Carol and I returned today from three days of birding the Toledo area. It was cold and wet and not very birdy Monday and Tuesday. This morning was better.
Lark Sparrows were plentiful Monday afternoon at the Oak Openings Preserve:
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A male Eastern Towhee repeated this tail-spreading display east of the lodge; we never saw the female. A pair of Belted Kingfishers performed a flight display over the lodge.
We counted just three warbler species (Yellow, Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Green) the first two days. This Whip-poor-will slept on the exact same spot along one of the Magee Marsh boardwalks every single day! We also met John Blanshine on the boardwalk on Tuesday.
There were plenty of real Bald Eagles around so we didn't need to count this stiff pair at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
High water everywhere! We couldn't even drive into Metzger Marsh because of the water over the road! Finally a shift in temperatures and wind direction brought many more birds into the woods this morning. We counted 40 species in three hours including seven more warblers (Pine, American Redstart, Palm, Black-and-White, Black-throated Blue, and Louisiana Waterthrush).
Several Broad-winged Hawks and a few Sharp-shinned Hawks migrated over the area this morning. The sky was also full of Blue Jays and Tree Swallows.
This House Wren sang in a thicket beside the Magee Marsh boardwalk today. The Bald Eagle mom and dad brought fish to their babies on the nest near the parking lot.
We headed for home early this afternoon as storms returned to Toledo. Local experts predicted this weather system would bring many more birds into the area for tomorrow, and hopefully for the 10-day national festival beginning this Friday.
- Ric
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