Subject: Magee area migration 5/21 and subsequently
From: Kenn Kaufman
Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 23:13:19 -0400
In the area of Magee Marsh and other migrant traps on the lakeshore in n.w.
Ohio, there was a fair amount of turnover with the southwest winds last
Friday night, and decent numbers of birds were around on Saturday the 19th.
We actually had a more concentrated variety of migrants at Pipe Creek
Wildlife Area, Sandusky, than we did at Magee Marsh, but our visits to both
areas were brief so these impressions could be deceiving. Many of the birds
apparently left Saturday night, and by today (Monday the 21st) the numbers
of birds at the boardwalk at Magee were relatively low. There was still
good diversity, and multiples of some of the late-season migrants such as
Mourning, Canada, Blackpoll, Tennessee, and Wilson's Warblers, plus Willow,
Alder, and Least Flycatchers and a scattering of others. I actually saw
five Ruby-crowned Kinglets, after failing to see any here on some days last
week.
Currently the winds in this area are light out of the east, but predictions
call for them to swing to east-southeast tomorrow (Tuesday 5/22) and then to
the south by Wednesday night, with very warm temperatures. I would guess
that numbers of migrants at the lakeshore spots will pick up somewhat on
Wednesday and then substantially more on Thursday. This is prime time for
Connecticut Warblers and there will undoubtedly be some at Magee and Ottawa
and East Harbor and Maumee Bay and Pipe Creek on Thursday, although whether
or not we actually get to see these skulkers is a separate question! South
or southwest winds should continue through Thursday night so Friday may be
even better, and then the winds are supposed to swing to the north on
Friday, and I suspect that those conditions will keep a lot of migrants
around through at least the first part of the weekend.
Kenn Kaufman
Rocky Ridge, Ohio
Subject: Magee Marsh Birds today
From: "Warren, Mary"
Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 17:08:48 -0400
Warblers
1. Yellow
2. C. Yellowthroat
3. Yellow-rumped
4. Bay-breasted
5. Blackpoll
6. Chestnut-sided
7. B.t. Blue
8. B.t. Green
9. Canada
10. Wilson's
11. Tenn.
12. Nashville
13. Mourning
14. Ovenbird
15. Magnolia
16. A. Redstart
17. N. Waterthrush
18. N. Parula
19. Black & White
20. Cape May
21. Prothonotary
Vireo's
1. Warbling
2. Red-eyed
3. Phila.
Flycatchers
1. E. Wood Pewee
2. Willow
3. Alder
4. Least
5. Eastern Kingbird
Thrushes
1. A. Robin
2. Veery
3. Hermit
4. Swainson's
Shorebirds
1. A. Woodcock
2. Dunlin
3. Sp Plover
4. Killdeer
5. Ruddy Turnstone
Swallows
1. Barn, Tree, Purple Martin
Sparrows
1. Lincoln's, Song, Swamp
Wrens
1. House, Marsh
Others
1. E. Screech Owl
2. Both Cuckoos
3. R.C. Kinglet
4. C. Waxwing
5. R.t. Hummingbird
6. Common Tern
7. Snowy & Great Egrets
8. Balt. Oriole
=========================
Subject: Magee area migration 5/23
From: Kenn Kaufman
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 18:36:39 -0400
In the area of Magee Marsh, n.w. Ohio, today (Wednesday May 23) it was
evident that numbers of migrants had picked up since Monday. Winds had been
oddly variable Monday night but by Tuesday night they were more consistently
out of the south, and many birds apparently came in overnight. This morning
I had good numbers of Empidonax flycatchers at Magee, with all five species
represented during four hours on the east beach and the boardwalk: 5
Yellow-bellied, 2 Acadian, 3 Alder, 6 Willow, 4 Least, and another 15
unidentified Empidonax that were silent or seen too briefly (mostly
Willow/Alder types). This was the first good influx of Alder and
Yellow-bellied that I had encountered this year, but these are notoriously
late migrants anyway.
Diversity of warblers is starting to drop off a bit, but there were still
good numbers of some things, especially American Redstarts (I saw at least
50, mostly females and young males). Blackpoll, Wilson's, and Canada
Warblers were also present in good numbers. A lone Palm Warbler on the east
beach was getting a little late. One Kentucky Warbler was a surprise (and I
heard of sightings of two others). Everyone I met on the boardwalk was
looking for Connecticut Warblers, but I didn't talk to anyone who had seen
one. However, at least one was heard singing at the Black Swamp Bird
Observatory's main banding site, about five miles east of Magee, this
morning.
Notable among other migrants were at least 25 Swainson's Thrushes, at least
7 Lincoln's Sparrows, and at least 2 Philadelphia Vireos. Also interesting
to me was a substantial flight of Blue Jays. During a couple of hours in
mid-morning I saw at least 400 Blue Jays, in flocks of 3 or 4 up to 20 or
25, all moving silently east-southeast paralleling the lake shore. The May
migration here is a well-known phenomenon, described in some detail in The
Birds of Ohio (Bruce Peterjohn) and mentioned in Birds of the Toledo Area
(Matt Anderson et al.) and Birds of the Cleveland Region (Larry Rosche).
But I grew up thinking of this species as a cold-hardy permanent resident,
and it's still startling to me to be out in late May, with foliage looking
like summer and temperatures in the 80s, seeing flocks of Blue Jays still
engaged in spring migration.
Current predictions are for southerly winds to continue for the next couple
of nights, so I expect there will be continued turnover and bigger numbers
for the next couple of days, and then decent numbers of migrants grounded on
the lake shore over the weekend.
Subject: Magee area migration 5/25
From: Kenn Kaufman
Date: Fri, 25 May 2007 23:27:31 -0400
For the last three nights (Tuesday through Thursday) the winds were
southerly, and the last three days (Wednesday through Friday, May 23 - 25)
saw excellent numbers and substantial turnover of late-season migrants in
the area of Magee Marsh, n.w. Ohio. Today, Friday 5/25, there were good
numbers of migrants at all the spots in this immediate area: the Magee
Marsh boardwalk, the woodlots at Ottawa NWR main unit, the Black Swamp Bird
Observatory banding station (on the Navarre Unit of Ottawa NWR, about five
miles east of Magee), and the woodlot at Metzger Marsh, to the west of
Magee. The makeup of the flight was about as expected for late May: lots of
Empidonax flycatchers of all five species, with Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
especially numerous today; both cuckoos in good numbers, especially
Yellow-billed; very large numbers of Swainson's Thrushes but also a decent
number of Gray-cheeked Thrushes today; many Blackpoll Warblers and American
Redstarts, but also fair numbers of Canada and Mourning Warblers and a fair
scattering of at least 15 other warbler species. This evening we saw at
least one Connecticut Warbler, possibly two, in the area of the tower at the
west end of the Magee boardwalk, and I heard that one was seen earlier in
the woodlot at Metzger.
The mudflats at Metzger Marsh continue to see rapid turnover in the birds
present. I was there today just before a heavy rain hit in the early
afternoon, and went back an hour later after the rain ceased, and even in
that time there was turnover, with two Black-bellied Plovers and an American
Golden-Plover before the rain, many Forster's Terns and a lone Bonaparte's
Gull after the rain. There are still impressive numbers of Ruddy
Turnstones. Two American Pipits here seemed to be getting a bit late.
With the weather conditions tonight, I would expect that not many of the
current migrants would leave, and numbers and variety should be excellent
for the weekend.
Subject: Magee area migrants 5/28
From: Kenn Kaufman
Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 19:50:36 -0400
This weekend (May 26 and 27), the area of Magee Marsh and nearby hot spots
in n.w. Ohio had unsettled weather, with winds and intermittent rain, but
with good birding in between storms. Today (Monday May 28) was startlingly
calm by contrast, and was clear after the morning fog lifted.
Kim and I spent a couple of hours at Metzger Marsh and about three hours at
the Magee Marsh boardwalk today to get a sense of the state of migration.
Numbers of migrants had definitely dropped a lot since Friday, but there was
still a fair amount of variety. Wilson's Warblers and especially American
Redstarts were obvious at both locations, most of the latter being young
males, actively singing. Other classic late migrants included multiples of
Canada and Mourning Warblers, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and Red-eyed Vireos.
We also saw numbers of Magnolia Warblers, plus Bay-breasted, Ovenbird, and
others, but no Connecticut Warbler for us today. All five species of
Empidonax flycatchers were at the Magee boardwalk, with only one Least but
multiples of the others; two singing Acadians were something of a surprise.
An Olive-sided Flycatcher was there as well. There apparently had been an
influx of thrushes again: even though we were at Magee in the heat of the
afternoon, we saw 7 Swainson's Thrushes, 4 Gray-cheeked, and a Veery.
Having such a high ratio of Gray-cheekeds was a pleasant surprise; but since
this species breeds farther north, on average, than any of our other brown
thrushes, perhaps it makes sense for it to be a late migrant.
The extensive mudflats at Metzger Marsh (northwest of Magee) continue to see
frequent turnover. Highlights there at midday today included five Red Knots
(four in breeding plumage), 64 Black-bellied Plovers, and 70-plus Ruddy
Turnstones. The resting flock of ratty subadult Ring-billed Gulls was
joined off and on by up to 25-plus Common Terns as well as one Forster's,
three Caspian, and two Black Terns.
At this point I don't expect any more big fallouts of migrants, but the
woodlots at Magee, Ottawa NWR, Metzger, and elsewhere along the lakeshore
should have an interesting variety of late migrants for the next week or so,
including sought-after species like Yellow-bellied, Alder, and Olive-sided
Flycatchers, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Mourning and Connecticut Warblers, and
perhaps some surprising strays. Shorebird migration should continue to make
Metzger Marsh worth checking for another couple of weeks at least.
Kenn Kaufman
Rocky Ridge, Ohio
Kim and I were at Metzger Marsh today (Monday May 28) for a couple of hours at midday and we walked out the dike to scope the shorebirds and other birds on the flats. Diversity isn't particularly high now but there were large numbers of some species, including 64 Black-bellied Plovers and more than 70 Ruddy Turnstones. Numbers of Dunlins are tapering off from the highs of a couple of weeks ago, but we still saw at least 200. Most notable were five Red Knots, four of them mostly in breeding plumage. Rounding out the list were Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Sandpiper. At this date I would have expected some White-rumped Sandpipers as well, but if they were around they were at least half a mile away on the flats and unresolvable by telescope. One Forster's, three Caspian, and two Black Terns were loosely associated with the 25-plus Common Terns present. In the small woodlot at the end of the road we saw a handful of the expected migrants, including Am. Redstart, Wilson's and Bay-breasted Warblers, Swainson's Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, and at least four Yellow-billed Cuckoos.
http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2132
============Subject: Western Lake Erie birds
From: Jim McCormac
Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 18:40:48 -0400
Hi all,
I was up in the western marshes and vicinity over the weekend, and will
report some highlights. First, though, a big thanks and congrats to the
organizers and participants of the first Ohio Young Birders Conference, held
Saturday at the new visitors center at Ottawa Nat'l Wildlife Refuge. The
event came off beautifully, and pretty much filled the conference room to
capacity with about 75-80 people, some of whom had come from far-flung
haunts to be there.
Kudos to presenters Ethan Kistler, Auriel Van Der Laar, Phil Chaon, and Andy
Bankert. All were exceptional, as was Emcee Brad Wilkinson. Credit goes to
Kim Kaufman of Black Swamp Bird Observatory for inspiring this, and everyone
who helped. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and I think everyone else did too.
There were still a number of migrants to be had at the Magee Marsh bird
trail and Metzger Marsh. I saw or at least heard about 20 species of
warblers, including a Connecticut at the bird trail. There were still decent
numbers of late migrants like Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Bay-breasted,
Blackpoll, American Redstart, and Wilson's. Lesser numbers of Nashville,
Northern Parula, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, Ovenbird, and Canada were
around.
Several Lesser Scaup and one Greater were offshore near Maumee Bay in Lake
Erie, as were a few Red-breasted Merganser. Metzger Marsh remains the
shorebird capital of the area; birds that I saw or heard about there on
Saturday included Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer,
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary, Spotted, Semipalmated, and Least
sandpipers, Whimbrel (3), Ruddy Turnstone (70+), Dunlin, and Short-billed
Dowitcher.
Cuckoos are in good to great numbers, with MANY Yellow-billeds about. I must
have seen or heard 30 over the weekend, along with a few Black-billed.
Noteworthy were many migrating Alder Flycatchers; we had perhaps ten of them
on Saturday. A fair number of Philadelphia Vireos are passing through, too.
The Cedar Waxwings are abundant, and many Catharus thrushes are still moving
through, including good numbers of Swainson's and Gray-cheeked along with
several Veery.
On Sunday, a number of us had a fantastic trip to the Oak Openings, and we
had many of the regional breeding specialties like Summer Tanager,
Blue-headed Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Pine
Warbler, and Yellow-breasted Chat, along with singing Lark Sparrows. Nice
was a very cooperative Olive-sided Flycatcher; they are late migrants and
should still be watched for. We also made some extraordinary non-bird finds,
but that'll be blog material.
Jim McCormac
========Subject: Magee Marsh Birds
From: "Warren, Mary"
Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 09:34:03 -0400
The migration is winding down............but there are still plenty of
good birds to be seen!
We are doing our last Bird Walk tomorrow morning. Meet at the west end
of the boardwalk at 8:30 am.
Happy Birding!
The following warblers were sighted at Magee yesterday and today with
blackpoll and redstarts being the most numerous.
Warblers
Prothonotary
Golden-winged
Ovenbird
Yellow
Magnolia
Chestnut-sided
Bay-breasted
N. Waterthrush
Connecticut
Mourning
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's
Canada
A. Redstart
Black throated blue
Black throated green
Blackpoll
Blackburnian
Subject: Metzger Marsh White-faced Ibis, Laughing Gull 5/29
From: Kenn Kaufman
Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 22:48:09 -0400
This spring there have been numerous reports of Glossy Ibises around the
state, but I'm also aware of a couple of reports of White-faced Ibis,
including one at Metzger Marsh on April 26 and one in the Killbuck Marsh
area on May 11. This evening (Tuesday May 29) I found one White-faced and
one Glossy Ibis at Metzger Marsh, n.w. Ohio. The two birds were foraging
together along the edge of the extensive flats south of the dike that runs
east from the parking lot at the end of the road. Like most of the other
birds present, the ibises were some distance away from the dike. Through
the telescope it was easy to see the Glossy's dark slaty facial skin with
narrow border of pale blue skin, and the White-faced Ibis's red facial skin
with a smeary surrounding area of white feathers. Without a scope, though,
it would have been impossible to identify these two birds with certainty.
Glossy Ibis has been recorded far more often in Ohio than White-faced, but
clearly we can't just assume that dark ibises are Glossies unless they're
seen well enough to prove that identification.
Also at Metzger this evening was an adult Laughing Gull. It was resting on
the edge of the flats with a group that included about 50 Ring-billed Gulls
(mostly subadults), 20 Herring Gulls (all adults), 35 Common Terns, 7
Forster's Terns, 2 Black Terns, and 3 Caspian Terns. Those are maximum
counts for each, because there was continuous turnover in the birds present.
Turnover seems to be a constant at Metzger right now. This evening I saw
only three Black-bellied Plovers (but Kim and I had seen 64 there yesterday)
and no Red Knots (five yesterday). Numbers of Ruddy Turnstones and Dunlins
also had dropped substantially, but this evening I had one Sanderling, three
Least Sandpipers, and two White-rumped Sandpipers, all missed yesterday.
Clearly, Metzger is worth a look for anyone birding the area over the next
couple of weeks, but do bring a telescope if you can.
http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2172
This evening (Wednesday June 13), Kim and I went to check out the flats at Metzger Marsh. There is still good shorebird habitat, and despite the date, there were still shorebirds -- nine species. Most notable of the lot was a Western Sandpiper in breeding plumage, well-marked and long-billed. As far as I can determine, this is a rare bird in "spring" here, with hardly any mid-June records anywhere in Ohio. Other birds notable for the date included Black-bellied Plover (3), Ruddy Turnstone (1), Semipalmated Sandpiper (2), Least Sandpiper (3), White-rumped Sandpiper (2), and Dunlin (14). The Killdeers and Spotted Sandpipers that rounded out the list are local breeders, not migrants. One Forster's Tern was with the resting flock of Common Terns on the flats, but otherwise everything was pretty much the expected species. Still, the variety present on this late date suggests that Metzger will be worthy of checking through the rest of the summer -- it's only about two weeks now until the first southbound migrant shorebirds start to show up.
===========Subject: Shorebirds at Metzger 6/13
From: Kenn Kaufman
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:08:41 -0400
By the time you get to June 13th, shorebird "migrants" at this latitude are
starting to be problematic. Some that are around now may still in fact be
on their way north to the breeding grounds, and they may still attempt to
nest after they arrive there, but others are probably nonbreeders that won't
go much farther north and they may just spend the summer here. By the
beginning of July, of course, the first southbound migrants will show up --
perhaps birds that failed in their first nesting attempt and didn't have
time (in the brief Arctic summer) to initiate a second. A lot of ink and
electrons get wasted in attempting to define whether given individual
shorebirds in mid to late June are northbound, southbound, or neither. But
it's still interesting to see what shorebirds we can find at this time of
year.
Kim and I had been focused on breeding birds for the last few days (in
Guernsey Co., atlasing with the OYBC, and on West Sister Island). But we
visited Metzger Marsh, Lucas Co., n.w. Ohio, this evening (Wednesday June
13) to check out the flats that had been so good for shorebirds this spring.
We were not disappointed, with nine species seen. The Killdeers and Spotted
Sandpipers are local breeders, but the other seven species certainly are
not:
Black-bellied Plover 3 (all in "winter-like" plumage, undoubtedly young
nonbreeders)
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 2
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 3
White-rumped Sandpiper 2
Dunlin 14
White-rumped Sandpiper is a classic late migrant so these birds were very
likely still on their way to the Arctic. The most notable bird this evening
was undoubtedly the Western Sandpiper. I've been looking at shorebirds
closely for the last three years here and this was the first "spring"
Western that I had seen in Ohio. According to what I've seen and read, the
species must be pretty rare here in spring, distinctly uncommon in fall, and
not expected at all in mid-June. Fortunately this was a well-marked
individual in breeding plumage with rusty on the cap and auriculars and
scapulars, spotting / streaking on the sides, and very long bill, and we saw
it in direct comparison to a Semi and several Dunlins.
Aside from the shorebirds we had no surprises. The resting flock of 40-plus
Common Terns included only one Forster's while we were there and no other
terns, and the only gulls seen were Herring and Ring-billed. Numbers of
Mallards were flying around but we had no other ducks close enough to
identify. Great Blue Heron (25), Great Egret (4), and Snowy Egret (1) were
the only large waders.
