of kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-crowned and White-throated sparrows, and a scattering of other birds such as Winter Wrens, Swamp Sparrows, and Blackpoll Warblers. The southeastern corner of Pool 2b is often particularly good for migrants, and this area had Orange-crowned Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Fox Sparrow, and Rusty Blackbird, among other things.

This Sunday, October 10, the auto tour at the refuge will be open. (Incidentally, the usual route for the auto tour doesn't come close to the Crane Creek estuary, so hiking out there would be a separate activity.) Also this Sunday, the Ohio Young Birders Club will be holding a "Big Sit" at Ottawa NWR from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and any interested birder is invited to stop by and join them. More information is here:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Pipe Creek

Friday, August 13, 2010: Today, ace birder Larry Richardson (former director of the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center, and former board member of BSBO) found a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area, on the east side of Sandusky, Ohio. This strikingly patterned tropical and subtropical duck is known to wander, and indeed there had been records from some surrounding states and provinces within the last few weeks. The bird was seen by a number of birders during the day, and was still present in the evening. It was associating with Mallards on a small island near the north dike of the wildlife area (on Unit B, as shown on the map linked below).

Pipe Creek is at the base of the causeway that goes out to the Cedar Point amusement park. Here are directions from our BSBO birding pages: From U.S. Highway 6 on the east side of Sandusky, turn north on Cedar Point Drive, then turn right at River Avenue (just after the McDonald’s). The small parking lot for Pipe Creek is at the end of River Avenue. Impoundments are good for shorebirds, waterfowl, and wading birds, while the woods hold fallouts of songbirds during migration. Note that traffic going to Cedar Point can be very heavy on warm weekends. For a map of Pipe Creek from Ohio's Division of Wildlife, click here.

Arctic Tern at Maumee Bay State Park

Wednesday, August 11, 2010: Maumee Bay State Park, on the Lake Erie shoreline in Lucas County just east of Toledo, Ohio, is a superb place to study terns in late summer and early fall. The concentration of Common and Forster's terns there often reaches 200-300 individuals, offering a fine opportunity to compare their plumages, shapes, and flight patterns.

I went to the park today mostly to look at juvenile Ring-billed Gulls, but while I was there I scanned through the flock and was surprised to find an adult Arctic Tern resting with the Common and Forster's terns. This species is generally quite rare in the interior of eastern North America; Ohio had only a few previous records. The Arctic Tern was present for at least half an hour, long enough for me to shoot some photos and call some other birders, but by the time anyone else arrived, the bird had disappeared. Fortunately it came back in mid-afternoon, and many other birders got to see it late in the day.

Field guide treatments may emphasize bill colors: usually solid red on adult Arctic Tern, red with a black tip on Common Tern. However, many adult Commons in late summer become entirely red-billed. The Arctic Tern present today, however, had a very dark bill, which is an uncommon phenomenon for so early in the season but more expected later on in fall.

Here are some photos and some discussion of how today's bird was identified.

While standing, this bird was noticeable by its overall dark gray look and its short legs, but these are both tricky points. Both Common and Arctic terns vary in their overall shade of gray, and Common Tern can look shorter-legged depending on its posture and the position of its feathers. To confirm the I.D., it's very helpful to see flight pattern.

Here, with the bird taking off, we can see that all of its primaries are about the same shade of gray on the upperside, rather than having the outer primaries much darker than the inner ones. And the trailing edge of the primaries (outer part of the wing) is traced by a narrow black line. On Common Tern, there is a broader, smeary dark trailing edge but it involves the tips of fewer feathers.

Here's another angle showing the relatively uniform color on the upperside of the wing and the narrow black trailing edge on the whitish underside of the wingtip, as well as the strong wash of gray on the underparts. Notice also that the wings appear to be set far forward on the body, an illusion enhanced by the small head and long tail.

This photo compares the Arctic Tern (above) with a Common Tern, perhaps a two-year-old bird rather than a full adult, with a different shape and different wing pattern.

With practice, the wing pattern of Arctic Tern can be seen from a number of different angles.

In this photo, the Arctic Tern is seen flying with several Common and Forster's terns. The differences in shape and wing pattern are evident here.